RELATED: Todd Gurley vs Amari Cooper Debate

In Saturday’s win over Tennessee, Gurley had a season high 28 carries, a career best 208 yards and two touchdowns. It included a Heisman highlight run as well. For the season, No. 3 has a total of 610 rush yards and six scores. That’s 8.8 yards a carry and 152.5 yards a game.

It is not outlandish to mention Gurley in the same sentence as All-World Georgia running back Herschel Walker. The numbers don’t lie either. It is only four games in but … Gurley’s numbers through four games this season are better than Walker’s numbers through the four games of his Heisman-winning season in 1982.

GURLEY’S 2014 SEASON
First 4 games:

• vs. Clemson: 15 carries, 198 yards, 3 touchdowns
• at South Carolina: 20 carries, 131 yards, 1 touchdown
• vs. Troy: 6 carries, 73 yards, 0 touchdowns
• vs. Tennessee: 28 carries, 208 yards, 2 touchdowns
• TOTALS/AVERAGES: 610 yards, 6 touchdowns, 152.5 yards a game, 8.8 yards a carry

WALKER’S 1982 HEISMAN-WINNING SEASON
First 4 games:

• vs. Clemson: 11 carries, 20 yards, 0 touchdowns
• vs. BYU: 31 carries, 124 yards, 1 touchdown
• at South Carolina: 32 carries, 143 yards, 1 touchdown
• at Mississippi State: 39 carries, 215 yards, 1 touchdown
• TOTALS/AVERAGES: 502 yards, 3 touchdowns, 125.5 yards a game, 4.4 yards a carry

Incredibly, Walker played the first three games of the 1982 season with a broken thumb that was immobilized in a cast.

For the last seven games of the 1982 season, Walker’s lowest rushing total was 149 yards. It also included back-to-back 219-yard performances against Memphis State and Florida.

WALKER’S 1982 HEISMAN-WINNING SEASON
Last 7 games:

• vs. Ole Miss: 24 carries, 149 yards, 3 touchdowns
• vs. Vanderbilt: 38 carries, 172 yards, 1 touchdown
• at Kentucky: 34 carries, 152 yards, 1 touchdown*
• vs. Memphis State: 33 carries, 219 yards, 2 touchdowns
• vs. Florida: 35 carries, 219 yards, 3 touchdowns
• at Auburn: 31 carries, 177 yards, 2 touchdowns
• vs. Georgia Tech: 27 carries, 162 yards, 2 touchdowns
• TOTALS/AVERAGES: 1250 yards, 14 touchdowns, 178.6 yards a game, 5.6 yards a carry

Of course if Gurley keeps pace with Walker the rest of the season, it doesn’t guarantee him the Heisman Trophy but a 178-yard average in the SEC is more than commendable and will easily get him an invitation to New York City.

The post Gurley’s Pursuit of Heisman Ahead of Herschel Walker’s Pace appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Georgia scored five rushing touchdowns, three passing, a punt return and a field goal. Three of the rushing touchdowns came from true freshman Sony Michel, all of which were in the first half.  The Bulldogs halftime led was 45-0.

Last year Georgia won three consecutive games while scoring 40 points or more:

• 41 vs. South Carolina
• 45 vs. North Texas
• 44 vs. LSU

Georgia paid out $900,000 the Trojans and got their monies worth. The 66 points scored came at $13,636 a point.

Here are some of the higher point totals Georgia has scored with Richt as head coach.

• 2002: 48 vs. Vanderbilt, 52 vs. Kentucky, 51 vs, Georgia Tech
• 2003: 62 vs. Kentucky
• 2005:48 vs. Boise State, 44 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 45 vs.Kentucky
• 2007: 45 vs. Western Carolina, 45 vs. Ole Miss, 42 vs. Florida, 44 vs. Troy, 45 vs. Auburn
• 2008: 45 vs. Georgia Southern, 56 Central Michigan, 52 LSU, 42 vs. Kentucky
• 2009: 41 vs. South Carolina, 52 vs. Arkansas, 45 vs. Tennessee, 41 vs. Florida, 44 vs. Texas A&M
• 2010: 55 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 55 vs. Idaho State
• 2011: 59 vs. Coastal Carolina, 63 vs. New Mexico State
• 2012: 45 vs. Georgia Southern, 56 vs. Florida Atlantic, 51 vs. Tennessee

The post Georgia’s 66 points the most by a Mark Richt-coached team appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“We need to be extremely motivated, ready to practice and ready to move onto the next week,” Malzahn said. “That is going to be a big key. We have got to find a way to do that each week. That is hard to do (but)…we did it last year.”

Much of what Malzahn is saying is coach speak, and every coach warns their team of a letdown against a lesser power. Auburn’s a good football team, but they can’t just show up and beat opponents. Nobody can.

“All that we had talked about (last week) was Arkansas. That is over now,” said Malzahn. “We looked at game film, got our corrections down. Now we have San jose State. That is the only thing on our mind.”

Teams often improve the most from week one to week two, and that would be excellent news for an Auburn team that looked so explosive against Arkansas. Perhaps the biggest focus this week will be correcting defensive mistakes and making sure the Tigers’ run defense has improved.

But Malzahn isn’t exactly sure what to expect this year from the Spartans, a 6-6 team last year that hammered No. 16 Fresno State and crushed their BCS hopes. Last year, with quarterback David Fales directing the offense, the Spartans were balanced on offense with 496 pass plays to 432 run plays. It was through the air, though, where they did most of their damage. Of the Spartans 46 touchdowns, 34 came from the air attack. Fales is now in the NFL, and his replacement is 6-4, 235 pound graduate student Blake Jurich, who got just six snaps last year. Last week against North Dakota,  Jurich was 22-of-25 for 250 yards, threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third. The Spartans ran the ball 40 times and threw it 26.

“They threw the ball well and they ran the ball quite a bit,” Malzahn said in a surprised tone about the running.”I think they scored 44 points. They played a I-AA team so we don’t know if they showed everything or not. It will be a balanced attack.”

Non-conference games against offenses that can move the football are nice tests for a defense that’s still gelling together and identifying playmakers.

The post No time to relax for Auburn against San Jose State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auburn is coming off an important SEC West win, 45-21 over Arkansas.

Right behind Auburn is Georgia, who moved up six spots from No. 12 with their own 45-21 victory that came over Clemson.

A total of eight SEC teams are ranked. Texas A&M had the biggest leap moving up 12 spots  to. No. 9 with their shocking win over South Carolina. As a result, the Gamecocks took over the Aggies previous ranking at No. 21.

Tiger quarterback Jeremy Johnson looked terrific in the starting role, throwing his first eight passes for completions. He finished 12-of-16 for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns in one half of play. Marshall replaced Johnson after halftime and lead Auburn to 17 of the Tigers 24 second half points. Safety Jermaine Johnson returned an interception 33-yards for a touchdown.

Running back Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 177 yards and got stronger as the game went on. It was his third 100-yard game at Auburn.

For Auburn’s defense it was a tale of two halves. They gave up 256 yards of offense in the first half. The three-headed monster at running back – Alex Collins, Jonathan Williams and Korliss Marshall – combined for 140 of those yards on the ground. Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen went  9-of-14 for 116 yards and two touchdowns.  Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson made adjustments at halftime and completely shut down the Hogs offensive in the second half. The three running backs combined for just 7 yards.

Saturday Auburn hosts San Jose State at 7 p.m. eastern time on ESPN2.

Here is the entire AP Top 25.

1 Florida State (46)
2 Alabama (1)
3 Oregon (5)
4 Oklahoma (2)
5 Auburn
6 Georgia
7 Michigan State
8 Ohio State
9 Texas A&M
10 Baylor
11 UCLA
12 LSU
13 Stanford
14 USC
15 Ole Miss
16 Notre Dame
17 Arizona State
18 Wiscosnin
19 Nebraska
20 Kansas State
21 South Carolina
21 North Carolina
23 Clemson
24 Missouri
25 Louisville

The post Auburn moves up to No. 5 in AP Poll appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The four teams ahead of Auburn didn’t change: Florida State No.1, Alabama No. 2, Oklahoma No. 3 and No. 4 Oregon.

Ohio State, who lost starting quarterback Braxton Miller for the season, fell from No. 6 to 7 after they struggled against Navy. The Buckeyes needed two fourth quarter touchdowns to get past the Midshipmen in Baltimore, 34-17,  Fellow Big Ten team Michigan State leapfrogged the Buckeyes. Ohio State was ranked one spot head of Auburn, at No. 5, in the preseason AP Poll.

Georgia, with their 45-21 win over Clemson, moved up to No. 8 from No. 12. Texas A&M made the biggest leap of any school, moving up from No, 20 to No. 13 after a shocking 52-point performance against South Carolina Thursday night. The Gamecocks fell from No. 9 to No. 21.

The Associated Press Poll is scheduled to be released at 2 p.m. eastern time.

You can view the entire coaches poll here.

The post Auburn remains No. 5 in Amway Coaches’ Poll appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The view from the couch and the stands on Saturday seemed pretty good, so you’d expect Lashlee’s grades to be pretty high. The stat sheet reiterated it. Auburn scored 45 points. Jeremy Johnson completed his first eight passes and threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns in one half. Nick Marshall executed the zone read to near perfection and turned a tie game into a 24-point win. Cameron Artis-Payne’s 177 yards rushing and Duke Williams’ 154 yards receiving marked the first time Auburn had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game in 13 years.

Despite the numbers, Lashlee’s view from the sideline wasn’t as pretty. He graded the offense somewhere in between the C+/B- range.

“Overall it was a solid effort. I thought we could have executed a lot better,” Lashlee said.

Lashlee specifically referenced the offense’s failure to convert two 3rd-and-1 situations on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter with Jeremy Johnson under center. Both were run plays to Cameron Artis-Payne where Arkansas blitzed and the Auburn blocker didn’t get there.

“He didn’t really have a chance,” said Lashlee of Artis-Payne’s attempts.

Johnson was 1-of-3 in third-and-short situations, but Auburn scored on their first three possessions of the game because of Johnson’s tremendous passing performance. When facing third-and-long on Auburn’s first three drives, Johnson delivered strikes to keep the drives going. He was 3-for-4 overall when facing third-and-long.

Auburn was 9-of-14 on third down for the game. Nick Marshall was 5-for-7. Of those seven, six of them were third-and-long situations. Marshall converted three of them on the ground and two of them through the air.

Lashlee wants improvements each week. Converting third-and-short will be a point of emphasis lead to Saturday’s San Jose State game.

THIRD-AND-SHORT
4th Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 1 – Failed to Convert 1-yard loss rush up the middle by Cameron Artis-Payne
5th Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 1 – Failed to Convert 1-yard loss rush up the middle by Cameron Artis-Payne*
6th Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 2 – 4-yard rush up the middle by Cameron Artis-Payne
7th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 2 – 28-yard pass completion to Melvin Ray

THIRD-AND-LONG
1st Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 5 – 13-yard completion to Sammie Coates
3rd and 13 – 14-yard completion to Cameron Artis-Payne
3rd Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 6 – 18-yard touchdown pass to Duke Williams
6th Possession (Johnson)
3rd and 10 – Failed to Convert 4-yard completion to Duke Williams
7th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 6th – 6-yard completion to Corey Grant
9th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 15 – Failed to Convert pass incomplete to Sammie Coates
10th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 6 – 11-yard rush to the right by Corey Grant
3rd and 9 – Failed to Convert sack for a 5-yard loss
11th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 5 – 7-yard draw play by Corey Grant
12th Possession (Marshall)
3rd and 5 – 14-yard rush to the left by Peyton Barber

The post Lashlee grades Auburn offense C+/B-, wants better third down execution appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“I want to make plays that will make me a draftable player,” Whitehead told AL.com. “I definately need to get my hands on the ball a lot more; get a lot of takeaways. I got too many snaps to not have (interceptions). I definately want to get those numbers up.”

If there was a preconceived notion that Whitehead is not a flashy player who goes about his job quietly, that might have changed Saturday.

Whitehead’s interception against Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen and subsequent 33-yard return for a touchdown was the turning point in Auburn’s 45-21 victory.

A crushing blow delivered by Robenson Therezie while Allen was throwing was all it took. Whitehead made the catch and defensive tackle Montravius Adams threw a key block that enabled the senior to easily find the end zone.

Video of Whitehead interception (from 1:45 to 2:04)

“I was able to make a play on the ball,” said Whitehead. “I had some good pressure from the up-front guys. The ball was supposed to go deep but then I was able to make a play on it.”

