Bulldogs Open Auburn’s Real Season!

By Posted on: May 16th, 2013 in Football 8 Comments »
Tyler Russell

The Tigers must put more pressure on Tyler Russell this year.

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn opponent preview. In week three, on September 14th, the Mississippi State Bulldogs visit Auburn at Jordan Hare Stadium. SEC action begins for the Tigers, and it’s an important game for both teams. The winner will be off and running in the league, and the loser will face questions of whether they can compete in a very tough SEC Western Division this season.

     Last season was a tale of two different teams for the Bulldogs. They started the season with seven straight wins, and headed to Tuscaloosa to try and stake a claim to being in the upper echelon of the league. Mississippi State then lost five of their last six games, most of them by blowout scores. This year’s team returns 12 starters on the offense and defense, but there are some holes to fill where stars departed.

     If last year’s team was covered up early by a soft schedule, this year’s edition will have no such worries. The Bulldogs open in Houston against Oklahoma State, and will find out quickly if their reloading efforts have been enough. The Bulldogs then tune up the next week with Alcorn State, before heading to Auburn. This year’s squad could be better than last year’s, and still leave Auburn with a 1-2 record. And it doesn’t get much easier from there. The Bulldogs do follow the Tigers with four straight home games, against Troy, LSU, Bowling Green, and Kentucky. Then come road trips to South Carolina and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs finish up with Alabama at home, Arkansas in Little Rock, and Ole Miss at home. The Bulldogs will likely be favored only against Kentucky in the SEC, and possibly Arkansas and Ole Miss. Oklahoma State will be very tough, and Troy has had good success against MSU in the past. While head coach Dan Mullen talks of taking the next step and becoming an elite SEC team, reality is that the Bulldogs will need a few upsets to return to a bowl game this season.

     Mississippi State’s offense is what has given them a chance to win most games since Dan Mullen arrived in Starkville 5 years ago. This year’s edition will have a veteran offensive line, and an experienced senior quarterback in Tyler Russell. However, the Bulldogs must break in a new receiver corps, as they lost veterans Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark and Chris Smith. Running back LaDarius Perkins is a speedy home-run-hitting back, and he’ll be joined by bulked-up sophomore Josh Robinson.

     There are more questions on the defensive side of the ball, where the Bulldogs lost both starting tackles, most of the secondary, and top tackling linebacker Cameron Lawrence. That defense gave up over 30 points against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss and Northwestern last season. This produced some assistant coach shuffling, and Mullen brought in Geoff Collins to run the defense. While most folks point towards shoring up the secondary as the top priority, I think producing a stout front seven rotation is more important. The Bulldogs have talent up front, but it is young, and the Bulldog line tended to wear down late in games down the stretch last season.

     The Bulldogs were decent on special teams last season, and expect to be again this season. Punter Baker Swedenburg is one of the better punters in the league, and his high kicks resulted in only 6 TOTAL punt return yards against the Bulldogs last season. Sophomore Jameon Lewis gives the Bulldogs a breakaway threat in the return game. The Bulldogs return sophomore kicker Devon Bell, and they hope he improves on his 14 out of 21 freshman field goal kicking performance.

