< Previous20 STATS COMPARISONS AUBURNTIGERS.COM AUBURN STATS LEADERS RUSHING ATT NET AVG TD LONG AVG/G Jeremiah Cobb 58 403 6.9 4 46 80.6 Jackson Arnold 70 192 2.7 5 27 38.4 Damari Alston 25 119 4.8 1 15 39.7 PASSING CMP-ATT-INT PCT YDS TD AVG/G Jackson Arnold 87-134-0 64.9 846 5 169.2 Deuce Knight 2-5-0 40.0 20 0 20.0 RECEIVING NO. YDS AVG TD LONG AVG/G Eric Singleton Jr. 27 265 9.8 2 37 53.0 Cam Coleman 17 255 15.0 2 46 51.0 Horatio Fields 12 106 8.8 1 14 26.5 DEFENSE UA A TOT TFL-YDS SACKS-YDS Xavier Atkins 20 9 29 6.0-21 3.0-15 Robert Woodyard Jr. 15 8 23 2.0-2 1.0-1 Keyron Crawford 16 4 20 6.0-25 4.0-23 GEORGIA STATS LEADERS RUSHING ATT NET AVG TD LONG AVG/G Chauncey Bowens 56 310 5.5 3 43 62.0 Nate Frazier 50 253 5.1 2 24 50.6 Gunner Stockton 39 194 5.0 5 21 38.8 PASSING CMP-ATT-INT PCT YDS TD AVG/G Gunner Stockton 91-132-1 68.9 1,047 6 209.4 Ryan Puglisi 9-15-2 60.0 112 1 28.0 RECEIVING NO. YDS AVG TD LONG AVG/G Colbie Young 18 247 13.7 1 45 49.4 Zachariah Branch 18 234 13.0 2 47 46.8 London Humphreys 11 140 12.7 2 31 28.0 DEFENSE UA A TOT TFL-YDS SACKS-YDS CJ Allen 18 18 36 3.5-7 2.0-5 Raylen Wilson 14 18 32 2.5-3 1.0-2 KJ Bolden 10 17 27 0.0-0 0.0-0 Here is a quick look at the top team statistics for the Tigers and Bulldogs. Quick Look n Total Touchdowns 1823 n Rushing Yards 8451,043 n Passing Yards 8661,159 STATS COMPARISONS22 COVER FEATURE AUBURNTIGERS.COM COVER FEATURE BY: JEFF SHEARER Five years before he mesmerized fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Cam Newton attended his first Auburn football game. “It was a home game, and it was at night, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” recalled Newton, who came to the Plains with his high school coach from Atlanta. “I never knew that people cared this much.” Looking back 20 years later, Newton credits that evening with launching his journey from high school star to Heisman Trophy winner to NFL MVP. “Auburn was the first place that gave me that desire,” he said. “They’re cele- brating these athletes like gladiators. To hear the celebration, to hear the roar, to see a bald eagle. Not knowing any of the chants. It’s like an earthquake, and I was hooked.” After two seasons at Florida and a junior college national championship at Blinn College, Newton returned to Auburn for an official visit in December 2009, attracted by its proximity to his hometown and its roster of returning starters. “From my doorstep to Auburn is an hour and 30, and I get an hour,” New- ton said in an exclusive interview for the WarEagle+ documentary “Unspoken: 2010.” Three years out of high school, New- ton was less interested in uniforms and facilities than he was in how head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn planned to utilize a 6-foot- 6, 250-pound dual-threat quarterback. “That whole time during that visit was really focused on implementation rather than decoration and celebration,” New- ton said. Newton told Malzahn he wanted to be a top 10 quarterback nationally, win the Heisman Trophy and lead his team to the BCS National Championship Game. Replied Malzahn, “’If you listen to ev- erything I tell you to do and you do it, I can promise you that you’ll have that,’” remembered Newton. With his father’s input, Newton chose Auburn, signing with the Tigers on New Year’s Eve in 2009. “When I got here, it was a burning desire to want something that I’ve never had,” he said. With quarterbacks off limits to con- tact during practices and scrimmages, Auburn’s coaches and Cam’s teammates didn’t fully grasp his rushing ability until Newton gained 171 yards, ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more in a season-opening win over Arkansas State. “Nobody really knew until Arkansas State,” recalled Newton, who told Malz- ahn it would be unnecessary to employ Kodi Burns in the Wildcat formation: “I can do this. “That one adjustment skyrocketed everything. I scored five touchdowns and every touchdown I was trying to find my dad.” Three weeks later, Newton delivered another five-touchdown masterpiece against South Carolina, rushing for 176 yards and three scores while passing for 158 and two touchdowns, a performance that put him squarely in the Heisman conversation. “My life completely changed after CAM NEWTON RECALLS ‘MAGICAL’ 2010 AUBURN SEASON24 COVER FEATURE AUBURNTIGERS.COM the Saturday night game versus South Carolina in week four,” said Newton, who quickly became the big man on campus. “I was becoming a distraction to every- thing. I was signing autographs and try- ing to be loved by everybody, and it was draining me. It was affecting my energy.” Before his Jordan-Hare Stadium fina- le against Georgia, Newton’s eligibility was questioned and eventually cleared because of his recruitment by Mississip- pi State. “It was an emotional roller coaster,” Newton said. “It was full tsunami. When Georgia came, personally I was drained. Competitively? Fueled.” Cam used that fuel to accumu- late 