Auburn insider reveals starting quarterback vs Mizzou, other key changes to starters

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber•09/24/22

When it rains, it pours for Auburn football. The Tigers are reeling after a blowout loss at home vs. Penn State a week ago and are now down a number of starters. However, ahead of Saturday’s Tiger Bowl vs. Missouri, On3’s Justin Hokanson revealed replacements for several starters who are expected to miss the game, including at quarterback.

Here were those replacements, which he tweeted out Saturday morning:

  • Robby Ashford will start at QB in place of T.J. Finley
  • Koy Moore will start at WR in place of Malcolm Johnson Jr.
  • D.J. James will start at CB in place of Jaylin Simpson
  • Cayden Bridges will start at S in place of Donovan Kaufman

Obviously the most notable is the QB replacement. Where Ashford steps in for Finley, who struggled mightily to start the year. But there you have it, Auburn fans. Those are the guys who will be asked step up vs. Mizzou.

Bryan Harsin addresses playing two QBs vs. Penn State

The Tigers have played both TJ Finley and Robby Ashford at the position since the start of the season, though Finley has served as the starter. However, after Finley struggled to start against the Nittany Lions, Ashford replaced him in the third quarter and finished out the game.

Harsin also used Ashford in the first half, alternating with Finley. Ashford briefly appeared on the Tigers’ first series, and he started their second possession. Asked afterward if the blowout nature of the loss made it any more difficult to evaluate both players’ performance, Harsin gave a clear answer.

“It doesn’t make it difficult to assess,” he said. “I mean, the situation’s difficult. But you just watch the plays. Watching how they execute them. Watch the operation and all that. It’s still — you can evaluate that. Sometimes you get into the last final few minutes of the game, and you’re trying to do some things crazy to get back into it. That’s hard. You’re just trying to make plays.

“We still had time. If you think about it, halftime it’s 14-6. That’s just something we learn from. We’re on to Missouri. We’ve taken that information from this game. We’ve applied it. We’re on to the next thing and I think we’ll learn from that. When we get in those same situations, we’ll be better.”