Three takeaways from Week 3 of SEC football
Three takeaways from the third weekend of SEC football:
1. Bryan Harsin on the way out?
Auburn’s second-year head football coach almost didn’t make it to his second season after an internal coup over the offseason. It looks like Bryan Harsin might not make it to his third, however.
Harsin’s Tigers were run off the field, losing 41-12 to visiting Penn State on Saturday. Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford completed 14 of 19 passes for 178 yards and freshman running back Nicholas Singleton gained 124 yards and two touchdowns on just two carries as the visitors rolled at Auburn.
The loss brought the 45-year-old Harsin’s record to 8-8 at Auburn, including 2-1 this year. The Tigers were 3-5 in SEC play a year ago.
Writes John Talty of AL.com, “Even though he’s only 16 games into his tenure at Auburn, it is already time to declare that decision a mistake. Harsin’s track record suggests he’s a good coach, but he hasn’t shown it at Auburn.
“The latest embarrassment, a 41-12 loss at home to Penn State, illustrates how doomed Harsin already is as Auburn’s head coach. Harsin hasn’t developed quarterbacks any better than (Gus) Malzahn, he can’t recruit well enough to compete with the SEC’s upper echelon and he’s not an elite X’s and O’s coach to overcome those deficiencies. That’s a recipe to get you fired long before your initial six-year contract runs out, as Harsin is well on his way to experiencing.”
Allen Greene, the AD who hired Harsin, is no longer at Auburn. Greene resigned from his position earlier this month after four years as head of the Tigers’ athletic department.
Talty says Auburn should go after Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
“Auburn shouldn’t have to look too far for one of the best candidates, though, given he resides one state over in Mississippi,” he wrote. “Lane Kiffin was very interested in the job in 2020 when Auburn hired Harsin, according to those familiar with the search process, and should be one of the first names Auburn calls when it has its next opening. Kiffin’s issues are well-known, but he’s the shot of excitement Auburn needs right now.
2. Ole Miss is running it up
Speaking of Ole Miss, the Rebels are off to a hot start. Kiffin’s club blanked host Georgia Tech 42-0 on Saturday, holding the Yellow Jackets to just 214 yards of offense.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, the transfer from Southern Cal, completed 10 of 16 passes for 207 yards. Zach Evans rushed for 134 yards and two scores on 18 carries. Quinshon Judkins added 98 yards and a pair of scores on 19 carries as the Rebels rushed for 316 yards on 62 carries.
Through three games, Ole Miss is fifth nationally in rushing yards per game at 271.67. The Rebels are fifth nationally in rushing touchdowns with 12. And they are 20th in average yards per rushing attempt at 5.7.
“Everybody thinks you throw the ball in this system,” Kiffin said after the win in Atlanta. “You really don’t. You run the ball a lot in this system when you really have it going.”
Ole Miss plays host to Tulsa on Saturday before welcoming now No. 8 Kentucky to Oxford on Oct. 1.
3. Texas A&M’s defense comes through
Jimbo Fisher’s offense is still struggling, but Texas A&M pulled out a much-needed 17-9 victory over Miami (Fla.) on Saturday thanks to the Aggies’ defense.
A&M forced Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke into a 21-for-41 night through the air for 217 yards as the Hurricanes managed just three field goals. Miami was missing its leading receiver, Xavier Restrepo, who will miss six weeks with a foot injury.
After the 17-14 home loss to Appalachian State, Fisher switched starting quarterbacks from Haynes King to Max Johnson. A transfer from LSU, Johnson completed just 10 of 20 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t turn the ball over, but the Aggies produced just 264 yards of total offense.
“We’ve still got to get a heck of a lot better on offense,” Fisher said afterward.
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 10:28 AM.
