SB Nation User Blog: Acid Reign

Auburn to Wrestle the Hogs on New Carpet

Acid Reign — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:24:55 -0000

Ryan Mallett hopes to be the next great Petrino quarterback!

War Eagle, everybody! It's time for another Auburn opponent preview. This week, the Arkansas Razorbacks are featured. On October 10^th, Auburn travels to Fayetteville, to face the Hogs on the new artificial turf in Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It will be the second road game in as many weeks, as Auburn moves through a grueling October. Auburn faces 5 SEC teams in 5 weeks, three of which are on the road.

Arkansas will be battle-tested, by the 10^th of October. The Razorbacks open with Missouri State, followed by an off week, then Arkansas jumps right into the fire, hosting Georgia. Following that, Arkansas goes on the road to play Alabama and Texas A&M, before hosting the Auburn Tigers. Arkansas expects to show a much-improved team in 2009, with 18 starters returning. Some of the losses, though, are big, including center Jonathan Luigs, and veteran quarterback Casey Dick.

Defensively, the Razorbacks were suspect last season, giving up 31 points per game. Arkansas had particular trouble stopping the run, but all of the front seven starters return this year, and they should be stronger. Two or three starters in the secondary have to be replaced, but there is talent there, and candidates to get the job done. The unit showed some improvement in spring drills, but gave up some big plays in the spring game. Auburn should bring a vastly improved running game into this year's matchup.

Special teams were spotty for the Razorbacks, a year ago. Freshman phenom kicker Alex Tejada had a sophomore slump, hitting only 4 of 9 field goals. Kickoffs were a bit of a problem, with short kicks, and good opponent returns. Returns were respectable, as Dennis Johnson set the Razorback single-season kickoff return record with 905 yards. The Razorbacks lose solid punter Jeremy Davis. Arkansas hired former Michigan State coach John L. Smith to shore up the special teams, this season.

It was no real surprise, that the Razorbacks were better than expected offensively in Bobby Petrino's first season. The Razorbacks had an efficient, balanced offense, when tailback Michael Smith was healthy. Smith rushed for 1119 yards last season, and had 32 receptions. He's a shifty, dangerous weapon, returning for his senior season. Smith did sit out spring drills this year, with a tweaked hamstring. All of the receiving corps returns, and it is deep, led by junior tight end D. J. Williams, who had 61 catches in 2008. The leader after spring drills, in the quarterback race, is sophomore Ryan Mallett, who transferred from Michigan last season. Mallett was 3-0 as the Wolverines' starting quarterback in 2007. In the Arkansas spring game this year, Mallett was 15-26 for 233 yards, with two picks.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. Arkansas offensive line: The line is the strength of the Auburn defense, and the Tigers should be tough across the front, with a bit of depth as well. The Petrino offense a year ago, however, did a great job of neutralizing that strength. Auburn only sacked the quarterback once, and allowed Michael Smith 176 rushing yards. The Razorbacks return 3 starters, including mammoth junior left tackle Ray Dominguez. It's a big, strong line, averaging 312 pounds per man. Advantage: Even.

Auburn linebackers vs. Arkansas runners: Last season, we expected speedy Auburn linebackers to shut down Razorback runner Michael Smith. It didn't happen, and the Auburn linebacker corps this season is the thinnest it's been since 1993. Not only does Smith return for his senior season, but the Razorbacks return all of their top 5 rushers from a year ago. Advantage: Arkansas.

Auburn corners vs. Arkansas receivers: Auburn should be solid at corner with Walter McFadden and Neiko Thorpe starting, and depth behind them. A year ago, Auburn was banged up here, and died a death of a thousand cuts on trademark Petrino-offense crossing patterns. If healthy, Auburn should be able to jump a few of those, and keep the middle of the field from being such a comfort zone. The Arkansas receivers who did the carving of Auburn's defense all return. Senior London Crawford is a tall target that Auburn had trouble matching up with a year ago. Sophomore Joe Adams, on the other side, gashed Auburn last year for 4 catches and 60 yards. Adding depth is 6' 3" sophomore Greg Childs, who had a great spring. Advantage: Arkansas.

Auburn safeties vs. Arkansas secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn should field a pair of solid safeties in Zach Etheridge and Michael McNeil, but they'll need to be more aggressive than they were a year ago. Arkansas is loaded with inside receivers. Besides stellar tight end D. J. Williams, the Razorbacks have slot receivers such as sophomore Jarius Wright, and senior Reggie Fish. Both can move. Ryan Mallett is the likely starter at quarterback, for the Razorbacks. Mallett continues to have off-season issues, including a public intoxication arrest in March, and a broken finger on his throwning hand, early in June. The Arkansas coaches insist that he'll be ready to play this fall. Mallett should be over any "new starter" jitters by the Auburn game, and there is little doubt that offensive guru Bobby Petrino will have him in the best position to make plays. Advantage: Arkansas.

Punting: Auburn returns Clinton Durst, who had a great first year, averaging 42.1 yards per kick, and the coverage was good, giving up only 7.0 yards per return. Arkansas used several return men last year, and none did well. Jarius Wright is the leading guy coming back, and he had six returns for only 15 total yards. Who's going to punt for Arkansas this year, is not settled. Junior Stephen Barnett handled the job this spring, but was not terribly impressive. Incoming transfer Britton Forester, from Hawaii, may be the man. Quarterback Ryan Mallett punted once in the spring game, hammering the ball 48 yards. Arkansas covers punts well, giving up only 5 yards per return. Auburn has yet to decide on a return man, where there is no experience. There are a lot of unknowns in this equation. Best guess? Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: An Auburn problem area for the past two seasons, the Tigers look to improve here. Wes Byrum averaged kicking the ball off to the 3 yard line in the A-Day game, and Auburn did hire special teams guru Jay Boulware to help improve a coverage unit that gave up 21.5 yards per return. Auburn has options for return men, including junior Mario Fannin, who averaged 22.5 yards per return a year ago. Arkansas had difficulties kicking off last season, also. Alex Tejada only averaged kicking the ball to the ten yard line, and Arkansas gave up an ugly 24 yards per return. Arkansas returns record-setting sophomore Dennis Johnson to return kicks. Of course, when you give up 374 points on the season, the kick return man gets a lot of opportunities. Johnson averaged 22.1 yards per return. Advantage: Auburn.

Placekicking: Both schools' followers hope that their kickers return to freshman form. Both kickers were 17 of 23 as freshmen. Wes Byrum slumped to 11 of 19 last year, and Arkansas' Alex Tejada hit only 4 of 9. Since Byrum was slightly better, it's Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Arkansas defensive line: Auburn's offensive line and Arkansas' defensive line battled to essentially a draw, a year ago. Both will be bigger and stronger, this season. Arkansas has a decided depth advantage. The middle of the Razorback line is anchored by senior Malcomb Sheppard, who led the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles. The Razorback line returns 61 career starts. Advantage: Arkansas.

Auburn backs vs. Arkansas linebackers: Like a year ago, Auburn has dangerous backs. Against Arkansas last season, those backs were not used, as Ben Tate only tallied 8 carries, and the team had only 13 running back carries in the game. It was a monumentally stupid game-planning decision, to keep the ball away from our best offensive players, against Arkansas' supposed weakness! One HAS to figure that this year's Auburn offensive coordinator Guz Malzhan will do a better job. Ben Tate appears poised for a great senior season, and Auburn has a variety of options behind him. Arkansas returns all of their starters at linebacker, junior Freddy Burton, senior Wendel Davis, and sophomore Jerry Franklin. All three have gotten bigger and stronger, in the off-season, after taking some lumps a year ago. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. Arkansas corners: Both teams will field some new faces, in this matchup. Auburn is currently led by junior Tim Hawthorne, and does return experience in senior Montez Billings. Arkansas returns junior corner Issac Madison, who capable, if not spectacular. The other corner spot is projected to be filled by junior Ramon Broadway. Junior Jerell Norton should see plenty of playing time, as he's the only corner in the playing rotation taller than 5' 10". Advantage: Even.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Arkansas safeties: Auburn will have some formidable slot receivers to send onto the field with, including senior tight end Tommy Trott, and junior H-back Mario Fannin. Quarterback will be the million-dollar question for the Auburn offense. Arkansas will be young, but talented. Sophomore free safety Elton Ford got his feet wet a year ago, but injured his neck against Tulsa. He missed spring drills, still rehabbing. Senior Matt Harris brings experience. He had 49 tackles last season, playing in all 12 games. Sophomore Jericho Nelson, who played in 10 games, is also in the mix. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Tallying up the matchups, it looks like offense is the word. This game may be very high-scoring. Last season, Auburn had great difficulty getting the Arkansas offense off of the field. The Auburn offense had chances to win the game, but couldn't get it done. It's worth noting that the Razorback game a year ago was immediately after the Franklin firing, and the team's mental situation was hardly ideal. This year, Auburn will need to be able to tote the rock consistently, move the chains, and avoid turnovers. Auburn should be better on special teams, but stopping the Petrino offense will be a tall order. Traveling to remote Fayetteville is always a challenge.

Prediction: The Fayetteville blues strike again. Auburn falls just short, losing 31-30.

Full Moon on Rocky Top!

Acid Reign — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:21:58 -0000

Eric Berry decking Knowshon Moreno!

War Eagle, everybody! Time now for another in the series of previews of 2009 Auburn football opponents. On October 3^rd, Auburn travels to Knoxville Tennessee, under the light of a nearly full moon, to play the Tennessee Volunteers, in both squads' 5^th game of the season. There are many similarities in the two teams, leading up to this game. Both have hired new coaches after disappointing years. Both will have played a national power by this time, and likely will have at least one loss. Auburn will likely fall to West Virginia at home, and Tennessee will likely lose to Florida in Gainesville. Both schools get a "breather" game, afterward, Auburn against Ball State, and Tennessee against Ohio. Both schools return fairly salty defenses, and both were miserable on offense. Both schools have been publicized for secondary NCAA violations, during the past off-season.

On defense, Auburn and Tennessee face a bit of a learning curve, as both teams are switching to what amounts to a Tampa-2 style of defense. Auburn has been running parts of the defense since head coach Gene Chizik's tenure as Auburn defensive coordinator from 2002-2004. Tennessee faces a steeper curve, after basically running a 3-deep zone under former coordinator John Chavis. One of the inventors of the Tampa-2, Monte Kiffin, is now the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, and will likely do well in Knoxville. It may take Kiffin time, though, as he only returns 5 starters on defense, and 17 lettermen on that side of the ball. The unquestioned star of the returnees, of course, is junior all-everything safety Eric Berry. It will be important for Auburn offensive personnel to know where this dangerous man is, at all times!

A familiar face takes over the Vol special teams, former Auburn assistant coach Eddie Gran. The Vols have some weapons returning, including record-setting return men Dennis Rogan and Gerald Jones. Less certain are things beyond returners. The Vols return an average kick coverage unit, a suspect punt coverage group, and inconsistent kicking/punting.

Offensively, both teams were abysmal, last season, although Tennessee showed improvement down the stretch, while Auburn seemed to get worse all year. While Lane Kiffin and John Chaney favor a West Coast-style attack, it's not NEARLY as complicated as what Dave Clawson brought in a year ago, and one would expect the Vols to be a little bet better at executing it. Both squads had underachieving receiver corps, and suffered more via graduation. Outsiders are asking if either school has an SEC-worthy quarterback. By game five for both teams, the matchup will be an interesting comparison between Kiffen/Chaney and Auburn's Gus Malzhan. Who will have a consistent offense up and running, by mid-season?

It's worth noting that Neyland Stadium is a tremendous home environment for the Vols, and an intimidating one for opponents. Auburn will need some early success, to silence the Tennessee faithful, or else things could snowball.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. UT offensive line: The Auburn line basically had their way with Tennessee, last fall, but the focal point, SenDerrick Marks, is gone. The Vols lose two starters from a year ago, and one of them was the solid Anthony Parker. Senior center Josh McNeil is a three-year starter, and senior left tackle Chris Scott should anchor the Vol line. Beyond those two, however, the Vols will be looking for answers against a shifting, speedy Auburn front. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. UT backs: Auburn's apparent strength a year ago, has become its weakness. Only two Tigers return that can be considered salty veterans, juniors Craig Stevens, and Josh Bynes. Neither distinguished themselves a year ago, and the likely third starter is JUCO transfer Eltoro Freeman. Tennessee loses a threat in Arian Foster, but senior Montario Hardesty and sophomore Tauren Poole are capable. The Vols also bring in some freshmen threats, including David Oku. At fullback, the junior Kevin Cooper is a bruiser. Advantage: UT.

Auburn corners vs. UT receivers: The big news out of Auburn this week was the Achilles injury to senior corner Aaron Savage. He will be missed. However, the Tigers have a pair of capable starters, senior Walter McFadden and sophomore Neiko Thorpe, as well as a bit of young depth. Tennessee is looking for depth at receiver, as only junior Gerald Jones and senior Austin Rogers return with more than 10 catches. The Vols are looking for help from senior Quentin Hancock, who had no catches a year ago, but snagged 8 balls in the spring game. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn safeties vs. UT secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn's veteran safeties Zach Etheridge and Mike McNeil should be full-strength by October. Tennessee returns good tight ends, but questions at quarterback. The Vols have about a half-dozen good tight ends, with varying degrees of blocking, and possession-receiving capabilities. The leader is junior Luke Stocker, who is a decent blocker, and a better receiver. At quarterback, senior Jonathan Crompton and junior Nick Stephens return. Prior to this summer, B. J. Coleman was in the mix, too, running at the second position. Coleman has since left the team, with much vitriol towards the Kiffin staff. Neither Crompton nor Stephens was terribly effective a year ago, and it will be up to quarterbacks coach David Reaves to put a capable starter on the field. Reaves has been the QB coach through the past few seasons' carousel at South Carolina, so take that for what it's worth. Advantage: Auburn.

Punting: Auburn returns a good one in Clinton Durst, with a 42.1 yard average, and a coverage unit that gave up 7.0 yards per return. Gerald Jones averaged 10.0 yards per return, for the Vols. The Vols return junior Chad Cunningham, who started the first five games of 2008. Cunningham was inconsistent, and averaged a pedestrian 39.5 yards per punt. In coverage, the Vols were shaky, giving up a whopping 12.6 yards per return. While Auburn is not settled at the return position, one has to figure that it's Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: Auburn's Wes Byrum won the job with a steady performance in spring drills, averaging over 65 yards. Chad Cunningham barely managed 60 yards a kickoff, a year ago. Auburn's coverage gave up 21.5 yards per return, Tennessee's 21.0. Tennessee's return men are very good, Dennis Rogan averaged 24.9 yards per return a year ago. Auburn's most experienced return guy is junior Mario Fannin, who averaged 22.5 yards per return. Slight Advantage: Auburn, mostly on leg strength.

Placekicking: It's a tale of two placekickers who are eerily similar. Both Auburn's Wes Byrum, and Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln burst onto the scene hitting nearly all their kicks, and earning freshman accolades. Byrum hit only 11-19 as a sophomore, but has held off all challengers this spring. Daniel Lincoln hit 10-18 as a sophomore last year. Lincoln's inconsistencies have continued this spring; he missed a 30-yarder in the spring game. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. UT defensive line: Auburn performed dismally at year ago against the Vols, being unable to open many holes against a 4 man front with the linebackers dropped back ten yards. Auburn returns a veteran crew led by junior Lee Ziemba, and by all accounts, they are bigger and stronger than a year ago. Stout senior tackle Dan Williams returns for the Vols, but they are combing the depth chart for help beyond that. 257-pound end Wes Brown moved inside to tackle, to help out. Don't cry too much for the Vols, though because there is plenty of talent, it's just a matter of fitting it all together well. 312-pound redshirt freshman Montori Hughes was said to be unblockable this spring, for instance. Advantage: Even.

Auburn backs vs. UT linebackers: One has to like Auburn's combination of power and speed returning at tailback, including senior Ben Tate. Less impressive are the lead blockers, led by Mario Fannin and John Douglas. Tennessee loses two starters at linebacker, but second-team All-SEC senior Rico McCoy returns. Tennessee does have talent, but it is young at linebacker. The big worry for the Vols will be chasing speedy Auburn backs and slot receivers, with starters like junior Nick Reveiz, who aren't terribly fast. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. UT corners: Auburn's underachieving unit from a year ago gets even younger, this season. Strides were made in spring drills, and help is on the way from stellar signee DeAngelo Benton. For the Vols, juniors Brent Vinson and Dennis Rogan are solid, speedy, and experienced. Advantage: UT.

Auburn secondary receivers and QB vs. UT safeties: Auburn was shaky a year ago at both spots, and didn't get many answers out of spring drills. Senior tight end Tommy Trott should be solid, and junior Mario Fannin showed flashes in the slot, but quarterback play in the spring was as spotty as ever. Tennessee headlines their media guide with junior free safety Eric Berry, who might be the best player, period, in the SEC. The Vols will be green at strong safety, which brings a ray of hope. Advantage: UT.

Auburn appears to be more settled in most positions, and appears to have a particular advantage along the defensive front. It could also be argued that Auburn will have less of a learning curve on both sides of the ball. Neither team is terribly deep, and injuries by game five could wreak havoc at spots, on either team. Tennessee is at home, which will count for a lot. Auburn's offensive scheme, however, seems like a perfect scenario to hound a Vol front seven suspect on speed. Both teams' fortunes will hinge on the signal caller's ability. Can either team find a capable quarterback?

Prediction: Auburn makes fewer mistakes than the Vols, and Gene Chizik pulls out his first "quality" SEC win, 17-16 in Knoxville!

Can the SEC Rise to the Top, Again?

Acid Reign — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:32:13 -0000

War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for a football look at the SEC: where it's been the past few years, and where it's going. When the SEC divided into divisions, and added Arkansas and South Carolina, many pundits predicted the end of national relevance for a watered-own league. This view was smashed, with the success of the SEC Champion over the next 7 years.

Alabama won the consensus national title in 1992, with a stunning blowout of Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Auburn went undefeated in 1993. Auburn, Alabama, and Florida were national contenders in 1994, before falling just short in the end. In 1995, Florida made it to the first Bowl Alliance National Championship game, before falling to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl. Florida returned to the big game, in 1996, and destroyed arch-rival Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. It was Tennessee's turn to make the national championship game in 1997, but Nebraska won big in the Orange Bowl. Tennessee returned in 1998, wining a Fiesta Bowl decision over Florida State, for the consensus National Championship. With contenders every year, and 3 national championships in hand in 7 years, the theory of SEC watering-down was dead. Or was it?

From 1999-2002, the SEC made no appearances in the BCS Championship Game, and instead secured a reputation as a league that eats its own. Even in 2003, when LSU made an improbable rise to the BCS national championship, national pundits figured it was a fluke, and awarded the AP title to Southern Cal. The following year, Auburn went undefeated, but couldn't even get invited to the BCS Championship game. In 2005, the naysayers were awarded a gratifying measure of redemption, when SEC Champ Georgia spotted the West Virginia Mountaineers a 28-0 lead in the Sugar Bowl, going on to lose 38-35.

Since 2005, however, the SEC Champ has gained access to the BCS title game, despite regular season losses,.and has won the title 3 years in a row, by double-digit margins. Furthermore, during the past 3 years, the SEC is 19-7 in bowl games, a 73.0 percent winning percentage. Is the league poised to continue its run in 2009? Or has the league peaked, and settled into an inevitable slide? Let's examine the state of the SEC, going into 2009. We'll take a look, and decide whether each team is trending upwards, downwards, or holding steady.

Eastern Division

Vanderbilt, while not a championship contender, has benefited from coaching continuity. Of current SEC coaches, only Mark Richt of Georgia has been at his current school longer. Bobby Johnson has been at Vanderbilt since the 2002 season, and he's got the second-longest current league tenure going! The perseverance of the Vandy administration was rewarded last season with a Music City Bowl win, the first in a quarter-century for the Commodores! With 19 starters returning from that team, one has to figure Vandy will be at least as good in 2009. Trend: Upwards.

Kentucky's Rich Brooks has enjoyed an unprecedented 3 consecutive Wildcat bowl wins in the past three seasons, but a more sober analysis brings Kentucky's long-term progress into question. After a 4-4 SEC record in 2006, Kentucky has slid to a 2-6, last place finish in the SEC East, last fall. The Wildcats lose 12 starters, including 6 on defense and 2 specialists, this year. A tasty cream-puff non-conference schedule nearly guarantees 4 wins, but the Wildcats face a tough slate of SEC games. The odds of a 4^th consecutive bowl win are not good. Trend: Downwards.

South Carolina was left for dead after an 0-11 record ten years ago, but Lou Holtz breathed life into the failing program, and the hire of Steve Spurrier was supposed to take the Gamecocks to the next level. The Visored One's record with the Garnet and Black, however, has been pedestrian: 28-22, including 15-17 in the SEC. History says that it's the best 4-year run in Gamecock history! Wow. South Carolina returns only 12 starters, and their best quarterback (Chris Smelley) was lost to an Alabama baseball career. Trend: Downwards.

Georgia faces a mass exodus of underclass talent, with the early loss of Mathew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. Georgia owns the best overall record in the SEC over the past decade, and most of those wins have been on the watch of coach Mark Richt. While the loss of the two junior NFL draft picks will be big, Georgia returns 6 defensive starters, and 7 on offense. With veteran senior quarterback Joe Cox settled in, expect the Bulldogs to at least equal last season's mark. Consistent, tough play has been the hallmark of the Richt era, and I think it will continue. Trend: Holding steady.

Tennessee has fallen far in the past decade. With an 0-3 record in the SEC Championship Game, and a 3-5 bowl mark, it's not the Vols of old. Long-time national championship coach Phillip Fulmer was forced out in the wake of a 5-7 season last fall, and his replacement (Lane Kiffin) has not inspired confidence in the Vol Nation with his off-season antics. While there's no way I'm going to write any Monte Kiffin-coached defense off, I'll be shocked if Lane does much better with the moribund Vol offense of recent years. Trend: Downwards.

Florida: is this year's "cinch" pick. They return 20 starters off of a national championship team, including a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. With 2 BCS crystals in the past three seasons, and a loaded team coming back, it's hard to pick against the Gators. The X-factor is the loss of offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. We'll find out whether it was Mullen's offense, or Urban Meyer's, this year! Trend: Holding steady, at the top of the country!

Western Division

LSU, it could be argued, did less with more, than any other team in the conference, last season. (Runner up: Auburn.) I figure, though, with the hiring of defensive coordinator John Chavis, the days of LSU being lit up for 50 points are long gone. If LSU finds consistent quarterback play this season, they should be the best team in the West. Brutal tailback Charles Scott should see to that! Another 5-loss SEC season, though, will turn Les Miles' arrow decidedly downwards. Trend: Holding steady as the best in the West.

Arkansas was arguably the thinnest team in the West, last season. With a porous D, and numerous players lost to the NFL, they were nearly everyone's cellar-dweller, before the season. Somehow, Bobby Petrino milked 5 wins out of that, including a stunning upset of LSU in the season finale. For most of the past decade, under Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks were the nasty team you hated to play, but also the team that managed to blow big game after big game. Arkansas' 2-7 bowl record in the SEC is the proof. Arkansas has had a losing record 3 of the last 5 years. For this year, everything seems to hinge on Michigan transfer quarterback Ryan Mallet. With 19 starters returning, if Petrino repeats anything like the coaching performance he pulled off a year ago with Casey Dick, Arkansas is the darkhorse West contender. Trend: Cautiously upward.

Mississippi State has been the SEC's offensive doormat for going on 7 years. Former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen hopes to inject life into the Bulldog attack this fall, but he does not have much, beyond behemoth tailback Anthony Dixon, to work with. The Bulldogs have carved their niche defensively, the past half decade, but this fall, only 4 starters return on defense, on a team that has little quality depth. Trend: Downwards.

Ole Miss rebounded mightily last season, under new coach Houston Nutt, and is now mentioned among the favorites to win the SEC West, this season. Arkansas fans, familiar with Nutt, would urge caution. The Rebels are fairly loaded, talent-wise, and with a 37-member signing class this year, one would figure that Nutt will have some depth to work with. All optimism aside, though, it's worth noting that Jevan Snead was only a 56-percent passer last year. While Ole Miss probably won't win the division, things definitely look better than the 14-32 mark put together during the 4 years prior to Nutt's arrival. Trend: Upward.

Alabama rebounded from mediocrity in a big way last season, as Nick Saban's second Bama squad started the season 12-0. Bama, still a young team, returns 9 starters on defense, and should be plenty strong again in 2009. Quarterback is the question, this year. Greg McElroy looks very capable, but behind him is nothing but green. The Bama offensive style tends to protect the QB, which is fortunate. However, only 46% of the Bama rushing yards from a year ago, return. McElroy may have to produce ahead of schedule. Even if Bama doesn't win big in 2009, one would have to argue that the Saban regime has stocked the cupboard pretty well over the past two signing classes. Bama should be in the thick of the title race for the foreseeable future, I'm afraid. Trend: Upwards.

Auburn has been gradually trending downwards since the miraculous 13-0 season five-plus years ago, and it culminated in a miserable 5-7, 2-6 season last year. New hire Gene Chizik, an unpopular choice, has attempted to jump-start his tenure by bringing in some huge-name position coaches. At least half of his choices have "future head coach" stamped in bold on that resume... Despite the decline, Auburn's still a dangerous football team, and should be well-coached. If coordinator Guz Malzhan can find a quarterback to operate his innovative offense, Auburn could be in the hunt all year. Trend: Upwards (after hitting rock bottom a year ago.)