The pick-six was Whitehead’s second of his career. His first came in 2011 as a true freshman against Florida Atlantic. It, too, turned out to be the turning point in Auburn’s 30-14 win against the Owls. Clinging to a slim 10-6 halftime lead, Whitehead picked off quarterback Graham Wilbert three plays into the third quarter. Whitehead returned it 25 yards to paydirt, the first of four consecutive scoring possessions for Auburn en route to their 30-14 victory. It was the first Auburn interception for a touchdown by a true freshman since Brad Ware did it against Alabama in 1996.

For Whitehead, his fourth career interception comes in his 40th game played for the Tigers. Despite starting 11 games in 2012, he went the entire season without an interception. Last season he was on the field for almost every defensive snap for the Tigers and had two picks, two behind team leader Robenson Therezie.

Perhaps draft guru Mel Kiper will now consider updating his draft board. As AL.com pointed out during fall camp, Kiper didn’t have Whitehead listed among the top 11 safeties for the 2015 NFL Draft. CBS Sports, however, ranked Whitehead fifth among the free safeties available and a projected fourth-round pick.

The post Auburn’s Jermaine Whitehead talks the talk, then walks the walk appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auburn kicker and punter Daniel Carlson, in his first start for the Tigers on Saturday, had a championship-belt type of game against Arkansas. For his efforts, he was named Auburn’s special teams champ of the week.

Shoutout to the cover units and big dudes who protect me for making me the special teams “champ” of the week. #WDE pic.twitter.com/awuVXfckSx

— Daniel Carlson (@DanielCarlson38) September 1, 2014

It wasn’t the only award Carlson got. On Monday he was named the SEC freshman of the week.

Carlson, the redshirt freshman from Colorado, had a fantastic debut. For not being named the punter until two weeks prior to the season-opener, Carlson did a tremendous job flipping the field Saturday. He averaged 53 yards per punt. His punts or “sky kicks”, which special teams coach Scott Fountain was looking for in fall camp, kept Arkansas’ returner D.J. Dean at bay. Two of Carlson’s three punts were returnable, but Dean only managed a total of 11 return yards. The Razorbacks average starting point on drives that followed a Carlson punt was its own 15-yard line.

CARLSON FLIPS THE FIELD

• 1st punt at Auburn 35-yard line. Distance: 62 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 3-yard line. Returned 4 yards
• 2nd punt at Auburn 29-yard line. Distance: 54 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 17-yard line. Returned 7 yards. 
• 3rd punt at Auburn 41-yard line. Distance: 44 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 15-yard line. No return

Carlson was 1-0f-2 on field goal attempts. He could have sent Auburn into the locker room with the lead but missed a 42-yarder wide right as time expired in the second quarter. His 45-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter extended Auburn’s lead to 38-21. Carlson made all six extra point attempts.

The last time the Tigers had the same player serve as the punter and placekicker was Damon Duval in 2002. Jaret Holmes also did both in back-to-back (1996-97) seasons.

The post Like Aaron Rodgers, Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson earns championship belt appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A total of 24 former Auburn Tigers survived Saturday’s final cuts. When rookie mini-camps first opened in May, there were 32 former Tigers trying to make a roster spot.

A majority of the NFL Tigers will be found on the defensive side of the ball. There are five linebackers, four defensive tackles and four cornerbacks. The St. Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders each have three Auburn players.

In May’s NFL Draft four Tigers were selected: offensive tackle Greg Robinson (1st round, 2nd overall), defensive end Dee Ford (1st round, 24th overall), running back Tre Mason (3rd round, 75th overall) and fullback Jay Prosch (6th round).

Kicker Cody Parkey made the Eagles roster as an undrafted signee. Parkey signed with the Colts in May and was traded to Philadelphia for running back David Fluellen on Aug. 20.

AUBURN TIGERS ON 2014 NFL ROSTERS

LB Daren Bates, St. Louis Rams
LB Josh Bynes, Baltimore Ravens
QB Jason Campbell, Cincinnati Bengals
LB Carlos Dansby, Cleveland Browns
CB Chris Davis, San Diego Chargers
OT King Dunlap, San Diego Chargers
LB Dee Ford, Kansas City Chiefs
DT Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions
G Ben Grubbs, New Orleans Saints
LS Josh Harris, Atlanta Falcons
LB Corey Lemonier, San Francisco
RB Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams
DT Sen’Derrick Marks, Jacksonville Jaguars
G Brandon Mosley, New York Giants
QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
K Cody Parkey, Philadelphia Eagles
FB Jay Prosch, Houston Texans
CB Jerraud Powers, Arizona Cardinals
DT Jeremiah Ratliff, Chicago Bears
OT Greg Robinson, St. Louis Rams
CB Carlos Rogers, Oakland Raiders
DT Pat Sims, Oakland Raiders
RB Ben Tate, Cleveland Browns
CB Neiko Thorpe, Oakland Raiders

Not making the cut  

• WR Emory Blake – Made it to the last round of cuts before being released by Rams on Saturday.
• P Steven Clark – Invited to Denver Broncos mini-camp but was waived to reach Denver’s offseason roster limit.
• LB Quentin Groves – Worked out for Titans and Jets then was released by the Texans released Groves on Friday.
• DE Nosa Eguae – The undrafted free agent was cut by Atlanta Falcons on Friday.
• CB Onterio McCalebb – Didn’t make the Bengals 53-man roster but was signed to the team’s practice squad.
• S Ryan Smith – Released by the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday.
• G John Sullen – Was cut by the New York Giants last Monday to get their roster to 75.
• CB Ryan White – Released by the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.

The post Auburn represented with 24 players in the NFL, majority on defense appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Arkansas’ success on the ground in the first half loosened up the Tiger secondary, too. Surprisingly, quarterback Brandon Allen took to the air a lot more than expected and had some success. Two of the three Razorbacks touchdowns were through the air. Allen put the ball up 31 times, and he completed 18 passes, two of which went for touchdowns.

In the second half Auburn looked like a completely different team. The Tigers held Arkansas’ running backs to seven yards rushing. The trio finished with 147 yards on 25 carries.

“He made the adjustments,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said of Tiger defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. “They settled down and started stopping the run and that changed the whole tone of the game and that was a huge factor in the second half. We got quite a few stops and got the ball back to the offense.”

Here is a closer look at how drastically different the first and second halves were.

ARKANSAS’ THREE-HEAD MONSTER
Alex Collins 10 carries, 68 yards; First half 6-70 /Second half 4-2
Korliss Marshall 8 carries, 45 yards; First half 6-36 /Second half 2-9
Jonathan Williams 7 carries, 34 yards; First half 7-34 /Second half 0-0

ARKANSAS RUNNING BACK RUSHES BY QUARTER

FIRST QUARTER: 9 carries 78 yards

1st possession – Result: Punt
1st play: Williams 2 yards

2nd possession – Result: Touchdown – 6 plays, 75 yards; 5 run plays for 61 yards
1st play: Marshall 7 yards
2nd play: Marshall 13 yards
3rd play: Collins: 20 yards
4th play: Collins: 21 yards
5th play: Marshall 0 yards

3rd possession – Result: Punt
1st play: Marshall 5 yards
4th play: Williams 11 yards
5th play: Williams -1 yard

SECOND QUARTER: 10 carries 62 yards

1st possession – Result: Touchdown – 6 plays, 75 yards; 2 run plays for 1 yard
1st play: Collins  -1 yard
5th play: Williams 2 yards

2nd possession – Result: Touchdown – 10 plays 93 yards; 7 run plays for 60 yards
1st play: Marshall 8 yards
2nd play: Marshall 3 yards
3rd play: Collins 18 yards
4th play: Collins 11 yards
5th play: Williams 3 yards
9th play: Williams 11 yards
10th play: Williams 6 yard touchdown run

3rd possession – Result: Punt
1st play: Collins 1 yard

THIRD QUARTER: 6 carries 7 yards

1st Possession – Result: Punt
no rush attempts in 3 plays

2nd Possession – Result: Punt
1st play: Collins 3 yards
3rd play: Collins 1 yard
5th play: Collins -6 yards

3rd Possession – Result: Interception (returned for Auburn touchdown)
1st play: Marshall 3 yards

4th Possession – Result: Punt
1st play: Collins o yards
4th play: Marshall 6 yards

FOURTH QUARTER: 0 carries 0 yards

The post Inside the Numbers: Auburn’s rush defense vs. Arkansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Therezie wasn’t lined up to start at the star hybrid position last season. He was listed on the two deep roster but behind starter Justin Garrett. A couple of weeks before the season-opener against Washington State though, Garrett suffered a foot sprain. Garrett wouldn’t be healthy enough to start against the visiting Cougars which meant Therezie would start in his spot.

In front of a national television audience, Therezie made the most of the opportunity. The Miami native made seven tackles, picked off two passes (including a fourth-quarter interception to seal the game) and broke up another. The effort earned Therezie the SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Garrett was healthy enough to return against Mississippi State, two games later, but Therezie’s productivity was too good to have him on the sidelines. If Garrett ever had a chance to crack the starting lineup, it went out the window when he broke his foot in practice the week of the Ole Miss game.

Therezie would start every game for Auburn in 2013. He led the team in interceptions (four), was sixth on team in tackles (57) and was named AP All-SEC honorable mention.

It looks liked the senior will be the default starter at star hybrid when came open this summer. Then on Aug. 16, more than two weeks into camp, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson mentioned in passing that he needs depth behind Justin Garrett because Therezie has an eligibility issue. When the depth chart was released Tuesday, Therezie wasn’t even listed on it.

“We didn’t see the need to put him on there right now until it gets resolved,” Malzahn explained after the depth chart was released.

The take away was No. 27 wasn’t going to see the field Saturday and might not even dress for the game. That changed though when Therezie was seen Friday participating in reverse Tiger Walk and his jersey was placed at his locker.

Therezie not only got on the field Saturday but he made a huge play just like in the Washington State opener last year. With Auburn up 28-21 and Arkansas facing a 2nd-and-7 from their own 18-yard line, Therezie came on a blitz. He leveled Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen just as he was attempting to throw. The ball hung up in the air nowhere near its intended target. Safety Jermaine Whitehead made the interception and returned it 33-yards for a touchdown. It was the turning point in the game.

“He’s a freak. He does a lot for the team,” Whitehead said of Therezie. “With all the experience he got last year, he feels a lot more comfortable. At practice, he knows exactly what’s going on. He’s definitely going to make something this year. I can’t wait to watch him play.”

The post Therezie’s year comes full circle, makes the most of season-openers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“We scripted plays for him and he got off to an outstanding start,” said head coach Gus Malzahn. “We said before that we feel like he could start for most teams in college football. I think everybody saw that tonight.”

Johnson finished off a seven-play, 98-yard drive, most of which took place in the first quarter, with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Williams early in the second. Auburn had a two-touchdown cushion, but it quickly disappeared with the Razorbacks making mincemeat of the Tigers’ run defense. Arkansas scored on consecutive possessions to tie the game at 21.

The Auburn offense and Johnson lost their flow after the Williams touchdown though.

“We (started to get) stuck on third downs,” Malzahn said.

After converting the first two third down plays of the game, the Tigers were 1-of-4 the rest of the first half.

AUBURN OFFENSIVE ON 3RD DOWN IN FIRST HALF 

• 1st series (1st quarter): 3rd-and-13—–>14-yard pass completion
• 3rd series (2nd quarter): 3rd-and-6—–>18-yard TD pass
• 4th series: 3rd-and-1—–> rush for a loss of 1 yard
• 5th series 3rd-and-1——> rush for no gain (attempted to go for it on 4th down; called for false start penalty)
• 6th series: 3rd-and-2——>rush for 4 yards, 3rd-and-10—–>4-yard pass completion

Johnson finished 12-of-16 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The last time an Auburn quarterback threw for more than 200 yards in a half was 2010 by Cam Newton.

Yet, despite all those big-time numbers by Johnson, Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee turned to to their bread-and-butter, Nick Marshall, in the second half.

“As a quarterback you want them to get in there and get comfortable and that’s what me and Coach Lashlee decided to do. (Jeremy) definitely looked comfortable. At halftime (though) we felt like, ‘Hey lets put Nick back in.’ Nothing against Jeremy at all.”

Inserting Marshall showed that Lashlee and Malzahn wanted a proven winner to run the offense and win a conference game. You could say that they didn’t trust Johnson to win the game for them. You could say they didn’t want to gamble with Johnson. Had the score not been tied or Auburn was facing an non-conference opponent, Johnson could have stayed in the game.

Marshall was efficient, both operating the zone read and throwing the ball. He was 4-of-6 for 50 yards passing and scored on a 19-yard touchdown run. Marshall received help around him, too. Cameron Artis-Payne gained 98 of his 177 yards in the final quarter and Auburn’s defense made significant adjustments in the locker room. They neutralized Arkansas’ run game that couldn’t be stopped in the first half. The defense also scored a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 14-point cushion.