Unit Matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Mississippi State offensive line: Auburn will likely go with a tackle rotation of Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson and Jeffery Whitaker. Dee Ford, Kenneth Carter and Nosa Eguae will be the primary ends. The Tigers have depth beyond those six guys, but none except Ford have distinguished themselves, either. Most of these guys played against Mississippi State last season, and did not fare very well, as the Bulldogs gashed Auburn on the ground, and Tyler Russell had all day in the pocket to complete 20 of 29 throws. The Bulldogs return four starters on the offensive line, junior tackle Blaine Causell, junior center Dillon Day, senior guard Gabe Jackson and senior tackle Charles Siddoway. Sophomore Justin Malone won the starting right guard job in spring drills, and he’s a big 320 pound bruiser. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Auburn linebackers vs. Mississippi State backs: Auburn’s starting linebackers coming out of spring drills are sophomores Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy. Neither has a huge amount of game experience, and it’s a concern going into the season. It’s unlikely that any of Auburn’s linebackers have the speed to chase down senior running back LaDarius Perkins, but they must be able to square up and handle him when he comes through the line. Backup Josh Robinson is a stocky, 5′ 9” 225 sophomore who’ll pound the middle. The Bulldog offense utilizes wide receiver handoffs from time to time, much like Auburn’s. Look for the speedy Jameon Lewis to be featured here. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Auburn corners vs. Mississippi State receivers: Auburn is surprisingly deep at corner, and will need good play from starters Chris Davis and Jonathan Mincy to slow Mississippi State down. From all indications this spring, Auburn corners are tackling well. The starting MSU wide receivers coming out of spring are sophomore Joe Morrow, and juniors Jameon Lewis and Robert Johnson. These three combined for 32 catches last season in reserve roles, but will have to step up this season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn safeties vs. Mississippi State secondary receivers and quarterback: I’m lumping “star” Justin Garrett in with the safeties, because Mississippi State will likely use a number of three and four receiver sets. This may be another game where one will see both stars on the field, Garrett and Robensen Therezie. Both have the speed to stay with wide receivers, and Therezie does have a cornerback background. Junior free safety Jermaine Whitehead has really come on this spring, so the real question is who will play strong safety. Right now, converted corner Joshua Holsey is atop the Auburn depth chart there, but senior Demetruce McNeal will return this fall and likely make a serious run. Mississippi State has junior tight ends Malcomb Johnson and Brandon Hill, who combined for 15 catches last season. Running back LaDarius Perkins was a threat catching the ball last season, and bears watching. Likely the biggest receiving threat from the slot will be the speedy Jameon Lewis. He’ll be a tough matchup for a safety or a star. Senior quarterback Tyler Russell returns for the Bulldogs, and his task over the summer is to try and gell with the new starting receivers. Russell protected the ball pretty well last season with only 10 interceptions, but he’d like to improve on his 58.6 pass completion percentage. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Punting: Auburn returns senior punter Steven Clark, who hit the ball well again this spring. Clark tends toward towering balls that can’t be returned. Clark had 70 punts for a 39.8 yard average, but only 5 were returned, for a total of 4 yards. Mississippi State’s Baker Swedenburg had similar return numbers, with 57 punts and only 6 yards on 13 returns. Swedenburg wins the distance battle, with a 41.1 yard average. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Kickoffs: Auburn didn’t score enough to generate many kickoffs in 2012, but when they did, Cody Parkey nailed 33 of 48 of them for touchbacks. The Bulldogs’ Devon Bell hit 13 touchbacks on 64 kickoffs. When Parkey wasn’t putting the kickoff in the stands, Auburn gave up only 16.6 yards per return. Mississippi State gave up 20.2. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn’s Cody Parkey was 11 of 14 on field goal attempts, and perfect on his extra points. Devon Bell hit 14 of 21 field goal attempts, including only 6 of 10 from 30-39 yards. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Mississippi State defensive line: Auburn’s starting A-Day unit of sophomore Greg Robinson, redshirt freshman Alex Kozan, junior Reese Dismukes, junior Chad Slade, and sophomore Patrick Miller looked dominant. In addition, the 2nd line did well against the starting D-line. Tapped to start at tackle for the Bulldogs are junior P. J. Jones and sophomore Kaleb Eulls. Junior Denico Autry was a beast at defensive end towards the end of last season, and he’ll be joined by junior Preston Smith at the other end spot. There’s young talent behind those guys, but it’s unproven. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Mississippi State linebackers: Auburn finished spring with a trio of dangerous running backs, and more are on the way this fall in the incoming class. Junior Tre Mason is a 1000 yard incumbent, JUCO transfer Cameron Artis-Payne wowed the A-Day crowd with his power and agility, and junior Corey Grant is a threat on the outside. In addition, the Tigers will have bruising senior H-back Jay Prosch paving the way. Benardrick McKinney and Deontae Skinner return at linebacker for the Bulldogs, and they’ll be joined by junior Matt Wells. That’s 178 returning tackles in the starting linebacker corps. Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. Mississippi State corners: Auburn’s starters on the outside post-spring are juniors Jaylon Denson and Trovon Reed, neither of who have done much previously on the field. Backups Sammie Coates and Ricardo Lewis should add an explosive dimension when they sub in. Post spring corner starters for the Bulldogs are juniors Jamerson Love and JUCO transfer Justin Cox. It’s green against green here, but I like Auburn’s talent. Advantage: Auburn.

 Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Mississippi State safeties: Auburn has some matchup nightmares as secondary receivers, starting with C. J. Uzomah and Quan Bray. Few safeties can keep up with either in a foot race. If a team puts extra corners in to shut that down, Auburn will run over them. Put in beefier safeties, and those guys will be wide open. The real question is who’ll pull the trigger for the Auburn offense. The QB competition is said to be neck and neck between junior Khiel Frazier and sophomore Jonathan Wallace. Neither distinguished himself on A-Day. The race will become five-headed for a while when the newcomers arrive this fall. Senior free safety Nickoe Whitley returns for the Bulldogs, and he had 3 picks and 3 pass breakups last season to go with his 88 total tackles. Junior Jay Hughes has been tapped as the starting strong safety. He had 31 tackles off the bench, but no passes defended. Advantage: Auburn.

     Expect a high scoring game in this contest, as both teams feature powerful offensive lines, difficult to defend offenses, and dangerous skill players. While the offenses look capable, the defenses are unproven. Auburn has a bit of a special teams edge. It’s difficult to pick against a veteran senior starter at quarterback vs. Auburn’s questions there.