Adding all those trends up, it seems that the SEC might actually be a wee bit stronger in 2009, than 2008! And that's a league that went 6-2 in bowl games! Florida is the unarguable head of the class, but several other teams have a chance at national glory, including LSU, Georgia and Alabama. It will be an interesting season, for certain!

A Cardinal Visit

Acid Reign — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:19:02 -0000

MiQuale Lewis can make 'em miss!

(Note: The things we have to go through for progress, eh? SB Nation has evidently redesigned their edit panel, and it now spews links and weird formatting like crazy! Please bear with me on this! Some programmer somewhere doesn't comprehend "readability..." Unfortunately, too, a fair amount of the links are wrong, and unchecking them doesn't stop them. So if you click the "Cardinals" link and it takes you out west to Stanford, it's not my fault!)

War Eagle, everybody! It's time once again, for another look at an Auburn opponent in the upcoming football season. After a pair of tough, home battles with Mississippi State and West Virginia, Auburn hosts the Ball State Cardinals. 11 starters return this season, from the 12-2, Mid America Conference runner-up team. The Cardinals took a hit last season, when head Coach Brady Hoke left at the end of the season, to take the head job at San Diego State. Hoke, a 1978 Ball State grad who played on the last Ball State championship team, left his alma mater before an appearance in the GMAC Bowl. Ball State promoted from within, and offensive coordinator Stan Parrish took over as the head man. Parish's debut was not a pleasant one, as the Cardinals were blown out by Tulsa, 45-13. The season ended on a two-game losing streak.

The Cardinals will come into Auburn with a possibility of being 3-0. Ball State begins with a pair of home games, against North Texas and New Hampshire. A challenging road trip to Army follows. The Cardinals will be looking for a measure of revenge, in Auburn. In last year's GMAC Bowl, Auburn offensive coordinator Guz Malzhan's Tulsa offense ripped the Cardinals for 632 total yards, including 439 on the ground! With 7 defensive starters returning, Ball State has junked Hoke's 3-4 defense, and installed a more aggressive scheme. Doug Graber, an NFL coaching veteran and secondary expert, has gone to a 4-3 defense, but so far has not been happy with his team's execution. Graber has a veteran front seven to work with, including All-MAC senior defensive end Brandon Crawford. The secondary returns a veteran pair of safeties, but will be green at corner.

Ball State was respectable on special teams last season, but must replace stellar punter Chris Miller. Also, the status of the excellent returning place kicker, Ian McGarvey, is in question, due to a DUI arrest. McGarvey didn't participate in spring drills, and is not listed on the roster.

On offense, the Cardinals return only 4 starters, but one of those is the fireplug running back, MiQuale Lewis. The 5'6", 190 pound back rushed for over 1700 yards in 2008. The Cardinals also return several good receivers, but must replace record-setting quarterback Nate Davis, who left early for the NFL draft. The offensive line was decimated by graduation, returning only one starter. New quarterback Kelly Page has talent and a good arm, but he spent much of spring drills running for his life. The offensive system should remain basically the same as a year ago, but Lewis and the receivers must be productive, to keep opponents from loading the box. Serving as offensive coordinator this year, will be promoted running backs coach Eddie Faulkner.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. Ball State offensive line: On paper, this is a mismatch. Ball State's one returning starter is guard, junior Michael Switzer. Ball State will have to deal with quick ends such as Antonio Coleman, Michael Goggins, and Antoine Carter, with new tackles. Only two of the new starters have even earned a letter! There may be some hope to match up inside, against Auburn's duo of Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks, but sophomore center Kreg Hunter and redshirt freshman guard Steve Yoder will have their hands full. Most of Ball State's linemen are undersized, by SEC standards, at about 280 pounds. Big Advantage: Auburn

Auburn linebackers vs. Ball State runners: This matchup features Auburn's thinnest unit against a 1700-yard rusher in senior MiQuale Lewis. Lewis is another one of those small, shifty runners who gave us so much trouble a year ago. Ball State does not allow him to be hit in practice, so he'll likely still be fresh for Auburn. The real question is who's going to block for Lewis. Ball State runs a lot of 3-receiver sets, and lead blocks with the tight end. Auburn may have to go nickel to deal with the receivers, but linebackers Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens should be aided by dominant D-line play in this one. Advantage: Ball State.

Auburn corners vs. Ball State receivers: Auburn returns a veteran, respectably deep unit, and they'll likely be tested by the Cardinals. Senior Walter McFadden should be fine, but there is worry beyond that at the relative inexperience of sophomore Neiko Thorpe and 5^th year senior Aaron Savage. Ball State relies on sophomore Briggs Orsbon, who was the leading receiver a year ago. Senior Myles Trempe is a tall target, at 6' 4". One to watch out for is incoming freshman Seth White. White's a small former quarterback, but he can fly and is very athletic. He graduated early, participated in Cardinal spring drills, and rocketed up the depth chart. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Ball State secondary receivers and quarterback: One hopes that Auburn's 3 top safeties, all coming off of injuries, are healthy for this one. Michael McNeal and Zach Etheridge combine for 3 years of starting experience, and should be able to stay with Cardinal tight ends and slot receivers. Junior receiver Daniel Ifft has a lot of experience, and senior tight end Madaris Grant is a tall 6' 5" target. Grant's listed at only 221 pounds, and one wonders how well he'll be able to block for MiQuale Lewis. There is little experience behind those two. Redshirt freshman Kelly Page takes over at quarterback for the Cardinals. Page is a 6' 3", strong armed-specimen who was ranked as the 12^th best quarterback in the nation in his recruiting class. Page has the arm and the legs to get it done, but will he have time? It will be incumbent upon the Auburn defense to try and shake the young quarterback's confidence. Advantage: Auburn.

Punting: Auburn returns one of the SEC's better punters in Clinton Durst, and a coverage unit that gave up 7.0 yards per return in the SEC. It's not clear who'll return punts, yet. Ball State has tapped redshirt freshman Scott Kovanda as their new punter. Kovanda averaged 39.0 yards per punt as a senior in high school. The Ball State coverage unit gave up only 6.2 yards per return in 2008. The Cardinals must replace the departed B. J. Hill at returner, and are still undecided as to who might fill that spot. Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: Auburn appears set to utilize junior Wes Byrum as the kickoff man, and Byrum did well in spring drills, averaging over 65 yards per kickoff. Auburn's coverage unit gave up 21.5 yards per return. Ball State played the suspended Ian McCarvey and junior Jake Hogue equally, last season. Both averaged about 60 yards per kick. Ball State's coverage unit gave up only 19.8 yards per return. To return kicks, Auburn will likely use some combination of newcomer Onterrio McCaleb, and junior Mario Fannin, who averaged 22.5 yards per return a year ago. Ball State loses their top three kick returners, and is still undecided who the replacement will be. Advantage: Auburn.

Placekicking: Auburn's Wes Byrum was excellent as a freshman, and less than stellar a season ago, hitting only 11 of 19. Ball State's situation depends upon whether Ian McCarvey can return, or not. McCarvey hit 16-21, including 6-9 from 40-49 yards! If McCarvey can't come back, the job falls to junior Jake Hogue. Hogue kicked in 2007, and hit on a Byrum-like 11 of 19. Advantage: Even.

Auburn offensive line vs. Ball State defensive line: Auburn should field a veteran line, with plenty of experience, and a potential star in Lee Ziemba. There is little depth, though, and if there is anything to worry about with the starters, it's right tackle Andrew McCain's lack of starts in his previous four Auburn years. Ball State returns seven letterman on the defensive line, including all four starters, one of which is 33-year old 5^th year senior defensive end, Brandon Crawford. A Marine Corps veteran, Crawford is a good one, but he's been battling wrist problems for the past year. Junior end Robert Eddins is fast, but listed at only 221 pounds. Lack of SEC size could hurt the Cardinals along the defensive front. Junior tackle Rene Perry is only 271, and senior Drew Duffin is only listed at 255. Auburn will outweigh the Ball State line by an average of about 40 pounds. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Ball State linebackers: Auburn should be able to field a diverse and talented running corps, headlined by the senior, big Ben Tate. Tate's powerful, well rounded, and deceptively speedy. Auburn's question is lead-blocking, although Mario Fannin and John Douglas showed good stuff in the spring game. Ball State has experience and speed at linebacker, but size is again an issue. Junior Davyd Jones is only listed at 200 pounds, senior Spain Cosby is 212, and senior Sam Woodworth is 202. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. Ball State corners: Both teams are in a rebuilding mode, in this matchup. Auburn's most experienced returning receiver is senior Montez Billings, and Billings missed spring drills. There were good things done by junior Tim Hawthorne, and sophomore Darvin Adams, this spring. Ball State has had to move some folks around to find starting corners this spring. Junior Koreen Burch holds down one spot, and sophomore Torieal Gibson has the other. Both are in the 5' 9", 160-pound range. Auburn's taller guys will be difficult to cover. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Ball State safeties: Auburn will field some veteran, dangerous secondary receivers, including senior tight end Tommy Trott, and junior H-back Mario Fannin, as well as some younger, speedy guys like sophomore Terrell Zachary. The Auburn quarterback situation should be settled by game 4, but it should not be an issue in this game. Auburn should be able to run at will on the smaller Cardinals. Ball State does return a pair of veteran, talented safeties, and should this game come down to airing it out, they will be a factor. Senior Alex Knipp and sophomore Sean Baker are ball-hawing, tackling machines. Both are around 200 pounds, similar in size to the Ball State linebackers. Advantage: even.

Ball State is over-matched on both lines of scrimmage, and will not fare well unless the Tigers suffer a big letdown after West Virginia. With a freshman quarterback and 4 new line starters, the Cardinals will find moving the sticks a challenge. Ball State does have some guys capable of making big plays, but it's unlikely to be enough. Auburn should be able to run at will, and against a fast-paced, no huddle shotgun running game, the Cardinals must guard against wearing down. Auburn may be stinging after a loss to West Virginia the week before, so look for the Tigers to take it out on the Cardinals.

Prediction: Auburn manhandles Ball State, 41-3.

A Stern Test

Acid Reign — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:39:19 -0000

West Virginia replaces Pat White with Jarrett Brown!

War Eagle, everybody! Time now for another Auburn football preview. On September 19^th, Auburn will receive a visit from the West Virginia Mountaineers. Auburn will have been tested at home by Louisiana Tech, and Mississippi State, previously. For the Mountaineers, it will be their first road game of the year, after tuning up on Liberty, and East Carolina at home. While the Liberty game will be as ugly as West Virginia cares to make it, Skip Holtz's pesky Pirates won't go down so easily. That matchup will make for a good scouting opportunity. While there are some questions to be answered, do not be fooled. This is a LOADED football team, with a ton of talent recruited during the height of the Rich Rodriguez era.

For the Mountaineer offense, the Pat White era is finally over. Starting at quarterback this season for West Virginia is veteran senior Jarrett Brown. Brown has come in in the past, and played when Pat White was injured, and is 2-0 as a starter. The Mountaineers have never lost, holding a lead, when Brown came in as a reliever at quarterback. There are issues on the offensive line, having to replace three starters. Brown is not as mobile as Pat White was, and the line will need to pass-block better. A plethora of dangerous runners and receivers return, led by lightning-quick tailback Noel Devine. Auburn allowed 207 yards rushing to Devine last year, with a patchwork back seven.

Defensively, the Mountaineers return 8 starters on a fast, aggressive defense. There has been a greater emphasis on blitzing, this spring, with more man-to-man coverage. It's not a good trend for the Tigers, who had difficulty getting separation at receiver, a year ago. The greatest concern West Virginia has is at defensive end. Scooter Berry moves inside, leaving a dearth of experience. Jeff Casteel was selected the Rivals defensive coordinator of the year, last season, as West Virginia held its opponents to 15.9 points per game.

On special teams, Senior All-American Pat McAffe did all of the kicking and punting last year, and will have to be replaced this year. While leading returner Ellis Langster is gone, the Mountainers have plenty of speedy options for return men. The real concern is kick return coverage. Last season West Virginia gave up 28 yards per return.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. WVA offensive line: If Auburn is to slow down the West Virginia machine, it must start here. Last season, Auburn started well on the D-line, and faded as the game went on. This year, West Virginia will be less formidable, with the loss of 3 big-time starters. Veteran senior right tackle Selvish Capers returns with 19 starts, and junior center Eric Jobe returns with 5 career starts. All is not woe for the Mountaineers, though, as sophomores Don Barclay and Josh Jenkin have quite a bit of backup experience. Barclay, who'll start at that all-important left tackle spot, played in all 13 games a year ago. By all accounts, the line held their own in spring drills this year. Auburn will have to use their speed on the line, to counter a strong, if less-experienced bunch. Advantage: Auburn, and if the D-line doesn't do well, Auburn will be in for a very long day on defense!

