Only five games line the docket for the Southeastern Conference in week six, which adds to the shallow pool to choose from leading to GameDay visiting Vanderbilt for the Auburn-Vandy game. So is the world we live in, a world where Houston Nutt takes Urban Meyer's manhood and Vandy has crept into the nation's top 20. I'll tell you what, if the Cubs can't win the World Series in a year where things like this occur, the Bleacher Bums need to find a different summer interest.
Last week, Alabama took Georgia to the woodshed and the 31-0 halftime score was more indicative than the 41-30 final lets on. It is by far the biggest win this program has had since the 31-3 drubbing Mike Shula handed Meyer in his first year at UF, but something tells me that the joy will be much more short-lived than Bama fans think. The last two times the Tide has produced a huge eye-opening victory under Nick Saban, the team has tanked the next week. Kentucky brings with it an opportunistic defense that bends but doesn't break, allowing a mere 5.5 points per contest through its run of non-conference foes. The Wildcats are good enough to beat Alabama if the Tide lets down its guard. When uncertain, err on the side of caution and use history as your guide. Rich Brooks pulls another upset out of his hat in Tuscaloosa this Saturday. Kentucky 21, Alabama 17.
Florida (4-1, 1-1 SEC) at Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): Neither team played up to its capabilities last week in losses to Ole Miss and Texas. The difference? Florida has a lot of athletes, but Arkansas doesn't. The Hogs' lone chance at winning this game aside from the home field advantage will be to put the game in the hands of Michael Smith and let the running game get going. Limit Casey Dick's chances of making mistakes and hope to keep up with the Gators' offense. The plan worked to perfection for Nutt a week ago, but he's no longer calling the shots in Fayetteville. Bobby Petrino can outcoach Meyer if Nutt is capable of doing so, but it won't happen this season. The Gators will be angry and out to set the season back on its course. Florida 30, Arkansas 21.
South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at Ole Miss (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Nutt finally provided the Rebels with a signature victory, the program's biggest since Eli Manning roamed behind center. Lose this game, though, and that Vandy loss looms larger in terms of gaining bowl eligibility. I don't think you can find any Ole Miss fan that would argue with 3-2 heading into October, and it means more to beat Florida than it does to lose to Vanderbilt, especially in the eyes of the national pundits. South Carolina has spent the last two weeks trying to correct all their issues that were displayed in losses to Vandy and Georgia. Turnovers and special teams miscues will not help matters in Oxford if they haven't been cleansed from the players' systems. Steve Spurrier needs this one more than Nutt. Home field prevails, though. Ole Miss 27, South Carolina 20.
Auburn (4-1, 2-1 SEC) at Vanderbilt (4-0, 2-0 SEC): The Commodores have sole possession of first place in the SEC East in October thanks to Ole Miss and Alabama's help over the weekend while they sat idly by and watched Auburn's offense tear up the Vols by a tune of 220 yards and a 14-12 score. It's hard to imagine that a week from now the Dores could be looking to wrap up its bowl eligibility in Starkville if they can continue their magical run with an upset of the Tigers. It's not going to happen, though. While the offense still has no identity, the last three defenses Auburn has faced have had a lot to do with that scenario. Vandy hasn't faced athletes on both sides of the ball that Auburn will bring into Nashville. As stated before, GameDay will be there and so will I. The Tigers will take care of business under the lights in the ship. Auburn 28, Vanderbilt 7.
Northern Illinois (2-2) at Tennessee (1-3, 0-2 SEC): Jonathon Crompton is really, really bad. As he goes so goes Tennessee. The defense has been put in awkward positions against UCLA and Florida, but it did a lot of good in the loss at Auburn a week ago. The secondary is tough, and the front seven should be able to bottle up the Northern Illinois ground attack much like it did UAB's. The Vols better win this one because it's going to be a few weeks before Mississippi State rolls into town. Tennessee 31, NIU 7.
Last week: 6-1
Overall: 34-9
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The View from Section 109: The Tennessee Game
Disclaimer: I'm writing this under the influence of pain killers and migraine medicines thanks to a concussion, so it may not be the clearest writing I've had so far...then again, it may make the most sense. That being said...
What more can you say about the Auburn defense? I'm amazed that they could bottle up the Tennessee offense (although Jonathon Crompton did his best to aid in their effort). For the second time in three conference games, the opponent failed to reach 200 total yards - this one much more impressive to me than the game at Mississippi State. Unlike the Bulldogs, the Volunteers pose a threat at almost every offensive position with the exception of quarterback. Crompton was rattled from the beginning and rarely made the correct read, but with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, UT could only manage to punt, punt, punt despite their starting field position.
Coming into the game, I felt like Arian Foster was more lethal than Charles Scott - and LSU could not match a number two runner in Montario Hardesty. Now, I know that Scott is much better than both these runners combined. Hopefully, the defense will use these two weeks to be ready for Knowshon Moreno, Caleb King, Glenn Coffee and Terry Grant - the next group of runners that can come close to the three we've seen the last two weeks.
I've said this before, and I'll reiterate for effectiveness: Paul Rhoads may not be as good of a coordinator as Will Muschamp overall, but he is a much better fit for Auburn. It has taken five games to see what Tommy Tuberville attempted to steal away from Pittsburgh seven years ago when AU ended up with Gene Chizik. Rhoads' schemes center on keeping the play in front of you and making the tackle. There's not as much bending in the "bend but don't break" style as we've had at Auburn in year's past. Tennessee only earned half of those points with drives, and the defensive line matched our offense's output with Blanc's fumble recovery in the end zone in the second quarter.
Speaking of the offense, I'm still not ready to give up on these guys like many of Auburn's fanbase. We're going to a completely different attack scheme, and the coaches showed with more under center formations that they're willing to do whatever it takes to win games the rest of the season. Sure, we've got to get more points but it's not necessarily the quarterbacks' faults (either of them) that more touchdowns weren't scored against Tennessee. Kodi Burns finally came back into the game and provided a huge spark as the team marched down to the 20-yard-line. He made two smart throws that went through the hands of his intended receivers that prevented six more points and putting the game away prior to the halftime break.
Chris Todd has gotten such a bad rap that I am starting to feel sorry for him ever thinking of coming to Auburn. I don't care how bad a team plays or a particular player performs, you never boo the guy. Ninety-eight percent of the people in the stadium have never gone through the regiment those players push through day-in and day-out throughout their five college years. Auburn University is a special place to me and to every one of those 85 guys on scholarship that put their bodies on the line every fall Saturday and throughout the weeks between the games. It's not Todd's fault that Tony Franklin has put so much on his weakening arm.
Does it seem weird to anyone else that AU has done everything possible to lose the two conference wins but did everything to win in the loss to LSU? The double-edged sword shows that the Tigers could easily be 0-3 right now in conference play as well as only being one first down from a 3-0 record. A loss to Tennessee would have been devastating to staying in the race, and the defense would not allow that to happen. By leaving Burns and Mario Fannin on the field the last two drives of Saturday, the coaches proved that they weren't going to allow that to happen either.
There were a lot of good things in the Tennessee game that have been overlooked thanks to a bevy of glaring mistakes. The Vols have a strong defense and probably the most talented secondary in the conference. Several of the throws that were completed were right on the money and placed into small pockets where only the receivers could make the play. Several dropped balls stalled drives and we can't overlook the penalties that kept putting Todd's drives in long-yardage situations. I don't know what is going on with the offensive line, but I don't trust anyone in this country more than Hugh Nall to figure out something.
Several folks got up in arms when Tuberville came out Sunday and stated he helps with the offense. That's his job, people. His career and legacy are on the line a lot more than Franklin's or Nall's or any of the other assistant coaches. I still don't mind winning games 14-12, 3-2, 10-9, 9-7, 7-3 as long as we are winning them. Am I beating my chest about these two wins over Miss. State and Tennessee? No, but I also know that the season's not over and we're 4-1, 2-1 at the end of September with one of college football's hardest-working staffs looking to fix some glaring errors.
Personnel is a key component to Franklin's system, and we just don't have it in the right spots right now. So far, we have three proven receivers in Robert Dunn, Montez Billings and Rod Smith to use as go-to guys. Tim Hawthorne had the game of his life against LSU and just had a throw go off his fingertips against Tennessee that would have kept a promising drive alive. Chris Slaughter, Terrell Zachary and Quindarious Carr have all the talent in the world and are more than capable of moving into the go-to roles currently being held by Dunn, Billings and Smith. Until all seven of these guys are on the same page with either quarterback, though, we will continue to experience growing pains.