     However, I think this game is really important for a lot of Auburn’s returning players from last season. The second half of last year’s game in Starkville is really where the season started going bad. Before that, it was high expectations. Afterwards was doubt, as the Bulldogs pretty much had their way in the second half. The Tigers should be sky-high to try and redeem themselves this year at home.

Prediction: With a raucous home crowd behind them, the Tigers overcome all obstacles. Both teams score seemingly at will, but in the end the Tigers prevail, 41-27.

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At the Game, in the Car, or at Home, Jim Fyffe was Auburn Football

By Posted on: May 15th, 2013 in Baseball, Basketball, Football, News 9 Comments »
861399b83072f26080ba76e4fa3fe7e5- Fyffe

I still remember the sadness that swept over me when Auburn’s legendary announcer Jim Fyffe passed away on May 15, 2003. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. Though I never met the man he was to me and thousands of other Auburn fans, a good friend. Today is the 10th anniversary of his death. He was taken from us way too early.

With no disrespect to Rod Bramlet and other Auburn announcers, there simply will never be another one like Jim Fyffe.

Jim was and still is the most revered radio announcer in the history of Auburn Football. His distinctive voice called the play-by-play for Auburn’s football teams from 1981-2003.

He provided hundreds of memorable calls in his 22 years of calling Auburn Football and Basketball games. But it was more than his voice that endured him to the Auburn Family. Jim had a unique ability to make the listener feel like he was right there beside him, in the booth, jumping up and down as he’s yelling his famous “Touch d o w n … Aub b u r n n n n !”

There was never any doubt in his voice, that Jim was a homer and a man who loved Auburn –  both traits that made his voice synonymous with Auburn Football.

He was gifted in such away that made fans lean in toward the radio and feel like they were actually in the stands viewing the game with him. I will never forget where I was on many of his memorable calls.

Like many reading this article, I could recall dozens of great calls made by Jim over the years; the kind that still brings chill bumps and memories of where I was when I heard him make the call.

One of my many favorites happened on November 4th, 1989. There were 26 seconds to go in the game and Auburn trailed Florida 7-3, facing a 4th down and 11 on the 30 yard line. Quarterback Reggie Slack drops back to pass and hits 5′ 7″ Shayne Wasden in the corner of the end zone to defeat Florida 10-7.

Pandemonium broke out as Jim yelled over the airwaves. “Touchdown Auburn! Touchdown Auburn! Touchdown Auburn! Unbelievable!  I’ve seen the impossible happen! I have seen a miracle!”

That moment and dozens of others like it, are forever frozen in the corners of my mind. Yet, even though I was at the game I could not hear Jim’s call completely because it was the loudest, most exhilarating ending to any game I have ever witnessed at Jordan-Hare. I thought the end zone was going to collapse under the weight of the fans jumping up and down.

It was only after I listened to the tape later that I heard all of what Jim had said. And to this day, I remember everything about that moment when I hear a replay of his words.

At the game, in the car, or at home, Jim was Auburn football. It just doesn’t seem like 10 years since he left us.

—————-

Feel free to share your memory of a great Jim Fyffe moment in the comments.

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Posted in Baseball, Basketball, Football, News | 9 Comments »

“What Comes Next Sits Squarely on My Shoulders.”

By Posted on: May 14th, 2013 in Baseball, Basketball, Football, News, Other Sports 9 Comments »
jacobs-sideburns21

Auburn A.D. Jay Jacobs says he has a plan … a plan to improve the athletics department including how to turnaround the lack of winning in the big three major sports.

Speaking before the Auburn Chamber of Commerce today, Jacobs said that University President Jay Gogue has made it clear that he has high expectations for the athletic department. And he told the business  leaders, “I intend to meet them.”

After meeting with Dr. Gogue , Jacobs said, he is aware that, “What comes next sits squarely on my shoulders.” 

“We have much work to do, but I’m convinced that our best days are not behind us … I will continue to defend Auburn, and I will continue to push us to get better every day.” 

Without giving any details, he said he has a plan for improving the overall operations, enhancing the game day experience, improving facilities, and improving “how we interact and communicate with fans and alumni.”

Part of his plan is to act on future recommendations of the consulting firm ,JMI Sports, which was hired by the Universirty to complete a year long intensive evaluation of Auburn athletics.

He was vague about how he expects to turnaround the poor performance of Auburn’s major sports other than pointing out the enthusiasm surrounding the football program since the return of Gus Malzahn.

He said Tony Barbee must win in basketball but pointed out it took former coaches Sonny Smith and Cliff Ellis 5-7 years to make the NCAA Tournament.

To be fair, facilities have improved tremendously under his watch, more student athletes are achieving at a higher level, and there hasn’t been a major NCAA violation in over 20 years.

However, as important as all those things are, and they are very important, winning at a tradition rich place like Auburn has to improve and improve significantly.

Saying he knows that the football and basketball teams were a disappointment this year, he added, “I want to be clear that regardless of how well we are performing across our other goals, I know how important winning is to our fans.”