299 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, leading Auburn to a 49-31 victory over the Bulldogs. “Everything I did, everything I do still to this day is for acceptance and appreci- ation from my dad,” he said. “Personally, I was drained. Emotionally, I was enraged because of the situation.” At halftime of Saturday’s 130th re- newal of the Deep South’s Oldest Ri- valry, Auburn will retire Newton’s No. 2 jersey, making Cam the fourth player in program history to be so honored, join- ing Pat Sullivan, Terry Beasley and Bo Jackson. “I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “It’s an honor. When I say I appre- ciate this, I really do. It’s a kid’s dream come true. I’m a dreamer, always been one. You couldn’t even create a greater story.” Auburn athletic director John Co- hen and deputy athletic director/Tigers Unlimited Tim Jackson shared the news while Cam reminisced during the docu- mentary interview. “The Auburn family loves you,” Co- hen said. “The Auburn family reveres you. And now the Auburn family is going to get to see your name and your num- ber up in that stadium. I don’t know if anybody’s more deserving in Auburn history.” “I didn’t know the impact that Au- burn would have on me being a kid from Atlanta,” Newton said. “No one knew the desire to really bring something to this town that will never be forgotten.” In the whirlwind two months after the Georgia game, Newton led Auburn to an Iron Bowl comeback win in Tuscaloosa, produced six touchdowns in the SEC Championship Game, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to a 22-19 vic- tory over Oregon to complete a 14-0 na- tional championship season. “That year, it was so magical,” Newton said. “I was only here for 365 days. When I came here, I wanted to win and win and win and win and win. That’s what it was all about. Winning.” Looking back, Newton believes the 2010 Auburn Tigers rank at the top of the sport’s all-time greats. “There was not another team in col- lege football history that was a better team than the 2010 Auburn Tigers,” he said. “We didn’t have skill. We didn’t have depth. But what coach Chizik im- plemented that year in the offseason: all in, buy in. You can’t determine the grit. You can’t determine the fight. “Subpar players are now going to play good. Good players are now getting to play great, and our great players are playing elite. “Guys leveling up their play and mak- ing the most of their role and responsibili- ty to the team is what makes my statement true. We are the best football team ever.” COVER FEATUREOFFICIAL INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS MEDICINE PROVIDER OF AUBURN TIGERS ATHLETICS WE ARE HERE FOR L TO R: Michael Goodlett, MD, FAAFP- Team Physician Benton A. Emblom, MD - Team Orthopaedic Surgeon Jos Edison, DO - Associate Team Physician At Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, we’re here for the competitor in all of us — from rookies chasing their dreams to legends who never quit. We’re here for the believers, the driven, the passionate. We’re here for the ones who rise, again and again. We’re here for the Auburn Tigers. To schedule an appointment, call us at 205-939-3699 Locations: Birmingham | Cullman | Gardendale | Hoover | Pelham | Trussville ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS James R. Andrews, MD, Emeritus Christopher M. Beaumont, MD E. Lyle Cain, Jr., MD Andrew M. Cordover, MD Jeff rey C. Davis, MD Jeff rey R. Dugas, MD Benton A. Emblom, MD Christopher H. Garrett, MD Daniel C. Kim, MD Wayne McGough, Jr., MD Kathleen E. McKeon, MD K. David Moore, MD Charles C. Pitts, Jr., MD Marcus A. Rothermich, MD Norman E. Waldrop, III, MD NON-SURGICAL SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIANS Matthew B. Beidleman, MD Christopher S. Carter, MD Emily Bell Casey, MD Ricardo E. Colberg, MD Rachel G. Henderson, MD Monte M. Ketchum, DO JoséO.Ortega,MD T. Daniel Smith, MD Jay S. Umarvadia, MD PHYSICIAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION Charles T. Carnel, MDY O U R T E A M S . Y O U R S T A T I O N S . WINGSFM.COMESPNAU.COM FOOTBALL/MEN’SBASKETBALL/WOMEN’SBASKETBALL/BASEBALL/TIGERTALK ALLPLAYHERE. Auburn-Opelika’sOfficialFlagshipStationsoftheAuburnTigersCOMPETITIVE COMPETITIVE THE COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGE EDGE HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS HARBERT.AUBURN.EDU At the hArbert college of business excellence goes beyond the classroom. From boardrooms to stadiums, our students lead with grit, purpose, and the Auburn spirit. WE’RE NOT JUST PREPARING BUSINESS LEADERS —WE’RE INSPIRING EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE FIELD. X Sophie is a senior Business Analytics major with a minor in Business Engineering Technology. She’s active in Women in Technology and Sports Analytics student organizations.28 HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE AUBURNTIGERS.COM Hugh Freeze became