Healthier People are Happier People Staying active keeps us healthier and socializing makes us happier. That’s why Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is proud to sponsor athletics across the state. Learn more about getting healthier and happier at AlabamaBlue.com/Happy.Make escape part of your winning game plan. Escape every day at Wind Creek Casino and on the Casinoverse app. Aruba • Atmore • Bethlehem Chicago Southland • Curaçao Montgomery • Wetumpka (866) 946-3360 | WindCreek.com ©2023 Wind Creek Hospitality.4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 .................................................................... 2023 Schedule 6 .................................................................Scouting Auburn 8 ...............................................................Scouting Ole Miss 10 ....................................................................Auburn Roster 12 ..................................................................Ole Miss Roster 14 .............................................. Opponent Outlook: Ole Miss 16 .............................................................. Auburn Traditions 18 ..................................................................... Depth Charts 20 .............................................................. Stat Comparisons 22-24, 52 ............................................... 1993 Team Reunion 28-30 ........................................... Head Coach Hugh Freeze 32-36 ........................................................ Assistant Coaches 38 .................................... University News: Facilities Updates 40 .............................................................Auburn University 42 ..................................................Auburn Board of Trustees 44 ..........................................................University President 46 .......................................................... Director of Athletics 48 ...................................................... Through the Lens: LSU 50 ............................................... University News: Telehealth 54 .......................................... Jordan-Hare Stadium Diagram 56-57 .............................. Jordan-Hare Stadium Parking Map 60 .................................................. Heisman Trophy Winners 62 ................................................................... All-Americans 64 ...................................... Meet the Coaches: Zac Etheridge 66 ..............................................Postseason Trophy Winners 68-69 .........................................................Tigers in the NFL 73 .................................................Auburn Tigers Superlatives 75 ......................................University News: Auburn at Work 77 .................... Cheerleaders, Tiger Paws and Marching Band 79-90 ........................................................... Auburn Players 91 ............................ University News: Everybody Loves Aubie 93 ......................................................... Undefeated Seasons 95 .................................University News: Alabama Extension 97 .................................................Southeastern Conference 99 .....................Olympic Sports Update: Women’s Basketball 103-104 ......................................... Auburn Sports Properties Cover: Larry Nixon III and Brandon Frazier TABLE OF CONTENTS AUBURNTIGERS.COM2023 AUBURN SCHEDULE 5 AUBURNTIGERS.COM THE RIVER REGION'S OFFICIAL BROADCAST PARTNER OF AUBURN ATHLETICS IF YOU'RE NOT THERE, LISTEN HERE 9.2 UMass Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 9.16 Samford Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 10.28 Mississippi State Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 9.9 Cal Berkeley, Calif. California Memorial Stadium 10.21 Ole Miss Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 10.14 LSU Baton Rouge, La. Tiger Stadium 9.23 Texas A&M College Station, Texas Kyle Field 11.4 Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. FirstBank Stadium 9.30 Georgia Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 11.11 Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium 11.18 New Mexico State Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium 11.25 Alabama Auburn, Ala. Jordan-Hare Stadium Blue - Home Orange - Away 2023 AUBURN SCHEDULE6 SCOUTING AUBURN HEAD COACH Hugh Freeze (Southern Miss, 1992) Auburn Record .........................................................................3-3 (1st Season) Career Record ...................................................................78-51 (13th Season) vs. Ole Miss ..............................................................................................................0-1 AUBURN (3-3, 0-3 SEC) Sept. 2 ................................UMASS ........................................................W, 59-14 Sept. 9 ................................at Cal ..............................................................W, 14-10 Sept. 16 ..............................SAMFORD .................................................W, 45-13 Sept. 23..............................at Texas A&M ...............................................L, 10-27 Sept. 30 .............................