The offense as whole operates better with Marshall in there. Johnson could see significant minutes against San Jose State next week. On the road the week after against Kansas State on a Thursday night? It’s not likely.

“Nick is still the quarterback,” said Malzahn.

It’s Auburn football, and there’s no quarterback controversy…just winning.

The post Auburn doesn’t have a QB controversy despite Johnson’s tremendous play appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It was a half an hour before kick when it was announced that the Harrisburg, Pa. native was getting the start. After four quarters, and an hour and 28 minute rain delay, Artis-Payne finished with a career-high 177 yards on 26 attempts with one touchdown. It was CAP’s third career 100-yard rushing game.

Head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee didn’t name a starter when fall camp was completed. Even if one emerged, they weren’t going to make it public anyway. That might have been based upon what happened in 2013: Tre Mason, Grant and Artis-Payne each showed flashes worthy of starting through the first four games. Grant was the leading rusher against Washington State and Mississippi State, CAP against Arkansas State and Mason against LSU.

So, they decided to throw both CAP and Grant out there and see what happens. What happened was a display by CAP showing what a great center of gravity he has, as well as yards after contact.

“Cameron Artis-Payne really carried the load for us,” Malzahn said after the game. “I thought he did a solid job of running between the tackles. He is at his best as the game goes on.”

INSIDE CAP’S NUMBERS:

• 1st Quarter’s first two possessions:  7 carries, 13 yards
• 1st Quarter’s third possession: 3 carries, 21 yards
• 2nd Quarter: 5 carries, 22 yards
• 3rd Quarter: 4 carries, 23 yards
• 4th Quarter:  7 carries, 98 yards (3 carries, 46 yards before lightning delay & 4 carries, 52 yards after delay)

Grant finished with 87 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. The speedster had several Corey Grant-like runs, getting to the edge and turning the corner for big gains. Grant also had a couple of inside-the-tackles runs as well.

Still, CAP showed he is more than capable of carrying of load. Many feared that there would be a big drop off with the departure of Mason. For the first game of the year, CAP showed there wasn’t any drop off.

The post Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne shows why he earned the start appeared first on Saturday Down South.

• Auburn’s 595 total yards (302 rushing, 293 passing) are the sixth-most for Auburn against an SEC opponent.
• With 154 yards receiving today, Duke Williams had Auburn’s best receiving total since Darvin Adams (217 yds) in the 2010.
• Williams’ ninth catches were the most receptions in a game since Emory Blake (10) vs. Arkansas in 2012.
• Cameron Artis-Payne finished with a career-high 177 yards on 26 attempts (6.8 ypc). It was his third career 100-yard rushing game and Auburn’s seventh consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher.
• Artis-Payne’s 177 yards rushing and Williams 154 yards receiving marks the first time Auburn had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game since Carnell Williams [177 rush] and Tim Carter [156 receiving] in 2001 against Arkansas.
• Daniel Carlson’s 62-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest Auburn punt since a 71-yarder by Kody Bliss vs. Tulane in 2006.
• Auburn is now 306-5 when scoring at least 30 points and it has scored 30 points or more in 11 straight games.
• Auburn is now 94-26-2 in season openers and 97-15-3 in home openers all-time.

The post Inside Auburn’s prolific offensive numbers against Arkansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

What It Means: An SEC conference win is critical whether it is in August or November. The Tigers didn’t fall into the trap of not being prepared for their first game. The Tigers are the only team with an SEC West win.

What I Liked: The precise throwing and pocket presence of quarterback Jeremy Johnson. He looked like an NFL quarterback which is what head coach Gus Malzahn called him in July. Johnson completed his first seven passes which included a 49-yard touchdown strike to Melvin Ray and 62-yard pass to Duke Williams. When it was announced the Johnson was going to play a part of the Tiger’s offense, I called for him to establish a rapport with one receiver. Clearly Johnson and Williams are on the same page. The JUCO transfer finished with 9 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown.

What I Didn’t Like: It wasn’t just that the Tiger defensive line got run on in the first half, it was how they got run. The holes the Hogs offensive line made were big enough to drive a Mac truck through. It was embarrassing to see Gabe Wright, Elijah Daniel, Angelo Blackson and Jeff Whitaker get completely outworked. They constantly over-committed and were out of position so many times.

Who’s The Man: Johnson. 12-of-16 for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns. Head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have a decision on whether to start Johnson or Marshall next week. Even if they default to the Marshall, Johnson has to see the field based on his tremendous play.

Key Play: Holding onto a 28-21 lead, Robenson Therezie delivered a crushing hit while blitzing Hogs quarterback Brandon Allen while he was attempting a pass. The deflected pass was intercepted by Jermaine Whitehead and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

What’s Next: San Jose State, 7 p.m. ET. Jarrod Lawson, the Spartans leading returning rusher, is suspended for the game for what Spartans coach Ron Caragher said was a violation of team rules.

The post Rapid Reaction: Johnson’s play is superb, defense improves after awful first half appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After a freakish first half by Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson, Gus Malzahn inserted Nick Marshall into the lineup. Marshall took the Tigers 78 yards on 19 plays to put Auburn up a touchdown. The big play of the drive was Marshall hooking up with Melvin Ray on a 28-yard pass play. The offense kept humming and No. 14 capped the drive off with a 19-yard touchdown run.

Auburn’s defense, which was lit up by the Razorbacks on the ground and in the air in the first half, made tremendous adjustment in the locker room. The Hogs, who went 84 yards and scored a touchdown on their first two possessions of the game, went 3-and-out on their first possession and only five plays on their second possession before punting.

On the Hogs third possession, Auburn’s Robenson Therezie, whose status for the game wasn’t known until 9 pm Friday, tackled Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen as he was throwing. The deflected ball was intercepted by Tiger safety  Jermaine Whitehead and returned 33-yards for a touchdown putting Auburn up 35-21.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 44-yard field increasing Auburn’s lead to 38-21.

The post Auburn, Arkansas in weather delay, Tigers extend lead 38-21 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The way Johnson played, particularly in the first quarter, you can ask the question if the Tigers have a quarterback controversy. The 6-foot-5 sophomore carved up the Arkansas secondary completing 12-of-16 passes for 243 yards and two touchdown passes. Johnson completed his first seven passes that included a 49-yard touchdown pass to Melvin Ray that gave the Auburn the early 7-0 as well as a 62-yard passing strike to JUCO transfer Duke Williams.

It seems through one half that Williams and Johnson have developed a rapport with Williams hauling in 7 balls for 138 yards. One of the seven catches went for an 18-yard touchdown

Cameron Artis-Payne got the start at running back for Auburn over Corey Grant and delivered 55 yards on 14 carries including a 1-yard touchdown run.

Auburn’s Daniel Carlson missed a 41-yard field as time expired.

The Arkansas running backs – Alex Collins, Korliss Marshall and Jonathan Williams have combined for 140 yards on the ground. The Hogs offensive line has manhandled the Tiger front four.

The post Halftime Quick Take: Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson lethal, defense getting gashed appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auburn center Reese Dismukes said on SiriusXM’s College Sports Nation  during fall camp that Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne had the hot hand in practices and wound probably earn the start against Arkansas.

“I think it’ll probably be maybe Cameron Artis-Payne that’ll probably start off with that (starting) role,” said Dismukes, as reported by the Montgomery Advertiser “I think coach Malzahn, these coaches do a good job of whoever’s hot is going to get the ball and they want the ball in that person’s hands.”

Artis-Payne, a Pennsylvania native who played two years at Allan Hancock Community College prior to transferring to Auburn last season, was fourth on the team in rushing last season with 614 yards. His production fell off toward the end of the season.

Artis-Payne and Corey Grant headed into fall camp neck-and-neck for the starting job. Artis-Payne is a physical, bruising back that can run between the tackles while Grant utilizes his speed last year to hit the edge and break outside. In an effort to win the starting job, Grant added weight to his 205 pound frame to show that he could be a between-the-tackles back as well.

The post Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne starting at running back appeared first on Saturday Down South.

If the rain comes harder and continues throughout the game, it won’t affect Arkansas’ game plan; they are going to run, run, run.  With Jeremy Johnson under center, the Tigers could turn their offense into a ground-and-pound attack as well. It would go against Auburn’s promise to thrown the ball more, especially since Johnson is thrown first, run second. Regardless, there will be a premium put on ball security.

“You do everything you can to prepare your guys but like I said there is nothing better than experience,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. “The fact that we have gone throught a couple of situations last year in the rain, the guys will know how to handle it better the second time around.”

Last year Auburn fumbled twice in the rain against LSU in the first quarter. LSU scored 14 points off the fumbles, putting Auburn in a 14-0 hole that they couldn’t get out of.

In this year’s fall camp, as well as all this week in particular, Auburn’s specialists and players that will touch the ball have practiced with wet footballs to prepare themselves.

Lashlee has put the pressure on the quarterbacks, Marshall in particular, to improve their ball-handling. According to AuburnTigers.com, the Tigers fumbled 30 times last season and lost 11. Marshall was credited with six of the 11 lost fumbles.

The post 2 Minute Drill: Pre-game rain in Auburn could change Tigers game plan appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Finebaum rattled off that Tigers escaped numerous games last year and that last year was a fluke. Pollack said Auburn was 13 seconds away from 3 losses.

Regardless, Auburn numbered one of their entrances to Jordan-Hare Stadium No. 13.

Auburn wants to be 13 seconds better in 2014. pic.twitter.com/KFRQoXg2tn

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) August 30, 2014

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When: Today
Where: Auburn, Alabama
Game Time: 4 PM ET
TV: SEC Network

Current Line: Auburn (-18.5)

Game Buzz: 0-1 in the SEC before the month of September starts is never a good bad thing. The first game of Auburn’s attempt to repeat as SEC champions. The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers did it in 1997 and ’98. The first game in year two of the Bret Bielema era and the Hogs want to be respected.

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH NEWS & PREVIEWS

• Finebaum says Auburn’ s 2013 season was a fluke 
• Pollack calls out Auburn on College GameDay
• Will these Hogs run wild against Auburn?
• Auburn’s Robenson Therezie cleared to play
• Scouting Report: Arkansas at Auburn
• Five position battles for Auburn vs. Arkansas
• Five Arkansas players Auburn fans needs to know
• Why Auburn needs to be on guard against “tricky” Hogs
• Arkansas works up two different game plans for Nick Marshall, Jeremy Johnson
• Tigers won’t miss a beat with Jeremy Johnson at QB
• Possibility of rain puts Auburn’s offseason priority to the test
• Iron Bowl stars Lutzenkirchen, Langner to be honored Saturday
• Auburn ready to show off all its new offensive toys
• Roc Thomas ready to show he’s got video game “B” button ability
• Auburn welcomes SEC Nation’s Tebow, Spears back to Plains, 0-3 during playing days

No. 6 Auburn

Players to watch:

• QB No. 6 Jeremy Johnson
• QB No. 14 Nick Marshall
• WR No.1 Duke Williams
• WR No. 18 Sammie Coates
• RB No. 44 Cameron Artis-Payne
• RB No. 20 Corey Grant
• LT No. 72 Shon Coleman
• DE No. 90 Gabe Wright
• DE No. 8 Cassanova McKinzey
• FS No. 9 Jermaine Whitehead

Freshmen to watch:

• RB No. 9 Roc Thomas
• K/P No. 38 Daniel Carlson
• WLB No. 30 Tre Williams

Keys for Auburn:

• Score on their first possession. The pressure falls squarely on Jeremy Johnson’s shoulders to get Auburn in the end zone fast. If the Tigers don’t, there is a chance that the Hogs could have the ball for a majority of the opening quarter. As Gus Malzahn said, time of possession isn’t a problem if you score. Bielema wants the Tigers on the sideline as much as possible.

• Defensive line play: Coaches Ellis Johnson and Rodney Garner have pleaded for a defensive lineman to get to the quarterback in fall camp. Auburn will rotate several players throughout the game. Someone needs to emerge – DTs Jeff Whitaker and Angelo Blackson, JUCO transfer DaVonte Lambert, DEs Elijah Daniel and Gabe Wright- to get to Hogs quarterback Brandon Allen. Getting to him early and rattling him could affect the entire game. The line will have a big challenge containing the Hogs potent run game.

• Carry the home field momentum over from last season: The comforts of home really give Auburn an advantage. Last year Auburn proved they could do anything, come back from any deficit at Jordan-Hare. With Iron Bowl heroes Philip Lutzenkirchen and Dave Langner being honored, the Tigers should be fueled by the home crowd.