I love having the luxury of a deep running back stall, but it's just not there right now. Fannin got more carries against Tennessee (where was this package against LSU, by the way?), and Ben Tate is much better running straight ahead out of the I-formation than dodging offensive linemen getting pushed behind by the defensive lines we've faced the last three weeks. Brad Lester and Tristan Davis need to get healthy, while Eric Smith has done a good job when he's been asked to pick up a couple of plays to spell Lester or Tate.
If you're going to get faith in your offense and your philosophy, there is no better time to do this than over the next five games with the defenses we face before Georgia. We will win 10 games this year in a transition season when the SEC is probably the most balanced it has ever been. If this offense gains its identity in the next five games, 11 wins is not out of the question. We have difference makers on the roster right now that seem to have no idea what they're doing. Carr, Slaughter and Hawthorne have to get on the same page as the quarterbacks. Dunn has stepped up as a playmaker, and Smith has always been dependable (even though he is still a walk-on in talent).
We have seen this offense sputter in five games against defenses that have grown in difficulty from week-to-week. The next five games will be against defenses that play more like Louisiana-Monroe than LSU. I believe hiring Franklin was the right thing for our program, and it was the most logical decision at the time we made it. As our offensive coordinator, he's 5-1 and could very easily be 6-0 with one more first down against LSU. We had to make a change, and our offense with Al Borges would be producing the same results with Blake Field getting booed instead of Todd.
I vow to give this offense as long as we are asked to because I don't think the receivers or offensive line are making uncorrectable mistakes. We will be able to run a lot easier on Vanderbilt, Arkansas and West Virginia, which will help the passing game when we have to rely on it against Ole Miss. By all means, believe what you want as an Auburn fan and roll your eyes at me for being optimistic, but I believe in our coaching staff and will always believe in and love Auburn University.
War Eagle and thanks for reading.
-6-
What more can you say about the Auburn defense? I'm amazed that they could bottle up the Tennessee offense (although Jonathon Crompton did his best to aid in their effort). For the second time in three conference games, the opponent failed to reach 200 total yards - this one much more impressive to me than the game at Mississippi State. Unlike the Bulldogs, the Volunteers pose a threat at almost every offensive position with the exception of quarterback. Crompton was rattled from the beginning and rarely made the correct read, but with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, UT could only manage to punt, punt, punt despite their starting field position.
Coming into the game, I felt like Arian Foster was more lethal than Charles Scott - and LSU could not match a number two runner in Montario Hardesty. Now, I know that Scott is much better than both these runners combined. Hopefully, the defense will use these two weeks to be ready for Knowshon Moreno, Caleb King, Glenn Coffee and Terry Grant - the next group of runners that can come close to the three we've seen the last two weeks.
I've said this before, and I'll reiterate for effectiveness: Paul Rhoads may not be as good of a coordinator as Will Muschamp overall, but he is a much better fit for Auburn. It has taken five games to see what Tommy Tuberville attempted to steal away from Pittsburgh seven years ago when AU ended up with Gene Chizik. Rhoads' schemes center on keeping the play in front of you and making the tackle. There's not as much bending in the "bend but don't break" style as we've had at Auburn in year's past. Tennessee only earned half of those points with drives, and the defensive line matched our offense's output with Blanc's fumble recovery in the end zone in the second quarter.
Speaking of the offense, I'm still not ready to give up on these guys like many of Auburn's fanbase. We're going to a completely different attack scheme, and the coaches showed with more under center formations that they're willing to do whatever it takes to win games the rest of the season. Sure, we've got to get more points but it's not necessarily the quarterbacks' faults (either of them) that more touchdowns weren't scored against Tennessee. Kodi Burns finally came back into the game and provided a huge spark as the team marched down to the 20-yard-line. He made two smart throws that went through the hands of his intended receivers that prevented six more points and putting the game away prior to the halftime break.
Chris Todd has gotten such a bad rap that I am starting to feel sorry for him ever thinking of coming to Auburn. I don't care how bad a team plays or a particular player performs, you never boo the guy. Ninety-eight percent of the people in the stadium have never gone through the regiment those players push through day-in and day-out throughout their five college years. Auburn University is a special place to me and to every one of those 85 guys on scholarship that put their bodies on the line every fall Saturday and throughout the weeks between the games. It's not Todd's fault that Tony Franklin has put so much on his weakening arm.
Does it seem weird to anyone else that AU has done everything possible to lose the two conference wins but did everything to win in the loss to LSU? The double-edged sword shows that the Tigers could easily be 0-3 right now in conference play as well as only being one first down from a 3-0 record. A loss to Tennessee would have been devastating to staying in the race, and the defense would not allow that to happen. By leaving Burns and Mario Fannin on the field the last two drives of Saturday, the coaches proved that they weren't going to allow that to happen either.
There were a lot of good things in the Tennessee game that have been overlooked thanks to a bevy of glaring mistakes. The Vols have a strong defense and probably the most talented secondary in the conference. Several of the throws that were completed were right on the money and placed into small pockets where only the receivers could make the play. Several dropped balls stalled drives and we can't overlook the penalties that kept putting Todd's drives in long-yardage situations. I don't know what is going on with the offensive line, but I don't trust anyone in this country more than Hugh Nall to figure out something.
Several folks got up in arms when Tuberville came out Sunday and stated he helps with the offense. That's his job, people. His career and legacy are on the line a lot more than Franklin's or Nall's or any of the other assistant coaches. I still don't mind winning games 14-12, 3-2, 10-9, 9-7, 7-3 as long as we are winning them. Am I beating my chest about these two wins over Miss. State and Tennessee? No, but I also know that the season's not over and we're 4-1, 2-1 at the end of September with one of college football's hardest-working staffs looking to fix some glaring errors.
Personnel is a key component to Franklin's system, and we just don't have it in the right spots right now. So far, we have three proven receivers in Robert Dunn, Montez Billings and Rod Smith to use as go-to guys. Tim Hawthorne had the game of his life against LSU and just had a throw go off his fingertips against Tennessee that would have kept a promising drive alive. Chris Slaughter, Terrell Zachary and Quindarious Carr have all the talent in the world and are more than capable of moving into the go-to roles currently being held by Dunn, Billings and Smith. Until all seven of these guys are on the same page with either quarterback, though, we will continue to experience growing pains.
I love having the luxury of a deep running back stall, but it's just not there right now. Fannin got more carries against Tennessee (where was this package against LSU, by the way?), and Ben Tate is much better running straight ahead out of the I-formation than dodging offensive linemen getting pushed behind by the defensive lines we've faced the last three weeks. Brad Lester and Tristan Davis need to get healthy, while Eric Smith has done a good job when he's been asked to pick up a couple of plays to spell Lester or Tate.
If you're going to get faith in your offense and your philosophy, there is no better time to do this than over the next five games with the defenses we face before Georgia. We will win 10 games this year in a transition season when the SEC is probably the most balanced it has ever been. If this offense gains its identity in the next five games, 11 wins is not out of the question. We have difference makers on the roster right now that seem to have no idea what they're doing. Carr, Slaughter and Hawthorne have to get on the same page as the quarterbacks. Dunn has stepped up as a playmaker, and Smith has always been dependable (even though he is still a walk-on in talent).
We have seen this offense sputter in five games against defenses that have grown in difficulty from week-to-week. The next five games will be against defenses that play more like Louisiana-Monroe than LSU. I believe hiring Franklin was the right thing for our program, and it was the most logical decision at the time we made it. As our offensive coordinator, he's 5-1 and could very easily be 6-0 with one more first down against LSU. We had to make a change, and our offense with Al Borges would be producing the same results with Blake Field getting booed instead of Todd.
I vow to give this offense as long as we are asked to because I don't think the receivers or offensive line are making uncorrectable mistakes. We will be able to run a lot easier on Vanderbilt, Arkansas and West Virginia, which will help the passing game when we have to rely on it against Ole Miss. By all means, believe what you want as an Auburn fan and roll your eyes at me for being optimistic, but I believe in our coaching staff and will always believe in and love Auburn University.
War Eagle and thanks for reading.
