AUBURN, Ala. – For the first time in Auburn history, the score won't be 0-0 when the Tigers' A-Day game kicks off Saturday at 1:20 p.m. CT.
Seeking to create a competitive environment that balances depth concerns and the desire not to divulge information to opponents with wanting to entertain fans and showcase student-athletes, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze devised a new A-Day approach.
Auburn's defense will start the scrimmage with a 24-0 lead. The offense, starting from various distances, will have 60 minutes on a running clock to try to catch and surpass the defense's total.
"If the defense can hold the offenses to under that number of points the defense wins the spring game and they'll get to eat steak and the losers will eat a hot dog," said Freeze, indicating the defense would begin with a point total in the 20s. "That's the best format I know."
Mindful that an element of mystery surrounding Auburn's offense is one advantage the Tigers will take into the 2023 season, Freeze wants fans to expect to see a vanilla version on Saturday.
"Unrealistic expectations lead to frustration," Freeze said. "I don't want anybody to be frustrated. Don't want to show too much of what we think we might be really good at. There's nothing on tape of what this new staff is exactly like.
"I want our fans to be excited about the momentum that is being created here. Do we have still a ways to go? Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't be excited about where we are currently. Somehow I've got to try to figure out a way that I want all those things to occur, and that's not easy.
"You want to make all 15 of our practices count. That's a very difficult setting for us to really do what we want to do."
Auburn's assistant coaches will evaluate their position groups, using the scrimmage as another tool to determine the depth chart.
"Whenever you get the opportunity to showcase your skills take advantage of it," said associate head coach Carnell Williams, who coaches Auburn's running backs. "I love to say, 'Earn the right to run the football.' On A-Day, the Auburn family will be watching. It will be a like a gameday atmosphere in Jordan-Hare. I'm looking forward to A-Day. I'm looking forward, offensively and defensively, to see how we gel."
Freeze prefers for college football to adopt an NFL preseason model, scrimmaging against other teams instead of an intrasquad game.
"The solution is, allow us to scrimmage somebody on A-Day, another team," he said. "Everybody would get out of it exactly what they want. Let's adopt a charity to give all the proceeds to. People will come see that and you're decreasing your injury possibilities by 50 percent. I think it would be great for the sport."
In the meantime, he's put together a plan that gives Auburn fans a preview of coming attractions, without giving away the game plan.
"They're going to see us hit, they're going to see us tackle, they're going to see people run the ball and throw the ball," he said. "Will it be exactly the same that they see this fall? I sure hope not. I hope it's better and probably a little different.
"I want to prepare the Auburn family that we're going to do the best we can to hopefully give them a game I hope they can enjoy."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