Auburn’s glaring weakness to watch: It could be punter and kicker Daniel Carlson. The redshirt freshman is handling both duties and hasn’t kicked in a college game.

Most interesting part of the game: The new offensive personnel that the Tigers have added. Roc Thomas and Duke Williams give Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator even Rhett Lashlee more options.

Team Buzz: The defending SEC champs are feeling somewhat under appreciated. They are the second best team in the state despite winning the conference last year and having so many returning weapons on both sides of the ball. Tigers want to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and they aren’t a one-season wonder.

Arkansas

Players to watch:

• QB No. 10 Brandon Allen
• RB No. 3 Alex Collins
• WR No. 4 Keon Hatcher
• RB No. 33 Korliss Marshall
• RB No. 32 Jonathan Williams
• TE No. 84 Hunter Henry
• FB No. 24 Kody Walker
• OT No. 75 Brey Cook
• DE No. 86 Trey Flowers
• CB No. 8 Tevin Mitchell
• LB No. 47 Martrell Spaight

Freshman to watch:

• CB No. 15 Henre Toliver

Keys for Arkansas:

• Keep Auburn’s offense off the field. The Hogs need to keep Auburn’s playmakers on the sideline. They’ll do that by establishing a slow, deliberate run game that takes a lot of time off the clock. The Hogs have the backs to do it as they rotate Collins, Williams and Marshall.

• Rattle Auburn starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Arkansas has a chance to set the tempo by getting inside the sophomore quarterback’s head. A 3-and-out on the first Tiger possession or forcing a turnover with Johnson in the game and then capitalizing on it would do wonders on the road.

Don’t let the game get away from them early. Auburn’s offense can strike quickly. If the Tigers do, both the Arkansas offense and defense must remain calm and stick to their game plan. After a Tiger score the offense must keep and ball for a while so that Auburn’s offense doesn’t get

Arkansas’ glaring weakness to watch: Arkansas was dead last in creating turnovers last season.The secondary struggled not just getting the ball and in coverage as well. Tevin Mitchell, Alan Turner and the rest of the Hogs secondary willl have their hands full with playmaker Sammie Coates, four other returning wide receivers and JUCO transfer Duke Williams.

Most interesting part of the game: Watching Collins and Williams churn out the yardage. The two combined for over 1,900 rushing yards last season and nearly 200 yards against Auburn last year. When Arkansas’ run gets going, it is a thing of beauty to watch.

Team Buzz: The Hogs have a chip on their shoulder. Another year of Bret Bielema’s system along with a revamped defense under new coordinator Robb Smith has the team believing that they are ten times better than what the rest of the conference views them as: a winless team in the conference last year

Key matchups:
• Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers vs. Auburn tackles Shon Coleman and Patrick Miller. Flowers, a All-SEC Preseason First Team selection, could be in the NFL right now and Shon Coleman is starting his first game.

• Auburn Front 6 vs. Arkansas running backs. The Tigers revamped defensive line needs to find their chemistry quickly. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and defensive line coach Rodney Garner need to identify the best combination up front to slow down the Hogs running game.

The post SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know about Arkansas at Auburn appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Finebaum took umbrage with Auburn’s 2014 motto of being 13 seconds better than last year.

“I’m sorry, I’m not buying it,” said Finebaum.

As Finebaum continued with his point, host Joe Tessitore said “Don’t tell me, tell them.”

Finebaum got out of his seat and faced the Auburn fans behind the SEC Nation set amid a chorus of boos. The Mouth of South rattled off that 1) the Tigers escaped last year’s season opener against Washington State, 2) they needed to go to the wire against Texas A&M and 3) the two last-second wins against Georgia and Alabama.

The post SEC Nation: Finebaum tells Auburn fans last year was a fluke appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Host Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, David Pollack and Desmond Howard all stressed that Arkansas has the ability to run the ball now a second year into Bret Bielema’s system. The consensus of the crew was that the game will be closer than expected and that Arkansas shouldn’t be cast aside as a team that Auburn will walk all over.

While addressing the Razorbacks run game, Herbstreit emphasized that the country “is forgetting about Arkansas like they are the bums of the West….They are going to run the ball, play defense with a front 7 that is back.”

Pollack, the former Georgia Bulldog, isn’t buying into Auburn’s motivation this season.

After running a piece with Gus Malzahn “wired” up that took the viewer through a Tiger practice, Malzahn described what Auburn’s team motto, 13 seconds better, means. Pollack responded saying that Auburn was “also 13 seconds away from three more losses. They might be a better team but that doesn’t mean that they are doing to play for national championship or even play for in the Final Four.”

Pollack followed up that logic saying that Tiger starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson doesn’t run as well as Nick Marshall on a team that was ground-and-pound last year.

Herbstreit countered Pollack’s point:”That’s true, a lot of people talk about that, but they won. You know what it is like when you win. When you find a way to win games it is amazing how that can improve a team’s mentality.”

The post Pollack calls out Auburn, says Tigers were 13 seconds away from 3 losses appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Early in the contest, despite the fact that Auburn knew that Bret Bielema’s squad was going to pound the ball on the ground, the Tigers still had a difficult time stopping the Hogs rushing attack. Nine of the 13 plays on the first drive were runs that equated to 52 of the first drive’s 61 yards. For the first half, 30 of the 47 Razorback plays were runs that equated for 135 of Arkansas 219 yards of offense. Their slow, deliberate pace equated to nearly 22 of first half’s 30 minutes.

Last year, the Razorbacks offensive line had eight games to gel prior to squaring off against Auburn. That included three consecutive tests against the stout defenses of Florida, South Carolina and Alabama leading up to the Auburn game.

This year Williams and Collins return. Three of the five offensive lineman return as well. Brey Cook will be at right tackle like he was last year. Denver Kirkland will start at right guard after playing left guard last year. The Hogs replace Travis Swanson at center with junior Mitch Smothers. Luke Charpentier makes his debut at left guard. Dan Skipper moves from right guard to left tackle. The Hogs showed a two tight end set against Auburn multiple times. All-SEC freshman tight end Hunter Henry, tied the team lead in touchdowns last year, returns. A.J. Derby replaces Mitchell Loewer.

The Hogs line won’t have 8 games under their belt but Auburn doesn’t have the pass rush off the edge that it has last year either. The departure of Dee Ford and the loss of Carl Lawson to injury could hamper the Tigers ability to corral Williams, Collins as well as Korliss Marshall. Speed off the edge for containment needs to come from somewhere for Auburn. Ends Elijah Daniel and Gabe Wright could get help from linebacker Cassanova McKinzey and star hybrid Justin Garrett. They need to be a disruptive force.

Time of possession won’t play a part in the game if the Tigers score when they have the ball. Last year it wasn’t a problem with Tre Mason rushing for 168 yards and four touchdowns. If the offense sputters and Auburn’s defense struggles to get off the field because they can’t stop the run, it could be a long day and a much closer game than expected.

The post Will these Hogs run wild against Auburn? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Talking #Auburn‘s Robenson Therezie on the Forums … http://t.co/7KFXRDXylY pic.twitter.com/AAYRIBJGxI

— AUFAMILY (@AUFAMILY) August 29, 2014

The senior’s eligibility issue was first brought to light on August 14 by Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. At the time, Johnson gave no indication as to why Therezie might not be eligible. Since then, the coaching staff has been tight lipped. Wednesday was the last time head coach Gus Malzahn was available to the media. When asked if Therezie would dress out for Saturday’s game, Malzahn said he “didn’t have any updated information.” When Auburn’s depth chart was released Tuesday Therezie wasn’t even listed on it, which could indicate that he won’t play at all against Arkansas. Junior Justin Garrett is listed as the starter and freshman Nick Ruffin behind Garrett.

UPDATED: Therezie has been cleared to play, according to Auburn SID Kirk Sampson.

Robenson Therezie is eligible to play for @FootballAU and will be in uniform Saturday in the opener

— Kirk Sampson (@AuburnSID) August 30, 2014

Robenson Therezie, who plays the Star position in Auburn’s defense, has been cleared to play Saturday versus Arkansas pic.twitter.com/nEY2OShBlV

— Auburn Gold Mine (@AUGoldMine) August 30, 2014

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Auburn wants to think they have more national championships in football than they supposedly have.

According to AL.com, Auburn officials are still debating whether to claim more national championships in football. In May school athletic director Jay Jacobs was hopeful that a decision would be made prior to the season.

“We’ve decided that we’re just going to get through this season and not let it be a distraction for our fans or our team,” Jacobs said. “We already have them. It’s just a matter of if we recognize them and how that would be appropriate. Nobody can take anything away that we already have, but we’re going to wait until the end of the year to decide what, if anything, we’ll do to recognize those teams.

The school is debating whether to add championships for 1910, 1913, 1914, 1983, 1993 and 2004. The NCAA record book lists Auburn as a national champion in 1913, 1957, 1983, 1993 and 2010.

To go along with their 2010 national championship, the 1957 team is currently the only team that the school recognizes. That team  was recognized as national champions by the AP Poll even though they were on probation and did not participate in a bowl game. They finished with a record of ten wins and zero losses (10–0 overall, 7–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions in Ralph “Shug” Jordan’s, seventh season.

The seasons in question:

1910 – Led by head coach Mike Donahue (1904–1906, 1908–1922), the team went 6–1 while outscoring opponents 176–9.

1913 – Went 8–0, outscoring opponents 224–13. Champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

1914 – The Tigers finished as SIAA champions with a record of 8–0–1 , 5–0–1 in the SIAA. The Tigers didn’t let an opponent outscore score all season, 193–0. The 0-0 tie came against Georgia.

1983 – Finished the season with an 11–1 record and won their first SEC title since 1957.  No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Texas lost their bowl games while No. 3 Auburn defeated No. 8 Michigan State in the Sugar Bowl. The No. 5 Miami Hurricanes, who knocked off Nebraska, jumped from 5th to claim the AP National Championship. The Tigers did finish ranked first in a few polls including the computer rankings utilized by The New York Times.

1993 – The only major college football team to finish the season undefeated with a record of 11–0. The Tigers were on NCAA probation though. In the fall of 1991 Eric Ramsey, a former Auburn defensive back, revealed taped conversations detailing how he received money from of the Auburn football program. The ban meant no TV, no SEC Championship and no bowl game. The National Champions Foundation recognized Auburn as one of its 1993 national champions.

2004 – Despite a 13–0 record which included the SEC title, the Tigers were left out of the BCS National Championship game. The BCS ranked Southern Cal and Oklahoma No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Auburn settled for the Sugar Bowl and defeated No. 9 Virginia Tech. The Trojans had the national title vacated years later after an investigation concluded that running back Reggie Bush and his family obtained impermissible benefits.

The post Does Auburn have 2 national championships or 8? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Arkansas Razorbacks at Auburn Tigers
(4 PM ET, SEC Network)

THE SKINNY: The feud between Gus Malzahn and Bret Bielema has been turned down from boiling to simmer. Still, as Bielema said at SEC Media Days “they are not breaking bread’ with one another. The intensity of the season-opener for both teams is amped up a couple of notches with it being an SEC West divisional game. Both team are feeling real good about themselves. Auburn has new offensive weapons to use and a more experienced defense. Fayetteville is jumping with anticipation of what they hope is a breakout year for the Hogs. Malzahn has pulled out his gamesmanship card not saying when quarterback Nick Marshall and boundary corner Jonathan Mincy will enter the game. Bielema drawn up two different game plans for Marshall and starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson.

KEY PLAYER: Arkansas’ defensive end Trey Flowers – No. 86 – turned down NFL dollars and returned to Fayetteville. He has a chance to make an impression on NFL scouts against the defending SEC champs. Last year Flowers knocked it out of the park with 44 tackles, including 13.5 for loss with 5.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. The All-SEC Preseason First Team selection can will put his hand in the dirt on both sides of the line. Flowers could be a disruptive force to Auburn’s run and pass game. Auburn tackle Shon Coleman, in his first start, will have the pleasure of blocking Flowers when he lines up on the right side. Patrick Miller’s starting at left tackle.

WHAT TO WATCH: Depending on the weather, both Auburn quarterbacks will put the ball up in the air a lot. Johnson looked good against inferior talent last year. How he does against SEC competition remains to be seen. Auburn’s offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Marshall passing improved drastically from January and spring camp and improved even more from spring camp to fall camp. There are talented receivers around them. Malzahn’s been banging the more-balanced drum for a while. We need to see an improved passing game. If it rains, expect the Tigers to run the ball like they did last year.