-6-
Friday, September 26, 2008
SEC Forecast - Week 5/Tailgate Plan for Tennessee
Last Saturday proved to be Separation Saturday as LSU and Florida put an essential two-game lead in the standings over one of its main competitors on the road to Atlanta. LSU's 26-21 victory derailed Auburn's championship hopes (for now) while Florida proved that Urban Meyer owns Philip Fulmer with its fourth-straight win over Tennessee. Vanderbilt continued to be the thorn in my side with another win, this one at the expense of Ole Miss - which has now lost nine consecutive Southeastern Conference contests.
This week, two other top-10 teams will grab the spotlight in Athens, Ga., when the Tide and Bulldogs seek to remain undefeated and take advantage of Southern Cal's loss to Oregon State. Alabama will close September the same way it opened the month with a top-10 foe in the Peach State, and they made quite the statement with a 49-14 win in Fayetteville a week ago. The running game has been enhanced with stellar offensive line play, and the defense has played above expectations in wins over Clemson and the Hogs. Meanwhile, Georgia has been quietly taking care of their own business as they hope to regain a top-two ranking (and perhaps the monicker as the nation's best team). The Dawgs will be looking to recreate the magic from their 45-20 victory over Auburn last season with their gimmicky "blackout" scheme, but I doubt Bama is very threatened by this. As much as it pains me to write this, Bama will roll in Athens simply because this has Mark Richt's egg written all over it. Tide fans better be quick with their cameras, though, because when the final second ticks off the clock the scoreboard will follow the "blackout" theme. Alabama 31, Georgia 10.
Ole Miss (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC): In the league's early game, Florida should dominate as the Rebels will be reeling from a heartbreaker of sorts in their loss to Vandy. The Gators are better across the board, and the final score will reflect just how much distance there is between these two programs. Florida 45, Ole Miss 24.
Tennessee (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC): This is a game that has scared me since the schedule was released, and I don't feel any better knowing that the media has spent the last week telling Fulmer how bad of a coach he is. Auburn is the better team and can blow Tennessee out if the running game gets back on track. The Vols' defense isn't as good as LSU's, but the secondary play has been stellar through three games. UT will most likely pop the Tigers in the mouth. We'll learn a lot about this team by how they respond from that. Auburn 17, Tennessee 9.
Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at Texas (3-0): An old rivalry renewed yet again, and it won't be pretty for the visitors from Fayetteville. Casey Dick returned to his former self last week in the debacle against Alabama, and I'm sure he's just foaming at the mouth to go back out on national television against Texas. The game means much more to the fanbases than the players out on the field. Texas 31, Arkansas 10.
Western Kentucky (2-2) at Kentucky (3-0): In its final tune-up before conference play, Kentucky should head into Tuscaloosa next week with a 4-0 record. The Wildcats have been promising on defense and dependable on offense thus far. There may be quite a few points scored in this one, and I'm sure that the Hilltoppers are tired of facing SEC foes by now. Kentucky 38, Western Kentucky 17.
UAB (1-3) at South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC): The Gamecocks got a serviceable win last week against Wofford, and the Blazers should help USC inch closer to bowl eligibility. I'm not sure Steve Spurrier has decided on a quarterback yet, but I am sure he has decided on this being his last season in Columbia. South Carolina 35, UAB 3.
Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1 SEC) at LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC): LSU told me a lot about their team last week with the victory on the Plains. This could be their best chance to go undefeated this decade with the running game and receivers they have. Mississippi State is really, really bad. LSU is really, really good. However, I expect it to be pretty sloppy just like last year's game in Starkville. Jarrett Lee doesn't recreate his magic from last week in Auburn, but he won't have to. LSU 24, Miss. State 0.
Note: Sorry for the delay in these. I've been traveling this week and had birthday festivities yesterday. There will be no formal tailgate for the Tennessee game, and we spent the day last week going from place-to-place and enjoying the atmosphere on campus. We should be on campus around 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Last week: 5-2
Overall: 28-8
This week, two other top-10 teams will grab the spotlight in Athens, Ga., when the Tide and Bulldogs seek to remain undefeated and take advantage of Southern Cal's loss to Oregon State. Alabama will close September the same way it opened the month with a top-10 foe in the Peach State, and they made quite the statement with a 49-14 win in Fayetteville a week ago. The running game has been enhanced with stellar offensive line play, and the defense has played above expectations in wins over Clemson and the Hogs. Meanwhile, Georgia has been quietly taking care of their own business as they hope to regain a top-two ranking (and perhaps the monicker as the nation's best team). The Dawgs will be looking to recreate the magic from their 45-20 victory over Auburn last season with their gimmicky "blackout" scheme, but I doubt Bama is very threatened by this. As much as it pains me to write this, Bama will roll in Athens simply because this has Mark Richt's egg written all over it. Tide fans better be quick with their cameras, though, because when the final second ticks off the clock the scoreboard will follow the "blackout" theme. Alabama 31, Georgia 10.
Ole Miss (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC): In the league's early game, Florida should dominate as the Rebels will be reeling from a heartbreaker of sorts in their loss to Vandy. The Gators are better across the board, and the final score will reflect just how much distance there is between these two programs. Florida 45, Ole Miss 24.
Tennessee (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC): This is a game that has scared me since the schedule was released, and I don't feel any better knowing that the media has spent the last week telling Fulmer how bad of a coach he is. Auburn is the better team and can blow Tennessee out if the running game gets back on track. The Vols' defense isn't as good as LSU's, but the secondary play has been stellar through three games. UT will most likely pop the Tigers in the mouth. We'll learn a lot about this team by how they respond from that. Auburn 17, Tennessee 9.
Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at Texas (3-0): An old rivalry renewed yet again, and it won't be pretty for the visitors from Fayetteville. Casey Dick returned to his former self last week in the debacle against Alabama, and I'm sure he's just foaming at the mouth to go back out on national television against Texas. The game means much more to the fanbases than the players out on the field. Texas 31, Arkansas 10.
Western Kentucky (2-2) at Kentucky (3-0): In its final tune-up before conference play, Kentucky should head into Tuscaloosa next week with a 4-0 record. The Wildcats have been promising on defense and dependable on offense thus far. There may be quite a few points scored in this one, and I'm sure that the Hilltoppers are tired of facing SEC foes by now. Kentucky 38, Western Kentucky 17.
UAB (1-3) at South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC): The Gamecocks got a serviceable win last week against Wofford, and the Blazers should help USC inch closer to bowl eligibility. I'm not sure Steve Spurrier has decided on a quarterback yet, but I am sure he has decided on this being his last season in Columbia. South Carolina 35, UAB 3.
Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1 SEC) at LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC): LSU told me a lot about their team last week with the victory on the Plains. This could be their best chance to go undefeated this decade with the running game and receivers they have. Mississippi State is really, really bad. LSU is really, really good. However, I expect it to be pretty sloppy just like last year's game in Starkville. Jarrett Lee doesn't recreate his magic from last week in Auburn, but he won't have to. LSU 24, Miss. State 0.
Note: Sorry for the delay in these. I've been traveling this week and had birthday festivities yesterday. There will be no formal tailgate for the Tennessee game, and we spent the day last week going from place-to-place and enjoying the atmosphere on campus. We should be on campus around 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Last week: 5-2
Overall: 28-8
Monday, September 22, 2008
The View from Section 109: The LSU Game
I knew that whichever team would win Saturday night's game would have to earn it, and I can't complain too loudly about LSU walking out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with the five-point triumph. It played out almost exactly like last season's game in Baton Rouge, and we are going to have to re-learn how to sit on leads if we're not going to go for the throat on great opponents like LSU in order to get back to winning those types of ball games. What we have done the last couple of years just isn't cutting it any more. Yes, Tommy Tuberville has a sterling record against top-10 and top-five opponents, but we have lost our last three games against top-10 teams now.
Now, that isn't to say that I agree with the sitting on leads strategy. I know we can't get a national championship beating teams 9-7, 10-9, 7-3, and this is why we went to the spread. However, winning games 9-7, 10-9, 7-3 is better than the alternative of losing games 26-21, 30-24, etc. Tuberville got out-coached Saturday night by someone who hasn't been afraid to take any chances since he took over the LSU program. This guy is someone that no one gave any credit towards outside the state of Louisiana, but I tip my normal-sized hat to Les Miles for having the courage to trust in his play-makers when it was obvious that a sneaky play or two could catch our team off guard. Tuberville used to be that guy, but it hasn't been seen in a while.
