AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn scrimmaged Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, three weeks to the minute before the Tigers kick off the 2022 season vs. Mercer.
"I thought the effort was really good tonight," Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. "The execution will improve. I was proud of the effort."
Sophomore defensive back Craig McDonald capped the scrimmage with a 95-yard scoop and score, Harsin said.
"It was a great play," said Harsin, unsure before reviewing video which linebacker caused the fumble. "Craig picked it up and ran it in and that was how we finished it out. It was good for the defense."
The scrimmage featured standout performances by newcomers and seasoned vets alike, with true freshmen Camden Brown and Damari Alston scoring touchdowns in their first collegiate scrimmage, as did senior tight end John Samuel Shenker, while fellow sixth-year senior Anders Carlson connected on all four of his field goal attempts.
"He's been doing really well in camp," Harsin said of the Tigers' veteran kicker. "It was good to be out in the stadium for him as well."
Ja'Varrius Johnson led Auburn receivers with three catches, while tight ends Shenker and Tyler Fromm each added two receptions, Harsin said.
Quarterback T.J. Finley directed the offense on a 14-play drive early in the scrimmage.
"Finley operated well tonight. He's very much like a coach on the field. He's got a really good understanding of what we're trying to accomplish. He executed well when he needed to in some critical moments," Harsin said. "Robby (Ashford) did well too, making some plays and operated the huddle. (Zach) Calzada was solid tonight, had a touchdown as well."
Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley
With the quarterbacks wearing no-contact jerseys, sacks were tough to assess, but Auburn credited edge Eku Leota with one.
"I think Derrick (Hall) would have had one or two in there as well," Harsin said.
Auburn emphasized rushing in Saturday's scrimmage, with junior Tank Bigsby picking up where he left off the past two seasons.
"Tank got quite a few carries early on," Harsin said. "He did well. He ran hard. He ran against the blue (first-team) defense so he was out there taking some hits. He was running powerfully tonight."
The quarterback competition continues, with Harsin prioritizing leadership in his evaluation.
"We're going to play the best guys," he said. "They all deserve an opportunity to go out there, which we've given every one of our guys, to showcase what they can do. Now we've got to start making some decisions.
"What I told those guys tonight, I want to see them lead. That was the No. 1 thing for me. Coach Kiesau can figure out the rest, I want to see these guys lead. For the most part, they did a good job."
After the scrimmage, Auburn coaches returned to their offices to watch the video. They'll correct any errors in Sunday's practice before the players have Monday off prior to Tuesday's first day of class.
That's when the coaches will meet to make any adjustments to the depth chart, based on the first 10 days of preseason practice.
Auburn will scrimmage again on Friday, 15 days before the season commences with five consecutive home games.
Tank Bigsby
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer