All I can say is WOW

That was awesome. Me and some other fellas rented an RV and left Auburn around lunchtime. We arrived around 6, parked, and set up shop. We watched USF dominate WVU in a game in which there were 10, yep count em, 10 turnovers. So right off the bat, Auburn started to look better. We went out to a bar called "The Swamp" afterwards, to be pleasantly surprised that half the bar was filled with Auburn people. Yells/cheers were traded and the usual talking of trash. Although the women in Gainesville dressed a little on the trashy side (there was a midnight run in which the3 runner wore only underwear, wow) and the men wore enough gel to clog every drain in the state of Florida (it looked like a Backstreet Boys audition) Id say that 90% of the fans were very classy and polite. We tailgated in the RV lot next to a fella named Jim, who talked endless shit about Auburn being gay and Florida having more beautiful women, which was easily refuted once a few UF girls came by and we pointed out that Tebow kissed his roommate. But, all the usual remarks aside, he was a nice guy and offered anything we needed as newbies RVing. Saturday, we watched Corso and Herbstreit claim that UF would win and win big. We knew right away, that was the kiss of death and Florida had no shot (plus Corso was a nice shade of burnt orange, what foreshadowing). We then watched Miss St lead USC for a little while and give them a scare. Again, Auburn looking better. Then we watched Mark May, the only ESPN analyst who realizes Auburn's talent and has some respect for us (he picked us to win last year) said that Auburn could stay in it. Shortly thereafter, Lou Holtz goeth on a rant thaying that Florida wath too good and Auburn had ath much a chanth to win ath he did to be elected thenator of Florida. What an idiot, this is the SEC, Lou, teams rarely win by 19 points. . .especially when that team has an outstanding defense. 

Credit the guys at theauburner for this one

Anyway, we started the 2 mile trek to the stadium (yep, 2 miles). The campus is huge, and we saw no one tailgating unless they were a block away from the stadium. Whereas in Auburn, every inch of campus has tailgaters. It makes for a better atmosphere. I was impressed with the number of AU fans there. Tiger walk was good, the entire band was there too. Florida Field was pretty nice, the stadium was big, however the tiny-trons (they weren't near big enough to have jumbo as the prefix) looked as old as the guy leading the oldest cheer before the game. 

Once the game began, as I'm sure everyone else saw and experienced, that was not the AU team we have seen all season. I don't know where they came from, but I'm glad they showed up. They help UF to a 3 and out, only to drive the field and score on the first possession. The stadium wasn't as loud as I had expected it to be, for obvious reasons. I felt like the Auburn fans were pretty loud. After the game we went back to the same bar, where most of the Florida fans were once again classy and polite.

Other random game thoughts:

-Cox was back to his old self again. His stats: 17-26, 227, 0. He was 5/5 on the 1st drive and 10/12 in the first half. You cant ask for much better than that.

-Rod Smith was impressive, especially running after the catch and keeping his feet inbounds when he had to. He caught 9 for 102. AU receivers don't go for 100 in a game too often. It was also nice seeing Billings make some big grabs

-Fannin and Tate ran well. Only setback was Tate fumble, which happened after and extremely nice run up the middle.

-The freshmen O-Linemen are ridiculous. The holes were definitely there all night. Tommy Trott even had some nice blocks.

-The Defense, once again was amazing. Our DBs had superb nights tackling in the open field. Our D-Line got great penetration. Marks blocked a FG, had a big TFL in the redzone. Lee had a nice interception and FF. Chris Evans was all over the place, and Tray played well despite being hobbled by his ankle. It was a very solid effort by Muschamp and his D.

-It hurts to lose Davis and Groves. Davis is out for the season but Q will be back for LSU. 

-I really think Coach Tuberville won the game from us with his arguing the catch off the punt. The defense fed off of his anger, and in turn lit up the UF offense fro a - 6 yds in 3 p0lays and got the ball back to the offense for the game winning drive. That should be up for Pontiac Game Changing Performance (go vote), even though Byrum's kick will suffice

-It was great to see them bring back the wheel route to Stewart. That's been a big play for us in recent years.

-Last but not least, Wes Byrum, wow. What can you say about this kid. He kicked the game winner from 43 yds out twice!. He has ice water running through his veins. 18 yrs old, in a big time pressure situation and he delivers twice. We plucked this kid out of Florida (he was the #1 kicking prospect in the nation). That was one he will remember for a while, as will the fans. 

 

This was a big win, and big turning point for the team. They have a chance to turn things around. I'm not claiming that we will win out, but these last 2 games have built the confidence we've been lacking. WAR EAGLE!