If you had told me that we would score 21 on LSU, I wouldn't have thought it would be the close game that it turned out to be (nor would I have thought there was any chance for them to walk out victorious). Our secondary was exposed for the first time in I can't remember, and Charles Scott took our defense's manhood in the second half. If you are going to be a championship defense, you have to make more stops on third down - which is made easier when you can keep the opponent out of short-yardage situations. Yes, the offense and special teams put these guys in tough situations, but LSU would have been kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns if our D was championship caliber. They're good, very good in fact. However, right now, they're not a championship defense. It's not all their fault, though.
How bad can you play on special teams? When did we get scared of kicking it to a particular return guy? I think it all goes back to 2005, when Skylar Green essentially won the game for LSU with his punt return to put them up 7-0. Sure, that wasn't last score of the night and there were five missed field goals, but Tuberville seems inclined to keep the game out of the special team's hands and in the defense's hands more and more each time we play LSU since that night. We need to quit playing scared in the kicking game and trust our coverage (which has been much better so far this year than the last two seasons).
I want to take this time to applaud Robert Dunn, who had his best game by far as an Auburn receiver. While leadership has been hard to find on the offense, I really feel as though he's starting to achieve that status along with Rod Smith. We've had a different receiver have a big game each game this season, which tells me that this offense is getting one thing accomplished we brought it in to do: get the ball distributed to our playmakers. I'm also happy we found a way to get Tim Hawthorne some more touches. He doesn't have the speed to be a breakaway guy, but he should use Saturday night's performance (with the game's two biggest catches) to springboard into a big season - just like Ben Obomanu following the Ole Miss loss in 2003.
The positives: the offense scored a touchdown when it was imperative to get points in a situation where three wasn't going to cut it. That toss from Chris Todd to Dunn was gorgeous, and I feel as though this is something that will help spark the bond between those two. Dunn played a lot harder for Todd this week than he appeared to from the stands against Mississippi State, and his comments after the LSU game show he has much more confidence in Todd's abilities than a week ago. This was the best defense we will face this year, and no offensive line will be able to hold our defensive tackles like the Bayou Bengals'. This is LSU's best team this decade - not their most talented but their best cohesive group of players. We won't be the only secondary Brandon LeFell and Jarrett Lee carve in 2008 and beyond.
I don't have a problem saying that LSU was the better team and deserved to win in Auburn. What scares me is that this was possibly the least-talented LSU team we will face for some time. I hope they say the same about Auburn.
War Eagle, everyone, and thanks again for reading.
-6-
Now, that isn't to say that I agree with the sitting on leads strategy. I know we can't get a national championship beating teams 9-7, 10-9, 7-3, and this is why we went to the spread. However, winning games 9-7, 10-9, 7-3 is better than the alternative of losing games 26-21, 30-24, etc. Tuberville got out-coached Saturday night by someone who hasn't been afraid to take any chances since he took over the LSU program. This guy is someone that no one gave any credit towards outside the state of Louisiana, but I tip my normal-sized hat to Les Miles for having the courage to trust in his play-makers when it was obvious that a sneaky play or two could catch our team off guard. Tuberville used to be that guy, but it hasn't been seen in a while.
If you had told me that we would score 21 on LSU, I wouldn't have thought it would be the close game that it turned out to be (nor would I have thought there was any chance for them to walk out victorious). Our secondary was exposed for the first time in I can't remember, and Charles Scott took our defense's manhood in the second half. If you are going to be a championship defense, you have to make more stops on third down - which is made easier when you can keep the opponent out of short-yardage situations. Yes, the offense and special teams put these guys in tough situations, but LSU would have been kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns if our D was championship caliber. They're good, very good in fact. However, right now, they're not a championship defense. It's not all their fault, though.
How bad can you play on special teams? When did we get scared of kicking it to a particular return guy? I think it all goes back to 2005, when Skylar Green essentially won the game for LSU with his punt return to put them up 7-0. Sure, that wasn't last score of the night and there were five missed field goals, but Tuberville seems inclined to keep the game out of the special team's hands and in the defense's hands more and more each time we play LSU since that night. We need to quit playing scared in the kicking game and trust our coverage (which has been much better so far this year than the last two seasons).
I want to take this time to applaud Robert Dunn, who had his best game by far as an Auburn receiver. While leadership has been hard to find on the offense, I really feel as though he's starting to achieve that status along with Rod Smith. We've had a different receiver have a big game each game this season, which tells me that this offense is getting one thing accomplished we brought it in to do: get the ball distributed to our playmakers. I'm also happy we found a way to get Tim Hawthorne some more touches. He doesn't have the speed to be a breakaway guy, but he should use Saturday night's performance (with the game's two biggest catches) to springboard into a big season - just like Ben Obomanu following the Ole Miss loss in 2003.
The positives: the offense scored a touchdown when it was imperative to get points in a situation where three wasn't going to cut it. That toss from Chris Todd to Dunn was gorgeous, and I feel as though this is something that will help spark the bond between those two. Dunn played a lot harder for Todd this week than he appeared to from the stands against Mississippi State, and his comments after the LSU game show he has much more confidence in Todd's abilities than a week ago. This was the best defense we will face this year, and no offensive line will be able to hold our defensive tackles like the Bayou Bengals'. This is LSU's best team this decade - not their most talented but their best cohesive group of players. We won't be the only secondary Brandon LeFell and Jarrett Lee carve in 2008 and beyond.
I don't have a problem saying that LSU was the better team and deserved to win in Auburn. What scares me is that this was possibly the least-talented LSU team we will face for some time. I hope they say the same about Auburn.
War Eagle, everyone, and thanks again for reading.
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Plan to Win: LSU Tailgate/Miss. State Review
Enough about the Mississippi State game already, I’m sure you’re thinking. I’ve been known to put myself through undue misery and duress over the years, but watching the game over on DVR (which I did earlier this week) completely defies all logic for someone ready to get over and move past one of the most frustrating experiences in my lifetime membership of Auburn fandom.
So, I decided that enough was enough and looked to happier times – like the Chik-fil-A Bowl last year when we decided to unleash this new-fangled attack. After seeing this game again, I can only think two things: 1.) we are playing ultra-conservative because those plays haven’t been called and I know they could work against LSU – or – 2.) our players have forgotten the little things that will help execute the schemes and designs better with six months of practice instead of six days. Given our past under Tommy Tuberville, I’d like to say it’s the latter choice.
We hear the word patience a lot, and I know that its one that has rubbed me the wrong way over the past few weeks (since I’ve had to be patient about way too much at work as well as what is displayed on the field by the offense), but things may not go all that smoothly this weekend against LSU’s fast, aggressive, physical defense. It is the best that we will face, hands down, and it will come in with a fiery intensity that should be matched by its counterpart in the orange and blue. Points will be very hard to come by, and it may take one team putting away the other with a back-breaking mental error leading to the winning score.
Assuming that we have been holding back, I feel as though the game plan we initialized against Clemson is one that would work extremely well against LSU. No, I don’t think Clemson’s defense is as good as LSU’s, but the way we forced Clemson’s speed against them was a thing of beauty (between the 20s). Nowhere to be found in the first three games were Mario’s touches and seam routes he ran to perfection. Nowhere to be found in the first three games was any semblance of play-action by either quarterback. Last week, for the first time, we saw the end-around to Fannin – who would have scored by getting past the last guy to trip him up. The plays were thisclose to going for bigger gains and more points, but State always seemed to have the shoestring to keep the touchdowns from coming to fruition.
My guess at Saturday night: lots of punts, a couple of missed field goals and a late Auburn score to give us the fourth (and most important until next week) victory on the season in 10-6 fashion. LSU fans think they’re going to come in and “handle” us at home, but as long as our defense refuses to walk off the field without a W, there will be no game in which we get “handled.” This is, by far, the best defense I’ve ever witnessed take the field at Auburn. (And I wouldn’t trade any of them for anyone on LSU’s team.)
First thing’s first when looking back on the tailgate last week, I have to tip my hat to two of my favorite Mississippi State fans in Chris Hussey and Hunter Aycock. The three of us played golf at the Highlands on Saturday morning with Robert Miller, and I had a great time hanging out with the three of them (regardless of their MSU ties). Hunter ensured that we’d be set up next to them with our tent by getting his fraternity pledges to set up the frame next-door to their two tents (which was a great location to describe to the rest of our crew already in Starkville). Thanks, you guys…again.