Sounds like this whole process has made Jacobs aware that it’s not just coaches who may be on the hot seat but the Athletic Director as well. I believe all Auburn people want to see things improve on the Plains but if that doesn’t happen … then it’s like Jay said today, “What comes next sits squarely on (his) shoulders.”

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To See Where You are Going, You Have to Know Where You Have Been

By Posted on: May 14th, 2013 in Featured Article, Football 8 Comments »
Heisman

This is the first installment of a regular Tuesday post for me. I want to thank the editors of TET for giving me the chance to hopefully take everyone back into the history of AU. Since I am pretty sure I am the oldest on the staff I have seen some of the things I will write about happen first hand, I just have to remember them. That gets harder with each passing year.

Now, let’s get on with it. Since we have three Heisman statues sitting at AU, I decided that I would start with one of Auburns former coaches, John Heisman. AU is the only school at which he coached that can say they have the trophy bearing his name.

Heisman coached at Auburn from 1895 to 1899 (I know what you are thinking, NO I was not around then), with a record of 12-4-2 and coached the Tigers to their first home win against Georgia Tech. He had a law degree from Pennsylvania and after leaving AU, coached at Clemson (where he took the AU colors and mascot) and Georgia Tech among others. His overall coaching record was 185-68-18…. pretty darn good.

Other later AU coaches were regarded as innovators and gamblers, ie. Gus and Tommy, but Heisman was the first of the forward thinking coaches. In his first AU game he called a “hidden ball trick” which was later banned. The AU quarterback, Reynolds Tichenor, hid the ball underneath his shirt and while the opponent, Vanderbilt, tried to bust up the play he bent over away from the action to tie his shoe. He was totally ignored and waltzed into the end zone for an easy touchdown.

In those days there was no such thing as a dedicated coaching job. They also taught classes and Heisman was an oratory professor. That talent served him well, because he was always getting into it with officials. Rules and officiating were pretty poor then and seemed to be a “make it up as you go along thing. “

During his last year at AU, officials called a game because of darkness, even though the sun had not set. AU was leading Georgia at the time 11-6 but the officials ruled the game a 0-0 tie. Heisman was infuriated and appealed the decision to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The decision was overruled and the 11-6 win was reinstated.

Heisman was also the pioneer of the forward pass. When scouting a game he watched a desperate punter fling the ball over the line to a teammate who ran for a touchdown.  He wrote, “violent scrums based around bruising running plays were “killing the game as well as the players” He said the forward pass would, “Scatter the mob”

His gift of gab also gave birth to some quotes that were locker room jewels. On tackling…”Thrust your projections into their cavities, grasping them about the knees and depriving them of their means of propulsion. They must come to earth, locomotion being denied.” Seems that would work pretty well today. 

On maintaining possession…”A football is a prolate spheroid, an elongated sphere in which the outer leather casing is drawn up tightly over a somewhat smaller rubber tubing. Better to have died as a small boy than to have fumbled this football.” Pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it.

On the job of a head coach…”A coach should be masterful and commanding, even dictatorial. He has no time to say ‘please’ or ‘mister’. At times he must be severe, arbitrary, and a little short of a czar.” Can you think of a few coaches that description fits?

I intend to close each of my posts with, “Stop me if you’ve heard this one” Classic Auburn-Alabama jokes, some of which will be funny, some not, and I hope to elicit several chuckles, LOL’s, and a bunch of groans.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one

A UAT professor was yelling at his class because they were so incredibly lazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if 50% of you failed this math class. The class was mostly football players and one of them raised his hand and said, “But professor, there aren’t that many in this class”

An Auburn student and his girlfriend were walking through the park. She stopped and said, “Awww look at the dead birdie. The Auburn student looked up and said, “Where”

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Posted in Featured Article, Football | 8 Comments »

The Report Is In – Gogue Expects Jay Jacobs to Make Necessary Improvements

By Posted on: May 13th, 2013 in Baseball, Basketball, Football, News, Other Sports 8 Comments »

gogue2- jay GogueThe much awaited report of the committee on Auburn Athletics has given their report to University President Jay Gogue.

Dr Gogue had charged the committee to take a look at five criteria for evaluating the athletic department: (1) academic and support services for student-athletes, (2) financial management, (3)customer service, (4) competition, including winning, sportsmanship and compliance, and (5) management structure.

In an open letter to the Auburn Family, Dr Gogue voiced support for Jacobs and the Athletic department while at the same time saying he expects “improvement in the overall operations,” and the upgrading of, “how we interact and communicate with fans and alumni, and enhance the game-day experience, on and off the field.”

There has been increased interest this year in the President’s evaluation of Jacobs and the Athletic Department due to the most dismal two years of Auburn sports in recent memory.

While new Auburn Women’s Basketball Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy took her team to the WNIT and the Equestrian team won another National Championship , the major sports have not had a good year. In addition, since Auburn won the BCS Championship two years ago, the big three major sports have struggled.