Well...

I'm really not quite sure how it happened. There were several things that happened during this game that got me excited. But ultimately, I was left disappointed and utterly shocked. As good as our defense is, their strong suit is not the first drive of the game. Thinking back to each game, we have kicked off first and surrendered some sort of points to each team. Perhaps we might consider receiving first next time. Cox's first pass attempt bounces off the hands off our 6th year senior TE and into the hand of a Miss St defender for a pick six. That hurts. On the ensuing drive, and a throw into triple coverage later, Auburn has now turned the ball over twice. 

Enter Kodi Burns. If you weren't paying attention as to why the crowd cheered so extremely loud, you'd have thought Superman made an appearance. Although the offense was different and over simplified, Burns was very impressive. He ran like a champ, his throws were there, and he sparked a dull offense. Its pretty clear who our best TE is now. Bennett had the deflection-INT and a big holding call, and Trott dropped a huge 3rd down conversion that was right in his hands-Im talking it might as well have gone right into his pocket. Burns lead Auburn to 2 second quarter TDs to go ahead 14-13 at the half. When MSU scored a late TD, Cox was brought in to lead us down the field...and that he did (good for him), all the way to the 9 for a 1st and goal. At this point is where things get blurry for me. It is kind of beyond me as to why this team couldn't score from the 9. The hard part was over. Going down the field, drive 80+ yards was the tough part. Scoring from the 9 in 4 tries should be easy.

Anyway, I was glad for Cox that he took us down the field, even though we didn't score. I'm pretty sure that booing your starting QB is something a Bama fan would do. Again, I was impressed with Burns. Some good news: we racked up over 300 yards on offense for the 1st time in several games going back to the GA game last year, maybe further. Our running game is good, and so is our defense. Apparently, Quentin Groves admitted to going for the big play (sack) too much and was getting out of our defense. Good for him, I look for our D to continue to get better (If that's possible).

Its going to be interesting to see how the QB situation plays out. I don't know what to think.

Mario Fannin is great, he just needs to hold onto the ball. Ben Tate has been nothing but solid. I cant wait until Tristan Davis returns. Similarly, welcome will be the sight of Lester lining up in the backfield. My confidence in Robert Dunn as a returner and a good receiver keeps building. I'm holding judgement on the WR corps just yet, as the game plan didn't give the new rotation (Smith, Dunn, Hawthorne) a chance to shine. 

It will also be nice to have our starting FS, CB, and MLB back. they've all been out for 2 weeks now. Our defense has been great considering. I think a convincing win over NM State will help this team bounce back and help jump start them going into a tough road and SEC schedule. I cant really gauge and future expectations at this point. I will say War Eagle anyway, and its still better than being a bammer.

Once again

The guys at TheAuburner never disappoint.

Super Mario Fannin

Tough to swallow

There's a lot of things for one to point at as a reason that the Tigers lost last nights game. A lot of people will wanna place the blame on the shoulders of Brandon Cox. I'm struggling with this one. Some I'm going to present 2 views; both positive and negative.

Positive

The Auburn defense is friggin STOUT. In the 3rd quarter it held USF on 12 straight downs inside the red zone to ZERO points. ZERO. They played 90% of the game without 4 starters. USF's supposed big time offense was pretty much held in check.

This Auburn team does not panic when they get behind. For the second straight week, they came back from behind, this week from 11 points back. That's a sign of a big time program.

Wes Byrum is a stud. 6/7 on the year with a long of 49. Impressive for a true freshman. This guy is our biggest recruit last year as far as impact goes.

Mario Fannin finally got some carries and was impressive. At one point he trucked his own offensive 300 lb O lineman (Antwon Daniels, who I later saw exiting the field with a trainer). Completely ran him over. 

Our receivers aren't half bad. Gabe McKenzie is money. He's had a big year thus far.

Ive been impressed with our DBs. All of them tackle really well in the open field when they break down.

Negative

It is completely ridiculous, in my opinion, that our kickers should have to make any tackles on punts or KO's. Byrum tweaked his ankled against K-State, and Shoemaker dislocated his elbow last night. The kick coverage setup USF's tying field goal allowing a 59 yd return into AU territory. 

As i said coming from behind to take the lead and not panicking was the sign of a big time program, another sign is keeping and extending a lead and not sitting on it...

Further related to that issue, is the tackling philosophy of this team. What happened to breaking down, wrapping up, and tackling through the opponent? Everyone now wants to "run into" the ball carrier, and fly around like a bunch of pin balls. Sure, sometimes it may work or even be necessary, but it doesn't work most of the time.