FINAL SAY: Auburn must start the game on the right foot. Scoring on their first possession with Johnson in is critical. If they don’t, Arkansas’ slow, deliberate ground attack could eat up a majority of the clock in the first quarter. Last year’s game was a lot closer than the 35-17 score indicated. The Tigers offensive weapons will be too much for the Hogs Saturday but, like last year, the game will be closer than expected.

The post Scouting Report: Arkansas at Auburn appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“There are a lot of things that we have to be 13 seconds better at,” Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said during fall camp. “No. 1 for us is ball security.”

With the National Weather Service calling for a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday, both Auburn and Arkansas could be tested as to how well they handle the rock in what could be wet conditions.

“You do everything you can to prepare your guys but like I said there is nothing better than experience,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. “The fact that we have gone throught a couple of situations last year in the rain, the guys will know how to handle it better the second time around.”

The first time around was last year in Baton Rouge against LSU, Auburn’s lone SEC loss. An intermittent rain lasted  throughout the game. In the wet environment Auburn fumbled three times and coughing it up played a huge part in the 35- 21 loss.

Auburn lost only one fumble but two of the three lead to easy LSU touchdowns. It put Auburn in a 14-0 hole that they couldn’t get out off. On the first possession of the game, Nick Marshall fumbled on a rushing attempt. It was recovered by LSU at their own 43-yard line. Three plays later Jeremy Hill busted off a 49-yard touchdown scamper. After going 3-and-out on the very next possession, Auburn punter Steve Clark fumbled the snap. He recovered the ball but didn’t get the kick off. LSU took over on in prime territory, the Auburn 10-yard line. Hill ran into the end zone on the very next play.

In this year’s fall camp, as well as all this week in particular, Auburn’s specialists and players that will touch the ball have practiced with wet footballs to prepare themselves.

Lashlee has put the pressure on the quarterbacks, Marshall in particular, to improve their ball-handling. According to AuburnTigers.com, the Tigers fumbled 30 times last season and lost 11. Marshall was credited with six of the 11 lost fumbles.

vs. Missouri – RESULT: Missouri field goal
vs. Missouri – RESULT: Returned for Missouri touchdown
vs. Texas A&M – RESULT: Auburn interception
vs. Ole Miss –  RESULT: Ole Miss punt
vs. LSU – RESULT: LSU touchdown
vs. Ark State – RESULT: Arkansas State field goal

In retrospect, Arkansas lost the ball 60 percent of the time they put it on the ground. Auburn lost it only 36 percent. Still, Lashlee wants that number to be lower this season.

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Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee got a lot of presents in the offseason to enhance the Tigers already potent offense. The box is largely missing one toy – Tre Mason – that got a lot of use last year. Others toys are still in the box: wide receiver Sammie Coates, running back Cameron-Artis Payne, running back Corey Grant, tight end C.J. Uzomah and quarterback Nick Marshall.

Those presents that Malzahn and Lashlee got, they have been sitting under the tree for what seems like months. They’re ready to rip off the wrapping and start playing with them.

WR Duke Williams – A two-time NJCAA All-American, Williams has NFL-type ability. He’ll line up opposite of Sammie Coates, one of the SEC’s most dynamic play-markers. Together, they can be special. He’ll be an integral piece of the Tigers transition to be more balanced. Malzahn is eager to see how Williams handles a game-situation. In the spring game as well as in fall camp Williams made some acrobatic catches. How Williams develops a chemistry with the two quarterbacks will be an interesting sub-plot throughout the season.

RB Roc Thomas – Along with Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant, the freshman will be thrown out there to show what he has. At 5-foot-11, pushing 200 pounds, Thomas isn’t afraid to go between the tackles and take a hit. His elusive speed makes him a threat every time he touches the ball. He is a special player that can have an immediate impact.

QB Jeremy Johnson – Auburn fans are intrigued by the sophomore’s big arm and pocket presence. The home run ball and deep passes are what wows a crowd but the coaching staff has been impressed with Johnson’s ability to run the entire offense. He can run the ball effectively as well. Saturday’s start isn’t just a flash in the pan either. With a promise to be worked in throughout the season, Johnson’s ability changes the style of offense which could be used to Auburn’s advantage. He started against weaker opponents and had just spot duty in SEC games last year. Now we get to see what he do on a consistent basis against the SEC.

HB/TE Brandon Fulse – Fulse is a senior but has never been given an opportunity to make an impact playing in Uzomah’s shadow. This year he’s inherited Jake Prosch’s spot. Old No. 35 was a battering ram in the Tigers run game and was the most under appreciated clog in Auburn’s run game. Fulse knows the blocking task ahead of him is critical. His pass catching ability brings another dynamic to the position. Defenses will have to account for it. It gives Lashlee another option.

LG Chad Slade – Slade is a four year starter but he has a new home this season after being the projected starter at right guard. A season-ending injury to Alex Kozan moved him to the left side. The senior has the ability to play in the NFL. He, along with left tackle Shon Coleman, have worked together in camp to become the anchors of the left side. His game experience, 37, will be a big factor in how well Auburn runs the ball and protects the quarterback’s blind side.

K Daniel Carlson – It cannot be understated how critical Daniel Carlson will be to the Tigers this season. The coaches wouldn’t have anointed him the starter at kicker and punter if they didn’t think he could handle it. He showed in the spring game that he can make the long kick, drilling a 50-yarder. He is on a strict practice regiment so that he does wear out his leg.

LT Braden Smith – Auburn was fortunate enough to only have to use six offensive lineman all of last season. It would be surprising it that were the case this year. If they need to use their depth it could start with Smith. Offensive line coach  J.B. Grimes placed him in the 99.9 percentile of freshman tackles in the country. He is mammoth in size: 6-foot-6, 299 pounds. His ability is just as big.

The post Auburn ready to show off all its new offensive toys appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There was little doubt that Alabama’s Mr. Football was coming to the Plains. The five-star recruit from Oxford, Alabama chose Auburn before the 2013 season started. He proceed to rush for 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns his senior year, finishing his career with more than 5,500 yards and 76 touchdowns.

“I feel like I can come out of the backfield and do a lot of great things in this offense. I have good hands, good speed and good balance,” Thomas said when he signed. “They can send me on routes and I can catch the ball.”

“He was the top running back on our guy’s board,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said after Thomas’ signing was official. “Our offensive staff identified him early and they recruited him extremely hard. A key to this class. He was very loyal to us. He could’ve went anywhere and he chose to not. He stayed with us and we really feel like he has the ability to come in immediately and make an impact.”

Arkansas will be the first opponent to see Thomas’ ability. Yes, Auburn knows what they have in game-proven seniors Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant. While the consensus is that Artis-Payne and Grant will battle the first couple of games for the most carries, Thomas has too much talent not to see the field.

“He’s really a good student of the game. He’s learned it well,” running back coach Tim Horton said. “One of the most pleasing things…..is he’s really hasn’t had mental mistakes and for a true freshman, getting thrown the whole playbook fairly early, I’ve been real pleased with that.”

Eyes opened when Thomas busted a 15-yard touchdown during a scrimmage the second week of fall camp.

“He’s big, so he thinks he can run everybody over,” receiver Tony Stevens told AL.com “That’s what I like, though.”

“Roc Thomas is everything we thought.” Malzahn said during his Monday during his weekly radio show. You put the ball in his hands he can do some special things. He has that B button, you know, the video game has that B button. He can turn, twist and keep balanced and all that.”

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Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers vs. Auburn tackles Shon Coleman and Patrick Miller

Right out of the gate, Auburn’s revamped offensive line is going to get tested. Future NFL defensive end Trey Flowers can line up on both the right and left side. When Flowers lines up on the right, he’ll be going up against sophomore Shon Coleman. Coleman is making his first ever start after backing up Greg Robinson, the No. 2 player taken in the NFL Draft. Protecting the quarterback’s blind side, especially early on when Jeremy Johnson is in, will be critical for Coleman. On the right junior Patrick Miller will be starting for the first time in nine games.

Auburn Front 6 vs. Arkansas running backs

The Razorbacks bring three more-than-capable running backs. Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams combined for over 1,900 yards last year. Korliss Marshall brings more of a presence on special teams than in the running game but will get a chance as well. With Dee Ford gone and Carl Lawson injured, the defensive line needs to establish chemistry up front. DE Elijah Daniel returns after an impressive freshman year, DT Jeff Whitaker hasn’t played in 19 games and DT Angelo Blackson made only small contribution last year. DE Gabe Wright is the lone starter with significant experience. Cassanova McKinzy, last year’s team leader in tackles, and Kris Frost anchor the linebackers.

Cassanova McKinzey and Gabe Wright pass rush vs. Arkansas offensive line

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has been craving a pass rusher. While newcomer DaVonte Lambert has made some noise in camp, the intriguing question is how two returners will be making a debuts of sorts. McKinzy, Auburn’s middle linebacker, has been touted as a force when he put his hand in the dirt and lines up off the edge. A more fit and slimmed down Gabe Wright is moving to the edge after playing the last three years at tackle. The Hogs do not have anyone up front that started all 12 games last year. Arkansas left guard Luke Charpentier started just once last year.

Arkansas Secondary vs. Auburn Wide Receivers

With Auburn planning to throw the ball more and a plethora of receivers on the depth chart – Sammie Coates (42 catches), Ricardo Louis (28) and Quan Bray (23) – the Tigers hope to exploit the Razorback secondary. Only Kentucky gave up more yards per pass completion than Arkansas in 2013 – 7.9 yards. Auburn fans are highly anticipating the debut of the Duke Williams. Tiger receiver coach Dameyune Craig called Williams the best receiver he has seen. Head coach Gus Malzahn said earlier in the week he needs to see JUCO transfer in a game situation. Razorback safety Alan Turner has had a productive career and lead the team in tackles. Turner should make his presence felt in the secondary.

Justin Garrett & Josh Holsey vs. Arkansas Passing Game

This is about Justin Garrett & Josh Holsey getting back on the field. Garrett, getting the start at the star because of Robenson Therezie’s eligibility issues, should bring a physical presence after missing most of last year. Like Williams, Malzahn needs to see Garrett in game action. The same can be said with Holsey is coming off ACL surgery and has been limited in practice. He’s a backup but should see time with Jonathan Mincy being disciplined. Holsey, when healthy, could make a huge impact and be a pass break up machine.

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DE Trey Flowers – A Huntsville native that didn’t get a offer from Auburn or Alabama. Flowers is an NFL-caliber player who returned for his senior year despite playing for a fourth defensive coordinator in as many years. Might be the most proficient and gifted pass rusher in the SEC. Of his 44 tackles in 2013, 13.5 were for a loss and five sacks. Last year against the Tigers did a good job containing Flowers and keeping him off Nick Marshall. He had three tackles, one for a loss. Made this year’s All-SEC Preseason Coaches First Team

RB Alex Collins – The Associated Press SEC Freshman of the Year. Granted they were against Louisiana Lafayette, Samford and Southern Miss but Collins was the first freshman in SEC history to start his career with three straight 100-yard rushing games. He rushed for 1,066 yards as one of the two-headed monsters at running back for the Hogs. Ran for 92 yards on 18 carries last year against Auburn. Made this year’s All-SEC Preseason Coaches Second Team.

RB Jonathan Williams – The other monster at running back for the Hogs. Williams ran for 900 yards despite getting the ball 40 times less than Collins. Williams has the rare ability to run between the tackles as well as being fast enough to get to the edge. Ran for 104 yards on 15 carries last year against Auburn. Made this year’s All-SEC Preseason Coaches Third Team.

QB Brandon Allen – The health of the sophomore signal-caller was the biggest question last season. Allen only missed one game with a shoulder injury in his throwing arm but it was clear that he wasn’t 100 percent. He had to receive numbing shots throughout the season. With his health improved and development in the spring, there are expectations for Allen. They are talented targets around Allen and he shouldn’t be viewed as a QB that just hands off. He finished 128-of-258 passing for 1,552 yards and 13 touchdowns.

TE Hunter Henry – A youngster on the rise, Henry was Tom Lemming’s  No. 1 tight end prospect in the nation. As a freshman last year, Henry was named All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press. After adding 25 pounds to his frame and having a year of development under his belt, Henry expects to best his 28 catches and four touchdowns. Only one other Razorback had more catches then Henry. Last year against the Tigers, Henry had one catch. Made this year’s All-SEC Preseason Coaches Third Team.

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On July 18 of this year Tiger died at 34-years old. The golden eagle spent seven seasons gliding in the wind above the field at Jordan-Hare. Believed to be one of the oldest living bald eagles, Tiger also flew as part of the opening ceremonies at 2002 Olympics Games. War Eagle VII, Nova, officially took over the stadium duties on Nov. 27, 2006.

