AUBURN, Alabama — After an hour-long lightning delay, the Tigers scrimmaged for the first time this preseason under the lights inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. They ran "about 100 plays," Bryan Harsin said, spreading the snaps as evenly as possible between the first-, second- and third-team offenses and defenses.
On offense, Bo Nix got the first crack with the 1s, followed by LSU transfer T.J. Finley with the backups and freshman Dematrius Davis with the third string. The groups mixed and matched, and every quarterback got a chance to lead the first-team offense on a drive.
"I thought the quarterbacks made good decisions as far as getting (wide receivers) the ball on some of those throws," Harsin said late Saturday night. "There was some turnovers created — some that we probably created on the offensive side, and some that our defense were able to go out there and make."
As is usually the case in early preseason scrimmages, Harsin said the Tigers' defense was the superior side of the ball, forcing a few turnovers, including "one, maybe two" fumbles.
Directly tied to the quarterbacks' success rate moving the ball Saturday night was the Tigers' offensive line which was "a little inconsistent" by the head coach's standards. Missed assignments, false starts and some communication mishaps gave the defensive front too big an advantage on some drives, Harsin said.
"All the time at the quarterback position, it really comes down to decision-making," Harsin said after the scrimmage. "... When you go out there and it’s time to play, you’ve got to make great decisions. You’ve got to make sure you’re putting your team in the best position to win and taking care of the football and making the right checks and knowing what you’re doing.
"... There’s plenty to correct. That will be the focus with that position moving forward this week is the decision-making process.”
As many are attempting to analyze whether Finley can push Nix for the starting job this preseason, a question was posed to Harsin after the scrimmage on whether he would consider a two-quarterback system — presumably if the two contenders in question were in a dead heat by the time the season kicked off.
Harsin didn't deny the possibility of doing so, but only because he said he has experience running an offense with two quarterbacks at Boise State, so it's not uncomfortable concept for him. But make no mistake: Auburn wants to stick with a single starter.
"Let's be clear: That's not what we're working towards right now," Harsin said. "Right now, we're developing each quarterback to go out there, play the position and be the quarterback."
Nix is no stranger to having another talented player vying for the starting job alongside him. In 2019, he beat out Joey Gatewood to win the job, becoming the first true freshman to start a season opener for Auburn in more than 70 years.
"I feel like as a group, we've all done a good job of challenging each other," the preseason third team All-SEC quarterback said this week. "Competition brings out the best. In me specifically, I feel like I've always been at my best when I'm competing."
But the attention wasn't just on Nix and Finley on Saturday night. Davis, an early enrollee with the program in the spring, caught Harsin's eye in the scrimmage. He started receiving third-team reps in practice this week after starting the preseason behind Grant Loy.
In Saturday's scrimmage, he was unquestionably part of Auburn's top-three group of passers, and Harsin said Davis made a number of skillful plays outside the pocket. There were some designed runs for shifty freshman, too.
"He’s got some gamesmanship when he’s out there, and I like that," Harsin said of Davis. "What I would say where Dee's at right now — he understands better now that he’s been in it. He’s been through spring and summer and now he’s able to go out there and just play the position and not think as much. He can go out there and play and react and use his abilities to throw and run it and move around in the pocket. I thought there were some good things tonight from him.
"I liked his energy on the field. It seemed like he was out there having fun and had a good idea and grasp of the things we were doing each and every drive. He made some good decisions out there. He’s progressed.”
Auburn has now completed nine practices of fall camp. Sunday, the team will go over the scrimmage film, Harsin said, and the coaches will outline their camp exit strategies with their respective position groups, as classes begin on campus at Auburn on Monday.
Harsin said the Tigers will, when classes start, blend an "in-season" schedule for their practice weeks, while still focusing on details from the past week-and-a-half and keeping some preseason-camp elements mixed in.
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'Plenty to correct' for Auburn QBs after first preseason scrimmage - 247Sports
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