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Lightning was detected in the vicinity of Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday evening. The weatherman confirmed it late in the third quarter. Amateur meteorologists spotted it much earlier, and those bolts of electricity came with a name.
Robby Ashford.
The other Auburn transfer quarterback made quite a first impression in his first college action as the Tigers did what a Southeastern Conference team, even one picked to finish last in the SEC West, is supposed to do to Mercer. They dominated early, waited out a lengthy weather delay and coasted from there for a 42-16 win.
For an Auburn team that ended last season with five straight defeats, that hadn't tasted victory since the day before Halloween 2021, the result mattered more than the quality of the opponent. The revelation was a young man from Hoover High School who took the long road to get here but made the wait well worth it.
After traveling from Hoover to Oregon and sitting for two seasons, after leaving Oregon for the Plains as three-year Auburn starter Bo Nix headed the other way in the transfer portal, Ashford wasn't QB1 when the game began. When it ended, he was QB Oh! ...
Read the rest of Kevin's thoughts on Ashford's explosive debut, Nix's unfortunate reunion with Georgia and sparkling starts from Bryce Young and Stetson Bennett. In The Lede.