the 31st head football coach in Auburn history in No- vember 2022. Freeze has more than three decades of continued coaching success, including head coaching ex- perience that has led to conference ti- tles, nationally ranked recruiting classes and bowl appearances at multiple stops during his highly decorated career. In Freeze’s first season at Auburn, despite a shorthanded roster, the 2023 Tigers posted a 6-7 record and earned a Music City Bowl berth. In 2024, the Tigers continued to build on and off the field. Every home game was sold out for the second consecutive season as fans embraced Freeze’s brand of football and Auburn garnered top 10 recruiting class- es for the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Freeze came to Auburn from Liber- ty University, where he was head coach from 2019-22. Freeze led the Flames to four bowl games and a 34-15 record. Freeze experienced similar success at each of his head coaching stops prior to Liberty that include Lambuth Univer- sity (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16). Freeze led each school to double-digit win seasons, while helping Ole Miss to a top 10 national fin- ish in 2015. His on-field coaching record in 14 seasons is 114-61. Liberty was just one of five FBS teams in the country to win a bowl game each season from 2019-21, joining Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana. It was the second team in NCAA history to win a bowl game during its first three full sea- sons at the FBS level, all coming under Freeze’s leadership. Freeze guided Liberty to a 10-1 overall record in 2020 and the team’s first-ever national ranking as it finished No. 17 in the country. That season, Liberty had the best start in program history (8-0), tied the program record for wins (10) and de- feated two Power 5 programs in Syracuse and Virginia Tech. For his efforts, Freeze was a finalist for the George Munger Col- legiate Coach of the Year Award. Known for his fast-paced offensive style, Freeze’s 2020 Liberty team set a school record for rushing yards in a season (2,776) and ranked No. 9 in the country in rushing offense. Liberty also ranked No. 15 nationally in total offense (482.7 yards per game) and No. 11 in to- tal defense (317.7 yards per game). The Flames were one of three teams in the country to rank in the top 20 in both total offense and total defense in 2020, join- ing Clemson and BYU. Spearheading Liberty’s outstand- ing offense in 2020 was former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis, who burst into the spotlight leading the nation in rushing yards (944) and touchdowns (14) by a FBS quarterback. Willis earned All-America honors, was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Quarterback Class of 2020 and was on the 2020 Maxwell Award watch list. The Flames posted an eight-win sea- son in 2021 after facing eight bowl-eli- gible teams during that campaign. Lib- erty’s defense finished the 2021 season ranked No. 7 nationally in passing yards allowed, No. 11 in total defense and No. 24 in scoring defense. Offensively, Lib- erty finished 2021 ranked No. 25 in the country in scoring offense and No. 8 in passing yards per completion. Leading the charge for the Flames in 2021 once again was Willis, who was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Na- tional Quarterback Award and the Max- well Award and a top 10 candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Willis was a third-round draft pick of the Ten- nessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2022, Liberty finished the regu- lar season 8-4 with wins over Arkansas and BYU; three of the four losses came by a combined five points. The Flames earned a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl. While head coach at Ole Miss, Freeze took the Rebels to bowl games in three of his five seasons, including wins in the 2013 Music City and the 2016 Sugar bowls. Freeze’s time in Oxford was highlight- ed by a 10-3 campaign in 2015, the pro- gram’s first 10-win season since 2003. The Rebels won their first four games of the 2015 season, including a 43-37 road victory over No. 2 Alabama, Ole Miss’ first win in Tuscaloosa since 1988. The Rebels were ranked as high as No. 3 in the national polls in both 2014 and 2015 and finished in the national Top 10 for the first time since 1969 after the Sugar Bowl win. Ole Miss was ranked in the top 25 for 45 weeks over Freeze’s five-year tenure, including a string of 27 straight weeks in the polls for the first time since 1957-62. Freeze collected four nationally ranked recruiting classes at Ole Miss. In 2013 and 2016, his recruiting classes ranked in the top five nationally, the best in program history. Freeze and his staff developed 20 players who earned all-SEC honors, in- cluding All-Americans Cody Prewitt, Senquez Golson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Evan Engram, Laquon Treadwell and Trae Elston. HUGH FREEZE HEAD COACHNext >