A public memorial will take place for Tiger at 5 p.m. Friday inside Plainsman Park. In addition to Auburn athletics director Jay Jacob being on hand, so will Marianne Hudson, the assistant director of raptor training and education at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Southeastern Raptor Center as well as the college’s dean Calvin Johnson. An educational program and flight demonstration will also take place.

The role of Auburn University’s eagles is to promote wildlife conservation as a part of education initiatives of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the  Founded in the mid-1970’s, the center developed when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brought six injured birds to the Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine and asked that the school become a rehabilitation hub for the Southeast. Since then it has treated and released  thousands of birds of prey. The center has provided educational programs for thousands.

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• On the first possession of the game, the Hogs worked a 12-play, 61 yards drive and took over six minutes off the clock. Their 13th play from the Auburn 13-yard line had A.J. Derby lined up under center. RESULT: AUBURN INTERCEPTION. Linebacker Cassanoza McKinzy picked off Derby.
• After kicking a field goal to trim Auburn’s lead 7-3 in the second quarter, the Hogs tried to keep the momentum going on the ensuing kickoff. But John Henson’s on-side kick was recovered by the Tigers. Result: AUBURN TOUCHDOWN. After a penalty against Arkansas, Auburn got the ball on the Arkansas 38-yard line. Six plays later Tre Mason scored the first of his four touchdowns.
• Running back Alex Collins lined up twice at quarterback on the following Razorbacks drive. Result: AUBURN GOAL-LINE STAND. Collins converted a first down on a 3rd-and-1 situation from the Arkansas 34-yard line. Gained 1 yard on 1st-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Three plays later running back Jonathan Williams was stopped on 4th-and-goal by linebacker JaViere Mitchell.
• Facing a 4th-and-three from the Auburn 9-yard line, wide receiver Brian Buehner got his passing game on. Result: ARKANSAS TOUCHDOWN. Buehner completed a 7-yard pass to tight end Austin Tate. One play later running Kiero Small scored to

Arkansas took too many risks and wasn’t rewarded for their gambles. The Hogs failure to convert on a majority of those plays and Tre Mason’s four touchdowns and 186 yards on the ground propelled Auburn to a 35-17 win.

The Tigers are breaking in a lot of new personnel this year, some on defense and some on special teams. Bielema’s propensity to be tricky has Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn on guard more than usual.

“We have to be prepared not just in the kicking game but on defensive,” Malzahn said Wednesday. “We do it not just because we are playing them but the fact that they took a lot of chances means that we have to be prepared for them.”

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The set will be located outside the stadium on the Campus Green which is located on the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium. It is the same location where ESPN GameDay has set up in the past. The SEC Nation Fan Experience includes hard hats, a photo booth, a Plinko challenge and football challenge.

Fans are invited to tailgate around the set and the first fans to arrive will be invited to be a part of the crowd in the show. The show will be live from 9-11 a.m. central time.

An SEC Nation bus with corn hole and tailgating chairs that the television crew will be tailgating at throughout the morning. This is not a fan area, but fans will be able to watch.

Host Joe Tessitore will be joined by three commentators that have pretty good insight about the SEC. Radio show host Paul Finebaum, the voice of the SEC football fan, joins Tessitore along with two former SEC players: Heisman trophy winner and former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as well former LSU defensive end and NFL veteran Marcus Spears.

Auburn hopes to continue to have a winning record when an ESPN produced show involves the Tigers. The Tigers are 8-7 when GameDay broadcasts from the site of an Auburn game, 5-3 when the show originates from Auburn.

Auburn fans can remind both Tebow and Spears that neither of them were successful when it came to playing at Jordan-Hare. The two were a combined 0-3.

LSU came to Auburn both times ranked in the Top 10 with Spears on the roster and lost. In 2002 unranked Auburn intercepted Marcus Randall four times, making his second start for the injured Matt Mauck, en route to a 31-7 shellacking of the No. 10 Tigers. Two years later Auburn, ranked No. 14 at the time, score a touchdown in the last minute, to defeat No. 4 LSU 10-9. In 2006 against the unbeaten and No. 2 Gators, Auburn scored 19 unanswered points to knock off Florida 27-17. Tebow, in spot duty, scored a second quarter, 16-yard touchdown run. That turned out to be Florida’s last point scored.

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Keeping Marshall at home for SEC Media Days might have seemed like disciplinary action in Malzahn’s eyes. In all likelihood, though, most players, including Marshall, would rather not be there. So Marshall got bailed out of going. He, of course, would have preferred another reason for him not being there though.

So, it is almost 50 days after Marshall’s citation and we still really don’t know what Malzahn’s plan is. If it is a form of gamesmanship to not communicate how much and when Marshall will play, then so be it. As Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema said Wednesday, the Hogs have two defensive game plans for Marshall and Auburn starter Jeremy Johnson. They’ll just roll with it as the game moves along.

Bielema made a clear point to one particular reporter on Wednesday’s SEC coaches’ teleconference that he wasn’t saying he would have handled the Nick Marshall situation differently when he said the following on Monday:

I am excited about……the consistency that we’ve (on our depth chart) really the last 10 days of preparation. We know who is lining up, we don’t have any suspensions, we don’t have anything hanging over us in a cloud of doubt. We’ve just got our guys lined up playing good football, which we like.

“No, (I wasn’t saying that) at all. You are reading too much rhetoric,” Bielama said. “Every coach has a policy in place that their university uses. For us, we have a certain policy in place if certain things pop up. I like dealing in the black and white. Decisions have got to be made. They are kind of made for you. I think that is the relationship I have with (Arkansas athletic director) Jeff Long and where I have been at previously. 

“As far as how Gus handles his team, he’s obviously done a great job of it to win an SEC title and put himself in the national championship game and his team speaks volumes about what that coaching staff is capable of doing and how capable they are.”

The ball is in Malzahn’s court now to make the right decision. Marshall’s needs to be accountable for his actions and not just given a slap on the wrist.

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Former Tiger tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen and defensive back David Langner will be remember with a moment of silence before Saturday’s game against Arkansas.

Auburn’s Sports Information Director Kirk Sampson also said that there will be “something” on the video board during the moment of silence.

Lutzenkirchen, a beloved player by some many people, died in a single-vehicle accident June 29 outside of LaGrange, Georgia. During fall camp the Tigers remembered “Lutzie” with a No. 43 painted in one end zone. Just prior to the start of her soccer season, Lutzenkirchen’s sister, Abby, changed her Alabama jersey number to 43 to honor her best friend and brother.

Abby Lutzenkirchen putting the no. 43 on for the first time #RollTide #Lutz43 pic.twitter.com/aMTzHKqQ3c

— Alabama Soccer (@AlabamaSoccer) August 27, 2014

The tight end hauled in 59 catches during his career, 14 for touchdowns. Lutzenkirchen’s most memorable touchdown came in Auburn’s 2010 national championship season. Against Alabama, Auburn roared back from a 24-0 deficit and scored the game-winning touchdown when Cam Newtown threw a seven-yard strike to Lutzenkirchen that put Auburn ahead for good 28-27 win.

Many Auburn players and coaches are expected to show some form of tribute for Lutzenkircken, whether it is wearing a bracelet or printing No. 43 written on their shoes or tape.

“I’ll be wearing his bracelet,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “I’m sure there will be some players who honor him in their own way.”

Lutzenkircken was the first player Malzahn recruited when he was at Auburn.

Langner died on April 26 of cancer. The 62-year old might be the most recognizable Auburn star in Iron Bowl history. In the 1972 contest, now known as the “Punt Bama Punt” game, Langner returned not one, but, two Alabama blocked punts for touchdowns. Auburn’s Bill Newton blocked both punts in the fourth quarter  The second Langner touchdown gave the Tigers the lead for good 17-16. Langner’s interception in the waining minutes clinched the Auburn victory.

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Auburn’s third possession in last year’s national championship game took 2 minutes, 13 seconds for an early 7-3 lead over Florida State. It took just 1:05 for Auburn to go 85 yards to increase their lead to 14-3. In 2:25 the Tigers rolled up their third unanswered touchdown of the first half. Late in the game and trailing by 3, Auburn went 75 yards in just 1:19 to retake the lead. With 1:11 left in the game though, the Seminoles marched 80 yards and scored in Auburn-like fashion. The Rose Bowl clock showed :13 when Kelvin Benjamin hauled in the game-winning touchdown.

For all the unexpected, magical, jaw-dropping, euphoric moments that Auburn experienced last year, their last moment was completely the opposite. Sure, the Ricardo Louis and Chris Davis heroics will be replayed over and over again. But it is that moment, when Benjamin made that catch followed by the somber walk to the locker room, that stung so deep. The pats on the back from fans about what a great season Auburn had and how it exceeded expectations only goes so far. Being that close – 13 seconds away – from two national championships in four years without the BCS trophy could cripple a team.

Thirteen seconds isn’t that long of a time period. It should pass very quickly. But 13 seconds didn’t go by as quick as an Auburn scoring strike in the offseason. It lasted over seven months for the Tigers. And Auburn is making the most of it.

Auburn faces an expectation this season. It is an expectations they’ve placed on themselves. An established expectation way before the polls placed the Tigers in the Top 6. Thirteen seconds might sting but it will motivate Auburn and it will teach Auburn. The Tigers have turned it into their battle cry – Be 13 seconds better.

“Thirteen seconds it is a mentality,” Malzahn on his radio show Monday night. “You have to be 13 seconds better. That is to help motivate us throughout the season. It goes for coaches, players and myself.”

All of the highs and lows of 2013 will teach Auburn to be 13 seconds better.

“It is very critical that we were in very pressure situations,” Malzahn said. “We experienced about every emotion you could experience last year. (This year) the coaches know how the players are going to react and he players are going to know how we react.”

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“I haven’t been so stoked for Razorback football in like 20 years,” Wilkin said in a phone interview with Saturday Down South Monday evening. “I’m just so excited about our team this year. I think that this is going to be our year to break through.”

Wilkin, who attended grad school at the Arkansas in the early 1990s, wanted to do to something to inspire the fan base and make it fun. The enthusiastic owner decided to put to his money where his mouth is. The store released an informal press release stating that “when Arkansas beats No.6 Auburn, the chain will sell large pizzas at 1 penny per point” the Razorbacks score at their Fayetteville campus location on Monday.

“My wife and the crew think I’m crazy but we have everybody on notice,” said Wilkin. “I really feel like (the football) team is on the cusp of something big and we want to be apart of it.”

The story spread like wildfire on the internet Monday, getting many retweets on twitter.

Fayetteville pizza joint offers up 1 cent pizzas “when Arkansas beats Auburn” this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/JxmKM1VjOP

— Todd.ABC33/40 (@ToddABC3340) August 26, 2014

The Leverett Ave. store has been operating for 22 years and is one of Eureka’s higher volume stores since it stays open until 3 a.m. feeding hungry college students.

“Come 8 o’clock Saturday night we are going to have to get our butts in gear to get a 1,000 pizzas ready to go  Monday morning,” said Wilkin.

Coincidently, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn knows Eureka Pizza quite well. As head coach at Shiloh Christian High School in nearby Springdale, Arkansas, Malzahn use to bring the entire team to the Eureka Springdale location frequently.

“His glory year in high school, we were the local pizza place right down the street from his school,” said Wilkin.”We would feed the team and other times he would come in just with the family,” said Wilkin.

“He was the nicest man you could imagine. He is so first class. He is a student of football. He was a pioneer, a jet setter with the hurry up offense. Our local teams are still (running) his offense. He inspired a whole generation of coaches in Arkansas.”

With Arkansas being a 22-point underdog to Auburn. Wilkin might not be going out on a limb. Anything can happen though.

“Auburn wasn’t in the conversation last year,” said Wilkin. “I think we are in the same situation. Nobody takes stock in preseason rankings, do they?”

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Notable players, a thought-to-be returning starter and an expected contributor, were missing completely. More than half a dozen freshman made the two deep roster. Three offensive spots don’t have a clear-cut starter.

NECK AND NECK

Cameron Artis-Payne OR Corey Grant – Running Back: The first time Malzahn addressed the media in fall camp he said he was “going to throw both of them out there and see what happens.” That has been the line since then. Tuesday Malzahn stressed that Grant can “run the whole offense and really improved in a lot of areas” as oppose to running to the edge and beating defenders with his speed. He is confident in Artis-Payne’s ability but made a point to say that the quality he showed last year was early in season.