Auburn linebackers vs. WVA runners: Noel Devine embarrassed the Auburn linebackers a year ago, and Auburn will be very green at the weak side this season, as JUCO transfer Eltoro Freeman is the front-runner. It will be imperative for veterans Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes to do a better job containing Devine. Devine, and his three main backups, are all small and fast. In addition, freshman Jordan Roberts emerged as powerful short-yardage back, who broke off a 65-yarder in the spring game. West Virginia has a pretty good battering ram fullback, in junior Will Johnson, who is also a receiving threat. Behind Johnson, Ryan Clark is a monster, if inexperienced. Advantage: West Virginia.

Auburn corners vs. WVA receivers: Auburn looks to be solid, if unspectacular at corner this season, and it's a fairly deep position, as well. Senior Walter McFadden showed signs last year, of the potential to take it to the next level. He showed great toughness, too, playing hurt for much of the year, and still being effective. Sophomore Neiko Thorpe, who saw significant time as a true freshman a year ago, is penciled in as the other starter. Auburn will likely have to go nickel to stop the WVA receiving corps, and speedy senior Aaron Savage seems much better able to match up, than a hodge-podge of linebackers and safeties we tried to cover the Mountaineer slot men with, last year. West Virginia looks scary, outside, this spring. Senior Alric Arnett caught 35 balls for 6 TDs, last season, and looks ready to have a break-out season. Sophomore Bradley Starks figures to start on the other side, a 6' 3” burner. The wild card is spring star, senior Wes Lyons, who is a towering 6'8”, sort of WVa's answer to Anthony Mix! Lyons showed the speed to separate this spring, and caught everything thrown his way. Auburn has no one who can match up, height-wise. There is depth and speed behind the top three guys, too. If the ball is thrown downfield on target, the Auburn corners will need serious safety help. Advantage: West Virginia.

Auburn safeties vs. WVA secondary receivers and quarterback: Tiger fans can desperately hope that Auburn's top three guys are back healthy for this one. Mike McNeil, Zach Etheridge, and Mike Slade will have to do a lot better job than a year ago, in pursuit. West Virginia threw underneath all day, and the Auburn safeties had great difficulty closing and making the tackle. They will again face some dangerous players. Junior Jock Sanders was very dangerous a year ago, and will be again, if he successfully serves a DUI suspension. Sophomore Tyler Urban was a solid tight end a year ago. The key for West Virginia is quarterback Jarrett Brown. While not as fleet of foot as Pat White, Brown reputedly has a cannon for an arm. Brown hit 22 of 30 passes, last season, for 114 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. That's a great completion percentage, 73%, but a low yards-per-pass average, at only 3.8. The Mountaineers look to throw downfield more, and if the spring game is any indication, Brown can do it. He hit his first 15 passes, and finished 21-28 for 274 yards and 4 Tds on the. The jury's still out though, as to what will happen against top competition. Much like Auburn, West Virginia did not play ones against ones, in the spring game. Advantage: West Virginia.

Punting: Auburn's punter, Clinton Durst returns, sporting a 42.1 yard average with good hang time. West Virginia's penciled-in replacement is senior Scott Kowlosky, who was the team's punter for 8 games in 2006, with an average of 39.5 yards per punt. Both teams are still trying to settle on return men, but both squads have talent. Auburn gave up 7.0 yards per return, West Virginia gave up only 5.3. Advantage: Even.

Kickoffs: Auburn looks to be set at kicker, with Wes Byrum doing well in the spring game. Coverage was a bit of a concern, as Auburn gave up 21.5 yards per return last season. Auburn is not set at kick returner. The most experienced guy in the mix is Mario Fannin, who averaged 22.5 per kick return, a year ago. West Virginia seems to be ready to go with redshirt freshman Tyler Bitancurt as the kicker. The return man seems to be by committee, again. The idea of facing Noel Devine here is not a comfortable one. The Mountaineers were woeful covering kickoffs last year, giving up 28 yards per return, one of the worst performances in the nation. Advantage: Auburn, on experience, and better coverage.

Placekicking: Wes Byrum was superb as a freshman, and shaky as a sophomore. While he's held onto the starting kicking job, observers say that his technique is still flawed. Redshirt freshman Tyler Bitancurt gets the nod for West Virginia. Were I coach Stewart, I'd be hoping the game doesn't come down to a pressure-filled kick on the road in Jordan Hare. Byrum's been there, done that. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. WVA defensive line: Auburn sports a re-tooled, larger, stronger line than a year ago, but has little depth behind the starters. . Last season, the Auburn linemen held their own for a half, but then wilted under pressure when the Mountaineers started loading the box. Last season, West Virginia opened in a 3-4, this year they appear to be committed to a 4 man front, and a more aggressive scheme. Moving inside is second-team All-Big East junior Scooter Berry. He'll team alongside the stout junior Chris Neild, and the Mountaineers figure to be strong and dangerous in the middle. Last season, Neild manhandled the Auburn interior line, racking up 8 tackles. Senior Larry Ford and sophomore Julian Miller figure to start at end, and both were long-yardage rush specialists last season. While both are quick and athletic, it will be a transition to being an every-down lineman. This is another critical battle Auburn MUST win, to have a realistic chance at winning the ball game. Advantage: Even.

Auburn backs vs. WVA linebackers: Running back is the deepest, and arguably the most talented position on the Auburn squad. Ben Tate and Mario Fannin bring good speed and better power to the table. Behind them are young players like Onterrio McCaleb and Eric Smith who should do well. The incoming freshman class has backs that may contribute right away, also. Where Auburn is thin is at lead blocker positions. Mario Fannin has bulked up, and showed a willingness to hit this spring, and John Douglas had some good moments as well. Likewise, linebacker is the deepest position on the West Virginia squad. They sport a plethora of large, fast, relentless guys who hound runners and terrorize quarterbacks. The leader of this veteran bunch is senior Reed Williams, who is coming off surgery on both shoulders. Williams is said to be finally healthy, for his sixth season. Junior J. T. Thomas brings three years of hard-hitting experience on the weak side, and senior Zac Cooper moves from defensive end to shore up the strong side linebacker position, on run downs. West Virginia can bring a bevy of talented, experienced guys off the bench at this position, too. Advantage: West Virginia.

Auburn receivers vs. WVA corners: For the last three years, this has been the weakest position on the Tiger squad, and this year may not be any different. Spring performances by Tim Hawthorne, Darvin Adams, Quindarious Carr, and Derek Winter give reason to hope. The receivers clearly had made strides in route-running, and catching the ball, in the A-Day game. Junior Brandon Hogan locks down one corner spot for the Mountaineers. He's a fast, hard-hitting veteran who had a great spring. He's perhaps a bit undersized, at 5' 10”. The Mountaineers had to replace their other starter, and sophomore Keith Tandy is the nominal starter. The Mountaineers are planning to use a lot of man coverage. There may be a chance for Auburn receivers to work on young corners on the side opposite Hogan. Advantage: Even.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. WVA safeties: The Auburn quarterback race is still undecided, and the flavor of this matchup will depend on whether we end up with a spread-option type attack with Kodi Burns, or a play action passing scheme with Neil Caudle. Auburn features some intriguing, dangerous secondary receivers, including tight end Tommy Trott, and sometimes-slot receiver Mario Fannin. West Virginia counters with a veteran safety corps. Often, on passing downs, the Mountaineers use three safeties. Senior Boogie Allen, junior Sidney Glover, and sophomore Robert Sands are all seasoned, fast, and great hitters. Advantage: West Virginia.

This game will be an awfully difficult task for a rebuilding Auburn team. On offense, there may be some big play opportunities on the outside, but it's incumbent on the Tigers to find some kind of a way to run the ball, eat up the clock, and keep the explosive Mountaineer offense on the sideline. Even a single turnover could lose the game. Defensively, Auburn must attack the ball better than they did last fall. There should be some opportunities to wreak havoc in the backfield, against new Mountaineer offensive line starters. Explosive players like Noel Devine have to be dealt with before they turn up field. West Virginia's new quarterback starter must be harassed into some mistakes. If Auburn can create turnovers and run the ball, they have a great shot at pulling off the upset. Too many three and outs, and this game could degenerate quickly.

Prediction: Auburn battles gamely, but the Mountaineers are too much, again. Auburn falls at home, 31-10.

More Bulldogs Come Calling

Acid Reign — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:38:49 -0000

Anthony Dixon is tough to bring down!

War Eagle, everybody! On September 12^th, 2009, Auburn opens its SEC season at Jordan-Hare Stadium, against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The game figures to be a tough, physical test for Gene Chizik's inaugural Tiger team. Both head coaches will be in their first seasons with new teams, and anything could happen in this game. Last season football season, only four new head coaches had winning records, in the Bowl Subdivision. Will either the Bulldogs, or the Tigers be a factor, this season? Time will tell. The Tigers and the Bulldogs played possibly the ugliest game in all of college football last season in Starkville, a 3-2 Auburn victory. This year's game may be equally low scoring. Auburn will have had a test at home against Louisiana Tech, coming into this one. MSU will tee off on Jackson State, before facing the Tigers.

Despite having one of the saltier defenses in the SEC, head coach Sylvester Croom was forced to resign at the end of last season. New coach Dan Mullen inherits only a few of those players, and tapped to coordinate the defense is veteran Carl Torbush. Torbush, as you'll recall, was defensive coordinator at Alabama, under Dennis Franchione. Much like his Tide defenses, the front seven will be ok, but the depth in the secondary is an issue. The loss of veteran safety Derek Pegues will be huge. On the plus side, bone-rattling linebacker Jamar Chaney returns, after tearing up an ankle in the first game last year, and missing the entire season. Incoming JUCO tackle Pernell McPhee looks to be a much-needed addition to a somewhat depleted interior line.

As most readers know, head coach Dan Mullen was the coordinator of Florida's pesky spread offense under Urban Meyer. Coordinating Mullen's O at Mississippi State is another Franchione man, Les Koenning. Both Mullen and Koenning are known for innovative running games, and with the Bulldogs' lack of proven wide receivers, they'll need to be strong on the ground in 2009. Running backs coach Greg Knox, formerly Auburn's wide receivers coach, says that MSU's running backs are the better than any Auburn had in Tuberville's ten years. While most folks laugh at the idea that there are better backs in Starkville than Rudi Johnson, Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, Brandon Jacobs, or Kenny Irons, there's no denying that Anthony Dixon is a stud. While Tyson Lee currently holds down the starting quarterback job, rumor is that incoming signee Tyler Russell will have a chance to start by the season opener.

The Bulldogs lose many key special teams players, including return-man Derek Pegues and both the kicker and punter. Coach Mullen has attempted to fill the void with JUCO players, and if spring is any indication, it has worked. New kicker Sean Brauchle reportedly hit a 57-yard field goal in practice, and punter Heath Hutchens has been booming the punts. Who'll return kicks is still wide open.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. MSU offensive line: The line is still unsettled, as Mullen continues to move folks around. The current lineup is good-sized, but these guys did not protect the quarterback, nor open up near enough running lanes, last season. The towering, long-armed left tackle, junior Derek Sharrod, probably has the most upside. The MSU line faces almost the same Auburn defensive line that whipped them badly, a year ago. Gone is tackle SenDerrick Marks, but Jake Ricks seems to be an adequate replacement. Auburn's speedy ends were a huge problem, and figure to be again. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. MSU backs: Star senior runner Anthony Dixon has reportedly lost 20 pounds, down to about 235 pounds. He's still a load, at that size, and is said to be in the best shape of his life. Mullen and Koenning are lining Dixon up all over the field, at tailback, slot receiver, H-back, and even taking direct snaps. It's clear that Dixon is the main man in the offense, but Christian Ducre is an adequate backup, as well. MSU lost a good blocking fullback to graduation, and the new offense favors a lightweight, speedy H-back. Auburn linebackers Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes had good success against Dixon last year, and figure to again this year, especially with less blocking in store. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. MSU receivers: Auburn returns a lineup of capable, veteran corners, which should be able to limit Bulldog receivers. Senior Brandon McRae is the best of the returning Bulldogs, a tall target at 6-4. McRae caught 51 balls for 518 yards last season, but he's currently trying to return from a broken leg. Beyond that, MSU appears to be banking heavily on newcomers. JUCO junior Leon Berry caught 8 balls in the Bulldog spring game. Last season, the Bulldogs only had ten TD receptions all season, and they will look to improve on that, this year. Advantage: Auburn

Auburn safeties vs. MSU secondary receivers and quarterback: The health of the Auburn safeties is a big mystery at this time, but Zach Etheridge and Michael McNeil should be well by September. They'll be facing some young opponents on the other side. H-back Delmon Robinson caught 12 balls a year ago, and Y-receiver Brandon Henderson caught only 6. It's a young, and not terribly large group, and they will likely have difficulty blocking Auburn's back seven downfield. At quarterback, whether it's Tyson Lee, backup Chris Relf, or incoming freshman Tyler Russell, it will be a difficult task to operate a new offense, against Auburn's defense. Advantage: Auburn.

Punting: Clinton Durst is poised to have a great second season, averaging 42.1 yards per punt. MSU's punter, JUCO junior Heath Hutchens has yet to launch a live SEC punt. Neither team has decided for sure who'll return punts. MSU's current leader is JUCO transfer Leon Berry. The Auburn coverage unit a year ago gave up 7.0 yards per return, and MSU's gave up a whopping 11.6. Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: Auburn's Wes Byrum averaged 64.7 yards per kickoff a year ago, and in this year's A-Day game, he managed 67 yards. MSU's Sean Brauchle hasn't kicked in live SEC competition, but one has to think that if he can nail a 57-yard field goal (64 yards in the air, AND clear the crossbar...), his odds of reaching the end zone are pretty good. Even if it's not a touchback, MSU covered kicks pretty well, giving up only 18.2 yards per return, last season. Auburn gave up 21.5. Neither team has established who'll return kicks. Right now, you'd have to say that for Auburn, Onterio McCaleb and Mario Fannin are the leaders. MSU lists Leon Berry as the starter. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Place kicking: After a spectacular freshman season, Wes Byrum suffered a sophomore slump last season, and only connected on 11 of 19 attempts. While he held off all challengers this spring, reports indicate that he's still struggling a bit with his form. MSU signed JUCO All-American Sean Brauchle, and by all accounts, he's going to be a good one! Advantage: Mississippi State.

Auburn offensive line vs. MSU defensive line: Auburn returns a veteran line that has worked its way back to SEC-size, and should be solid. MSU lost a pair of tremendous tackles, and has needs at end. 275-pound JUCO tackle Pernell McPhee was said to be unblockable in spring drills, but of course, that was against the Bulldog O-line. Kyle Love, at 310 pounds, should be adequate at the other tackle spot. Depth is a concern, as the Bulldogs are undersized, beyond that. At end, junior Brandon Cooper and sophomore Sean Ferguson have some experience, but only 5 starts between them. None of the ends have been terribly impressive, as yet. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. MSU linebackers: Jamar Chaney returns from injury to lead the Bulldog 'backers, and he'll team with a pair of juniors, K. J. Wright, and JUCO Chris White. It's a veteran, nasty unit, but they'll be facing the likes of Ben Tate, Mario Fannin, and some talented younger backs. Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. MSU corners: Auburn has been hurting at wide receiver for several years, and may be again this fall. However, under new position coach Trooper Taylor, the drops are down, and separation is up. The corps put in a good day on A-Day, and project to be better next fall. MSU has the veteran senior Marcus Washington returning on one side, and sophomore Damien Washington penciled in on the other. As a pass defender last season, in 12 starts, Washington managed only 4 pass breakups, and no interceptions. Anderson was a reserve. Both corners are around the 5-10 height range, and may have trouble with taller Auburn receivers like Tim Hawthorne. Beyond the starters, there is no depth. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. MSU safeties: Auburn will be dangerous at the inside receiver positions, with the likes of Tommy Trott and Mario Fannin returning. At quarterback, however, Auburn likely will be more of a threat on the ground than through the air, if past history holds true. Both Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle can run, but have not established SEC-level passing reputations. MSU has to reload at safety, after the loss of veterans Derek Pegues and Keith Fitzhugh. Filling one slot will be sophomore Charles Mitchell, a converted reserve corner. The other safety is junior Zach Smith, another converted corner. There is little experience, and little depth here. Advantage: Auburn.

On defense, the Bulldogs have lost too many players to hold Auburn to 3 points again. On offense, right now, it looks like keying on Tony Dixon and newcomer Leon Berry will be the ticket. I'd expect the Bulldogs to get some points, based on past creativity displayed by Mullen and Koenning. Special teams should be close, although I have to like the apparently strong MSU legs. It's an old saw, but I think if Auburn limits turnovers, they have a great chance to win this game. Mississippi State is relying on too many newcomers, and has even less depth than Auburn does.

Prediction: Without Gator-level talent, Coach Dan Mullen faces a steep learning curve in the SEC. Auburn shuts down the Bulldogs, 20-9.

The Chizik Era Kicks Off!

Acid Reign — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:44:41 -0000

"Saturday Night" Livas can take one to the house!

War Eagle, everybody! Time now to begin previewing Auburn's upcoming opponents for the 2009 football season. On September 5^th, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will visit Jordan Hare Stadium, and the Gene Chizik era will officially begin. Last season, the Bulldogs opened the season by hosting Mississippi State, and pulled off a stunning 22-14 upset. Head Coach Derek Dooley, Vince Dooley's son, would like nothing more than to knock off another SEC team, to start this year.

Last season, Dooley's Bulldogs had a rough start, but rebounded to finish the regular season at 7-5. With a winning record, La Tech was able to replace Alabama as the host of the Petro Sun Independence Bowl, and the Bulldogs knocked off Northern Illinois 17-10 in that game, their first bowl win since the 1970s. Early on, the Bulldogs had trouble throwing the ball, and took several poundings, including a 29-0 loss to Kansas, and a 38-3 pasting by Boise State. A dismal 14-7 road loss at Army prompted a quarterback change. The next week at home against Fresno State, Ross Jenkins delivered, and the Bulldogs stunned Fresno 38-35. The rest of the season, Tech averaged 34 points per game.

On offense, Louisiana Tech is coordinated by Frank Scelfo, formerly of Tulane. Scelfo was part of Tommy Bowden's undefeated run at Tulane in the 1990s, and has coached a string of future NFL'ers, such as Patrick Ramsey, J. P. Losman, and Shaun King. Tech runs a pro-style multiple offense, with the emphasis on the running game, and a sprinkling of big-play passing, about a 60/40 ratio. Like many teams, Tech will motion a wide receiver in behind the QB. Unlike most, the receiver will often get the handoff. Wideout Phillip Livas took 30 such handoffs last season, and averaged 11.2 yards per carry! All five O-line starters return, this year. Tech was dangerous running the ball last year, but the passing game was spotty. While Jenkins solidified the Tech offense late in the season, he was still only a 52 percent passer.

This spring, Tech worked extensively on its passing game, but had to do it without Jenkins, who was recovering from off-season surgery. While Jenkins will be fine, the star of the spring game was none other than former Auburn quarterback, Steven Ensminger, who connected on a 65 yard TD pass, and was 8-11. Jenkins figures to start, in September.

Defensively, La Tech is coordinated by Tommy Spangler, a player on Georgia's 1980 national championship team. Spangler's defenses have put a premium on stopping the run. Last season, though, Tech's corners were exploited frequently by speedy WAC receivers. The Bulldogs gave up 272 passing yards per game, with a 60 percent completion percentage, and a 7.5 yards per pass average. By comparison, Auburn, in a season of soft cushion zone, and lots of opponent big plays, only gave up 5.8 yards per pass. This season, to make matters worse, the Bulldogs have to replace two starting linebackers, and both corners.

On special teams, Dooley's past two teams have been dangerous. They ranked in the top 25 nationally, in all 4 major statistical categories, and have back guys that returned 4 kicks for touchdowns. Gone, however, are their starting kicker and punter.

Matchups

Auburn defensive line vs. La Tech offensive line: This will likely be the key to the game. The Bulldogs return all 5 starters, led by All-WAC left tackle, junior Rob McGill. The line averages 298 pounds per man, with the bulk of the beef represented by 310 pound tackles McGill, and Cudahy Harmon. Auburn's line is the strength of the defense, and led by senior end Antonio Coleman, it's an athletic bunch. Auburn will have at least six capable guys in the playing rotation, and on a hot early September game, that will be important. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. La Tech runners: Tech returns All-WAC senior running back Daniel Porter, a 190 pound speedster who racked up 1164 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Myke Compton and Allen Gilbert round out the depth chart, and have limited experience. At fullback, a new starter must be found, and junior Roosevelt Falls seems to be the current leader. Instead of a fullback, Tech will often use multiple tight ends. Auburn returns an athletic, but underachieving unit at linebacker, with returning starters Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens. Even though the Tigers are young here, the athleticism should cancel out Porter. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. La Tech receivers: Auburn came out of spring surprisingly strongly. Senior Walter McFadden, Auburn's most consistent cover corner last year, has a chance to be a serious lock-down player, this season. Talented sophomore Neiko Thorpe has claimed the other starting position, and Auburn has depth behind them. Tech returns a serious big-time threat in junior Phillip “Saturday Night” Livas. Livas led the team with 43 receptions for 607 yards, AND rushed for 337 more. Livas has caught a pass in 23 straight games. While Livas requires extra attention, Tech lost their best possession receiver, and best blocking receiver, to graduation. A pair of 6'3” sophomores, R. P. Stuart and Cruz Williams will step in. In the slot, Houston Tuminello and Eric Fiege hope to break out. If Auburn can handle Livas, Tech will have to try to get the ball to the younger guys, against one of Auburn's strengths. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn safeties vs. La Tech secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn's troubles at safety were well documented last season, and both starters (Etheridge and McNeil) missed time this spring, as did top back up Mike Slade. Here's hoping, in a more traditional Tampa-2 look, that Auburn's athletic deep guys will be in better position to make plays. Tech is young at the slot receiver position, but has a pair of veteran senior tight ends in Dennis Morris and Dustin Mitchell. These are sizable guys, adept at blocking, in the 260-pound range. Tech hopes to get more receiving production, this year. The two combined for only 14 catches in 2008. Quarterback Ross Jenkins returns, but outside of Livas, he'll be throwing to younger receivers this year. By the numbers, Jenkins was 92 of 174 for 1155 yards last season, with 7 Tds and 3 ints. That translates to an “ok” 6.6 yards per pass, with twice as many touchdowns as interceptions. As a runner, Jenkins averaged only 0.9 yards a carry, with a long of 19 yards. Tech gave up only 25 sacks in 13 games, last season. Assuming that McNeil and Etheridge get healthy for the opener, it's Advantage: Even.

Punting: Auburn returns Clinton Durst, who specialized last season in towering howitzers! Durst averaged 42.1 yards per kick, and the Auburn coverage unit held opponents to 7.0 yards per return. Auburn's still undecided on who will return punts, although the lead might be with Quindarious Carr, who did not drop a punt at A-Day. Tech replaces their punter, and the likely new starter is redshirt freshman Cade Glasgow, who's never launched a college punt. Tech held opponents to six yards per return. Phillip Livas returns punts for the Bulldogs, and he averaged a whopping 15.3 yards per, with two taken for touchdowns. The headliner matchup here is Durst vs. Livas, with a supporting cast of unknowns. Advantage: Even.

Kickoffs: The bane of every team's existence, since the move to the 30 yard line a year ago, kickoffs have become important plays in terms of field position. Auburn junior Wes Byrum showed a decent leg in spring drills, planting high kickoffs inside the 5, an average of over 65 yards. Last season, Byrum averaged 64.7, with 1 touchback and 3 out of bounds. Returning kicks for Auburn likely will be Mario Fannin, and newcomer Onterio McCaleb. Fannin managed 22.5 yards per return, in limited work, last season. Auburn gave up 21.5 yards per return in 2008. La Tech will be operating with a new kicker this year: Arkansas transfer, senior Joel Hall. Returning kicks for the Bulldogs will be the ever-dangerous Phillip Livas, who last season fielded 32 kicks for a 25.8 yard average, with one touchdown. The Bulldogs gave up only 18.1 yards per return. Slight Advantage, Tech, on Livas and better coverage.

Auburn offensive line vs. La Tech defensive line: This will be another key battle. Auburn fields a veteran line, led by junior center Ryan Pugh, and junior left tackle Lee Ziemba. It's a bulky, strong line, averaging well over 300 pounds per man. La Tech's D-line, coached by former Auburn Tiger Jimmy Brumbaugh, is the strength of the team. Led by All-WAC tackle D'Anthony “Boo” Smith, it's a tough line that returns all of its starters and key backups. Smith led the team with 8 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks, last season, and had 65 total tackles. At end, Tech rotates four different guys, sophomores Matt Broha, Jared Barron, and Christian Lacey, and senior Kwame Jordan. This was a young unit a year ago, that got better and better. Auburn MUST at least play this to a stalemate, or else it will be miserable start to the new Malzhan offensive era. Advantage: Even.

Auburn backs vs. La Tech linebackers: Auburn is dangerous at running back, with veterans Ben Tate and Mario Fannin. Both are fast. Tate's a basher, and Fannin is elusive, and is up to the 230 pound range. Newcomer Onterio McCaleb made a big impact during the spring, too. Auburn's a little less settled at lead blocker/H-back, but both John Douglas and Fannin made plays, there, too, in the spring. La Tech loses two of their top three linebackers to graduation. The third, Brian White, only played 5 games last year, and he's still trying to come back from quadriceps surgery. Various replacement contenders do have some starts, but linebacker may well be the weakest position on the team, this year. That's not good, against Auburn's veteran backfield, and the pressure the Malzhan offense will put on young linebackers. Big Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. La Tech corners: This matchup features units that underachieved for both teams, last year. Auburn's guys had difficulty getting open, and even more trouble catching the ball, last season. This spring, Tim Hawthorne has made a move to the top, and youngsters Quindarious Carr and Darvin Adams had good moments in the A-Day game. Look for signee DeAngelo Benton to make an immediate impact, as well. For Tech, last season was troubling. Much of the 272 yards passing given up per game, was on the corners. And, both guys graduated. The 2009 group figures to be even more vulnerable, with Terry Carter being the most experienced guy, with 4 career starts. There's only one other career start with the other guys. The Bulldogs are looking for immediate help from junior college transfer Olajuwan Page. Bad news for Tech, the spring game was a parade of TD passes from backup quarterbacks. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. La Tech safeties: Auburn still does not have a starting quarterback named, but either Burns or Caudle had best be careful in the opener. Auburn should have enough defense, and playmakers to win the game. The quarterback will be expected to take care of the ball, and not have turnovers. La Tech beat Mississippi State last season, on turnovers. Auburn's tight ends and slot receivers will be a problem for Tech to cover, especially Tommy Trott, Terrell Zachary and Mario Fannin. Tech is pretty salty at the safety positions, though. Seniors Antonio Baker (two-time All WAC) and Deon Young are three-year starters. In addition, at nickel, the Bulldogs can plug in junior Tarance Calais, who's also experienced. Expect the safeties to have to make a lot of tackles, as the Malzhan running game specializes in getting linebackers out of position, with tempo, motion and shifts. Due to Auburn's lack at quarterback, it's Advantage: Even.

For Auburn, the key to this game on defense will be to limit Phillip Livas, and stop the run. On special teams, Livas also must be contained. On offense, Auburn must generate a running game, and exploit young linebackers and corners. I suspect Auburn will be at their healthiest of the season, early, and the defense will be WAY too much for the Tech offense. Offensively, we'll still be finding our way. It will be interesting to see if Malzhan's offense clicks right out of the gate. If so, the final score can be as ugly as Auburn wants to make it. If we don't take care of the ball, this game could be close.

Prediction: The offense does sputter, but comes up with enough big plays to put this game out of reach early. With a fast 14-0 start, Auburn cruises to a 31-10 win.

Parallels

Acid Reign — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:48:03 -0000

Yeah, we'll be young in 2009! So what?

War Eagle, everybody! There's nothing like the doldrums of the off-season, is there? It seems like it's going to be an ETERNITY till we see 'em kick off, doesn't it? In the coming weeks, I'll be reprising my series from this time last year, previewing Auburn's upcoming football opponents. Before doing that, I suppose the correct thing is to do the same for Auburn, previewing the Tigers. Do I WANT to spit out another gloom and doom depth chart, and moan about the current state of affairs in the Auburn football program? Absolutely NOT! Suffice it to say that we've been in this boat before, Tiger fans...

Looking over this season's roster, and reviewing my notes, I found that there's something awfully familiar about the situation coming out of spring ball. This fall will be my 50^th season of Auburn football, in my lifetime. And I've seen this show before!

I remember a year, back in the last millennium, when championships were a fading memory. Our championship coach had resigned, in the wake of trouble, and a shutout loss to Alabama. There had been a disappointing season or two, before the changing of the guard. The cupboard seemed to have become bare in just a few short years. A number of great coaching names were bandied about, but in the end, Auburn hired a real head-scratcher of a candidate to run the program, a lower-division coach that would be the youngest Auburn head coach in history.

Spring drills were pretty depressing, that year. The quarterback situation was up in the air. Folks were transferring out of the program left and right. The linebackers were green as could be. The wide receivers could not catch a cold, and there were pretty danged few of them to begin with. Weren't many offensive linemen, either, although the few we had did have some potential. Had a few veteran backs returning, but none of them had been a big-play guy in the past. Team depth was such that A-Day was pretty much only a controlled scrimmage. Sound familiar?

The new coach had managed to come up with a few signing day surprises, and had wowed a lot of folks with his assistant coach hires. There was a renewed emphasis on physical football, and fundamentals. While everyone was ready to move forward, few folks expected Auburn to have a winning record, that year. Alabama had won 12 games the year before. Ole Miss was returning perhaps the nation's top defense. Arkansas had hired a national championship coach to return them to glory. Mississippi State had been to two straight bowls, and was ready to take the next step. LSU survived a promising quarterback's crazy freshman year, and now was expected to make some noise. The SEC West looked like an absolute meat-grinder! Have you figured out what year I'm reminiscing about?

So, we'll compare that Auburn team, and the one we have now. On the defensive line, we had a few players. There was one star in the making, Damon Primus. Kind of like Antonio Coleman is now, poised for an All-SEC season. Depth would be an issue, but good moves were made, including moving over-sized linebacker Mike Pelton to defensive tackle. With the help of newcomer juco Gary Walker, Auburn was pretty stout up front. Nick Fairly could well be that guy, in 2009.

At linebacker, Auburn was a mess. All-SEC phenom James Willis had cut and run after his junior year. The two returning starters had been true freshmen the year before, Anthony Harris and Terry Solomon. Depth would consist of converted fullback Joe Frazier, and incoming true freshmen. Out of nowhere, walk-on Jason Miska arose, to start. Behind Stevens, and Bynes, Auburn is equally young, in 2009. Who will Ted Roof find, to come out of nowhere?

The secondary on that team of the past was a unit that had been bloodied the year before, and had some experience. Then, the best cover corner, senior Fred Smith, blew out a knee and was lost for the season. Safety Chris Shelling was hastily moved from free safety, to shore things up. A young guy named Brian Robinson was thrown into the mix, and everyone had their fingers crossed. Auburn's got some experience in the secondary in 2009, but there are injury issues there, too.

Auburn had capable a capable punter and kicker that year, in Terry Daniel and Scott Etheridge. We've got Clinton Durst, and Wes Byrum, who should be equally great! That year, Auburn needed good special teams play, and we'll need it again in 2009.

The offensive line in that past season was part green, part veteran. Guys like Wayne Gandy and Anthony Redmon had been starting for what seemed like forever, and were poised for break-out years. Young Shannon Roubique and Jason Taylor had been through rough freshman seasons, and were set to improve. For a while, it seemed like Todd Boland was the only other lineman we had, but young Willie Anderson stormed onto the scene with the incoming freshman class, and the line paved the way for an impressive 221 yards rushing per game. The 2009 Auburn line has veterans like Lee Ziemba and Ryan Pugh returning, and a similar lack of depth. I think Jeff Grimes can work the same magic Dick Trickett did, way back when.

Auburn's receiver corps situation was dire in that past season. The leading receiver, Orlando Parker, had transferred to Troy. The other starter, Thomas Bailey, had spent part of the previous season eating all of his meals through a straw, due to a broken jaw. Auburn had a big-time prospect returning for his junior year, but the guy, Frank Sanders, had so far been a mess of back injury and dropped balls. Could Tim Hawthorne be the "next Frank Sanders?" Beyond Sanders and Bailey, it was nothing but walk-ons and freshmen. As to the blocking skill positions, tight end and fullback, Auburn returned two 2^nd year guys, Andy Fuller and Derrick Dorn; and the solid senior Tony Richardson. The 2009 edition of the Tigers has a similar situation, with John Douglas, Tommy Trott, and Mario Fannin.

By now, of course, most Auburn fans are surely aware that I'm comparing the 1993 and 2009 pre-seasons. At running back, Auburn had found a hard-nosed starter in James Bostic, but we didn't know who'd really back him up. There were flashy names, but no experience. Stephen Davis was an all-world recruit, but how would he do in college football? One half of the experienced depth, Otis Mounds, had moved to safety. The other guy, Ted Yarborough, had transferred to Troy. Ben Tate's that guy, in 2009. Whatever you might think of Auburn's offensive woes of the past 3 years, Tate has NOT been the problem!

At quarterback, the incumbent was a guy most Auburn folk had given up on. Stan White had been through several coordinators, several bad seasons (not all Stan's fault, lotta dropped balls!), and a devastating Iron Bowl performance the year before. Behind Stan was nothing but green. It's really not unlike Kodi Burns' story to date, here in 2009.

Despite all the shortcomings on paper, the 1993 Auburn Tigers won every game they played! It took a hungry group of players, playing as one unit. I think we have that kind of chemistry on the current team, and a similar opportunity, this year!

Yes, 1993 was a magical season, but incredibly, I think we have even more upside, this year. In 1993, Auburn was fighting though probation. The current staff has no such handicap. I've often said that Terry Bowden assembled the greatest set of teachers in Auburn history, and expected Joe Whitt and Rodney Garner to do ALL of the serious recruiting. Gene Chizik has assembled an equally excellent teaching staff, with a LOT more seriously good recruiters. Coach Chizik seems MUCH more inclined to allow his assistants to shine, and to implement their ideas, as evidenced by the resounding success of the Auburn Tiger Prowl this past week!

We're in for quite a ride, this year. I see no reason that Auburn can't be the surprise team of the SEC, in 2009. There are a lot of fine, hard-working young men in place, and a coaching staff second to none. I think it's a great time to be an Auburn Tiger!

War Eagle!

The Gator Chomp!

Acid Reign — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:26:29 -0000

Another awesome video production from autiger96!

War Eagle, everybody! Time now for the last recap in the series of Tommy Tuberville's greatest games! The 2007 game against Florida in Gainsville would be the last time a Tommy Tuberville-coached team would defeat a top-ten team. The victory over the Gators would mark the 14^th win for the Auburn Tigers, in the last 19 attempts against top ten teams, a run dating back to 2001.

Saturday night, September 29^th, 2007 was a warm one in Gainesville, Florida, at 79 degrees for the 8:10 PM kickoff. The game was an ESPN Primetime production, on national television. Talking head Lou Holtz was asked before the game what chance Auburn had to win the game, and Lou answered, “I think about as much chance as me being Senator of Florida!”

The powerful Gators were ranked 4^th in the nation, and they were undefeated coming into this contest at 4-0. After a 59-20 demolition of the Tennessee Volunteers, many folks were ready to go ahead and anoint Florida as the SEC Champions. However, a week earlier, Ed Orgeron's Ole Miss Rebels had exposed some cracks in the Gator armor. If a defense could limit ace receiver/runner Percy Harvin, the Gators were beatable. Florida had narrowly escaped from Oxford with a 30-24 win.

The Auburn Tigers were reeling, coming into this matchup, and no one gave them much chance. Auburn had struggled mightily in the season-opener, a 23-13 win over Kansas State. Then, the Tigers were shocked at home, in overtime, by the South Florida Bulls, 26-23. Against Mississippi State, veteran starting quarterback Brandon Cox was benched after throwing two early interceptions. True freshman Kodi Burns made his debut, and the Tigers fell 19-14. Most recently, Auburn had pulled away after a tight first half, and defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 55-20.

Injuries, and poor play throughout the offense had hurt the Tigers. Expected to be deep at running back, the Tigers had seen all but sophomore Ben Tate and freshman Mario Fannin fall by the wayside. Brad Lester was in academic limbo, Tristan Davis was nursing a hurt foot, and super-recruit Enrique Davis had failed to qualify. Fannin had showed big-play ability, but was fumbling WAY too often. Receivers showed little ability to get open, and were dropping quite a few balls. On the offensive line, play was so poor that the coaches had taken the drastic step of benching several veterans, and starting three true freshmen, Lee Ziemba, Ryan Pugh, and Chaz Ramsey.

Game recap, after the jump!

Florida won the toss, and elected to take the ball on offense. True freshman Wes Byrum kicked off, and the kick fluttered only to the 15, where Brandon James took the ball, and sprinted all the way out to the 43 yard line. The Gators started out trying to run on the Auburn defense. A give on the end around to Percy Harvin started it, but the Tigers were spying Harvin. Freshman safety Zac Etheridge limited Harvin to 2 yards. A dive to Kestahn Moore picked up 3, then the Gators picked up a false start penalty. On 3^rd and 10, Tim Tebow's slant pass to Jarred Fayson had no chance. The Gators were three and out! Chas Henry booted it down to the Auburn 14, fair caught by Robert Dunn.

