AUBURN, Ala. – Carnell Williams still remembers his Senior Day and running out of the tunnel one last time at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's special. For this group on Saturday, it will be extra special because of everything they have been through together.
Next Game:
Western Kentucky
Nov. 19, 2022
3 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
Two coaching changes. New coordinators, position coaches. Playing through a pandemic.
"Those guys have been through a lot," said Williams, the team's interim head coach. "But one thing I can tell those guys is they're going to be better because not one time have they flinched. They stayed steady. They've kept the faith. They continue to believe, and I just thank those young men. They're going to do some really cool things in life because of all that adversity they've been through and how they handled it."
"(The adversity) just brought us together more and more," senior wide receiver Shedrick Jackson said. "I know a lot of these guys well, been to their weddings, know their families. I think it's brought us together closer as a team and helps us continue to play for each other."
Jackson will be one of 24 seniors to take the field Saturday against Western Kentucky.
It's a group of players that will be remembered for their perseverance. No matter what was thrown their way, they battled through it. Even this season, when losses started to mount, they never gave up. They kept fighting as evidenced by Saturday's victory over Texas A&M and will continue to do so the last two games of the regular season.
"I love this place, love playing for Auburn and the people around here," Jackson said. "It's one last time going into that stadium and trying to play and get another W."
Saturday's game will kick off at 3 p.m. CT from Jordan-Hare Stadium. It will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister and Andraya Carter on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Stan White and Ronnie Brown who will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM and online at AuburnTigers.com.
"We are going to have to bring our 'A' game, so once again I'm calling on the Auburn Family," Williams said. "Come pack the house out, and let's have fun and try to go get a victory."
Three questions with DL Marquis Burks
Q: It's Senior Day. What's it going to be like running out of the tunnel for the last time?
A: Honestly, I try not to think about it too much. The feeling of having my last game in Jordan-Hare, it brings me to tears. My very first game when we played Kentucky that COVID season, I ran out on that field and cried. Auburn is everything to me.
Q: Where does that Texas A&M game from last weekend rank for you?
A: That actually might be my top Auburn moment. That is my top Auburn moment. Everybody came together. We knew all the fans were going to come through. We knew once we fought hard in that Mississippi State game what was going to come in the future, and we appreciate everything. These last two weeks have been a grind, and we've been working.
Q: What's it like playing next to a guy like Colby Wooden?
A: Colby is different. I love Colby. He's a little brother to me. Just seeing him grow from that COVID year when he was playing outside – he led the team in tackles for loss – then seeing him on the inside all season last year. This season is just a staple of his game, showing that he can be versatile and do everything.
Inside the Series: Western Kentucky
Auburn leads the short series on the gridiron with Western Kentucky 2-0 with both previous matchups also played at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn was a 48-3 winner in the first meeting in 2003, and the Tigers were 37-14 victors in a 2005 contest.
In games against current members of Conference USA, the Tigers are 36-7-1 overall and 34-4-1 at home. That includes contests against UAB (1-0), Florida Atlantic (2-0), Louisiana Tech (12-0 1), North Texas (1-0), Rice (0-2), Southern Miss (18-5) and Western Kentucky (2-0). The most recent matchup was a 24-13 Auburn home win over Southern Miss in 2018.
By the Numbers
121: Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter each rushed for 121 yards against Texas A&M, becoming the first pair of Auburn teammates to go over 100 yards rushing in an SEC game since Cameron Artis-Payne and Ricardo Louis did so against South Carolina in 2014.
0: The Auburn defense held Texas A&M scoreless in the first half, the first shutout for a first half since last year's Iron Bowl against Alabama. The Tigers have held the opponent scoreless in the first quarter in six of 10 games this season.
.670: Thanks to Colby Wooden's strip sack in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over Texas A&M, Auburn improved to 65-32 (.670) when it forces a turnover since the start of the 2013 season and 39-11 when it forces multiple turnovers that span.
86: Auburn will close out the home slate Saturday. The Tigers have an all-time record of 86-30-6 in the final game played in Auburn each season, winning seven of the last 10.