C.J. Uzomah OR Brandon Fulse – Tight End/Halfback: Last year the tight end and the halfback position were listed as two different positions. The indication is that Fulse will line up primarily in the backfield, taking over for Jay Prosch. The main responsibility will be blocking but Fulse’s catching ability brings another dimension to the halfback spot. Uzomah could line up in the backfield but his strength is as a receiver along with blocking on the edge.

Ricardo Louis or Quan Bray – Wide Receiver: Receiver might be one of the deepest positions on the team. Had to be hard to differentiate between the two very similar receivers. Both Louis and Bray are apart of the special teams duties: Bray the No. 1 on punt returns and Louis No.2 on kick returns.

MISSING COMPLETELY 

Robenson Therezie – Star/Hybrid: Gus Malzahn intimated Monday night during his weekly radio show that the senior from Miami, who lead the team in interceptions last season, wasn’t going to be in the mix. Malzahn said Justin Garrett is the main guy at the star/hybrid spot. Therezie has some sort of eligibility problem which was first reported by Ellis Johnson back on Aug. 16. The coaching staff has been tight lipped since the initial announcement. Tuesday Malzahn’s explaination was “we didn’t need to put him on there right now until it gets resolved.” It is an ironic situation. Therezie inherited the star/hybrid position last year because of a Garrett injury in fall camp. Freshman Nick Ruffin is listed behind Garrett.

Jimmy Hutchinson – Punter: We knew back on Aug. 16 that redshirt freshman Daniel Carlson won the punting job. There was an expectation though that Hutchinson, who also redshirted last year, would probably be part of the two deep. His 40-yard average with a long of 46 yards in the A-Day game wasn’t enough for special teams coach Scott Fountain. Fountain needed a sky kicker. True freshman Matthew Shiel clearly outworked Hutchinson in fall camp.

FRESHMAN BACK-UPS

Matthew Shiel – Punter: Speaking of Shiel, his journey to the Plains is an intriguing one. A native of Australia, Shiel took first place among the top punters at Kohl’s National Scholarship Kicking Camp. He brings a Australian-type kicking style after years of playing both Australian football and rugby while attending high school in Doncaster, Australia. Special team coach Scott Fountain said earlier in camp that one reason they brought Shiel in was because of Aussie-style of kicking.

Nick Ruffin – Star/Hybrid: Clearly the coaching staff knew about Therezie’s eligibility issue much earlier than when Johnson announced it on Aug. 16. Ruffin moved from competing at the cornerback to star/hybrid the first week of camp. His challenge will be taking on bigger players. Ruffin stands 6-foot tall but is nearly 50 pounds lighter (174 pounds) than Garrett.

Braden Smith – Left Tackle: Offensive line coach J.B. Grimes has the confidence that Smith has the proper technique as well as ability to back-up sophomore Shon Coleman. Grimes, who said Smith is probably in the 99.9 percentile of freshman tackles in the country, needed Smith to pass one test in fall camp.  Could Smith go out there and react properly when the ball is snapped. Grimes said it was his job to get Smith to know exactly what to do before the ball is snapped. After that it was on Smith to react properly. Obviously, Smith passed the test.

Stanton Truitt – Wide Receiver: Enrolling in January clearly made a difference for Truitt. He”ll line up behind sophomore Marcus Davis as a slot receiver. Truitt is a future poster boy for Auburn’s “Fast” motto. He is very quick with great hands. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee called him “tough, smart.” He made a big enough impression despite going through a portion of fall camp with a nagging hamstring injury.

Tre Williams – Weakside Linebacker: It started out as a free for all to find out the two deep behind Kris Frost and Cassanoza McKinzy. Williams stood head and shoulders above the other candidates with a wanting to learn. His physical ability jumped off the field during the first scrimmage, McKinzy talked him a “head hunter” and praised his ability to pick up the system quickly.

Stephen Roberts – Free Safety: A week into fall camp Ellis Johnson mentioned that safeties Markell Boston and Roberts impressed him but “weren’t ready to plays on Saturdays yet.” Roberts made improvement to earn a spot though. Johnson and safeties coach Charlie Harbison liked Roberts’ quickness and ability to go up and get the ball. He’ll be behind the quarterback of the defense Jermaine Whitehead. Roberts and Whitehead are both similar in stature, both at 5-food-11. Whitehead is 13 pounds heavier than Roberts but Roberts has put some weight on.

Ike Powell – Long Snapper: Props to Powell for walking on and being the back-up to senior Forrest Hill. 247 Sports rated Powell the No. 6 long snapper in the country and he was named the top snapper by Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

The post Breaking down Auburn’s depth chart appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Below is the chart. A full story will follow.

OFFENSE

LT: 72 Shon Coleman (6-6, 310, So.)
71 Braden Smith (6-6, 299, Fr.)

LG: 62 Chad Slade (6-5, 315, Sr.)
53 Devonte Danzey (6-4, 296, Jr.)

C: 50 Reese Dismukes (6-3, 295, Sr.)
52 Xavier Dampeer (6-2, 296, Jr.)

RG: 56 Avery Young (6-6, 315, So.)
76 Jordan Diamond (6-6, 318, So.)

RT: 51 Patrick Miller (6-7, 289, Jr.)
70 Robert Leff (6-6, 286, So.)

QB: 14 Nick Marshall (6-1, 210, Sr.)
6 Jeremy Johnson (6-5, 230, So.)

TB: 44 Cameron Artis-Payne (5-11, 210, Sr.) –OR–
20 Corey Grant (5-11, 205, Sr.)

TE/HB: 81 C.J. Uzomah (6-5, 264, Sr.) –OR–
11 Brandon Fulse (6-4, 258, Sr.)

WR: 1 D’haquille Williams (6-2, 216, Jr.)
82 Melvin Ray (6-3, 207, Jr.)

WR: 18 Sammie Coates (6-2, 201, Jr.)
8 Tony Stevens (6-4, 198, So.)

WR: 5 Ricardo Louis (6-2, 212, Jr.) —OR–
4 Quan Bray (5-10, 195, Sr.)

WR: 80 Marcus Davis (5-9, 180, So.)
10 Stanton Truitt (5-9, 175, Fr.)

SPECIALISTS

PK: 38 Daniel Carlson (6-4, 216, RFr.)
39 Alex Kviklys (6-1, 191, Jr.)

P: 38 Daniel Carlson (6-4, 216, RFr.)
85 Matthew Shiel (5-11, 195, Fr.)

H: 29 Tyler Stovall (6-1, 207, RFr.)
12 Jonathan Wallace (6-2, 207, Jr.)

LS: 48 Forrest Hill (6-1, 248, Sr.)
69 Ike Powell (6-3, 264, Fr.)

PR: 4 Quan Bray (5-10, 195, Sr.)
80 Marcus Davis (5-9, 180, So.)

KR: 20 Corey Grant (5-11, 205, Sr.)
5 Ricardo Louis (6-2, 212, Jr.)
9 Roc Thomas (5-10, 193, Fr.)
23 Johnathan Ford (6-0, 199, So.)

DEFENSE

DE: 97 Elijah Daniel (6-2, 263, So.)
86 DaVonte Lambert (6-2, 293, Jr.)

DT: 98 Angelo Blackson (6-4, 306, Sr.)
1 Montravius Adams (6-4, 306, So.)

DT: 54 Jeffrey Whitaker (6-4, 322, Sr.)
50 Ben Bradley (6-1, 303, Sr.)

DE: 90 Gabe Wright (6-3, 284, Sr.)
10 LaDarius Owens (6-2., 259, Sr.)

Star: 26 Justin Garrett (6-1, 224, Jr.)
19 Nick Ruffin (6-0, 174, Fr.)

MLB: 8 Cassanova McKinzy (6-3, 249, Jr.)
43 Anthony Swain (6-2, 249, Jr.)

WLB: 17 Kris Frost (6-2, 234, Jr.)
30 Tre’ Williams (6-2, 225, Fr.)

CB: 3 Jonathan Jones (5-10, 182, Jr.)
25 Trovon Reed (6-0, 190, Sr.)

FS: 9 Jermaine Whitehead (5-11, 193, Sr.)
14 Stephen Roberts (5-11, 180, Fr.)

BS: 23 Johnathan Ford (6-0, 199, So.)
24 Derrick Moncrief (6-2, 218, Jr.)

CB: 6 Jonathon Mincy (5-10, 196, Sr.)
15 Joshua Holsey (5-11, 192, Jr.)

The post Auburn’s depth chart released appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“Whatever shows up in the backfield, whatever person starts and whatever person lines up on the field, we’ve just got to roll with it and make the best of the situation,” Bielema said.

The Tigers have a game of musical chairs going for Saturday’s opener. Auburn’s starting lineup is being tweaked because of disciplinary reasons for certain players. It is also because of the Tigers depth. Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson will both play under center is because of Marshall’s citation. Robenson Therezie might not see the field because of an eligibility issue. Therezie’s running mate in the secondary, Jonathon Mincy, won’t be starting either.

Who Auburn will be bringing off the edge to rush Razorback quarterback Brandon Allen will also be musical chairs. That is by design though not because of disciplinary reasons. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner wants his potential starters at defensive end – Gabe Wright and Elijah Daniel – to consistently be substituted out. That will give reps to DeVonte Lambert, LaDarius Owens and Raashad Kennion. Lambert and Kennion showed tremendous speed and athleticism in fall camp.

Different faces in the backfield doesn’t apply to just quarterbacks. There could be as many as three different running back on the field for the Tigers Saturday. That too is because of depth, not disciple. Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Grant and true freshman Roc Thomas all could play Saturday. Like Lambert and Kennion, all three backs bring speed just in a different capacity.

It is Auburn’s speed that concerns Bielema more than anything else.

“If there is one area that’s kinda being overlooked in my opinion, is they signed a couple of really good players and their perimeter players from a year ago are back and they have a lot of gifted speed,” Bielema said. “It’s our biggest concern.”

In addition to those signed players – Lambert (junior college transfer), Kennion (freshman) and Thomas (freshman) – Bielema was also referring to wide receiver Duke Williams, another junior college transfer the Tigers signed.  Williams has been put in higher regard. Auburn’s wide receiver coach Dameyune Craig called Williams a game-changer and one of the best receivers he has ever seen.

Add wide receivers Sammie Coates, Ricardo Louis and Quan Bray to the list of Tiger speedsters. As well as Marshall.

“Nick is a seasoned player, an athletic player, a guy that can say he’s played in the big game and won and excelled and played on a big stage,” Bielema said. “As long as he’s in there, we’ll see that, but I don’t see their offense changing a lot, whoever is at quarterback.”

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Of the 12 games involving SEC schools playing outside in the elements on Thursday and Saturday, the average high temperature will be a sweltering 90 degrees, according to weather.com. On-field temps along with the heat index could push these numbers into the triple digits.

The projected high in Columbia for Thursday’s South Carolina-Texas A&M game is 97 degrees, the highest of all game. During last year’s Thursday night opener involving the Gamecocks, the game time temperature was 93 degrees. Many players had a difficult time with the heat including Jadeveon Clowney.

Some colder temperatures could prevail at certain game sites. Scattered thunderstorms, ranging anywhere from 10 to 50 percent, are predicted on Saturday in Athens, Auburn, Gainesville, Starkville and Columbia, Missouri.

Thursday (all times eastern)

6 p.m. South Carolina vs. Texas A&M: Columbia, South Carolina – High of 97 degrees

8 p.m. Boise State vs. Ole Miss: Atlanta, Georgia – Inside Georgia Dome

9:15 p.m. Vanderbilt vs. Temple: Nashville, Tennessee – High of 92

Saturday

Noon Kentucky vs. UT Martin: Lexington, Kentucky – High of 88

3:30 p.m. Alabama vs. West Virginia: Atlanta, Georgia – Georgia Dome

3:30 p.m. Missouri vs. South Dakota State: Columbia, Missouri – High of 89

4 p.m. Auburn vs. Arkansas: Auburn, Alabama – High of 87

5:30 p.m. Georgia vs. Clemson: Athens, Georgia – High of 90

7 p.m. Florida vs. Idaho: Gainesville, Florida – High of 93

7 p.m. Tennessee vs. Utah State: Knoxville, Tennessee – High of 92

7:30 p.m. Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss: Starkville, Mississippi – High of 89

9 p.m. LSU vs. Wisconsin: Houston, Texas – NRG Stadium (formerly Reliant Stadium)

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As Brandon Marcello of AL.com pointed out, Auburn didn’t have success when Johnson played a couple series against Texas A&M last year. Johnson was initially tabbed the starter because Marshall injured his shoulder the week before against FAU. The game plan was shaped around Johnson. Marshall was cleared to play and he started but Johnson was brought in on two drives against the Aggies. Incomplete passes by Johnson halted two Tiger drives. When Johnson saw ample playing time scheduled well in advance against inferior opponents, Florida Atlantic and Western Carolina, he played well going 27-of-37 for 393 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Against Arkansas this year is much different though. Johnson’s got a year under his belt and had weeks of practice leading up to the game. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee never told Johnson he is starting, but Malzahn told both quarterbacks they need to be ready to play.