Auburn's first drive did not begin well. Much like possessions earlier in the season, the drive began with an ineffective dive into the line by Ben Tate, which picked up only 2. On second down, end Derrick Harvey sacked Brandon Cox for a nine yard loss. On 3^rd and 17, the Tigers set up the screen from the end zone, to Ben Tate, who got loose for 16 yards, but was stopped short of the stake. Tuberville elected to punt it away, and Gator special-teamer Jamar Hornsby decided to just run through punter Ryan Shoemaker after the ball was away. The Gators were flagged for it, and the Tigers had new life at the 28. Kodi Burns entered the game, and dealt it off on a reverse to Robert Dunn, who was blown up for an 8 yard loss. A 2^nd and 18 handoff to Tate picked up 4. On third and long, Cox stepped up and drilled a strike over the middle to Rod Smith, who took it 21 yards, up to the 45, for a first down. Cox dropped to throw again, and rifled an out to Smith, for another first down to the Gator 42. A first down run by Tate was stuffed for a loss by Brandon Spikes, but Cox found Montez Billings on the hitch, down to the Gator 30 for another first down. Mario Fannin entered the game, and knifed off right tackle for 11 more. Cox fired a slant to Rod Smith, down to the Gator 10. Ryan Pugh jumped for the Tigers, backing it up 5 yards. Two consecutive gives to Tate brought up first and goal at the six, and Kodi Burns was back in. Out of the shotgun, Burns took off on the obvious quarterback draw, but the Gators were unable to stop it. Burns banged into the end zone, for the Auburn touchdown! Wes Byrum knocked in the PAT, and with 6:06 left in the first quarter, Auburn led 7-0! It was a 14 play drive, that had eaten up over 7 minutes of clock.

Auburn was victimized again on the kickoff, allowing James to take it 31 yards up the boundary, and the Gators would start at the 38. Tebow found Riley Cooper underneath, for 9 yards, pushed out by Jerraud Powers. On second down, Tebow tried to bull through the middle, but found it tough going, against the Auburn line! Antonio Coleman and SenDerrick Marks combined to stone Tebow for no gain! A false start cost the Gators, then Tebow swung a screen out to Moore, who was dropped in his tracks for no gain, by Jonathan Wilhite! The Gators were three and out again! Henry's punt only went 35 yards, and was fair caught by Robert Dunn at the Tiger 22.

Brandon Cox's first pass of the drive sailed incomplete, then Mario Fannin took a draw for 9. On third and one, it was an inside handoff to fullback Carl Stewart, who plunged for 2 yards and a first down. Next, Cox fired over the middle to Montez Billings, for 18 more, and a first down at the Gator 49. From there, a false start on Tyrone Green killed the drive. Fannin lost two on a handoff, then Cox was sacked again, this time by Brandon Spikes. Ryan Shoemaker punted away, for 49 yards. Brandon James actually fielded it at the six, and escaped back out to the 17. The first quarter came to an end, and Auburn led, 7-0.

As the second quarter began, Florida went to the option. Jarred Fayson got 4 on the pitch from Tebow, then Harvin slashed for 8 and a first down. Tebow took it up the middle, but was met by Tray Blackmon and Craig Stevens, who stopped him for 3. Tebow then dumped one on to the sideline, to Fayson, who was run out by Aaron Savage after 5. On third and 2, Tebow fired a quick out to Cornelius Ingram, who took it out of bounds for 6, and another first down. The Gator machine was starting to move... Tebow went deep for Andre Caldwell, too far, but then found Harvin underneath. Harvin took it for 20, then was roughed up out of bounds by Aaron Savage. The flag gave Florida a first down at the Auburn 23, but then the Tiger defense rose to the occasion. Tebow went to Percy Harvin 3 times, and netted a total of six yards, as the Tigers harried the speedy Gator wherever he went! Coach Urban Meyer sent in the field goal team. Joey Ijjas' kick was BLOCKED, by SenDerrick Marks, and Gators came up empty on the drive!

From the Tiger 20, Auburn opened with another inside handoff to Ben Tate, for 3. Cox followed with a tight end screen, to Gabe McKenzie, who juggled the ball, but eventually held on and got a first down at the 30. Next up was a fake to Tate, then the wheel route to Carl Stewart, who had slipped into the Gator secondary unnoticed. Stewart was banged out after a 22 yard gain. The Tigers ran a similar play again, but this time Cox left it with Tate, who churned off the right side for 10. Cox went to the air on first down, and found Montez Billings running free down the seam, for 25! Kodi Burns took a QB draw for 4, to the Gator 9. Cox missed Rod Smith, but then took off on 3^rd and 6, and picked up 5. On 4^th and one, Auburn went with a handoff to Tate, good for a yard, and the first down at the 3! On the next play, it was another dive to Tate, and he stretched the ball across the goal line, for the Auburn touchdown! Wes Byrum's PAT was good! With 6:21 left in the half, Auburn led the 4^th ranked Gators 14-0!

Fired up, Wes Byrum nailed the kickoff for a rare touch back. Florida needed to get SOMETHING going before half, and Tim Tebow got 'em cranked up. Tebow's first carry was right into Quentin Groves, for only 2. Kestahn Moore got 4, then on 3^rd and 6, Tebow took off on the draw for 11. Tebow hammered for 3 more, then Fayson cut a sweep up the middle for 6. On 3^rd and 1, Tebow play-faked, and threw complete to Cornelius Ingram. Patrick Lee ran him out at the Auburn 37, but it was a new set of downs for Florida. Tebow threw a screen to Moore for 3, but then Florida was called for a personal foul. Tebow dumped another one to the sideline, and Louis Murphy got only 4. On 3^rd and 18, Tebow went underneath to Harvin, who was chased down by Zac Etheridge and Michael Goggins, at the 37. On 4^th and 10, and less than a minute left in the half, the Gators went for it. Tebow rifled one to Murphy, just shy of the stake. Eric Brock hammered Murphy, and took the ball away! Auburn recovered the loose ball!

Auburn took over at the 29, and took a knee. The half ran out, and Auburn led, 14-0! On defense, Auburn was having great success limiting Tebow on the ground, and chasing Percy Harvin with multiple defenders. Auburn was challenging the Gators to beat 'em with someone else. On offense, Auburn time and time again had exploited a young Florida secondary that was playing too far back. At the half, we KNEW that Meyer would make some adjustments!

An illegal block call tacked onto a short return, had Auburn backed up to the 8 yard line after the kickoff. Tate lost a yard, Cox threw out of bounds, then Tate got 2, and Auburn was 3 and out. Ryan Shoemaker got the roll on the punt, and it was downed at the Gator 45.

Tebow went for the throat immediately, launching a deep bomb on first down, to Percy Harvin. Harvin was well-covered by Patrick Lee, but managed to haul it in for 52 yards. Lee made the tackle at the Auburn 3 yard line. Tebow tried the QB draw, and was BURIED for a 4 yard loss by SenDerrick Marks, who was having none of it! Auburn brought the house on the next two plays, and the pressure forced incomplete throws on both! Meyer sent in Joey Ijjas, who knocked in the 24 yard field goal. With 11:58 left in the third quarter, Florida had cut the Tiger lead to 14-3.

Ijjas booted one for a touch back, but the Gators were offsides. Tristan Davis took the second kick, and roared out to the 31. Any excitement would be short lived. Under pressure the whole way, Cox threw two incomplete, then was sacked hard by Ryan Stamper. Shoemaker got off a monster punt, that rolled dead at the Gator 24. The 54 yard punt really had flipped the field position!

Tebow went play-action on first down, but Auburn was after him hard. Tebow lofted it up on a deep corner throw. The ball sailed, and Patrick Lee intercepted it! Needing badly to get SOME sort of offense going in the second half, Auburn inserted Mario Fannin into the backfield. Fannin's first two carries went for 6, then 12 yards. Then, Fannin was stuffed for nothing by A. J. Jones. Cox got the Gators playing too deep again, with an out to Rod Smith, for 17 and a much-needed first down. Fannin broke loose over the right side, churning for 14, and another first down at the Gator 17! On a counter, Fannin knifed through the middle for 11, and it was first and goal at the six. From there, it was the Gator D's turn to toughen up. Tate lost 3 to the short side, then Kodi Burns came in to run yet another QB draw. Florida finally had this figured out, and Kodi went down for a 5 yard loss. On 3^rd and goal from the 14, Auburn tried the wheel route to Stewart again, but it never really got set up. The pass fell harmlessly to the turf. In came Wes Byrum, and he knocked in the 30 yard FG attempt! With 6:09 left in the third quarter, Auburn's lead was back up to 14! The Tigers led, 17-3.

Wes Byrum's kickoff did make the end zone, but Brandon James gashed the Auburn coverage for 35. Tebow took it up the gut for 6, then Harvin got 3. On third and one, everyone in the stadium knew it was going to be Tebow. So did Pat Sims, who stood Tebow up, and didn't allow an inch! On 4^th and 1, the Gators went for it, but an apparent first down was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty. In came Chas Henry, to punt it away. Henry's 41 yard punt was fair caught by Robert Dunn at the Auburn 20.

Like so many unimaginative, failed drives that plagued Auburn in 2007, this one began with yet another dive play to Ben Tate into an 8-man front. Tate was stood up at the line, and this time the ball came out. The Gators recovered at the Auburn 38. Tebow flipped it to Ingram for 9, then scrambled for 11, and the Gators had first down at the Auburn 18. A screen to Moore was swallowed up by Powers and Wilhite, for nothing. Tebow tried the middle again, and Chris Evans slung him down after 3. On 3^rd and 7, Tebow stuffed it over the middle to Harvin. Brock hit Harvin immediately, but it was good for a first and goal at the Auburn 5. Tebow slammed for 1, then fired incomplete on the slant. Jerraud Powers was flagged for interference, and it was thus first and goal at the two. Tebow went up the middle again, and was stopped hard by Josh Thompson. A second down Tebow carry was stuffed by Quentin Groves. The 3^rd quarter clock ran out. Auburn still led, 17-3, but the Gators were threatening from the 1 yard line. A false start backed 'em up, but then Tebow found Cornelius Ingram on a crossing pattern for the TD. Ijjas' kick was good, and with 14:56 left in the game, Auburn led 17-10.

Patrick Lee handled the kickoff, and slashed out to the 33. After Tate's fumble, Fannin was back in. The Gators zeroed in, and Fannin was stopped after only a yard gain. Cox found Rod Smith on the sideline, just past the stake, for a new set of downs. Fannin lost two on first down, then it was twice Cox to Smith underneath, and those two short catches were good for another first down, at the Florida 44. AGAIN it was a first down run up the middle, and Fannin lost another yard. The Gators sent the blitz on 2^nd and 3^rd down, and both passes were incomplete. Ryan Shoemaker pooched the punt down to the Gator 11, where it was fair caught by Brandon James.

Trailing by a touchdown, the Gators ran right at a tiring Auburn defense. Tebow got 8, Harvin got 6. Tebow to James for 7, then Tebow for 9 more. The Gator surge looked unstoppable. Tebow to Murphy picked up 9, then Tebow plowed for 12, and a first down at the Auburn 38. Tebow went up top on first down, and got it deep to Percy Harvin, who made an acrobatic catch, and stepped out at the Auburn 6 yard line. Tebow slammed for 4, then 2, and into the end zone. Touchdown, Gators. Ijjas' PAT was good, and with 7:36 left in the game, it was all tied up at 17 apiece.

A short return by Patrick Lee started Auburn at the 20. Fannin sliced for 2, then Cox went back to the wheel route, and Carl Stewart picked up 18, out to the Tiger 40 for the first down. Fannin got another single yard, then Cox was sacked by Derrick Harvey. A third down pass fell incomplete, and with 5 minutes left in the game, Shoemaker was back in to punt it to the Gators. Showmaker's punt only went 38 yards, AND Auburn was flagged for interfering with the reception. That gave the Gators a first down at their own 42, with plenty of time.

Tim Tebow started with a slip-screen to Harvin that was well covered. Amazingly, Harvin tried to backpedal, reverse field, and juke defenders. SenDerrick Marks ripped Harvin down for a six yard loss, dooming the drive! An option to Moore was snowed under for nothing, by Chris Evans and Patrick Lee. Under duress, a short Tebow throw on 3^rd down had no chance. Punter Chaz Henry was sent in, and responded with an ugly 25 yard shank out of bounds! Auburn took over at their own 39!

Even with only 3:38 left, the handoff to Ben Tate was predictable. It swept into the sideline for only a yard. Cox then fired on the slant to Rod Smith, caught, and Smith got the first down on the measurement. After a timeout, Auburn AGAIN ran Ben Tate up the middle on first down! One yard was all she wrote. Cox got it to Prechae Rodrigues for 6 on the hitch, bringing up a crucial 3^rd and 3 at the Florida 43. Tate got the call, sweeping right, and Tate plowed for 5! Tate got the call two more times, churning for 8, then 1. On third and 1, Tate ground for 2. With the first down, Auburn ran Tate again to set the ball up at the 26. The Tigers ran the clock down to 3 seconds, before calling timeout. When play resumed, Auburn had it at the Gator 26. The field goal team lined it up, snapped it back, and Byrum's kick was away! Alas, Florida coach Urban Meyer had called timeout, just before the snap. Byrum's kick was long enough, and just shaved inside the right upright. But it didn't count! The true freshman kicker had to line it up, and try again. This time, Urban Meyer had no timeouts left, and Byrum rocketed the kick right down the middle! With NO time on the clock, the kick was GOOD! Auburn had beaten the 4^th ranked Gators, in Gainesville, 20-17! Wes Byrum ran jubilantly off, performing the “Gator Chomp” for Urban Meyer!