The basketball team has been terrible, football  had it’s worst season in 60 years and the baseball team has not made an NCAA Baseball Tournament since winning the West in 2010. Barring Pawlowski’s Tigers winning the SEC Tournament (an extreme longshot), Auburn will finish the year without winning a conference or division championship for the first time in 20 years.

The alumni and fans have been waiting to see if Dr Gogue takes any action. In his public response to the committee’s report he said:

“There’s much to celebrate about Auburn Athletics, but there’s also room for substantial improvement. I look forward to Jay providing the leadership needed to make the necessary improvements.”

Everyone agrees there is plenty of “room for substantial improvement” and Gogue says that, Jacobs will “talk more about what’s in store.”  He is scheduled to speak to the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning. Wonder if we will hear what he plans to do to make those “necessary improvements”

Readers can view Dr Gogue’s open letter after the jump:

Dear Auburn family,

The committee I appointed to review operations of Auburn Athletics as part of the Department’s annual evaluation has provided its findings. I’m grateful to members of the committee for their hard work, good thinking and dedication to helping Auburn Athletics move forward.

We asked the committee to review the Department’s total body of work with a focus on five areas: academic and support services for student-athletes; financial management; customer service; competition, including winning, sportsmanship and compliance; and management structure.

Athletics Director Jay Jacobs and I have talked in length about their recommendations. In general, they center on steps to improve overall operations of the Department, upgrade how we interact and communicate with fans and alumni, and enhance the game-day experience, on and off the field. Jay will talk in more detail about what’s in store, and I’m confident he will move forward to put in place a plan to give the Auburn family what we all expect.

There’s much to celebrate about Auburn Athletics, but there’s also room for substantial improvement. I look forward to Jay providing the leadership needed to make the necessary improvements.

War Eagle!

Jay Gogue

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Auburn’s 15 Greatest Players Over the Past 45 Years

By Posted on: May 13th, 2013 in Football 15 Comments »
cam newton

Who are the greatest to ever wear the orange-and-blue? Today, we are going to take a shot at picking the 15 greatest Auburn football players since 1968. That’s 45 years of Auburn football. While the top picks are easy, things get much harder toward the bottom.

As with anything, this is a subjective selection. I’d love to hear your thoughts and tell me where you disagree. I’ll list them in order, from top to bottom. Here goes…

1. Bo Jackson – Perhaps the greatest running back of all times, this is a relatively easy choice. I’m sure some of our younger readers will push for Cam Newton, but if you watched Bo play with your own eyes, you know he’s clearly the top of the class.

2. Cam Newton – While we only had him for a year, it was the greatest season in Auburn history. We can only dream about how things might have been if Auburn had him at least three seasons. While Bo may take the top prize, Cam undoubtedly had the greatest single season of any Auburn player ever.

3. Pat Sullivan – In becoming Auburn’s first Heisman winner, Sullivan was a two-time All-American in 1970 and 1971. Former Alabama coach Bear Bryant said of Sullivan, “He does more things to beat you than any quarterback I’ve ever seen.”

4. Terry Beasley – Unquestionably, the greatest wide receiver in Auburn history, many still view him as the greatest receiver in SEC history. A two-time All-American, Beasley led the SEC in scoring in 1970 with 72 points.

5. Tracy Rocker – He became the first SEC player in history to win both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. Behind Rocker, Auburn’s defense was ranked first nationally in 1988.

6. Carnell Williams – Despite sharing time in the backfield with fellow back Ronnie Brown, Williams ranks second in yards among Auburn running backs. He helped lead Auburn to a perfect record and an SEC Championship in 2004.

7. James Brooks – With little talent around him in the late 1970’s, Brooks was one of the most exciting backs in the country. He remains Auburn’s third all-time leading rusher with 3,523 yards. He seemed to always save his best performances for Georgia.

8. Nick Fairley – Many will call him a one-hit wonder, but Fairley’s defensive performance in 2010 may be the most dominant in SEC history. Playing on a somewhat average defensive squad, Fairley was a difference maker every week. Like Cam, without him, Auburn doesn’t have its second national championship.

9. Lionel James – You won’t find his name on any All-American teams, but it’s hard to put into words what he meant to the Auburn program during the early years of the Pat Dye era. He was the team leader during Auburn’s march to the 1983 SEC Championship.

10. Brent Fullwood – He was arguably the second best running back in the country in 1985, and that’s while he was backing up Bo Jackson during his Heisman campaign. Fullwood’s breakout season came a year later when he led the nation with 8.3 yards a carry. He was a consensus All-American and finished sixth in the Heisman balloting in 1986.

11. Carlos Rogers – A consensus All-American in 2004, Rogers became the first Auburn player to win the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. He helped Auburn lead the country in scoring defense on the way to a perfect season.

