Real-time analysis: Final, Auburn 62 Alabama State 0

AUBURN | We will be breaking down all things Auburn vs. Alabama State today, and it all happens right here.

This will be a stream of consciousness on things happening in the game, as we analyze the hows and the whys of the Tigers game against Alabama State on Saturday afternoon.

Make sure you have this page open and are refreshing throughout the game to get our thoughts on the Tigers are performing in real time.

[Pate’s Perspective: Auburn looking for consistency and maturity]

Pregame notes: Tigers will miss some players today

The significant news of the day is back-up running back Shaun Shivers isn’t expected to play against Alabama State today. Per sources, Shivers has been isolated due to health and safety protocols, which puts his availability against Penn State into serious jeopardy. Shivers scored two touchdowns on three touches in week one against Akron.

Receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson isn’t expected to play due to a minor ankle injury, per sources. If this game were Penn State, sources say Johnson would be playing.

Tar’Varish Dawson, who missed the opener against Akron, will dress out, but isn’t expected to play today, per sources. He should be good to go against Penn State. Dawson missed time due to health and safety protocols, and while he returned to practice this week, there’s a certain amount of time that has to pass between returning to practice and being cleared to play. Dawson is expected to participate in warm-ups, but not play. He will be fully cleared on Sunday. Tennison’s situation is unclear, but he was in the same boat as Dawson, so he could be in a similar situation. We’ll see soon enough.

Without Johnson and Dawson, expect to see more of redshirt Jackson Billings at the inside receiver position.

Corner Jaylin Simpson will dress and attempt to play, as he’s been battling a groin injury that’s caused him to miss the last scrimmage of the fall and the majority of the season opener. Corner Ro Torrence isn’t expected to play. His absence isn’t injury related. Because of that, transfer corner Dreshun Miller should get his first extended playing time today.

1st Quarter

Tennison looks to be in action today.

Zion Puckett will get the start at safety today

Marcus Harris is active to start the game.. He read that screen out from the snap.

Jackson Billings gets the start at slot.

Jackson McFadden is also out on the field early.

Demetris Robertson finds a lot of space on a slant behind a drive route. Nix is still feeling some of that confidence from last week.. maybe a little too much.

Interesting look on that one.. Shenker motioned in from the slot. Fromm was on the other side attached to the LOS. and they went deep.

There’s the under center run game. from the I. Twice in a row. Both were off-tackle plays.

Make it 3 in a row. If they can take care of the inside DL they will break one from that look. Looks like they want to establish the run game from under center this week.

Definitely a slow start on offense, but they didn’t mix it up either. They wanted to see if they could get in a heavy set and run the football. That will come in handy down the road.

Derick Hall and Marcus Harris are living in the backfield right now.

Leota and Height just checked in at the edges.. not as much substitution going on this week.

Tony Fair and Zy Walker against a wildcat play? Not a good idea.

Steiner and Lester got the penetration to block it. Nice job

Now that is a drop... Great play call with a deep cross and then an underneath cross that came open late. Great protection with the help of a tight end.

Alabama State ran a twist up front and it was a major problem Keiondre Jones.. Brahms held because he freaked out that his guard left him alone. That is a missed assignment in drop protection.

The Counter play proves to be big.. this is why you mix up the run schemes. Council on the kick block got submarined.. Helmet to the knee. Hopefully it wasn’t anything other than a painful shot.

Alec Jackson will replace Council for now.

The first Empty look I have seen this year. Went with the tunnel screen.. I am not opposed.

14 personnel on the goal line… aaaand delay of game.. back to the drawing board.

Council is walking around on the sideline. I’m thinking it was direct blow to the knee.. and well, that hurts.

I would not run at Tony Fair.. It’s just a bad idea.

The pocket closed up quick there.. credit to all 4 but Leota will get the sack stat

Inside SPLIT zone there. There was one crease, and Jarquez Hunter found it. That’s a big deal for a young guy.

2nd Quarter

Another deep shot just cannot connect with Jackson. They keep going at Jackson on those.

Power G play for the first time. couldn’t get the hinge block to keep the edge guy out of the play.

You can see why they like Jarquez Hunter so much. Found a backside lane on the wide zone play and then ran through an arm tackle.

The wheel route from the backfield was perfectly timed and should have been 6. But Nix lofted it instead of putting it on his body. Nix has been much less sharp today.