The question is how much adjusting will the rest of the Auburn offense have to make when one quarterback leaves the field and another comes on. The passing game shouldn’t change too much. Tiger receivers will, of course, have to adjust to the different type of ball each quarterback throws. The offensive line, in particular, will have to adjust to different cadences coming from the two signal-callers. Perhaps the biggest adjustment, in terms of scheme, will be how Johnson runs the ball verse how Marshall runs the ball. Yes, Johnson can run in addition to having a big-time arm. Johnson is a inside zone runner while Marshall racked up close to 1,100 yards last year running the zone-red mostly to the outside.

There shouldn’t be too much of a hiccup as Marshall and Johnson both get in the game against Arkansas. Malzahn isn’t going to pull a Steve Spurrier and have Marshall and Johnson alternate every possession like Gator quarterbacks Doug Johnson and Noah Brindise did in 1997. Malzahn and Lashlee have a game plan going into the game against the Hogs that will include how much and when each quarterback will play. Barring an injury to Marshall, the offense should sail along smoothly.

The post Will Auburn offense sputter using two quarterbacks against Hogs? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Carl Lawson announced his presence when he sacked Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace twice.

Dee Ford brought Johnny Manziel down in a heap to end the Texas A&M game.

Cassanova McKinzy was a ball hawk with a team-leading 75 tackles, including 8 for a loss.

And, of course, there was Chris Davis.

On the defensive side of the ball last year, Auburn had its share of playmakers. They shined in the spotlight because of individual efforts that made the highlight reel.

One player, despite starting all 14 games, didn’t have the flash, the sizzle. He is Auburn’s quarterback on defense but didn’t have the “sexy stats” as defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson put it. He went mostly unnoticed, unseen, overlooked; was taken for granted in some cases yet had 65 tackles, two interceptions, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Jermaine Whitehead, the cornerstone of the Tigers secondary, has a team-first mentality. The senior wants the guys next to him to thrive more than himself.

“I had to do a lot for the team,” Whitehead told the Montgomery Advertiser. “It’s a role I feel, if I’m in shape enough and I can be productive out there then cool. But we got guys on the bench that can make plays, that can come in behind me, I definitely would love to see those guys come in and be able to do that.”

Leaning on Whitehead wasn’t something that just happened last year. In 39 games he’s registered 182 tackles and 17 pass break-ups. In 2012 he led the team in tackles.

“I guess the code word on him is consistency,” said Johnson. “He doesn’t have sexy stats that…get national media attention. People can’t sit down and watch every college player on film, so they go to the statistics and that’s important, don’t get me wrong. It’s about making plays.

“But he’s kind of quarterbacked our defense back there in the back and when we lost (Josh) Holsey, it was a tremendous load on his shoulders, because others were not in control of what they were doing nearly as much as Josh had been. So that all fell back on Whitehead. If you go back over his previous three years, I’d say he’s been as consistent a football player as Auburn’s had.”

Whitehead has goals for the season. He wants more interceptions. Being on the field as much as he has been through three years, he believes he should have more. He also has dreams of playing in the NFL. All that might be personal aspirations but he believes it will happen if the Tigers achieve Whitehead’s No. 1 goal: a national championship.

“If we play well and make the plays we’re supposed to make,” Whitehead said. “I think it’s going to be hard to deny us.”

The post Whitehead leads Auburn defense with consistency, not flash and sizzle appeared first on Saturday Down South.

He doesn’t though. It is not his personality. And besides, he can let what his players do on the field do all the talking.

If Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema took that same approach – letting what his team does on the field do the talking – he would be a mute.

The Razorbacks didn’t win an SEC game in Bielema’s first season in Fayetteville. In four team categories – scoring offense, total offense, scoring defense and total defense – Arkansas was no higher than ninth in the conference. The Razorbacks best rusher was seventh in the conference, their quarterback 12th, best receiver 32nd, best tackler 7th and interception leader 23rd.

Yet on Friday Bielema gave Auburn some bulletin board material.

“Saturday we’ve got the whole world to show what we’re about,” Bielema said to Arkansasnews.com.

Bielema was at Arkansas’ annual football kickoff luncheon Friday and used his latest comments to fire up his troops and Razorbacks fans.

We have gotten to expect this from Bielema. He is not shy at opening his mouth regardless of the subject.

• He accused Urban Meyer of shady recruiting tactics.
• When Bielema was hired at Arkansas he said “I didn’t come here to play Alabama. I came here to beat Alabama.”
• Bielema took at stab at Lane Kiffin’s recruiting tactics: “It’s not like it was when Lane basically said, ‘I’m gonna do some things, gonna get caught, but it’s worth exposure.”
• Took multiple shots at Nick Saban including comparing Saban’s Big 10 record to his.

Then there is Bielema and Malzahn’s heated relationship that initiated at last year’s SEC Media Day. Malzahn took offense to Bielema’s notion that fast-paced, no-huddle offense increased injuries and put players at risk calling it “a joke.” Bielema responded with “I’m not a comedian.” That followed with Bielema somewhat accusing Auburn of sending misleading game film prior to last year’s game. Since then their relationship has been professional but still a little chilly.

“I can’t say we’re breaking bread and going to dinner, but I’m not throwing bread and rocks at him,” Bielema said when heads cooled.

Bielema has every right to feel confident about his 2014 squad and carry a chip on his shoulder.

“One thing we should be able to do is we should be very angry about what happened a year ago,” Bielema said. “Our kids show it on a daily basis. “I have no idea the amount of wins and losses that will equate to. But I know at the end of the day, I can hold my chin high and they can as well about the way they conduct business. We’re building something and I hope to get to that plateau sooner than later.”

For the last three years Arkansas has lost their SEC opener and have been outscored 141-57. Those were with three of four games under their belt too.

Walking into the defending SEC champions house in week 1 and “showing the world what (they) are all about” is a monumental task, one that all the talking in the world won’t help to achieve regardless of how confident Bielema is.

The post Bielema once again stirring up the hornet’s nest with latest comments appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The question is how much of an impact will the newbies have. Will they get on the field Saturday against the Razorbacks? Will they slowly get worked in as the season progresses? Will they be redshirted? Here’s our take.

GET THEM OUT THERE NOW

Roc Thomas RB 5-10 193 Freshman Oxford, Ala. (Oxford) – Some have said that Thomas will have the starting running back job toward the latter part of the season. Let’s pump the breaks on that. That would be possible if Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant weren’t 1) as talented as they are and 2) familiar with Malzahn’s system. If Thomas arrived in Auburn in January, then maybe. Still, Thomas is a stud and too talented not to play. Coaches have said he’ll get touches. He’ll make Auburn even faster.

DaVonte Lambert DL 6-2 293 Junior Keysville, Ga. (Georgia Military College) – Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has been singing Lambert’s praises since the beginning of camp. His motor, athleticism and disciple learned in military school makes him one of the linemen that help replace Carl Lawson. He’s been battling Elijah Daniel in camp and even if Daniel gets the nod, Garner is constantly rotating his linemen. Remember, Lawson was second on the team in sacks last year and didn’t start one game.

EARNED THE RIGHT TO PLAY

Johnathan “Rudy” Ford DB 6-0 199 Sophomore Big Cove, Ala. (New Hope) – Junior college transfer Derrick Moncrief supposedly had the safety job locked up after the spring game. Ford though, whose changed positions three times since he has been on campus, is neck-and-neck with Moncrief for the boundary corner spot. Give Ford get credit for his versatility and ability to adjust on the fly. Even if Moncrief is named the starter, Ford will play in different packages.

Braden Smith OL 6-6 299 Freshman Olathe, Kansas (Olathe South) – You can’t give a freshman a spot based on strength alone but….wow! Smith benched 515 pounds three times his senior year of high school (watch here). He’s Drago, he’s the Hulk but more importantly he has the technique and speed to be a great lineman. Shon Coleman has won the job at left tackle but the Tigers need depth. Smith will see the field this year.

Raashed Kennion DL 6-6 225 Freshman Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast) – Kennion is the guy that supposedly popped up out of nowhere. He didn’t have as many stars next to his name like the other Auburn defensive line recruits: Justin Thornton, Andrew Williams and Dontavius Russell. Length and speed is what coaches and players have noticed the most about Kennion, a 3-star recruit coming out of high school.  He has a massive wing span and might be the quickest defensive end off the edge for the Tigers. Like Lambert, if Kennion doesn’t start, he’ll be used in Garner’s rotation.

Jakell Mitchell HB 6-3 218 Freshman Opelika, Ala. (Opelika) – Because there isn’t that much depth at halfback, Mitchell should see the field, even if it is sparingly. Brandon Fulse is the Tigers No.1 option at halfback. While C.J. Uzomah can play halfback too, coaches like to line him up wide like a receiver. Mitchell shouldn’t be viewed as just the next guy in line though. Despite tearing his ACL last year in high school, coaches marveled at his ability his camp.

NO ROOM

Stanton Truitt WR 5-9 175 Freshman Atlanta, Ga. (Monroe Area) – Truitt has what Auburn loves: speed. He might get an opportunity in the returning game but with the Tigers being completely stacked at receivers, Truitt could best be served redshirting if the upperclassmen – Ricardo Louis, Corey Grant and Quan Brey – establish themselves as formidable kick and punt returners.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

Sean White QB 6-0 200 Freshman Boca Raton, Fla. (University Nova South) – Head coach Gus Malzahn watched White in Auburn’s first scrimmage and it emphasized the reason why they wanted him: his passing ability. White would be Auburn’s third quarterback despite Jonathan Wallace being on the roster. Wallace will be the Tigers holder this season. It would be a waste not to redshirt White this year. But fear of two quarterbacks getting hurt might keep the coaching staff from doing it. Malzahn said that Wallace has no quarterback duties whatsoever.

The post Where the young, fresh faces fit in Auburn’s puzzle appeared first on Saturday Down South.

So is the case with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

On Saturday, Jackson took the challenge outside Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports in Lockport, Illinois to another level.

Donning arm floaties, an inner tube, snorkel, mask and bathing suit, Jackson had a massive amount of ice water dumped on him. No human could dump this much amount of water on one person.

The post Bo knows Ice Bucket Challenge, brings in a forklift appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It has been over two months since Lawson’s surgery to repair his torn ACL. It has been four months since Lawson was seen on the field. But it is not like Lawson is holed-up in his bedroom not doing anything football related. To the contrary, Lawson is taking part in certain team activities and has been seen moving around a lot.

“Carl works extremely hard and he’s busting his tail every day to get better,” Rodney Garner, Auburn’s defensive line coach, told the Ledger-Enquirer.

“I saw him moving around a lot, actually,” linebacker Kris Frost said earlier this month. “I’m really confident about him being able to come back. I’m not sure when, but whenever the time is right, we’re going to be ready for him.”

The ‘105 rule’, a maximum roster size a FBS team may field during preseason camp, means Lawson can not be present in structured meetings but he can be at other meetings.

“When….my guys are in there coaching themselves, just running the film, Carl’s in there,” said Garner.

Despite not starting one game last year, Lawson was a freshman All-American who had 20 tackles with 7 1/2 for loss and four sacks. Lawson saw a lot of time on the field as part of Garner’s defensive line rotation. Those impressive numbers, especially for a 6-foot-2, 260 pound true freshman, automatically made him the heir apparent to Ford.

While there is a logjam for the two defensive tackle starting spots, the replacement for Lawson hasn’t been an easy one to fill for the Tigers.

Senior LaDarius Owens, who started 12 of 14 games last year at end, missed multiple days of practice with an infection in a surgical-repair area. He returned to practice Tuesday. Gabe Wright, who started camp at his natural defensive tackle spot, slowly got worked in at end. Now it seems Wright is taking a majority of snaps at end and will battle Owens for the starting job. Even starting linebacker Cassanova McKinzy has seen some time at end.

The battle for the other defensive end spot is between just two players: sophomore Elijah Daniel and junior college transfer DeVonte Lambert. Lambert has shown great potential thus far.

When Lawson gets the go-ahead from doctors to return is unknown. When that time arrives he’ll have a conversation with Garner about doing what is best. Depending how late in the season that occurs, it could mean Lawson redshirting. Until then both continue down the recovery path.

“My role right now is to keep encouraging him, keep working him and keep doing exactly what they say to do,” Garner said. “And then we’ll see how it goes.”

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