AUBURN | Robby Ashford has one begin and one win below his belt. Now, Bryan Harsin is prepared for him to take the following step in his growth.
And it’d come as a shock that Harsin desires his dual-threat quarterback to spend extra time within the pocket.
“I believe he’s proven super toughness and performed extraordinarily laborious. Now, the following step is simply actually taking part in the quarterback place,” mentioned Harsin. “Having the ability to keep within the pocket. Having the ability to ship the throws. That actually comes from expertise. It takes just a little little bit of time to determine that out and get a greater really feel for it.”
In final Saturday’s 17-14 extra time win over Missouri, Ashford accomplished 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards and led Auburn with 46 speeding yards on 15 carries.
He scored AU’s first landing of the sport on an 11-yard run.
“Even within the final recreation, I assumed he did some good issues throwing the soccer,” mentioned Harsin. “There’s a few balls, they didn’t get caught, however he had some contact on. He did some issues that we see that I’m impressed with that we’ve been working with him on, and that he’s been engaged on.
“I believe each single week he’s gotten higher and higher. So I simply assume the extra that he will get a chance, the higher that he’s going to be.”
Auburn has one of many nation’s worst passing assaults averaging 202.8 yards per recreation, which ranks 103rd nationally. The operating recreation isn’t significantly better averaging 174.0 speeding yards per recreation, which ranks 57th nationally.
Having Ashford make the most of extra zone-reads, RPO’s and throws outdoors the pocket would possibly go well with his skillset higher. It’s an assault that Ashford mentioned he’s comfy with when requested about it earlier this week.
“I really feel like it’s, simply with me having the ability to pull it and get going. I really feel like that would open up extra holes for Tank, ‘quez, Damari,” mentioned Ashford of Auburn’s three operating backs. “Only for these guys and simply serving to the O-line, too, as a result of it is bought to take them out of sure fronts. They can not run sure stunts and stuff lots of groups need to run when you already know the quarterback is not a menace to maneuver.
“So I really feel like I can open up the run recreation much more, and I imply, simply no matter I can do each week to have the ability to assist us get in the long run zone, assist us get optimistic yardage each single play, that is what I will do. If it takes me having to drag one down for less than as soon as a recreation. If that is going to be what it takes to get our backs the ball and simply allow them to get in house and be capable to create, that is what I am gonna do. And if it takes me 15 instances to drag it for them to have the ability to break it for that one time, I am going to do this. So simply no matter it takes for the group to win.”
Auburn (3-1, 1-0 SEC) hosts LSU (3-1, 1-0) Saturday night time at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for six p.m. CT on ESPN.