12. Marcus McNeil – He’s arguably the greatest offensive lineman in Auburn history. He was a two-time consensus All-American and one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy. As a senior he won the Jacobs Trophy as the top blocker in the SEC.

13. Greg Carr – The defensive leader on the 1983 SEC Championship team, Carr was the SEC’s most honored athlete during his senior year in 1984. He led Auburn in tackles for three consecutive seasons and was a consensus All-American during his senior campaign.

14. Ronnie Brown – Despite playing mostly second fiddle to Carnell Williams, Brown played a huge role in Auburn’s run to an undefeated season in 2004. He finished his Auburn career with 2,707 yards, ranking him seventh on the Tigers All-time rushing list.

15. Jason Campbell – He led Auburn to one of its most magical seasons ever in 2004, quarterbacking the Tigers to an SEC title and Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Takeo Spikes; Tommie Agee, Aundray Bruce; Joe Cribbs; Ed King; Ben Tamburello; Dameyune Craig; Bob Harris; Donnie Humphrey; Kurt Crain; Stacy Searels; David Rocker; Frank Sanders; Wayne Gandy; Karlos Dansby; Ben Grubbs; James Joseph.

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Friday from the Eagle’s Nest

By Posted on: May 10th, 2013 in Baseball, Featured Article, Football, News 19 Comments »

Ventura Stoops - Conspiracy Theory 2

When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong – Bob Stoops is not a believer in the SEC’s elite status despite every logical indication that he’s wrong. In the article, he goes on to say that the SEC’s perceived quality is nothing more than “propaganda.” By default, Stoops does have a point. The media is a little trigger happy when it comes to building someone or something up (as well as tearing it down), but the SEC’s running number of consecutive national championships and bowl record from recent history prove that he’s wrong. He’s very wrong. Bottom line Bob, start winning championships and you’ll get noticed. Until then, stick to coaching and let the media make fools of themselves in the headlines. They are better at it than you are.

Dan Mullen is Embracing Higher Expectations – He says that 8 wins is his baseline and that he is in Starkville to win championships. Once again this offseason I have read that Mullen must be on the cusp of excellence and that he has this great machine built that is Mississippi State and its going to destroy everything in its path. I’m not buying it. His most celebrated SEC West win is over arguable the worst Auburn team of the modern era and overall he boasts no double-digit win seasons. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but the hype is confusing to me. Last season saw the Bulldogs inexplicably rise to #15 in the BCS (that’s 15th out of everyone in the nation) after having beaten 3 Sun Belt teams, 1 SWAC team, and the 3 worst teams in the SEC last year (Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee). The man could seemingly fall into a sewer and come out wearing a gold watch. He did lead the Bulldogs to one more SEC victory against Arkansas (who was led by John L. Smith). And when he isn’t embracing challenges and living on the edge, Dan Mullen is also signing ultrasounds. Seriously, what direction is your life going if a head football coach is signing photos of your ultrasound? This seems like a bit from MTV’s ‘16 and Pregnant’, but not out of place at all in the state of Mississippi.

Nick Saban - Dwarf House

Stop everything! Nick Saban is selling his home in the North Georgia mountains – It has been widely speculated that a lack of trees in which he could bake cookies is what led Saban to put the property up for sale. 

NCAA puts a stop to hashtags on the field because for God’s sake, why is everyone having so much damned fun? I don’t even know anyone was looking into this. Is this why the Miami case got bundled? Were there too many resources dedicated to finding the most trivial rule proposal of all time that it prevented the NCAA from conducting proper investigations elsewhere? Probably not. Someone in the NCAA main office probably saw something on TV or in a magazine and decided that the youth of America was corrupting everyone amateur college athletics isn’t about having fun – it’s about old men getting paid for those amateur athletes doing their thing on primetime television without any “techno mumbo jumbo” on the field while they do. #NCAAislame #stepdownEmmert 

Auburn Baseball and The Fat Lady Continue Love Affair – Auburn stormed back against Jacksonville St. earlier this week by scoring 12 runs in the eighth inning. Is Gus moonlighting as the hitting coach while he awaits the arrival of football season? 

College Football Playoff - So Boring

The College Football Playoff logo has been chosen and it is equally as flashy as its name suggests. I feel like we’re all getting pranked and none of this is real. I don’t understand why the title and imagery of the new college football postseason has to be so straightforward and cold. They’ve taken the most exciting thing in all of sports and made every fan skeptical of its value right off the bat. How do you screw that up? When you consider how much money will be made, you start to wonder if they put any effort to the branding of it all or if they simply used all of their scheduled meetings to arrange for their Scrooge McDuck pools full of money to be installed. 

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Red Wolf Redux!

By Posted on: May 9th, 2013 in Football 8 Comments »
David Oku

David Oku could have been running for the Tigers.

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn opponent preview. Week two brings Arkansas State to Auburn, a team coached last season by Gus Malzhan. There’s little doubt that the defending Sun Belt Champions will be itching to show their former coach a thing or two! However, new up and coming head coach Brian Harsin will have quite a few holes to fill, as the Red Wolves return just 12 starters from last season.

