Heading into the fourth game of the 2022 season, there is still not much clarity about the situation when it comes to Auburn football’s offense under second-year head coach Bryan Harsin. In the spring, it seemed that there was no way the Tigers could struggle at the quarterback position with so many guys competing, and yet here we are.
It was announced earlier this week that TJ Finley will be unavailable for the SEC opener this weekend after taking a hit to the shoulder in the Penn State game. Robby Ashford largely took over in the second half of that game, but it’s still unclear whether or not he can truly run the offense.
Now, with the first and easiest SEC opponent that Auburn football will face all season, the offensive staff is going to have to make some hard choices and decide on a clear identity for the Tigers’ offense. Despite one of the team’s biggest assets being running back Tank Bigsby, there were very few run plays called last weekend, and offensive lineman Austin Troxell had this to say about offensive identity, per Auburn Live:
"“We should be able to run the ball against any defense and go from there. That’s our identity as an offense and that’s what we want to be as an offensive line is to be able to run the ball consistently no matter what looks we’re given.”"
Will offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau and Harsin put Robby Ashford in the driver’s seat as QB1 and stick with him as the Tigers attempt to bolster their run game, or does Zach Calzada finally get a chance this weekend?
No matter who it is, the staff needs to choose a quarterback, and the offense has to show signs of consistency or things will only continue to go downhill for Bryan Harsin and Auburn football this season.