#1 GEORGIA..............................................L, 20-27 Oct. 14 ................................at #22 LSU ....................................................L, 18-48 Oct. 21 ................................#13 OLE MISS .................................................6 p.m. Oct. 28 ...............................MISSISSIPPI STATE ..............................2:30 p.m. Nov. 4 ..................................at Vanderbilt ........................................................TBA Nov. 11 .................................at Arkansas ...........................................................TBA Nov. 18 ................................NEW MEXICO STATE ...................................TBA Nov. 25 ...............................#11 ALABAMA ....................................................TBA HOME ON THE PLAINS n Auburn hosts No. 13 Ole Miss for an SEC West matchup on Saturday, Oct. 21, in a 6 p.m. CT game played at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. ESPN will televise the contest. n Fans are asked to stripe the stadium, and recognitions will include the undefeated 1993 football team, team orthopaedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, 2023 SEC track and field cham- pions Madi Malone (outdoor hammer throw) and Favour Ashe (indoor 60m), and the winner of the Jack Meagher Award. n In all-time SEC play, Auburn holds a 335-271-18 mark (.551) back through 1933. In SEC games played in Auburn, the Tigers are 144-67-6 (.680) all-time; away from Auburn, the Tigers are 191-203-12 (.486). SERIES HISTORY n Auburn leads 35-12 in the all-time series against Ole Miss, dating back to 1928. Ole Miss was a 48-34 winner last season in Oxford; before that, the Tigers had won six straight in the series. Auburn leads 17-3 in Auburn and 13-4 in Oxford, while the series is tied 5-5 at neutral sites. n Thirteen of the last 19 games in the series have been decided by double digits; Auburn has a 10-3 record in those games. Prior to the last 18 games, the previous five games were decided by eight points or fewer. n Saturday will be Hugh Freeze’s second game against Ole Miss in his head coaching career. Liberty lost 27-14 at No. 16 Ole Miss in 2021 in Freeze’s only previous meeting with the Rebels. Freeze led Ole Miss to a 39-24 record in five seasons as the Rebels’ head coach from 2012-16. KICKOFF COVERAGE n All Auburn home games have been sold out in advance, the first full-season sellout for the Tigers since 2015. n Auburn leads the SEC in red zone defense (.789). The Tigers are third in the SEC in turnover margin (0.5 per game). n The Tigers are second in the SEC in turnovers forced with 11 through the first six games (7 interceptions, 4 fumbles recov- ered). n With four interceptions, Jaylin Simpson is among the national FBS leaders in interceptions per game (0.70 per game) this sea- son. Simpson was named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl midseason All-America team. n Auburn is one of 13 FBS teams that have returned a fumble and an interception for a touchdown and is one of 27 teams with multiple defensive scores this season. n The Tigers are third in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging 191.5 yards per game. Thirteen of the Tigers’ 19 offensive touchdowns have come via the ground game. n Auburn’s 2023 SEC Legend is offensive guard Ed King, an All-American in 1989 and 1990 (con- sensus) before entering professional football. The Phenix City, Alabama, product played six seasons in the NFL for Cleveland and New Orleans, and also in the CFL, WLAF and XFL. He will be honored during the SEC football championship weekend in December. SCOUTING AUBURN AUBURNTIGERS.COM Brian Battie Committed to playing with a purpose. We’re all about that gameday energy. At Alabama Power, we share your passion for the team— and your pride for where we live. We love big wins, but celebrate all victories that push our state forward. For over 100 years, we’ve been committed to proving what we accomplish together, on and off the field, makes us stronger. It’s Power for a Better Alabama. We proudly support the Auburn Tigers. alabamapower.com © 2023 Alabama Power Company8 SCOUTING OLE MISS HEAD COACH Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, ‘98) Ole Miss Record .........................................................28-14 (4th Season) Career Record ..........................................................89-48 (12th Season) vs. Auburn .......................................................................................................1-3 OLE MISS (5-1, 2-1) Sept. 2 ............................MERCER .................................................W, 73-7 Sept. 9 ............................at #22 Tulane .....................................W, 37-20 Sept. 16 ..........................GEORGIA TECH .............................W, 48-23 Sept. 23 .........................at #12 Alabama ....................................L, 10-24 Sept. 30 .........................