Auburn transfer portal departure had second 300-yard game of 2023 in Week 4

TJ Finley, an Auburn football transfer portal departee from this past offseason and a polarizing presence during his 13 appearances on the Plains in 2021 and 2022, had his second 300-yard game (295 passing, 22 rushing) of the 2023 season on September 23 during a Week 4 35-24 victory for Texas State over Nevada in San Marcos. His first was during a monumental 42-31 Week 1 upset win over Baylor. Finley completed an astonishing 25 of his 31 passes, two of them touchdowns and one of them a pick, against the Wolf Pack.

Finley entered Week 4 as the No. 3 transfer quarterback in pass efficiency — and Sam Hartman and Shedeur Sanders, the two QBs ahead of him, both had sub-par performances on September 23; by their standards at least. The Ponchatoula, Louisiana native continued to dominate, though, albeit against much inferior competition than Ohio State and Oregon.

Regardless of the level of competition, Finley has thrived this season against whoever has been in front of him. Having now gone over a 70% completion rate in three appearances, with an 8:1 touchdown-interception ratio through Week 4, Finley is firmly entrenched as a problem in the Sun Belt West with the Bobcats now sitting at 3-1.

Former Auburn football QBs continue to dominate as Tigers flounder under center

Of course, Finley wasn’t the only ex-Auburn football QB to do great things in Week 4. Bo Nix was back to his Heisman tricks for Oregon, completing 28 of his 33 pass attempts, three of them for a touchdown and one of them a pick, for 276 yards in a 42-6 blowout win against Colorado.

Meanwhile, the Tigers were futile under center themselves, getting 56 total passing yards between three QBs in a 27-10 loss vs. Texas A&M; a loss that saw AU convert on just three of their 15 third down chances.

Walker White’s arrival in 2024 will be welcomed by Auburn fans hoping to see Hugh Freeze’s recruits begin to craft the new coaching regime’s culture, but the interim could see myriad struggles.

And as those struggles are happening, the two aforementioned former Tigers could continue to have fans wondering, “What if?”

Again and again and again.