The offense does not have an attacking mentality. They just don't seem to want it (aside from those like McKenzie, Fannin, and maybe a few others). The plays run have been conservative and vanilla.

Brandon Cox has shown that he is a good quarterback. That's why his play has been so perplexing. He is a proven winner (20-6 as a starter) but he did not play well last night, or last week. The entire game he telegraphed his every pass, by locking on to his primary receivers and rarely looking elsewhere. He threw into double and triple coverage over and over again (resulting in 2 INTS). He also fumble on a QB sneak on a 4th down attempt. We cant place all the blame on him. But Im wondering what is up, because Ive seen him play incredibly (see 2005). Overall he made a lot of questionable decisions. I also know that I have no idea what its like to be in his shoes. But where will the line be drawn if play continues the way it has. This is a tough spot for coaches to be in. Its hard to bench a senior QB who has won a lot in the past. But if it keeps going this way, something needs to be done. I want him to turn it around and do well. It'll be great for him and the team, but if it doesn't happen, Id hope a change would be made. 

Our receivers and Tommy Trott dropped several passes.

I wonder why we ran the clock out when a few passes would've gotten us in field goal range...Byrum certainly showed he could've hit it.

So there are my thoughts. Its a frustrating loss. We should've won the game. Of course, USF missed 4 field goals. If they had made one of them, they would have won in regulation. The bottom line is that our offense needs to improve. We need to let Borges loose and start attacking. Quick drops from Cox are effective. Lets let our receivers gain some of our yardage. Keep the 1-2 punch of Tate and Fannin (hopefully Lester if he can return) going. It will open up our pass game. Lets see some trickeration. We need some flash. When we gain momentum on defense, instead of coming out and running, lets throw to the end zone. Each week, we get more and more predictable. I always tell my buddies sitting with me, we should throw a fade into the end zone here, and I always get the response, "you do know this is Auburn right?" Teams have found out that blitzing makes us fall apart. Try Kodi Burns as a change up every now and again. Something needs to change. To the defense: keep doing what you're doing. You can play with anyone in the country.

Man oh man

Well..that didn't quite go the way any of us expected. But when the offense woke up with 4 minutes to go in the game, they got it done. As expected, the defense played lights out. Groves is about as clutch as they come. The atmosphere at Jordan-Hare was great. I do love a good night game. We have another late one next week (8 PM CST). Anyway here are some things that stood out to me:

Welcome back the the world of catching the ball, Mr Rodriguez. Prechae was a big factor last night with 6 catches for 70-something yards, several of which were clutch 3rd down conversions.

Cox can take a beating. He got hit over and over again, but he continued to come back and make plays when we needed them. He had a very mediocre day, but when it counted, he was a winner.

Ben Tate payed well despite the lack of any holes to run through. Lester was missed more than I thought he would be. His quickness and explosion through the hole is a luxury. I was surprised that Fannin didn't get a carry, but I'm sure we will see him soon.

Tristan Davis was also missed on KO returns. Cant wait till he returns

Byrum and Shoemaker were spectacular. Bryum was 3/4 on field goals...apparently kicking with a sore ankle. Shoemaker averaged 42 ypk. Not bad for a couple freshmen.

Robert Dunn had a nice punt return to set up a field goal in the 3rd.

Gabe McKenzie had several key catches. Our tight ends are superb.

Tray Blackmon was flying around the field. He missed the 2nd half (ankle) but should be back this week. All the linebackers played well.

Jerraud Powers played a great game.

Looking ahead to next week, I have no clue what to expect. I haven't seen Grothe and South Florida play. I keep hearing they are the real deal. I still think Auburn will win. Our defense can keep us in any game. 

Woohoo

In my mind, its officially game week and I couldn't be happier than a bammer player with an ice cream cone. Is it just me or does the Bama team have a problem with player arrests? They've had now 5 or 6 arrests this summer, with no apparent punishment. Sure, Saban claims that he is handling it all in house, but it seems an arrest warrants at least a one game suspension. Perhaps I feel that way because I'm used to Tuberville. There's no arguing that the players know if they screw up, they will not play. (Ask Tray Blackmon)

Anyway, K State comes to town this week. As always the visiting teams fans will receive a warm reception as well as learning what football and tailgating is all about. I wish that I could say the same for the K State players. Their welcome from the Auburn players will not be as pleasant. In all honesty, I fear for the lives of the Wildcat offense. Tray Blackmon hasn't been able to hit anyone that is not on his team in a really long time. Whomever he layeth his wrath upon first will likely go into cardiac arrest.

