'Whatever it takes': Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford

AUBURN, Ala. – 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 quarterback 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 beginning 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-opening 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 Auburn’s SEC opener against Missouri, completing 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards and rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown 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 consecutive 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 better 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, everybody likes to downplay my throwing,” he said. “I’m a quarterback, I’m not an athlet

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, including 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 confidence 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 competitive conference.

“It means the world to me,” he said. “To be able to come back home and represent 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 everybody 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