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CONECUH SAUSAGE DOG 800-726-0507 ConecuhSausage.comROBBY ASHFORD ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’: ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’: ROBBY ASHFORD 21 Practice had ended nearly a half-hour earlier, but Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford remained on the field, talking to Mike Hartline, an offensive analyst who debuts as the Tigers QB coach Saturday at Mississippi State. “Coach Hartline has been really big in my development,” Ashford said. “We get along really well. When I have questions, I know I can always hit him up, and he’ll let me know what I need to know. When we’re both on the same page, it works even better.” Like Ashford, Hartline played quar- terback in the SEC, at Kentucky from 2006-10. “We talk life, too,” Ashford said. “He’s been there for me.” A football and baseball star at Hoover High School near Birmingham, Ashford signed with Oregon, playing baseball for the Ducks in 2021 while redshirting in football before transferring to Auburn this year. The MVP of Auburn’s A-Day game, Ashford realized early in preseason camp that he had an opportunity to win the starting job. “I can do this,” he recalled saying to himself. T.J. Finley won the starting position, but Ashford earned playing time begin- ning in the opening series of the season. “It almost felt like a dream,” said Ashford after passing for 100 yards and rushing for 68 in Auburn’s season-open- ing 42-16 win vs. Mercer. “I was taking it all in like, ‘Wow, I’m actually here.’ First college snaps. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team.” Ashford made his first start in Au- burn’s SEC opener against Missouri, completing 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards and rushing for 46 yards and a touch- down in Auburn’s 17-14 win. “It gave me that confidence to know I can go out there and do it,” Ashford said. “Knowing my preparation paid off. Getting that first start under my belt was great.” Ashford will make his sixth consec- utive start Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT when the Tigers play Mississippi State in Starkville. “I’m feeling more comfortable with the experience and the reps I’m getting,” he said. “Keep working, keep getting in the film room, keep working at practice. How can I improve my game every week? I think I’ve improved in that aspect every single week. How can I put it all together? “Getting that experience, getting bet- ter at certain things, and trying to put it all together and make one great game. How can we stick together and be that band of brothers, and come out with a win?” Ashford ranks fourth in the SEC and 13th nationally averaging 14.27 yards per completion and is one of only two FBS freshmen with four completions of 50 or more yards. He’s also the only freshman quarterback with at least six rushes of 20 or more yards. “Being an athletic quarterback, ev- erybody likes to downplay my throwing,” he said. “I’m a quarterback, I’m not an athlete.” Continued on Page 23 AUBURNTIGERS.COM BY: JEFF SHEARER PROUD PARTNER Get the right defense for the right price. Switch and save with Allstate. Based on average annual savings of new customers surveyed in 2021 who reported auto savings when switching to Allstate. In most states, prices vary based on how you buy. © 2022 Allstate Insurance Company, 3100 Sanders Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. Marks are registered trademarks of their respective owners.‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’: ROBBY ASHFORD 23 Continued from Page 21 Ashford’s rushing ability gives Auburn a weapon for which defenses must account. He had a 49-yard rush against Mercer, a 30-yarder against San Jose State, a 28-yarder against Penn State and a 34-yard rush vs. Arkansas. “With me being able to pull it and get going, that can open up more holes for Tank, Jarquez and Damari. It helps the O-line also because it takes the defense out of certain fronts, and they can’t run certain stunts that a lot of teams want to run when the quarterback isn’t a threat to move. I feel like I can open up the run game. “Whatever I can do to help us get in the end zone and get positive yardage every single play, that’s what I’m going to do. Whatever it takes for the team to win.” Last week against Arkansas, Ashford completed 73 percent of his passes for 285 yards, adding 87 rushing yards on 19 carries. In just five starts, he now has two of the top seven passing performances by a freshman in Auburn history, includ- ing his 337-yard outing against LSU. “I get a lot of confidence from that,” Ashford said. “To know I can go out there and do it. I have to instill that confidence in myself to know that whatever comes my way, I can take it head on. “The win column hasn’t been where we want it to be, but from an overall perspective, for me being such a young quarterback in the college football world, it’s great to know I can go out there and compete with the best. It’s a great confi- dence booster.” Ashford knows a quarterback is only as successful as his offensive line. “I tell those guys every day how much I appreciate them,” Ashford said. “We know we’ve got to do this together. I’ll go to war for those guys any single day. They know I have their back through thick and thin.” Robby Ashford traveled 2,500 miles from home to start his college career. Seeking a fresh start, he bet on himself and his ability, then overcame the odds in a crowded field to earn a high-profile position in college football’s most com- petitive conference. “It means the world to me,” he said. “To be able to come back home and rep- resent a school like Auburn – a school I’ve always thought so highly of – as a recruit I would come here, and I could envision myself playing in Jordan-Hare. Once game one hit and we ran out onto the field I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really here.’ “I have the utmost respect for every- body who’s helped me get to this point. I’m thankful and grateful for all of them. The Auburn family has welcomed me and my family with open arms. How can I pay Auburn back?” That’s why Ashford is often one of the last players to leave the field after practice. His drive to improve, to lead, to succeed stretches from the training room to the meeting room to the locker room. “Like Coach ‘Lac [Carnell Williams] said, one of his old coaches told him if you love Auburn, Auburn will love you back. How can I show my love for Auburn every single day? I try to go out there and give everything I have every Saturday and every day leading up to that. “The wins aren’t where we want them to be but hopefully we can get back on track, finish this season strong and get ready for a great next season.” Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer AUBURNTIGERS.COM ROBBY ASHFORD ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’INTERIM HEAD COACH CARNELL WILLIAMS 27 Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams, a former all-American at Auburn, was named the interim head football coach on October 31, 2022. Williams is in his fourth season as the Tigers’ running backs coach. As a player at Auburn, Williams helped lead the Tigers to an unde- feated season in 2004 while earning All-America honors that year. The 2005 NFL Rookie of the Year, Williams had a seven-year NFL career before entering the coaching ranks. A native of Gadsden, Alabama, and product of Etowah High School, Williams finished his Auburn career (2001-04) with 3,831 yards on 741 attempts with 45 touchdowns. He broke the Auburn career record of most run- ning attempts, passing Joe Cribbs, and most touchdowns scored, passing Bo Jackson, while finishing second in total rushing yards and all-purpose yards. As a senior in 2004, Williams helped lead the Tigers to one of the best sea- sons in program history, winning an SEC Championship en route to a perfect 13-0 season and a Sugar Bowl victory. He led Auburn in rushing with 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns while tally- ing 1,718 all-purpose yards. He earned All-America honors, was the SEC Spe- cial Teams Player of the Year, and named to the All-SEC team. In his four seasons at Auburn, Wil- liams earned nine SEC Player of the Week honors, the most in league history. During his time on the Plains, the Tigers were 37-14 and won three SEC Western Division titles (2001, ‘02, ‘04). He re- mains as Auburn’s No. 2 all-time rushing and is the Tigers’ career leader in rush- ing attempts and rushing touchdowns. The fifth pick overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams was named the NFL Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies in rushing yards with 1,178, while posting six 100-yard rushing games in 14 starts. Williams spent six seasons with Tampa Bay before spending his final season in 2011 with the St. Louis Rams. After being slowed by injuries for sev- eral years, Williams was narrowly edged for the AP 2009 Comeback Player of the Year Award by Tom Brady, finishing second after rushing for 821 yards on 210 carries with a 3.9 average and four touchdowns during the 2009 season. Williams finished his NFL career with 4,038 yards with 21 touchdowns and 148 receptions for 1,002 yards and four scores. Under Williams’ tutelage in 2020, freshman running back Tank Bigsby was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and Associated Press SEC Newcomer of the Year after leading all freshmen in the conference with 834 rushing yards. Bigsby was the first Auburn freshman in school history to rush for three con- secutive 100-yard games and his 834 yards were the second most all-time at Auburn by a rookie. During his first season in 2019, the Tigers posted five 100-yard rushing games and D.J. Williams earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance against LSU. In two sea- sons, Williams’ backs have tallied nine AUBURNTIGERS.COM CARNELL WILLIAMS INTERIM HEAD COACH® FAVORITE CHIP OF THE @GOLDENFLAKE @GOLDEN_FLAKE @GOLDEN_FLAKE WWW.GOLDENFLAKE.COM | WWW.UTZSNACKS.COMINTERIM HEAD COACH CARNELL WILLIAMS 29 100-yard games and three SEC weekly honors. Williams’ coaching career started at Henderson State in 2015 where he served as the running backs coach. After a stint at the University of West Georgia in 2016, Williams was the running backs coach for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for two seasons (2017-18). Williams also served as the running backs coach for the Birming- ham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). Williams graduated from Auburn in December 2014. He and his wife Evan Williams have two boys: Cole and Cuinn. AUBURNTIGERS.COM WILLIAMS AT A GLANCE Personal Hometown: Gadsden, Alabama Wife: Evan Children: sons: Cole, Cuinn College: Auburn University (2014) Playing Experience: Auburn University (2001-04) Tampa Bay Buccaneers [NFL] (2005-10) St. Louis Rams [NFL] (2011) Coaching Experience 2022-current: Auburn Interim Head Coach/Running Backs/ Recruiting Coordinator 2019-2022: Auburn Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator 2018: Birmingham Iron (AAF) Running Backs 2017: IMG Academy Running Backs 2016: West Georgia Offensive Graduate Assistant Bowl Experience Coach: 2020 Outback Bowl 2021 Citrus Bowl 2021 Birmingham Bowl Player: 2001 Peach Bowl 2003 Capital One Bowl 2003 Music City Bowl 2005 Sugar BowlNext >