For instant chills, watch this:

My thoughts from preseason camp are as follows:

Chris Slaughter catches everything. He may only be 170 lbs soaking wet, but he will eventually be a BIG factor.

Jerraud Powers has exceeded any expectations I had for him. He has had a spectacular camp. Look for him to have an All SEC season.

The Running Back U tradition continues. Honestly I have no clue which back I'd play.

Cox has been sharp, and surprisingly mobile. He is probably the most important player on the team.

Our D-Line and TEs are among the top 3 in the country as units.

Our defense is gonna be stout.

My outlook on the first game is that it has the potential to trip us up, but the players and coaches know it. The chip on their shoulder from being overlooked is big and heavy. I fully expect both sides of the ball to play lights out. I'm hoping they beat the 'cats like a red headed step child. I think K State is a good program. They will stay close for half a quarter until AU shakes of the rust and explodes to victory, 42-13. War Eagle, Ill see you all on Saturday.

Theres a tingling sensation running down my spine

Jordan Hare Stadium in NCAA 08


Im sure you all feel it. Its the sensation that one gets when football season is lurking. Today, marks the unofficial start of football season with the SEC media days. So in the spirit of the greatest sporting season known to mankind, I shall take a look at Auburn's depth chart and schedule, providing an attempt at a realistic view.

First, lets look at the offense

QB
Starter: Brandon Cox, SR
Backup(s): Tray Blackmon, RS SO

Ok, so Tray Blackmon obviously doesnt play QB. Its a good way of describing how great the backups are. I thought I would put someone back there who will make a play if put in a dire situation. Who wouldnt like to see Tray running the option, pitch to a RB and then lead block for him? Count me in. Going back to the actual backups, I do exclude Kodi Burns from the lack of talent. Im torn with this guy. I, personally, have not watched him practice. I hear many good things though. I would love to see him win the backup job, and play in some situations a la Tebow. But, then again, his talent excites me so much that Id like to see him redshirt so that we have 4 years to play him. (another thing to consider is dual threat QB Deron Furr has committed to sign with AU, I like where this is going). Anyhow, going in to Two-a-days, I assume Blake Field will begin as the number 2, to be taken over by either Burns or Caudle.

RB
Starter: Brad Lester, JR
Backups: 4 Horsemen of he Apocalypse
(aka Ben Tate, SO/Mario Fannin, RS FR/Tristan Davis, JR/Enrique Davis, FR)

We are loaded at RB. Period. Honestly, I feel bad for Coach Gran and Coach Borges. Chosing which running back plays and how often is gonna be a chore. All these guys could start at big name schools. We have lester who scores 1 TD every 10 times he touches the ball. Then there is Ben Tate, who has Bo Jackson Jr written all over him. He is big, fast, and strong. He catches, runs up the middle, over defenders, around them, etc. Next we have Mario Fannin. I had the pleasure of seeing him in the final scrimmage. All I will say is that he is gonna be rediculous. Tristan Davis, making a glorius return to the offense, will add some lightning speed. If he can improve at all the fundamentals, he will be just as good as he rest. As far as Enrique Davis goes, I dont know much about him, but should he live up to hiss billing, we will have a good young back. He should be redshirted though with the depth we have.

FB
Starter: Carl Stewart, SR
Backups: Mike McLaughlin, JR/Danny Perry, SR/Tate or Fannin

Carl Stewart is a stud that gets little recognition from outside his teammates and coaches. This guy, like all the other RBs, could start at RB anywhere else. Plus he looks like he can eat you for lunch. McLaughlin and Perry should be able to provide ample run blocking. Tate and Fannin can get in on the action in the 2 back sets playin the hybrid "F - back" position.

WR
Starters:
Rod Smith, JR
Montez Billings, RS SO
Robert Dunn, JR
Backups:
Tim Hawhorne, RS FR
Terrell Zachary, RS FR
Chris Slaughter, JUCO transfer
Alex Rose, RS FR
Prechae Rodriguez, SR
James Swinton, JR

These guys, saving Smith, are a bunch of untested, unexperienced bad asses. Billings had a great spring. Look for Hawthorne, Zachary, Slaughter (pending NCAA clearance) and company to get plenty of experience this year. They might be half decent. Every publication Ive read about them wont give them any shred of hope. I think they will surprise everyone.

TE
Starters:
Cole Bennett, RS SR
Tommy Trott, RS SO
Gabe McKenzie, RS SO
Backups:
Brent Slusher, FR
Bailey Woods, FR

Probably the best group of tight ends in the nation. Bennett returns with a medical redshirt to add experience and leadership for the exremely athletic Trott and McKenzie.

