The 3-2-1: Three things learned, two questions, one prediction after Auburn moves to 1-0

AUBURN – There’s few things better than winning the opening football game of the season and having two more days to enjoy the Labor Day Weekend. It’s a good start to a season that has to go well for Bryan Harsin and Co.

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Here’s more perspective on the game with The 3-2-1 feature, including three things learned, two questions and one prediction after a 1-0 start.

Three things learned

Eric Kiesau and Jeff Schmedding aren’t going to show much of anything until Penn State arrives in town. That was clear on Saturday night. The offense was fairly vanilla. Simple run game, some jet sweep motion action to keep the defense honest and watching for on film, and some basic passing concepts to try and ease T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford into the game. Defensively, basically no blitzing, and basic coverages in the secondary. Game one was about doing your job and executing the basics of the schemes. Mission accomplished.

Finley is a good teammate. Following the game, Finley said whatever is good for the team, he’s all for. That’s what you’d expect from your starting quarterback, but it couldn’t have been an easy thing to say following a two turnover game in your first career start. Then you listen to Ashford postgame talk about his relationship with Finley, and from the outside, it appears it’s a relationship and partnership that could remain valuable for Auburn’s offense. It doesn’t guarantee success, but Finley’s attitude and head appear to be in the right place, along with Ashford. That’s at least a good start, if this two-quarterback system continues.

Shedrick Jackson remains Auburn’s most valuable wide receiver. The senior played 49 of the 62 offensive snaps, by far the most of any wideout. Malcolm Johnson Jr. was next with 29 snaps, followed by Koy Moore’s 26 and Tar’Varish Dawson’s 25. Jackson finished with four catches for 47 yards, but more importantly, he was on the field run blocking for 32 snaps. That’s one more snap than tight end John Samuel Shenker. It speaks to the value in Jackson’s physical nature and ability to do the dirty work, something this Auburn team will need on the perimeter. Jackson even had six more run-blocking opportunities than starting right guard Kameron Stutts. Bottom line: Jackson is extremely valuable to what this Auburn offense wants to accomplish on the ground and through the air.

Two questions

Can Cam Riley keep up this pace? At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Riley’s 15 total tackles surpasses his entire total from last season, and was only eight shy of his career total entering the night of 23. What a start to his season. No other Auburn player had more than five tackles in the game. In fact, Riley’s nine solo tackles would have still led the team by four. What a game. Sideline to sideline, sticking runners in their tracks, Riley is going to be exciting to watch develop this season.

Will T.J. Finley bounce back from a tough opener? If you’re Bryan Harsin and Eric Kiesau, that’s not exactly how you wanted Finley’s first start of the season to go, but it happened. Finley’s two interceptions, along with Robby Ashford’s flashes of big-play ability, have made sure this quarterback race isn’t nearly finished. Finley is still the starter, but the two turnovers were bad decision making and inaccuracy in one, two things Harsin simply isn’t going to tolerate.

One prediction

Finley will start against San Jose State. Harsin and Kiesau can’t name Finley the starting quarterback, place trust him to operate the offense and all that, and then pull him after the first time he starts a season opener. That would show panic and a lack of belief in your decision. Ashford was flashy, but didn’t do anything in the passing game to take the job from Finley, that’s for sure. It’s one more home game before the schedule gets real, and it’s another opportunity for Finley to gain confidence and gain momentum before Penn State. Auburn’s going to need Finley and Ashford this season, that’s my guess. I’d say they need Zach Calzada, too, but whether or not he even gets an opportunity remains to be seen.