The loss staggered the Gators. They lost in Baton Rouge 28-24 the following week, then survived a harrowing trip to Lexington two weeks after that. The Gators hung on to beat Kentucky 45-37, but Georgia then hung a 42-30 loss on Florida in Jacksonville. While Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy, a suspect Gator secondary cost them the chance for a championship. Following their third loss of the season in the Cocktail Party, Florida rebounded to finish 9-3, including a 45-12 beat-down over rival Florida State. In the Capital One Bowl, the whole defense collapsed, and Florida took a 41-35 loss to Michigan, to finish 9-4.

The victory over Florida turned Auburn's season around. The Tigers would bomb Vandy, then win a physical 9-7 contest in Fayetteville. Auburn held the dynamic duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to under a hundred yards. Auburn started strong in Baton Rouge, but withered under a barrage of second-half offense, to fall to LSU. An even more complete meltdown in Athens sunk the Tigers to 7-4. Auburn limped home to face Alabama, and won their sixth in a row over the hated Crimson Tide! Immediately thereafter, Al Borges was out as offensive coordinator, and Tony Franklin was in. In just a couple of weeks, Franklin installed a spread offense, and Auburn defeated the 15^th ranked Clemson Tigers in the Peach Bowl, in overtime, 23-20. Auburn finished 9-4, and great things were predicted for 2008.

Of course, we all know what happened in 2008. There were no Tuberville “Greatest Games.” A growing lack of quality depth, a rash of injuries, and an offense with no chemistry resulted in a death spiral, and the team crashed hard in a hideous 36-0 tank job in Tuscaloosa. Tommy Tuberville resigned, or at least that's the official story. While it's now obvious to all that the talent is not what it was in 2004, the Auburn cupboard is certainly not bare. Even in the controlled scrimmage displayed on A-Day, it was evident that Auburn still does have some talent, and playmakers. It's a tribute to the character Tuberville and his staff recruited, that none of these players have had any hint of off the field trouble, and that they've worked very hard for Coach Chizik and his staff. The vibe I'm getting is that these players are hungry! With good direction from a unified staff, Auburn might well be the surprise team of the league in 2009.

Auburn Trounces Scout Team!

Acid Reign — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:54:35 -0000

War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for the Auburn A-Day review. If I had to rely solely on the view from the stands, I could probably have written a game review in a couple of sentences. "On a hazy, 70 degree spring day, Gene Chizik charged 45,000 fans $5 each to watch the starters beat the tar out of the scout team. It was over in about an hour and a half, and fans were left wondering what to do with the rest of the afternoon." Harsh, but after a whole spring of closed practices, I had hoped to see more. I understand the reasons why Coach Chizik closed practice, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!

I spent way too much time yakking, and was not really glued into the game. That, and I got tricked into spending the entire second quarter in line at the concession stand! I don't know why I did that. I was perfectly happy to sip my Maker's Mark right out of my vintage 1979 Aubie flask! Fortunately, they do rebroadcast A-Day on CSS, so I was able to look at the tape a bit this week. If there's any definitive conclusion to be drawn from the "game," it's that there's an enormous gulf between the ability level of Auburn's front line players, and that of the reserves.

The schemes used by the coaches on A-Day ensured lots of offensive success. The defense was parked for the most part in a base 4-3, with a substantial drop by the middle linebacker on most passing downs, the classic Tampa-2 look. Meanwhile, the offense used an array of formations, all shotgun, with motion, and lots of pulling linemen. The defense was not really allowed to adjust, or attack with heavy blitzes. We'd occasionally see a 5-man rush, but that was about it. The defensive line starters played only about 3 series, before giving way to mostly walk-on players. On the other hand, the offensive line starters played well into the 4^th quarter. Reserve o-linemen did play, but it was in twos and threes, almost never a whole reserve line out there. Starting guard Byron Issom was spotted on the field even on the last drive of the game.

Defensively, Auburn's starting D-linemen were dominant, stuffing the inside runs, forcing throw-aways, and tallying sacks. Beyond that, Auburn is in deep trouble depth-wise, in the back seven. After the starters went out, we were treated to an amazing array of bad pursuit angles, and poor tackling. Several sure interceptions were dropped. We've GOT to stay healthy at linebacker, this fall!

Other than the place-kicking teams, other special teams work wasn't live. Kickoffs and punts were dispensed with entirely in the second half. The punt or kick would happen, the receiver would catch it, and the play would be whistled dead. There were seven kick-receiving opportunities, and 2 balls were fumbled. The newcomer return men clearly need some work!

Offensively, we appear to have at least a solid starting offensive line, possibly a great one. We also have capable runners, and a few receivers ready for prime time, especially in the slot. I still don't have an answer for how we're going to block 7 or 8 onrushing defenders in the box. We usually only had one linebacker pursuing outside runs, and he was often facing a pulling lineman. Fullback/h-back blocking was spotty. At quarterback, we've still got a LONG way to go.

Position by Position

Defensive line: The only playing rotation guys to record a stat were tackle Mike Blanc (one sack), end Michael Goggins (two tackles for loss), and Antonio Coleman (1 QB hurry). Those three played about 3 series, abusing the likes of Vance Smith and A. J. Green. After that, the backups recorded one tackle, no assists, no hurries. It's no coincidence that the offense averaged 9.7 yards per rush, and 8.5 yards per pass.

Linebackers: These guys were held back by the scheme. Eltoro Freeman flew around the most of anyone, but he was frequently out of position, and only recorded one tackle, taking Justin Alpert to the ground nicely on a sprint option. Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens combined for 3 tackles, none for loss. Even among the starters, though, slot receiver Ralph Spry got around Bynes and Stevens for nice gains on back to back screen passes. Neither of the likely top back-ups, Spencer Pybus and Adam Herring, recorded a single stat.

Cornerbacks: Walter McFadden looked sharp, staying on his man like glue, and making an immediate shut-down tackle on a hitch to Quindarious Carr. Neiko Thorpe and D'Antoine Hood looked ok, also, in limited work. We got good, long looks at reserves such as T'Sharvan Bell, and a host of walk-ons. Bell's aggressive, but needs a lot of work on his technique. In general, outside receivers were limited pretty well, but we struggled to cover slot guys. That's going to happen, if you stay in a base defense against 3 wide.

Safeties: With starters Mike McNeil and Zach Etheridge, as well as top backup Mike Slade out, we might as well have been playing defense with 9 guys. Early on, Ben Tate broke loose through the middle. Both safeties had him bracketed, and looked like they wanted NO PART of number 44 racing downhill! Tate went untouched for the score. On the next series, Burns hit safety Brandon Evans right in the numbers on a post, and it bounced over his shoulder pads to Fannin. There were at least 5 deep balls down the middle where the safeties were cooked, as well as some really bad pursuit angles on the reverse to Zachary.

Kickoffs: This was 4 kicks by Wes Byrum. He's still not getting the ball to the end zone, but he was consistent, and pretty high. The kicks went to the 6, 2, 1, and 3 yard lines. We can live with consistency like that.

Place kicking: Wes Byrum was six of six on extra points, and one of two on field goal attempts. Missing a 51-yarder is no big deal. The 46 yard made field goal was right down the middle.

Punting: Clinton Durst handled all three punts, and had one of his trademark howitzers go nearly to the clouds, for 52 towering yards. That was sandwiched between two high-school range 38 yarders.

Returns: These weren't live, and were blown dead after the catch. Onterio McCaleb let one kickoff go through his hands, and Justin Alpert dropped a punt. Both men had fortuitous bounces, and recovered their fumbles. McCaleb handled all kickoffs, Alpert handled two punts, and Quindarious Carr handled the last one.

Offensive Line: The starters were dominant, but they did not face any front-line defenders. Ziemba and Issom have to be singled out for nasty blocking downfield. Issom was a WEAPON pulling and leading sweeps. Behind the starters, it's clear that tackles such as Vance Smith and A. J. Green aren't ready. It was nice to see Darrell Roseman get on the field after three years of misfortune and injuries.

Slot Receivers: Mario Fannin is a beast! Our reserves couldn't handle his blocks, nor get him on the ground after the catch. Fannin picked up 22 yards on two carries with little blocking help. Fannin was also sure handed, deftly handling two deflected balls. Terrell Zachary can run, we found out, on a little reverse. John Douglas also had his moments. While he wasn't a dominant blocker, he did adeptly shield corners off from making the play on outside screens. Ralph Spry gets a nod, for taking two screens for positive yardage against the starting defense.

Wide Receivers: Getting rave reviews all spring was Tim Hawthorne, but he was only in for a few plays, and didn't have one thrown his way. Quindarious Carr and Darvin Adams looked the best on this day, consistently getting open and making catches. Carr had one drop, but it was on a hitch pass from Burns, thrown high, that Carr had to leave his feet for. Harry Adams is lightning fast, but on the two balls thrown for him, he dropped one (a good hitch pass from Caudle), and tripped and fell before the ball got there on the other. Derek Winter was running around wide open frequently, too, but had a drop on a deep post. Drew Cole did bump him right when the ball got there.

Running Backs: This may be the one place on the team where Auburn has abundance. Ben Tate was a load against the reserves, scoring twice, and his day was over early. Onterio McCaleb makes everyone else on the field look like they are running in quicksand. McCaleb was gone for 70 yards before the defense could blink, on one snap. Justin Alpert had some nice, tough runs against the ones. Eric Smith didn't play, but he's been getting rave reviews this spring. The defense did try a few blitzes here and there, and running backs picked 'em up pretty well. And don't forget, top backs Dontae Aycock and Brandon Jacobs arrive this August!

Quarterbacks: Like the Auburn coaches, I wish this thing had been decided by now. Beyond the first quarter, the quarterbacks mostly had ALL DAY to throw the football, with excellent protection. Did we have a guy step up and prove that he can be an excellent starting SEC quarterback? Sadly, no.

The offense, under Kodi Burns, had much early success. But, it was mainly on handoffs to Tate, Zachary, and McCaleb. On most of his eight passing attempts, Kodi still seemed to be throwing off balance. There was a high throw to Carr on the hitch. A bomb to Fannin into coverage that should have been intercepted. A slip screen to Spry WAY behind him. An underthrown post pattern to a wide open Derek Winter that allowed the safety to close. An overthrow out of bounds on the screen to Spry, with pressure coming. A line drive on a post to wide-open Winter, no air under it, overthrown. That was six bad throws on 8 attempts. The capper was Kodi, late, deciding to try and run for it on 3^rd and 27. Bear in mind, though, that if the quarterback had been live in this one, Kodi probably could have run for 200 yards.

Many folks out there want to adorn Neil Caudle as the starting quarterback, after A-Day. Caudle had some of the nicer throws of the day, and hit his short hitches and screens consistently. There was a deep touchdown to Darvin Adams that was a thing of beauty. Adams was covered, but Caudle threw it to his outside shoulder, away from the defender. Savvy! There was also a blitz beater early in the second half on a great throw to Adams on the crossing route. But there were some green moments for Caudle, too. He was not terribly effective early, working against the starting defense. He took sacks, or threw the ball away. There was a throw into traffic that Christopher Wade tipped, that was caught by Darvin Adams. A starting LB picks that thing off. There was an overthrow on a post to Adams. Then, on the big throw to Carr down to the 4, that was some serious sandlot ball! Caudle slung it off his back foot, and that thing sailed like a punt. The only reason it worked was that Carr had completely spun T'Sharvan Bell around, and was open by ten yards. Caudle tried to stuff a slant into coverage, with three defenders there. Luckily, the throw was low. The big break-away screen to Fannin wasn't a great decision, either. It was 3^rd and 4, and Caudle had room to run for the 1^st. Instead, he dumped it short of the stake to Fannin, who was bracketed. Fannin made him look good, shedding 3 tacklers.

A week ago, I made a list of five things to look for on A-Day: solid quarterbacking, punt returns, defense in the middle, lead blockers, and catching the ball. I give us a C- on quarterbacking, due to bad/questionable throws. On punt returns, and not being live, it's an “Unsatisfactory.” Can't drop one of three in SEC competition! Defense in the middle: D-. 9.7 yards per carry says it all. Lead blockers: Incomplete. We can't count on being able to pull a guard every play in the SEC. The h-back is going to have to block ends and linebackers when we go live in the fall! Catching the ball: B+. We had 3 drops, on 26 attempts, and 2 of those weren't good throws. Only one really ugly drop! And, we hauled in a couple of deflected balls. Much, much improved, here.

Here's looking forward to fall, where we should see an infusion of talent to help on the D-line, and receiver corps. The real test over the next three months will be that of leadership. There is a LOT to work on, and how well the Tigers improve will be key. It's going to be a long, hot summer till August camp! War Eagle!