OL
King Dunlap, SR
Leon Hart, SR
Jason Bosely, JR
Tyrone Green, SR
Andrew McCain, JR
Backups: Too many and too inexperienced to name

These guys are a question mark heading into preseason. From what I hear, they are playing pretty solid. We have some freshmen that might get a look, most impressive of which is Ziemba. The starting lineup may look a little different come Sept. 1st. But, looking at last year, despite talent, the play of the big uglies as a unit has no where to go but up.

Defense

DL
Starters:
Quentin Groves, SR
Josh Thompson, SR
Pat Sims, RS SO
Sen' Derrick Marks, RS SO
Backups:
Antonio Coleman, SO
Tez Doolittle, SR
Mike Blanc, SO
Michale Goggans, SO

Quentin Groves is easily the best player on the defense, maybe the team. He brings the kind of leadership and selflessness to this team that will make a big impact on everyone around him. Marks was moved to end from the inside allowing Sims to get on the field. Overall, this group is very solid. Look for Quentin Groves to have an All American year, ending up as Auburn's career sack leader.

LB
Starters:
Craig Stevens, RS FR
Tray Blackmon, SO
Merrill Johnson, JR
Backups:
Steve Gandy, JR
Chris Evans, SO
Courtney Harden, SO

Although some might consider these guys a big question mark. The Auburn faithful know better. Anchored by "The Little Ball of Hate" this unit could be nothing short of spectacular. I fear for opposing offenses, becasue I know its only a matter of time before Tray Blackmon kills someone.

CB
Starters:
Pat Lee, SR/Jonathan Wilhite, SR/Jerraud Powers, SO
Backups:
Walter McFadden, SO/Zach Gilbert, SR

I dotn have much to say about these guys. Wilhite used to impress me, but had a lackluster season in 06. Jerraud Powers show promise. Im empcting a lot of rotating of players. I jut dont know much about them.

S
Starters:
Eric Brock, SR
Aarion Savage, SO
Backups:
Michael McNeil, FR
Zac Ethridege, RS FR

Savage and Brock are solid. Both are good hitters. Word on the street is that Freshman Michael McNeil is ready to play. He is big, fast, and like to hit.

Special Teams
K Wes Byrum or Ross Gornall
P Ryan Shoemaker
KR Tristan Davis and Mario Fannin
PR Mario Fannin

As far as kickers go, who knows how they will turn out. Gornall won the battle in the spring, but the position will be wide open next week. Byrum supposedly has a good leg. Shoemaker will be soild. Look for the return game to be one of the best in the nation once again. Tristan Davis will return a few all the way this year. He is due big time. He led the neation in return yardage last season.

Now a look at the schedule.

K-State I think Auburn wins easily, showing normal first game rust
South Florida Mark Slabach of ESPN, surprsingly picke SF for this one. I think not. It might be semi close, but Auburn wins. I saved the link from Slabach's story to rub it in his face.
Miss St. Win, no explanation neccessary
Mew Mexico St Win
Florida This one is tough. Playing at the swamp will be no cakewalk. But all the talent Florida lost last years makes me think Auburn can hang. Ill call it a Loss, but I think its a winnable game.
Vandy Even though they have some talent and will play hard, AU wins
Arkansas Very winnable. McFadden will get a taste of Blackmon. That will make for an intersting matchup: Manchild vs Manchild. I say AU triumphs
LSU Another tough road game. Winnable. Call me crazy, I think we win
Ole Miss Win
Tennessee Tech Not even gonna address this one, that doesnt mean the team shouldnt.
Georgia Its in Athens, so AU will win
Bammer All this tlk about Bama being back, but no one has seen them play or win a game yet. Only time will tell if they have the ability to break the streak. We can always expect them to play hard, but Im confident in that the game is in Auburn, and that we have more talent and less thugs who have been kicked off the team, AU gets the 6th straight.

That gives a 11-1 record. Be advised that this could be a 9-3 or 10-2. Less than 10 wins is a disappointment to me. This team has the talent to go to Atlanta, it just needs some luck in staying healthy and being the right situation at the right time, which ios true of every team, each year. No one is talking about Auburn this year, which makes me think they will over acheive, as they like being the underdog. Sooner or later this "dont rank me high" outlook has got to go and the team has to want high expectations from someone other than coaches and actually deliver. Thats when we become elite.


Also, I saw this picture earlier this summer of the new jumbo-tron being installed. Thats more like it!