The 12th story in a series previewing SEC football teams
ATLANTA — The Auburn Tigers were riding high when they left Fayetteville with a 38-23 victory over the No. 17-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks last season.
Beating the University of Arkansas got the Tigers back in the national polls, and Auburn rose to No. 12 after beating No. 10 Ole Miss 31-20 at home the next week to improve to 6-2.
“Yeah, the Arkansas game, that was a good game for us against a really good team,” Auburn Coach Bryan Harsin said last week at SEC Media Days. “Coach [Sam] Pittman has done a tremendous job in that program, without question. You could tell.
“That’s one of the most physical teams that we played. You knew that going in. You knew that mentality was going to be a part of that program.
“We were very fortunate to win that game. Our guys did play well. We executed well in that game.”
But after the Tigers beat Arkansas and Ole Miss, they didn’t win another game. Auburn finished 6-7 with a five-game losing streak.
“The second half of the season didn’t go our way,” Harsin said. “There’s reasons why. After every game you evaluate what were the things that happened. There are things that we can control. There’s things that we can do better.”
Auburn had second-half leads in its last four losses, including two crushing defeats at home to Mississippi State and Alabama.
The Bulldogs rallied to win at Auburn 43-34 after trailing 28-3 and the Crimson Tide won 24-22 in four overtimes when the Tigers couldn’t hold a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter.
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Houston scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat Auburn 21-17 in the Birmingham Bowl.
“I don’t think everyone got complacent, but we got comfortable with where we were,” Auburn senior defensive end Derick Hall said. “You lose the last five and you’re like, ‘Dang, we were in every game.’
“It was one play here to two plays there that lost us a lot of games. I’m not going to lie, it hurt, it sucked. But all in all, it brought us to where we are now, and it’s going to help us out this year.
“We have a lot of guys back that know what it’s like to play for this program and know the standard we have.”
Hall and senior tight end John Samuel Shenker are among 11 returning starters for the Tigers.
“For all the guys that are coming back, the way we ended last season is really a chip on our shoulder,” Shenker said. “We know that can’t happen again, and we won’t allow that to happen.
“Our goal this whole offseason has been to get Auburn back to where we belong.”
The Tigers also nearly lost Harsin after his first season as their coach.
In February during the aftermath of several players leaving the program — including starting quarterback Bo Nix transferring to Oregon — along with defensive coordinator Derrick Mason leaving for Oklahoma State and offensive coordinator Austin Davis resigning six weeks after being hired from the Seattle Seahawks, the Auburn administration launched an investigation into the program that put Harsin’s job jeopardy.
“It caught us all off guard,” Hall said. “We came out of a workout and there was all this stuff about Coach Harsin and we’re like, ‘What’s going on? Our coach could be gone?’
“Crazy as it was, we didn’t let that affect us as a team. We still went to work every day and did everything we needed to do to be successful, whether Coach Harsin was going to be here or not.
“But we’re glad he’s here. We love Coach Harsin.”
Hall was among the players who talked to the Auburn administration about retaining Harsin.
“I don’t know how much we affected the outcome of it, but before anything was done, we didn’t want to feel like, ‘Aw man, we could have done more to help Coach out,’ ” Hall said. “So we did everything we could to make sure he was here with us.
“I’m not going to disclose everything that was said, but we really wanted to be there to support our coach. We talked about our coach and what we know about him and the kind of man that he is.”
Harsin addressed the investigation in his opening remarks at SEC Media Days.
“It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded,” he said. “It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family and also our program. And it didn’t work.”
Harsin said a positive resulting from the offseason turmoil was bringing the coaches and players closer together.
“What I saw from our players and our coaches was leadership opportunities for them to step up, which is exactly what they did,” he said. “What it did is it united our football team, our players, our staff. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Hall said he never considered transferring despite the uncertainty of Harsin’s status.
“Heck no,” Hall said. “I love Auburn and Auburn loves me back. I wouldn’t dare leave.”
Junior running back Tank Bigsby, who rushed for 1,102 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, was set to enter the transfer portal after last season according to media reports, but decided to return to Auburn.
“We had coaches and players that could have went to different places, avoided all the adversity and challenges,” Harsin said. “They didn’t do that.
“They’re here working extremely hard. They’re doing a fantastic job, in my opinion, getting themselves ready to go for this season.”
To fill the vacant coordinator spots, Harsin promoted two of his long-time assistants with Jeff Schmedding taking over as defensive coordinator and Eric Kiesau as offensive coordinator. Both were with Harsin at Boise State and last season coached linebackers and wide receivers, respectively.
“I do know them, but they’re very qualified to be in the roles that they’re in,” Harsin said. “Jeff Schmedding is one of the best football coaches I have ever coached with. He knows the game. He prepares himself.
“He’s able to articulate the vision and message that he wants to get to the staff and the players. He’s one of those guys, as a head coach, you don’t have to worry about. He’s going to get the job done.
“Eric Kiesau is no different. We work really well together. I think we mesh well. I think the ideas I have, he has, the staff has, are all going to be implemented into what we do on the offensive side of the ball.
“So both those guys, they’re great coaches. That’s the reason why they’re in the position that they’re in.”
Shenker said the investigation ultimately brought the players closer together.
“Because we bought into one thing, and that was to bring Coach Harsin back,” Shenker said. “We believe in what he’s doing.
“When it all was settled and we finally got Coach Harsin back, it was like something was lifted off our shoulders and now we’re able to go out and play ball for him.”
Hall said the Tigers are ready to take on any challenge.
“After the thought that we could lose our coach at any moment, I think that taught guys a lot,” Hall said. “Like, holy crap, things can flip in the blink of an eye. So we’re not taking anything for granted.”
Tigers at a glance
2022 schedule
All times Central
DATE • OPPONENT • TIME
Sept. 3 - Mercer - 6 p.m.
Sept. 10 - San Jose State - 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 17 - Penn State - 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 - Missouri* TBA
Oct. 1 - LSU* TBA
Oct. 8 - at Georgia* TBA
Oct. 15 - at Ole Miss* TBA
Oct. 29 - Arkansas* TBA
Nov. 5 - at Mississippi State* TBA
Nov. 12 - Texas A&M* TBA
Nov. 19 - Western Kentucky TBA
Nov. 26 - at Alabama* TBA
*SEC game
LAST SEASON 6–7, 3-5 (tie sixth SEC West)
COACH Bryan Harsin (6-7 in one season at Auburn, 82-31 in nine seasons overall)
RETURNING STARTERS Offense 6, Defense 5
KEY PLAYERS RB Tank Bigsby, TE John Samuel Shenker, C Nick Brahms, DE Derick Miller, DE Colby Wooden, LB Owen Pappoe
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Jeff Schmedding (First season as DC, second season on staff)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Eric Kiesau (First season as OC, second season on staff)
SEC WEST TITLE SCENARIO With three-year starter Bo Nix transferring to Oregon, the Tigers need a new quarterback. Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada is the top candidate but will compete along with TJ Finley, an LSU transfer who played for the Tigers last season after Nix was injured, and Oregon transfer Robby Ashford.