Auburn re-opened a quarterback competition thought to be wrapped in August when Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold took the reins.
Ashton Daniels tagged in for Arnold as the Tigers (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) dispatched Arkansas last week, prompting head coach Hugh Freeze to open the competition entering Saturday’s game against visiting Kentucky (2-5, 0-5).
He went to Daniels for the Tigers first SEC victory of the season, a 33-24 victory over the Razorbacks. Arnold was pulled after an interception and 89-yard return. But Freeze wasn’t ready to make a call on his starter this week, calling open competition a great motivator.
“It’s an open competition to see who prepares and plays the best. They both will split reps and then we’ll make a decision,” Freeze said.
Kentucky spun out in a high-scoring loss to Tennessee last week, 56-34. The defeat followed losses to ranked SEC foes Texas and Georgia. The Wildcats have lost four in a row, and head coach Mark Stoops wasn’t shy about sharing the pain of disappointment,
But he said there is no concern in his mind about players losing motivation or “letting go of the rope” the final month of the season.
“These guys have had a very strong mindset and their attitude has been right the entire time. It is difficult. Let’s be honest,” he said. “The guys have worked very hard, and that’s why we’re all disappointed, one way or another. A loss is a loss, and it doesn’t feel good, and your pride gets bruised and hurt, and you get battered up as the year goes on, but you have to pick yourself back up.”
The Wildcats average 24.1 points per game, ahead of only Florida and South Carolina in the conference, and close behind Auburn (24.6).
Kentucky wouldn’t be afraid of a field-position game if the Wildcats were confident running back Seth McGowan can return. He “tried like heck” to get on the field at Tennessee but has battled a shoulder injury since exiting the loss to Texas.
“It has to do with whether he is physically strong enough to hold the ball in certain locations where he is at,” Stoops said.
McGowan leads the team with 476 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Without McGowan, freshman quarterback Cutter Boley threw five TD passes and racked up 330 yards in the loss at Tennessee. He was 57-of-74 passing for 588 yards the past two weeks.
Boley has been the starter since Sept. 22, replacing the injured Zach Calzada. The next assignment — a primetime visit to Auburn — won’t be easy. The Tigers are deep and talented in the secondary with a strong defensive line. While Boley was putting up big numbers in the previous two games, Auburn’s defense snagged five interceptions.
If the Tigers make the switch at the position, Freeze said “zero” will change with the offensive playcalling, reasoning the similarities between his quarterbacks can be a plus.
Saturday is a huge crossroads game for Freeze. Auburn still has games against top-10 ranked Vanderbilt (Nov. 8) and Alabama (Nov. 29).
Daniels didn’t shy away from the competition, and wants a chance to perform on the primetime stage this week.
“Iron always sharpens iron, and at the end of the day whoever is playing on Saturday is going to be prepared to get the win for us,” Daniels said.
Auburn’s unsettled backfield expects a jolt from sophomore running back Durell Robinson. He’s pegged for his first appearance in six weeks after practicing for two weeks and receiving medical clearance from a leg injury.
Jeremiah Cobb has four consecutive 100-yard games and remains the featured back, but the Tigers are in need of rotational options since Damar Alston was dismissed from the team. Cobb had a career-high 28 carries (and 153 yards) last week.
His physicality and the demeanor of the offensive line caught Stoops’ attention.
“They’re very physical and he breaks a lot of tackles and is very talented,” Stoops said of Cobb. “He has great vision, he has great balance, he has great strength and so he can run through some tackles. So to your point, I don’t want to be sitting here next week talking about tackling. It’s about team defense, being in great position, being very physical at the point of attack, and bringing your legs with you and wrapping it up. He’s very talented. He makes a lot of people miss.”