Joining Jeanie, Miller, my dad (who unfortunately did not break out All Auburn, All Orange, All Kirk attire for the game) and myself were the Monroe clan (featuring John, Andrew, Kaitlin, Carl and Marisa Dycus). Brad, Amber and Jared also made their way to the house from Sylvania. There’s never a dull moment when our families get together, and I just wish Taylor, Ellen and my mom had made the trip with us. Since we had an evening kickoff, all of us ate steaks at the house before coming up to Starkville around 2 p.m.
Robert, Jennifer, Brent and Joseph made their second-straight tailgate this weekend, and it is always a joy to spend time around that group. I just hate we didn’t get to see Carol or Amanda (maybe, hopefully, next game they all attend). Frank Buttler, Andy Shores, Matthew Shores and Doc made appearances as well. Last, but certainly not least, Katy Braden lightened the mood with her jovial personality and carefree attitude. Outside the stadium, as you can imagine, was a fun-filled atmosphere of confidence and fun.
My tailgater of the week award goes to three individuals for completely separate but equally important endeavors. For one, Andy Shores delivered one of the funniest (yet unprintable) quotes of the weekend while we headed to his dad’s house to drop him off following the evening’s activities. Second, Jeanie saved all the magnets on my truck Saturday night since it remained parked at Robert’s apartment by removing them and bringing them home. To top this off, she was a great sister and drove my truck home on Sunday so that I could keep working on a report at the house. Finally, Amber went above and beyond in her helping my mom with cleanup and setup for the meals at the house, and it’d be a shame not to point out her impact in my mom’s eyes.
Thanks to everyone who stuck around at the end of the night and helped out by carrying coolers, chairs, the canopy and the tent frame (Andy) to the cars. Once the State fans decided to be a tad bit less cordial, we decided it was time to hit the road and take our 3-2 win with us.
Now, we get the game we’ve waited all offseason to arrive. Last year, LSU used a last second pass that was just as close to being intercepted as it was to being caught for the game-winning heartbreaker. GameDay is coming, and our sign is ready. Without mom and dad, there will be little activities at the camper aside from sleeping and showering. Friday night, Katy, Andrew, Taylor and I will be going to the Jim Gaffigan show at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham and will meet up with Jeanie and Miller shortly thereafter.
The plan stands right now to arrive on the GameDay set between 5:30 and 6 a.m. Following the show, we’ll head over to Buffalo Connection for lunch and to try to catch as much of the Alabama/Arkansas game as possible (I wonder if Georgia Mitch will be watching in Athens…). Then, hopefully, we can make our way over to Andrew’s uncle’s tailgate near the upper quad. Following Tiger Walk and the game, race to Toomer’s and roll some trees before calling it a night.
If you’re in Auburn, please get in touch with me so that we can hang out. I’m still awaiting word on whether we have the extra tickets for the game, so if I’ve mentioned those to you, I haven’t forgotten.
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle and BEAT LSU!
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
SEC Forecast - Week 4
Welcome to Separation Saturday, the first of many at least. That old cliche' of "every week is a playoff" may ring truer this year than ever before in the Southeastern Conference with its depth and surprising play from two of its preseason "bottom-feeders." While a trio of non-conference games dot the ledger for Saturday and one team will rest its legs (Kentucky), the rest of the afternoon and evening will feature several conference openers as well as the national game of the week, the Auburn-LSU contest that should help give an early indication of the SEC West's representative in Atlanta come December.
So while the rest of the nation peers its eyes towards three heavyweight matchups in Florida's trip to Knoxville, Georgia finally playing outside the southeast at Arizona State and the Tiger bout on the Plains, Alabama-Arkansas and Ole Miss-Vanderbilt promise to be just as intriguing and just as important to each respective team's hopes and goals for the 2008 campaign. After missing out on four predictions in week one, I have rallied with one-loss premonitions each of the past two Saturdays (thanks, Vandy).
Saying that points may be at a premium in the Auburn-LSU game isn't really going out on a ledge considering AU just hung a 3-spot at Mississippi State. In fairness, the Tiger offense also scored another two points but they came in the wrong end zone in one of the most bizarre, frustrating games I've ever witnessed (and I used to attend a high school that played 8-man football). The last two contests inside Jordan-Hare Stadium between the two teams which have finished 1-2 in the SEC West in three of the past four seasons (and six of the past eight) ended in 10-9 and 7-3 scores to further expect a combined total score that will most likely fail to reach the 20s. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will descend on Auburn later this week with their traveling circus otherwise known as ESPN's College GameDay Built by the Home Depot originating from the shadows of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
LSU has had an exciting start to its season with two hurricanes moving the kickoff time of its opener (Appalachian State), moving the Troy game to Nov. 15 and nearly threatening to force the Bayou Bengals to take on North Texas elsewhere before school officials deemed Baton Rouge and Tiger Stadium fit to host the game last weekend. Through it all, they have posted 40-plus and limited the teams to 16 total points. Meanwhile, Auburn is coming off that aforementioned 3-2 win over Mississippi State to push its record to 3-0. In the first two games, the spread offense showed improvement but that improvement was hardly visible in Starkville to the fans both in attendance and over the high definition airwaves on ESPN2.
Looking at the two teams in the previous paragraph, it'd be hard to recognize Auburn having any shot whatsoever of winning the game. However, the teams will take the field under the lights at Jordan-Hare (for the first time since 2000, I might add) and have the national spotlight on Tommy Tuberville's squad. Not to mention, Tuberville is arguably the best big game coach in the business, and there may not be any games that get any bigger than this one for the host Tigers. Lose the game and any chance to go to Atlanta is dependent upon outside help. The habit of sandbagging early games to unleash the fury upon the bigger opponents is something Tuberville's teams have been notorious for during his Auburn tenure (and one of the reasons the fan base gets so upset by the "eggs" the Tigers have laid sporadically during the 10-year stretch). There will be no lack of energy or focus, two of AU's biggest problems at Scott Field last Saturday.
So what is going to happen? One team will score 10, the other will score 6. If LSU walks out of Jordan-Hare as victors, I assure you that they will have earned it. Both defenses will play to the strengths of the opposing offenses by limiting the ground game and forcing the quarterbacks to beat them. Since LSU did not complete a pass over 12 yards against North Texas and Auburn has yet to find its identity through the air in three games, it could be interesting to see which defense breaks down first. Expect lots of punts and a couple of missed field goals. The trend in the last eight years favors the home team, and I hope it holds true for the ninth-straight time. Auburn 10, LSU 6.
Mississippi State (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-1 ACC): State fans are upset with Woody McCorvey and his trainwreck of an offense that was on display Saturday night against Auburn. I am not sure that enough credit is being given to AU's defense, but the ineptitude on display on national television isn't going to help wow any recruits (especially when Wesley Carroll doesn't look all that much better from last season and he's only a sophomore). The defense has played better than expected without Ellis Johnson calling the shots, but the ability to hit the big play is there as long as teams don't shoot themselves in the foot. Georgia Tech has already played a tough conference road game and came away victorious at Boston College and narrowly missed extending its ACC record to 2-0 after falling at Virginia Tech over the weekend. Like the Bulldogs, GT's hope is to have a swarming defense that keeps the offense in the game and hoping for one back-breaking score to ice the win. State fans at the office are saying that this could be the make-or-break point for the season. That's not going to sound good after the final horn sounds at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech 17, Miss. State 7.
Alabama (3-0) at Arkansas (2-0): Even the Razorbacks have felt the effects of Hurricane Ike as their rivalry renewal with Texas was put on hold until next weekend. So, Alabama will get a rested Hogs squad that is probably playing with the same sense of urgency as Mississippi State at this point. Thanks to the rearranging, Bobby Petrino's initial campaign in Fayetteville now features four-straight top-10 opponents in Alabama, at Texas, Florida and at Auburn in the next four weeks. This could quite possibly be the Razorbacks' best shot at not going 0-4 in that stretch. The Tide may just be overlooking this game as it peers at next week's revenge contest in Athens, and I have a feeling that Petrino has a few tricks up his sleeve for good ole Nick Saban. In their only meeting while Petrino was Auburn's offensive coordinator, Auburn took LSU to the woodshed in 31-7 fashion. The likelihood of the game coming down to the arms of Casey Dick and John Parker Wilson is laughable from the outside, but JPW secured the win in Tuscaloosa last year with a brilliant drive to stomp down Arkansas' comeback. This should be the Tide's fourth win of the year. Alabama 24, Arkansas 21.