#12 LSU ................................................W, 55-49 Oct. 7 ..............................ARKANSAS ........................................W, 27-20 Oct. 21 ............................at Auburn ...................................................6 p.m. Oct. 28 ...........................VANDERBILT ....................................6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 .............................TEXAS A&M ..................................................TBA Nov. 11 .............................at #1 Georgia ................................................TBA Nov. 18 ............................ULM ..................................................................TBA Nov. 23 ...........................at Mississippi State ..........................6:30 p.m. WHAT TO WATCH FOR n This is the 48th meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Auburn dating back to 1928. Auburn leads the series, 35-11. The Tigers lead 17-3 in Auburn and 13-3 in Oxford. n Ole Miss is off to at least a 5-1 start through six games for the third straight season under head coach Lane Kiffin, joining a 5-1 start from the 2021 squad that ended 10-3 and with a trip to the Sugar Bowl and the 2022 team that started off 7-0. This is the best such streak at Ole Miss since the late 1950s and early ‘60s, when the three-time national champion Rebels ripped off six such years in a row from 1957-62. n The Rebels enter ranked No. 12 in the Coaches poll and No. 13 in the AP Top 25. Ole Miss is one of six FBS teams nationally with two AP Top 25 wins. n Ole Miss is the only FBS team with both a 500-yard passing (524, vs. Mercer) and a 300-yard rushing game (317, vs. LSU). n Of the Rebels’ 2,936 total yards, 2,124 (72.3%) have come from transfers. n Ole Miss is one of 12 schools nationally with at least 7.0 yards per play and one of nine below 23 seconds per play. n The Rebel defense held Arkansas to just 36 rushing yards, its fewest allowed since 2014. n Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 11th in the FBS in turnover margin, currently sitting at a total season margin of +6 and a per-game margin of +1.0. The Rebel defense has done its part with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries. The Ole Miss offense has helped pad that margin, currently leading the SEC and ranking tied for second nationally at just three turnovers all season. In addition to being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation, junior Jaxson Dart has also not made many mistakes, putting the Rebels in the SEC lead with just two interceptions this year (tied for sixth-fewest in the FBS). n Quarterback Jaxson Dart ranks second in the SEC and seventh in the FBS at 323.3 yards of total offense per game. n At 2,010 career rushing yards, running back Quinshon Judkins ranks ninth in Ole Miss history. Judkins (22) and running back Ulysses Bentley IV (22) are one of four duos nationally with at least 20 career rushing touchdowns. n Wide receiver Zakhari Franklin is the FBS active career leader in receiving touchdowns (37) and ranks second in receiving yards (3,371). His 48 consecutive games with a catch ranks third among active FBS receivers. n Linebacker and SEC Defensive Player of the Week Ashanti Cistrunk has played in 54 consecutive games. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins leads all SEC freshmen with 3.5 sacks. n Ole Miss has notched at least 4.0 tackles for loss in each of its first six games, as well as at least 3.0 sacks in five of six contests, and have done so with a wide range of defenders getting in on the action. A total of 12 Rebels have contributed to a quarterback sack, while 21 have chipped in on a TFL. In the Kiffin era, Ole Miss has recorded multiple sacks in 30 games, at least 5.0 tackles for loss in 28 games and at least 4.0 sacks in 17 games. In games with at least 5.0 tackles for loss, Ole Miss is 19-9, and in games with at least 4.0 sacks, the Rebels are 9-3. This season, Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in tackles for loss (ninth in FBS) and fourth in sacks (fifth in FBS). n The Rebel offense can get out to a quick start, as evidenced by its 83-31 first quarter margin (13.8 to 5.2 per game), but Ole Miss has also closed games in strong fashion, holding an almost identical scoring margin in the final frame at 82-37 (13.7 to 6.2). The Rebels own six quarters with at least 20 points this year, five of which have come in either the first or fourth quarters. SCOUTING OLE MISS AUBURNTIGERS.COM Jaxson DartPlease visit our website at www.vcom.edu/outcomes for a copy of our Outcomes Report. ©2023 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. All rights reserved. www.vcom.edu to become a physician? The Auburn campus of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine was created with a clear purpose to alleviate the physician shortage in Alabama. VCOM-Auburn constantly works to recruit students from rural and underserved areas. It is our hope that they will return home to serve their community and improve health outcomes across the state. Visit us online to find out how we are inspired to make a difference in our communities and beyond.Next >