     Prior to traveling to Auburn, Arkansas State tunes up next fall with Arkansas Pine-Bluff at home. After playing at Auburn, it’s a short week for the wolves as they have a Thursday night home game against Troy. Then Arkanas State plays at Memphis, at Missouri, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, at South Alabama, at Louisiana-Monroe, Texas State, Georgia State, and at Bowling Green.

     On offense, the Red Wolves return 7 starters, but they’ll be playing in their third new offense in three years. New coach Bryan Harsin was the offensive coordinator at Boise State from 2006-2010, as well as co-offensive coordinator with the Texas Longhorns since then. Harsin favors a multiple, pro-style offense with a thick playbook. Typically, he’s looking for matchup vulnerabilities, and will use an array of formations and unbalanced lines to get them. It’s a steep learning curve for the players, though, as we witnessed at Florida last season, struggling to perform for Boise camp guru Brent Pease.

     The Red Wolves were an offensive juggernaut last season, rolling up 466 yards per game, including 206 on the ground. It’s hard to see if any of that will translate to the new offense. 1000-yard rusher David Oku returns for his senior season, but record-setting quarterback Ryan Aplin graduated. Four offensive line starters do return, as well as top receivers J. D. McKissic and Carlos McCants. Our first look at Harsin’s influence on the offense was in last year’s GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile. Kent State held the Red Wolves to just 285 yards in that one, and 17 points. Their previous 7 games they had been averaging 41 points per game. This doesn’t bode well for the Red Wolf offense’s second game of the season against Ellis Johnson’s defense.

     Defensively, the Red Wolves return only five starters, and that’s on a unit that gave up 24.4 points per game. One main cog of the defense that does return is senior tackle Ryan Carrethers, who was in on 68 stops last season and was an all-Sun Belt performer. Junior linebacker Qushaun Lee returns after posting 100 tackles in 2012. Two corners with starting experience return as well. A familiar name coaches the Arkansas State defense, John Thompson, who’s had plenty of SEC experience.

     The 2012 Red Wolves were decent on special teams and pretty good covering kicks, but struggled punting the football. In 2013, they’ll have to break in a new punter, possibly redshirt freshman Max Coffin. He’s the only guy actually listed as a punter on the current roster. Senior kicker Brian Davis returns, after a 17 for 21 year kicking field goals. Sophomore kick-off specialist Luke Ferguson also is back. The Red Wolves worked on returns this spring, after a lackluster return game in 2012.

Unit Matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Arkansas State offensive line: Auburn will likely go with a tackle rotation of Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson and Jeffery Whitaker. Dee Ford, Kenneth Carter and Nosa Eguae will be the primary ends. The Tigers have depth beyond those six guys, but none except Ford have distinguished themselves, either. They’ll be going up against a veteran Red Wolf line. Sophomore center Bryce Giddens started 11 games as a true freshman last season, and he’s the lightest member of the line at 265 pounds. Just about everyone else is over 300 pounds, and paved the way for a potent rushing attack in 2012. Expect seniors Steven Hauga, Aaron Williams and Cliff Mitchell to start somewhere on the line. It’s not necessarily worked out who’ll be the fifth starter in the season opener. Considering Auburn’s depth here, it’s Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. Arkansas State backs: Auburn’s starting linebackers coming out of spring drills are sophomores Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy. Neither has a huge amount of game experience, and it’s a concern going into the season. Tennessee transfer David Oku headlines the Red Wolf attack, and he rushed for 1061 yards last season. Sophomore Michael Gordon had a big spring, and led all rushers in the Arkansas State spring game. Advantage: Arkansas State.

Auburn corners vs. Arkansas State receivers: Auburn is surprisingly deep at corner, and will need good play from starters Chris Davis and Jonathan Mincy to slow Arkansas State down. From all indications this spring, Auburn corners are tackling well. With the number of excellent returning wide receivers the Red Wolves have, expect Auburn reserves Jonathan Jones, Joshua Holsey and Ryan White to contribute also. For Arkansas State, sophomore J. D. McKissic is the headliner, having caught 103 balls last season, but he only averaged 9.9 yards per catch. That’s a lot of short throws, and he’s going against a veteran secondary that made a lot of tackles last season. Seniors Carlos McCants and Julian Jones combined for 22 catches last season off the bench. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn safeties vs. Arkansas State secondary receivers and quarterback: I’m lumping “star” Justin Garrett in with the safeties, because Arkansas state will likely use a number of three and four receiver sets. This may be another game where one will see both stars on the field, Garrett and Robensen Therezie. Both have the speed to stay with wide receivers, and Therezie does have a cornerback background. Junior free safety Jermaine Whitehead has really come on this spring, so the real question is who will play strong safety. Right now, converted corner Joshua Holsey is atop the Auburn depth chart there, but senior Demetruce McNeal will return this fall and likely make a serious run. David Oku caught 20 balls out of the backfield last season, and sophomore Darion Griswold caught 10 from his tight end spot. That’s not a lot of catches returning from this group, although we might see a lot of McKissic lined up in the slot as a secondary receiver. With Ryan Aplin gone, the quarterback position is wide open. A telling sign is that sophomore Stephen Hogan was moved to quarterback this spring, and had the best of the competition in the spring game. Talk is that Arkansas State is looking at the possibility of a transfer or two coming in next fall, and incoming freshman Cameron Birse will also get a shot. A new, complicated offense, and quarterback issues are not good things to have early in the season! Advantage: Auburn.