Florida (2-0) at Tennessee (1-1): Think Philip Fulmer feels good about the 59-20 final score in last year's game? The Pumpkin got the last laugh as UF dropped a couple of games at the end to Auburn and LSU then laid a brick against Georgia, which allowed the Vols to reach Atlanta as the East Champions once again. Two years ago, I pointed out that Urban Meyer had yet to coach his team back from a 10-point deficit to victory, and I'm pretty sure that this stat still holds true. The Gators are much better offensively than their last trip to Rocky Top, when they escaped with a 21-20 win en route to the national championship. I look for the Vols to get up early (like UCLA) and then Meyer rewrites history by inspiring his orange and blue-clad troops to a triumphant comeback (like UCLA). Florida 30, Tennessee 28.
Wofford (2-0) at South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): We are four weeks into the season and the Ole Ball Coach is already out of the Eastern Division race. While the rest of the conference faces its first big test of the season, the Gamecocks will try to recapture their identity from the N.C. State shutout after a pair of close yet frustrating losses at the hands of Vanderbilt and Georgia. I think Spurrier is using this game as his "rest the players who we will 'suspend'" contest, or at least that was his plan until the 'Cocks started 1-2. Now, he will use this to get the attention of any loafers and establish someone (anyone) as his No. 1 quarterback. South Carolina 31, Wofford 0.
Vanderbilt (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Ole Miss (2-1): Its the Rebels' SEC opener and Vandy has already surpassed the number of wins I had projected prior to the season. Houston Nutt thinks that this could be a huge game when its all said and done concerning bowl eligibility, while the Commodores could be ranked for the first time since 1984 with a win. Nutt is no Spurrier when it comes to offensive play calling, but did you ever think you would see the day that Ole Miss would have more offensive talent than any school coached by Darth Visor? Did you ever think you'd see the day where the Commodores would come off two 5-7 seasons in three years as well as produce two first round NFL draft choices in that span? That's the crazy world we're living in. Ole Miss squeaks by at home in a game that is probably worthy of TV and could be one of the day's more entertaining affairs. Ole Miss 24, Vanderbilt 21.
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Arizona State (2-1, 1-0 PAC10): In one of the year's most intriguing cross country battles, Georgia leaves the southeast for a game for the first time since the 70s. Arizona State was caught off guard last week against UNLV and paid for what was most likely sandbagging for the ABC game of the week. So far, the Bulldogs have lived up to their preseason hype only to get pushed further and further away from Southern Cal in the polls. Also hurting them is Oklahoma's swagger through its first three games. All that shouldn't matter in this game as Georgia is more talented and better coached throughout the positions than the Sun Devils. However, would you ever count Dennis Erickson out of anything? Who knows, a win here and he's back on the NFL's radar for the Oakland job. Knowshon displays his skills (again) in front of a national audience not captivated by the defensive slugfest in Auburn. Georgia 27, Arizona State 10.
Last week: 7-1
Overall: 23-6
So while the rest of the nation peers its eyes towards three heavyweight matchups in Florida's trip to Knoxville, Georgia finally playing outside the southeast at Arizona State and the Tiger bout on the Plains, Alabama-Arkansas and Ole Miss-Vanderbilt promise to be just as intriguing and just as important to each respective team's hopes and goals for the 2008 campaign. After missing out on four predictions in week one, I have rallied with one-loss premonitions each of the past two Saturdays (thanks, Vandy).
Saying that points may be at a premium in the Auburn-LSU game isn't really going out on a ledge considering AU just hung a 3-spot at Mississippi State. In fairness, the Tiger offense also scored another two points but they came in the wrong end zone in one of the most bizarre, frustrating games I've ever witnessed (and I used to attend a high school that played 8-man football). The last two contests inside Jordan-Hare Stadium between the two teams which have finished 1-2 in the SEC West in three of the past four seasons (and six of the past eight) ended in 10-9 and 7-3 scores to further expect a combined total score that will most likely fail to reach the 20s. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will descend on Auburn later this week with their traveling circus otherwise known as ESPN's College GameDay Built by the Home Depot originating from the shadows of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
LSU has had an exciting start to its season with two hurricanes moving the kickoff time of its opener (Appalachian State), moving the Troy game to Nov. 15 and nearly threatening to force the Bayou Bengals to take on North Texas elsewhere before school officials deemed Baton Rouge and Tiger Stadium fit to host the game last weekend. Through it all, they have posted 40-plus and limited the teams to 16 total points. Meanwhile, Auburn is coming off that aforementioned 3-2 win over Mississippi State to push its record to 3-0. In the first two games, the spread offense showed improvement but that improvement was hardly visible in Starkville to the fans both in attendance and over the high definition airwaves on ESPN2.
Looking at the two teams in the previous paragraph, it'd be hard to recognize Auburn having any shot whatsoever of winning the game. However, the teams will take the field under the lights at Jordan-Hare (for the first time since 2000, I might add) and have the national spotlight on Tommy Tuberville's squad. Not to mention, Tuberville is arguably the best big game coach in the business, and there may not be any games that get any bigger than this one for the host Tigers. Lose the game and any chance to go to Atlanta is dependent upon outside help. The habit of sandbagging early games to unleash the fury upon the bigger opponents is something Tuberville's teams have been notorious for during his Auburn tenure (and one of the reasons the fan base gets so upset by the "eggs" the Tigers have laid sporadically during the 10-year stretch). There will be no lack of energy or focus, two of AU's biggest problems at Scott Field last Saturday.
So what is going to happen? One team will score 10, the other will score 6. If LSU walks out of Jordan-Hare as victors, I assure you that they will have earned it. Both defenses will play to the strengths of the opposing offenses by limiting the ground game and forcing the quarterbacks to beat them. Since LSU did not complete a pass over 12 yards against North Texas and Auburn has yet to find its identity through the air in three games, it could be interesting to see which defense breaks down first. Expect lots of punts and a couple of missed field goals. The trend in the last eight years favors the home team, and I hope it holds true for the ninth-straight time. Auburn 10, LSU 6.
Mississippi State (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-1 ACC): State fans are upset with Woody McCorvey and his trainwreck of an offense that was on display Saturday night against Auburn. I am not sure that enough credit is being given to AU's defense, but the ineptitude on display on national television isn't going to help wow any recruits (especially when Wesley Carroll doesn't look all that much better from last season and he's only a sophomore). The defense has played better than expected without Ellis Johnson calling the shots, but the ability to hit the big play is there as long as teams don't shoot themselves in the foot. Georgia Tech has already played a tough conference road game and came away victorious at Boston College and narrowly missed extending its ACC record to 2-0 after falling at Virginia Tech over the weekend. Like the Bulldogs, GT's hope is to have a swarming defense that keeps the offense in the game and hoping for one back-breaking score to ice the win. State fans at the office are saying that this could be the make-or-break point for the season. That's not going to sound good after the final horn sounds at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech 17, Miss. State 7.
Alabama (3-0) at Arkansas (2-0): Even the Razorbacks have felt the effects of Hurricane Ike as their rivalry renewal with Texas was put on hold until next weekend. So, Alabama will get a rested Hogs squad that is probably playing with the same sense of urgency as Mississippi State at this point. Thanks to the rearranging, Bobby Petrino's initial campaign in Fayetteville now features four-straight top-10 opponents in Alabama, at Texas, Florida and at Auburn in the next four weeks. This could quite possibly be the Razorbacks' best shot at not going 0-4 in that stretch. The Tide may just be overlooking this game as it peers at next week's revenge contest in Athens, and I have a feeling that Petrino has a few tricks up his sleeve for good ole Nick Saban. In their only meeting while Petrino was Auburn's offensive coordinator, Auburn took LSU to the woodshed in 31-7 fashion. The likelihood of the game coming down to the arms of Casey Dick and John Parker Wilson is laughable from the outside, but JPW secured the win in Tuscaloosa last year with a brilliant drive to stomp down Arkansas' comeback. This should be the Tide's fourth win of the year. Alabama 24, Arkansas 21.
Florida (2-0) at Tennessee (1-1): Think Philip Fulmer feels good about the 59-20 final score in last year's game? The Pumpkin got the last laugh as UF dropped a couple of games at the end to Auburn and LSU then laid a brick against Georgia, which allowed the Vols to reach Atlanta as the East Champions once again. Two years ago, I pointed out that Urban Meyer had yet to coach his team back from a 10-point deficit to victory, and I'm pretty sure that this stat still holds true. The Gators are much better offensively than their last trip to Rocky Top, when they escaped with a 21-20 win en route to the national championship. I look for the Vols to get up early (like UCLA) and then Meyer rewrites history by inspiring his orange and blue-clad troops to a triumphant comeback (like UCLA). Florida 30, Tennessee 28.
