Notebook: LB Cam Riley exceeds expectations in first start

Notebook: LB Cam Riley exceeds expectations in first startNotebook: LB Cam Riley exceeds expectations in first start

AUBURN, Ala. – From Tre Williams to Deshaun Davis to K.J. Britt to Zakoby McClain to Chandler Wooten, Auburn has had some studs at the linebacker position in recent years. 

Heading into this season, everybody knew Owen Pappoe belonged in that conversation. He had 93 tackles in 2020. But it might be time to also add Cam Riley to that list after Saturday night. The junior, making his first start for the Tigers, led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles. It was more tackles than he had all of last season (14). 

"That's big for me," Riley said. "It hit me when I was taking my helmet off. I saw the tweets, 'Cam Riley had more tackles in one game than he did all last year.' It's just big for me." 


"He's definitely got the ability to make those kinds of plays, which he did tonight," Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin said. "I thought he tackled well. You look at him – he's long, he's moving better. He's just physically developed himself into a better player. And I think Coach (Christian) Robinson has done a really good job with him in positioning him – just to be patient when he needs to be, in the right position, and trust his ability. He's got range."

That range was on full display against Mercer as Riley made plays from sideline to sideline. He was all over the field and tackled everything. 

"I'm happy for him getting his feet wet," Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett said. "He had a bunch of good tackles. We hope to see him keep progressing moving forward."

Talking with Pappoe during fall camp, Riley said he wanted to end the season with 50 tackles. It was a solid goal considering he had just 23 tackles combined in his first two seasons at Auburn. But after Saturday night, there's a new goal. 

"After tonight, 50 went up," Riley said. "I'm aiming for 100 now."
 A '1-1 PUNCH' IN THE BACKFIELDIt was almost like Jarquez Hunter and Tank Bigsby were playing their own game within a game Saturday. Who could score the most touchdowns? 

Hunter scored first on a sweet 19-yard run to put Auburn up 7-0. After he added another touchdown early in the second quarter, it was Bigsby's turn to answer on the very next drive as he dove across the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. 

In the second half, Hunter scored his third touchdown of the night, matching his total from all of last year. But Bigsby wasn't done. He came out of the rain delay with maybe the run of the night, taking it 39 yards to the house. It was similar to Hunter's first score. He started left, cut back to the right, juked a defender and then it was off to the races. 

"It really wasn't a shock because that's what Tank does," Hunter said. "He makes big plays."



Bigsby finished with 147 yards rushing on 16 carries. It was his ninth career 100-yard rushing game and the sixth game in his career with multiple touchdowns. The junior also went over 2,000 yards for his career. He now ranks 18th all-time with 2,080 rushing yards. 

But Hunter still had bragging rights with one more touchdown than Bigsby. 

"I love it," Hunter said. "I love being the 1-2 punch with Tank. We compete in practice. We actually make each other better. We want to be great. Both of us want to be great. So, we work hard every day at practice to be great, and we make each other better every day."

"Those two guys are a 1-2 punch, and I really want to say 1-1 punch because they both can be explosive in different aspects," quarterback T.J. Finley said. "Those guys are very good complementing each other. Those guys are very supportive of each other. And to see those guys grow together, it's a sight to see."
 NEW LOOK FOR CAPTAINSAuburn unveiled a new wrinkle to their uniforms ahead of Saturday's game. Derick Hall, Owen Pappoe and John Samuel Shenker, the team's three captains this season, each had a "C" stitched on the front of their jersey to represent their role. 


Hall first heard they were adding the "C" to his jersey about a week earlier. 

"I thought it'd be cool," he said. "But when you're actually there and you see it on your chest and everybody knows that your captain of this team, it means so much. When I put that jersey on, I was like, 'Wow. I'm really in this position. I really have an opportunity to lead this team.' 

"That 'C' means a lot to me, and I'm sure it means a lot to my teammates because they voted me to have that 'C' on my chest. I have to use that to my advantage and come to work every day and be consistent and show those guys I deserve to have that on my chest day in and day out. Whether they pick me today or whether they pick me 10 years from now."

Hall recorded his first sack of the season Saturday. He now has 13.5 for his career.