Quarterbacks, Seth Williams have impressive performances on A-Day

Image Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics

Auburns fans had their first opportunity to see the 2019-2020 football team in action during the annual A-Day game at Jordan Hare Stadium on Saturday.

The Tigers did not disappoint, with the Orange team defeating the Blue team by a score of 28-10. The Orange team represented the current first team players and the Blue team represented the current second team players. Redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood and true freshman Bo Nix were the quarterbacks for the Orange team, while sophomore Malik Willis and 24-year-old Cord Sandberg represented the Blue team.

The main storyline coming into the spring scrimmage was the on-going quarterback battle, with fans wondering who would separate themselves from the pack and take a step closer to filling the void left by Jarrett Stidham. The answer to that question is no one, because Willis, Gatewood and Nix all had terrific performances for the Tigers, proving that this position battle could go on well into Fall practice.

Malik Willis began his first possession going 5-5 for 64 yards, including a nice 41 yard touchdown throw to Matthew Hill. Willis finished the rest of game going 9-10 for 85 yards. The junior showed off his known running ability, executing the zone read to perfection on many occasions, but impressed with his accurate performance through the air and his knack for executing on third down.

Bo Nix, the early enrollee from Pinson Valley, also enjoyed a solid performance during his first ever A-Day game on The Plains. In the first half, Nix went 11-14 for 155 yards to go along with two touchdown throws. Throughout the day, Nix's confidence was on full display, portraying a willingness to escape the pocket and keep his eyes down field to keep a play alive, which is rare skill for true freshman like Nix to possess early on in his career.

Joey Gatewood, who played with the first team offense, finished 7-10 for 123 yards with two touchdown scores. Gatewood's arm strength and playmaking ability were hinted at with a touchdown pass to Seth Williams over two defenders in the first half. His frame can be described as Cam Newton esque and Auburn fans are hoping he can be as imposing on the run as the former Heisman winner was if he wins the starting job.

Many other players outside the quarterback position also displayed what they can bring to the team this upcoming season. Seth Williams finished the day with 4 receptions for 103 yards with two touchdown passes. Harold Joiner's performance illustrated his versatility while D.J. Williams made his case for a role in an already loaded running back rotation. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown seemed to be everywhere on defense Saturday afternoon, making Auburn thankful he didn't declare for the NFL draft quite yet.

While it is only April and there is still a long way to go until the kickoff game against Oregon in the fall, Auburn's overall performance on Saturday showed a lot of promise for the upcoming season.