Wofford (2-0) at South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): We are four weeks into the season and the Ole Ball Coach is already out of the Eastern Division race. While the rest of the conference faces its first big test of the season, the Gamecocks will try to recapture their identity from the N.C. State shutout after a pair of close yet frustrating losses at the hands of Vanderbilt and Georgia. I think Spurrier is using this game as his "rest the players who we will 'suspend'" contest, or at least that was his plan until the 'Cocks started 1-2. Now, he will use this to get the attention of any loafers and establish someone (anyone) as his No. 1 quarterback. South Carolina 31, Wofford 0.
Vanderbilt (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Ole Miss (2-1): Its the Rebels' SEC opener and Vandy has already surpassed the number of wins I had projected prior to the season. Houston Nutt thinks that this could be a huge game when its all said and done concerning bowl eligibility, while the Commodores could be ranked for the first time since 1984 with a win. Nutt is no Spurrier when it comes to offensive play calling, but did you ever think you would see the day that Ole Miss would have more offensive talent than any school coached by Darth Visor? Did you ever think you'd see the day where the Commodores would come off two 5-7 seasons in three years as well as produce two first round NFL draft choices in that span? That's the crazy world we're living in. Ole Miss squeaks by at home in a game that is probably worthy of TV and could be one of the day's more entertaining affairs. Ole Miss 24, Vanderbilt 21.
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Arizona State (2-1, 1-0 PAC10): In one of the year's most intriguing cross country battles, Georgia leaves the southeast for a game for the first time since the 70s. Arizona State was caught off guard last week against UNLV and paid for what was most likely sandbagging for the ABC game of the week. So far, the Bulldogs have lived up to their preseason hype only to get pushed further and further away from Southern Cal in the polls. Also hurting them is Oklahoma's swagger through its first three games. All that shouldn't matter in this game as Georgia is more talented and better coached throughout the positions than the Sun Devils. However, would you ever count Dennis Erickson out of anything? Who knows, a win here and he's back on the NFL's radar for the Oakland job. Knowshon displays his skills (again) in front of a national audience not captivated by the defensive slugfest in Auburn. Georgia 27, Arizona State 10.
Last week: 7-1
Overall: 23-6
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The View from Section 109: The Miss. State Game
What can you say about a game that ends with a final score of 3-2? I've been dreading writing this since last night after the final ticks ran off the clock. The best I can come up with is "I guess it's good that we didn't lose."
Did I ever think we were going to lose Saturday night? Not a chance. Our defense was playing so well, and I have more faith in Paul Rhoads calling our defensive schemes on third down than Will Muschamp. Mississippi State did absolutely nothing to lose this game, and the offense did as much as it could to give the game away. Andy Shores and Andrew Monroe were in agreement with me last night at the tailgate when I stated Muschamp would have lost that game for us if it were his calls and not Rhoads'. No way we don't give up a big play at least once on third-and-forever (which is what sealed the loss against MSU last season).
Last night, I would not have been able to say very much positive about the offense. Defense, well that's a different story. What can you say about a unit that allows 116 total yards and pitched a shutout...on the road...in the Southeastern Conference? State only crossed midfield when we turned the ball over and when we kicked the squib out-of-bounds on the free kick following the safety. Almost on call with the need for a turnover, Walt McFadden mirrored Jerraud Powers' big play against DJ Hall in the 2007 Iron Bowl by separating the ball from the intended receiver into his arms and tip-toeing on the sideline to avoid stepping out before retaining possession. All it took then was a first down, which Ben Tate delivered in the fashion of a 39-yard run to ice the one-run victory.
A little over 24 hours after the game, I can finally sit back and say, "Our mistakes are 100 percent correctable." Whether it be by personnel changes/lineup tweaks, better concentration or just heavier practice drills on holding onto the freaking football, it's not a set of circumstances that we cannot improve upon. The lack of execution of whatever the game plan consisted of was not all Chris Todd's fault, but I have a little bit of a deeper issue than just Todd vs. Kodi Burns.
Something that our offense has been missing since 2004 is the overwhelming leadership that Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Jason Campbell (plus Jeremy Ingle, Danny Lindsey and Marcus McNeil) provided. That trio went in the first round of the NFL draft for a reason, but their leadership was inherent and off the charts. Brandon Cox captured that leadership role in moments during his career, mostly during the big games against top-10 and top-5 opponents. When a game was close and we needed the drive to get either a first down, field goal or touchdown, Cox sacked up and put the team on his back and marched the offense down the field.
When Todd needed to drive the ball down the field and put us in the end zone last night, these were the results: fumble, missed field goal, fumble. In other words, zero points. Can you blame Todd for the two fumbles by running backs, normally sure-handed running backs? No, not at all. Cox prevailed through those miscues, though, and we would have scored a lot more points against State with Cox calling the shots instead of Todd (see, Katy - I told you we would miss Brandon at some point).
That's not so much a knock on Chris as it is praise for one of our most underrated signal callers in school history. The fact of the matter is, though, you have to let those offensive linemen and running backs and wide receivers know that you mean business when you have first-and-goal from the 4-yard-line. That is his legacy for the night as far as I am concerned. He missed a golden opportunity to distinguish his "vocal leadership" we have been hearing about from the coaching staff the past week.
I don't doubt Tommy Tuberville when he says that Todd did a good job of reading through his progressions with the receivers (heck, that had to be what was going on with holding onto the ball for so long). Those receivers have to do a better job of helping the guy out, though. When you see that he can't hit a pass over 25 yards with accuracy thanks to the swirling wind, what's the point of running a 40-yard route? Get over the frustrations quick, though, because we all know what's next.
The offensive line had about the worst half I've ever seen from that corps since Tuberville has coached at Auburn. The penalties, whether fairly called or not, were pointless in most instances - especially the false starts. I am sure Ryan Pugh is the center of our future, and he has more experience than Jason Bosley in the shotgun snaps by running the Tony Franklin System in high school. However, he's too mean for center and Bosley's too soft for tackle. We experimented, and it didn't work out like we hoped. If Bosley's too hurt for center, bring out Andrew McCain.
I have a feeling that people will see a much more efficient version of the offense Saturday night at home, and I think we will cut down on the penalties by half - if not more. If it is Todd back there receiving the snaps, the judgment has to be faster. The defense we see from LSU is by far the best we will face in the regular season, second possibly only to the one they faced every day in the preseason.
So, here we are, 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. Nothing can change that fact. We played the worst game I've seen us put together since the Georgia Tech debacle in 2003, but we were able to come away with the W (aka - "we didn't lose"). Am I worried? You bet, and Saturday's game heightened that worry. I don't know if there's an offensive line out there that can keep our defensive line out of the backfield for an entire game, and I stand by my prior statement of 21 points will win us 10 games.
Some fun stats:
- State has now scored 32 of 35 points against us via drives started by turnovers or by safety in the Sylvester Croom Era.
- Andrew and I have discussed submitted a request for a rules change to the NCAA to change safeties from counting as two points for the opponent and as a negative balance towards your offense's output. If that rule were in place for this game, Auburn would have won 1-0.
- The defense has limited opponents to 3-for-46 on third downs this season, including Saturday's 0-for-13 performance for State. Un-freaking-real.
- While sitting together, Carl Monroe, John Monroe, Kaitlin Monroe, Marisa Dycus and I have seen Auburn go 2-0 by outscoring its opponents 12-9.
I'm going to be optimistic and look at Saturday night as an aberration of so many miscues coming together for a perfect storm on offense and not a harbinger of worse times ahead. A 3-2 win over Mississippi State should only be a blip in the radar when this spread offense experiment is said and done. I'm ready for that amount of time to distance myself from the feeling that I had leaving Scott Field.
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle!
-6-
Later on this week, we'll look at the plan for LSU and review for the State weekend. Thankfully, all travelers to/from our house made it home without excitement. I hope the Boullys are with power when I hear from them next down in the Bayou.
Did I ever think we were going to lose Saturday night? Not a chance. Our defense was playing so well, and I have more faith in Paul Rhoads calling our defensive schemes on third down than Will Muschamp. Mississippi State did absolutely nothing to lose this game, and the offense did as much as it could to give the game away. Andy Shores and Andrew Monroe were in agreement with me last night at the tailgate when I stated Muschamp would have lost that game for us if it were his calls and not Rhoads'. No way we don't give up a big play at least once on third-and-forever (which is what sealed the loss against MSU last season).