Demetris Robertson for 6! A corner route there. He is VERY dangerous when matched up in the slot. Most of his success at Georgia came from plays that looked identical to what you just saw.

Pegues, Burks, and Tennison join the party for this series.

Malcolm Askew is also getting some action at corner.

Marcus Harris and Colby Wooden allow nothing on that first and goal play. Wildcat may not be the way to go for the Hornets.

SPECIAL TEAMS.. Harsin ball? Nah too early. They have been big today though. Someone got a paw on it in the middle. Pritchett flashes that speed on the scoop and score. Wow

Caylin Newton redeems himself on the first return I have seen against Auburn this year… but Jarquez Hunter was offsides.

TD Moultry makes his presence known from the edge again.. Got cut but got back to his feet lightening quick and affected the play.

Demetris Robertson fakes everyone out and wears the number 12 to return the punt.. I thought it was Sammy Cohen.. Never wanted to see a punt return that bad.

The slow screen to the back… You love to see it.. What you hate to see is a DL sniff it out and stop a touchdown play.

Nix misses an easy slant to Hudson. He never saw it, and then tried to throw it late.. Not getting the best from him today.

Roger McCreary has been strong in run support today.. and that is not a surprise, although it doesn’t get talked about often.

Chandler Wooten blocks two guys at once and manages to avoid the blindside block penalty. Good stuff!

TD Moultry has been an animal off the edge.. The technique wasn’t great, but it was effective.

3rd Quarter

Well, can’t blame them for trying it..

Pappoe just dropped into a deep third.. I can get behind that.

Back to the counter play.. Maybe they thought the zone was too heavy in the last game..

Bigsby hits it wide open.. Troxell worked his tail off to turn the defender on a single-man block. Everything looked good up front on that one. Great cut by Bigsby as well. Wanted to see the patience from him an the had it there.

Brodarius Hamm had his man on skates that time. He hasn’t jumped out at me yet until right then.

Demetris Robertson HOUSE CALL x2. What did I say earlier? Single coverage against Robertson can be a bad idea. This was just a go route with the slight fade. The DB had no chance in keeping up.

The protection has been nice on every play action play this year. They usually keep a tight end to make it max protection. This takes a route off of the field, but if it is open, it doesn’t matter. It is all about the timing of the call.

What else can happen when you run at Tony Fair? LB’s will be free because he’s taking up two blocks.. You don’t want number 9 or 0 with a free shot at your back..

Height gets reached against an outside zone play. That can’t happen. That one block is what springs the play.

Marquis Burks making the most of his snaps.. It was a loose ball and then a clean strip by him to get it out. WOW

What looks like a bad under throw might actually be a timing issue.. by the time Nix is getting into his full drop from the play fake, the route is so far down field. Worth noting.

Demetris Robertson HOUSE CALL x3 The speed is real. Auburn needed it and went and got it with him. The end-around was nice.

HOUSE CALL – This time it’s McCreary on the pick-6. Alabama State has been going to the tunnel screen and this time, Roger wasn’t having it. He looked like he saw it coming from the moment they called it in. WOWx2

Eku Leota is a savvy football player on the edge. He did a little dip move to get by the lead blocker. I like the way he is playing early on this season.

Wesley Steiner reminds everyone that he is really fast..

Devin Guice avoids pure danger and makes a play on the return. Not a good choice, but knew he wouldn’t get too many opportunities.

Hunter gets the call on the zone play from under center. He continues to impress.

HOUSE CALL – Malcolm Johnson joins the party. Finley comes in, gets the deep ball call, and makes it look effortless. Not much else to it.

TD Moultry is proving to the difference maker we all thought he could be. Cam Riley is one of the more promising looking young players on this team.

JARQUEZ HUNTER… you guessed it HOUSE CALL! The play: Wide zone. Alec Jackson and Jalil Irvin cleared the way for Hunter and created a perfect cut-back lane fit for an F-150.

I’d like to shoutout to Killian Zierer as well.. His man was also on skates.

4th Quarter

Dreshun Miller has now made an appearance

Action Jackson going to get some… action now.

2nd group at OL includes: Zierer, Stutts, Irvin, Manning, Coffey

Jordon Ingram joins the party. Throws a nice stiff arm on the bounce.

The speed option? wow. Saw Coastal running that last night and thought, “Man that can be really effective in college football.. nobody does it anymore.” That was a smart call after pounding it over and over.

Joko Willis welcomes himself to the Auburn fans. Came flying off the edge on that one.