Punting: Auburn returns senior punter Steven Clark, who hit the ball well again this spring. Clark tends toward towering balls that can’t be returned. Clark had 70 punts for a 39.8 yard average, but only 5 were returned, for a total of 4 yards. For the Red Wolves, it’s totally up in the air who will punt next season. Kickers Brian Davis and Luke Ferguson are in the mix. In the spring game, each guy punted once. Ferguson for 50 yards and killed inside the 20, Davis for 39, and redshirt freshman Max Coffin for 36. The Red Wolves gave up 6.1 yards per return last season. Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: Auburn didn’t score enough to generate many kickoffs in 2012, but when they did, Cody Parkey nailed 33 of 48 of them for touchbacks. Arkansas State used both seniors Luke Ferguson and Brian Davis last season. Ferguson had 11 touchbacks on 46 attempts, and Davis had 7 on 30 attempts. When Parkey wasn’t putting the kickoff in the stands, Auburn gave up only 16.6 yards per return. Arkansas State gave up 19.0. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn’s Cody Parkey was 11 of 14 on field goal attempts, and perfect on his extra points. Brian Davis hit 17 of 21 field goals, but missed 3 extra points. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Arkansas State defensive line: Auburn’s starting A-Day unit of sophomore Greg Robinson, redshirt freshman Alex Kozan, junior Reese Dismukes, junior Chad Slade, and sophomore Patrick Miller looked dominant. In addition, the 2nd line did well against the starting D-line. For Arkansas State, senior Ryan Carrethers is going to be a force in the middle. Senior Amos Draper will likely start in the tackle rotation as well. Arkansas State is still looking for defensive ends, and a true freshman or two may well end up starting. Senior Eddie Porter can play defensive end, but he’s also needed at linebacker. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Arkansas State linebackers: Auburn finished spring with a trio of dangerous running backs, and more are on the way this fall in the incoming class. Junior Tre Mason is a 1000 yard incumbent, JUCO transfer Cameron Artis-Payne wowed the A-Day crowd with his power and agility, and junior Corey Grant is a threat on the outside. In addition, the Tigers will have bruising senior H-back Jay Prosch paving the way. Expect Eddie Porter to be in the mix, and junior Qushaun Lee certainly will be the most experienced linebacker returning. Who’ll be filling in the other spot or two is still in question. The Gus Malzhan offense is hideously difficult for the defensive front seven to prepare for, and there will be youth galore up front for the Red Wolves. The only saving grace is that they practiced against this offense last season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. Arkansas State corners: Auburn’s starters on the outside post-spring are juniors Jaylon Denson and Trovon Reed, neither of who have done much previously on the field. Backups Sammie Coates and Ricardo Lewis should add an explosive dimension when they sub in. Arkansas State juniors Artez Brown and Andrew Tryon have experience, but neither is very big, which is a problem against the size Auburn will put on the field. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Arkansas State safeties: Auburn has some matchup nightmares as secondary receivers, starting with C. J. Uzomah and Quan Bray. Few safeties can keep up with either in a foot race. If a team puts extra corners in to shut that down, Auburn will run over them. Put in beefier safeties, and those guys will be wide open. The real question is who’ll pull the trigger for the Auburn offense. The QB competition is said to be neck and neck between junior Khiel Frazier and sophomore Jonathan Wallace. Neither distinguished himself on A-Day. The race will become five-headed for a while when the newcomers arrive this fall. Junior Sterling Young is a veteran safety, and a good tackler. He’ll likely be joined by sophomore Chris Humes, who played a good bit as a true freshman last season. Regardless of who plays quarterback in this one, it’s Advantage: Auburn.

     Twice in recent years, Arkansas State has come into Auburn and given the Tigers problems. However, neither time were the Red Wolves any threat to win the game, and that likely will be the same in 2013. The 2006 squad held Auburn to 13 first half points, and the 2010 unit gashed Ted Roof’s defense for 26 points. With this being game two, it’s hard to see any other result than Auburn running it up in preparation for the next three, Mississippi State, LSU and Ole Miss.

Prediction: The Tigers run wild on offense, and the defense preys on young Red Wolf quarterbacks. Tigers take this one easily, 59-13.

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