Last night, I would not have been able to say very much positive about the offense. Defense, well that's a different story. What can you say about a unit that allows 116 total yards and pitched a shutout...on the road...in the Southeastern Conference? State only crossed midfield when we turned the ball over and when we kicked the squib out-of-bounds on the free kick following the safety. Almost on call with the need for a turnover, Walt McFadden mirrored Jerraud Powers' big play against DJ Hall in the 2007 Iron Bowl by separating the ball from the intended receiver into his arms and tip-toeing on the sideline to avoid stepping out before retaining possession. All it took then was a first down, which Ben Tate delivered in the fashion of a 39-yard run to ice the one-run victory.
A little over 24 hours after the game, I can finally sit back and say, "Our mistakes are 100 percent correctable." Whether it be by personnel changes/lineup tweaks, better concentration or just heavier practice drills on holding onto the freaking football, it's not a set of circumstances that we cannot improve upon. The lack of execution of whatever the game plan consisted of was not all Chris Todd's fault, but I have a little bit of a deeper issue than just Todd vs. Kodi Burns.
Something that our offense has been missing since 2004 is the overwhelming leadership that Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Jason Campbell (plus Jeremy Ingle, Danny Lindsey and Marcus McNeil) provided. That trio went in the first round of the NFL draft for a reason, but their leadership was inherent and off the charts. Brandon Cox captured that leadership role in moments during his career, mostly during the big games against top-10 and top-5 opponents. When a game was close and we needed the drive to get either a first down, field goal or touchdown, Cox sacked up and put the team on his back and marched the offense down the field.
When Todd needed to drive the ball down the field and put us in the end zone last night, these were the results: fumble, missed field goal, fumble. In other words, zero points. Can you blame Todd for the two fumbles by running backs, normally sure-handed running backs? No, not at all. Cox prevailed through those miscues, though, and we would have scored a lot more points against State with Cox calling the shots instead of Todd (see, Katy - I told you we would miss Brandon at some point).
That's not so much a knock on Chris as it is praise for one of our most underrated signal callers in school history. The fact of the matter is, though, you have to let those offensive linemen and running backs and wide receivers know that you mean business when you have first-and-goal from the 4-yard-line. That is his legacy for the night as far as I am concerned. He missed a golden opportunity to distinguish his "vocal leadership" we have been hearing about from the coaching staff the past week.
I don't doubt Tommy Tuberville when he says that Todd did a good job of reading through his progressions with the receivers (heck, that had to be what was going on with holding onto the ball for so long). Those receivers have to do a better job of helping the guy out, though. When you see that he can't hit a pass over 25 yards with accuracy thanks to the swirling wind, what's the point of running a 40-yard route? Get over the frustrations quick, though, because we all know what's next.
The offensive line had about the worst half I've ever seen from that corps since Tuberville has coached at Auburn. The penalties, whether fairly called or not, were pointless in most instances - especially the false starts. I am sure Ryan Pugh is the center of our future, and he has more experience than Jason Bosley in the shotgun snaps by running the Tony Franklin System in high school. However, he's too mean for center and Bosley's too soft for tackle. We experimented, and it didn't work out like we hoped. If Bosley's too hurt for center, bring out Andrew McCain.
I have a feeling that people will see a much more efficient version of the offense Saturday night at home, and I think we will cut down on the penalties by half - if not more. If it is Todd back there receiving the snaps, the judgment has to be faster. The defense we see from LSU is by far the best we will face in the regular season, second possibly only to the one they faced every day in the preseason.
So, here we are, 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. Nothing can change that fact. We played the worst game I've seen us put together since the Georgia Tech debacle in 2003, but we were able to come away with the W (aka - "we didn't lose"). Am I worried? You bet, and Saturday's game heightened that worry. I don't know if there's an offensive line out there that can keep our defensive line out of the backfield for an entire game, and I stand by my prior statement of 21 points will win us 10 games.
Some fun stats:
- State has now scored 32 of 35 points against us via drives started by turnovers or by safety in the Sylvester Croom Era.
- Andrew and I have discussed submitted a request for a rules change to the NCAA to change safeties from counting as two points for the opponent and as a negative balance towards your offense's output. If that rule were in place for this game, Auburn would have won 1-0.
- The defense has limited opponents to 3-for-46 on third downs this season, including Saturday's 0-for-13 performance for State. Un-freaking-real.
- While sitting together, Carl Monroe, John Monroe, Kaitlin Monroe, Marisa Dycus and I have seen Auburn go 2-0 by outscoring its opponents 12-9.
I'm going to be optimistic and look at Saturday night as an aberration of so many miscues coming together for a perfect storm on offense and not a harbinger of worse times ahead. A 3-2 win over Mississippi State should only be a blip in the radar when this spread offense experiment is said and done. I'm ready for that amount of time to distance myself from the feeling that I had leaving Scott Field.
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle!
-6-
Later on this week, we'll look at the plan for LSU and review for the State weekend. Thankfully, all travelers to/from our house made it home without excitement. I hope the Boullys are with power when I hear from them next down in the Bayou.
Thornton, Floyd drive Red Raiders' shutout
| Thornton, Floyd drive Red Raiders' shutout 9/13/2008 5:47:22 AM |
BY CHRIS RUSHING
Special to the Journal
SHANNON - It did not take long for Shannon to establish supremacy on its home turf against an out-of-state opponent Friday night.
Within the game's first 3 minutes, 17 seconds, the Red Raiders (2-1) had built a comfortable 21-0 lead thanks to Jackson (Tenn.) Central-Merry's (0-3) bevy of opening quarter mishaps. Shannon, ranked No. 4 in the Daily Journal's latest large school poll, notched its second straight win by a final tally of 34-0.
Seniors Alex Thornton and Marquez Floyd paced the attacks on offense and defense for the Red Raiders, earning the praise of coach Chad Cook following the shutout.
"Alex and Marquez, those guys play their tails off for us," Cook said. "The defense is still carrying us right now. They had a real good week in practice, and I'm happy for Marquez. It was great for him to pick off both passes. During the week at practice, he picked off everything thrown his way."
Thornton had 88 yards on the ground to complement his 89 passing yards. Floyd had two interceptions, one returned for a score, in addition to another pass break-up.
"Alex is a dual-threat guy, and he was a little disappointed in his throwing at times tonight," Cook explained. "He also showed everyone what he can do with his legs. That's what we're looking for out of him, those yards on the ground to keep drives going."
On the first drive of the contest, Thornton ran 8 yards untouched into the end zone on the game's third play to open the scoring. Thornton used his arm to get the Red Raiders into the red zone with a 50-yard bullet to junior Chris Davis, who was finally dragged down at the Cougars' 8.
Quick strikes
Over the span of the next six snaps, Shannon's lead increased to 21-0 after Floyd jumped in front of Joshua Pearman's third-down throw and raced 25 yards to pay dirt. Not to be outdone, defensive lineman Jerome Owens picked up a loose ball on the 7 and rumbled into the end zone with 8:43 left in the first quarter.
On the first play of the second period, running back Keon McGaughy darted through the Cougars secondary, dodging would-be tacklers over the span of 36 yards to extend the halftime margin to 27-0.
The Red Raiders' defense forced three turnovers and limited the Cougars' offense to minus-25 yards with one first down. Floyd almost had an instant replay late in the second quarter after moving in front of his Cougar counterpart and racing down the sidelines before being pushed out at the 2. The return was called back as the Red Raiders were found guilty on one of their eight penalties in the half.
"The defense, once again, did a great job. I want to praise Coach (Buck) Buchanan, Coach (John) Vaughn and Coach (Dusty) Kelly," Cook added.
Overall, the red and black had nine penalties, totaling 95 yards and costing the team a pair of touchdowns on separate occasions.
"I want to take the blame for the penalties, and I'm going to go back to watch the film and find out what we're doing," Cook added. "We're doing the same things over and over, and we have to get them fixed."
After having a 42-yard touchdown run wiped out by a holding call, Thornton raced 58 yards on second-and-long to the Central 4 to set up McGaughy's second score, as he barreled through the line from a yard out to cap a six-minute drive that covered 64 yards.
Davis led all receivers with four catches, totaling 82 yards. McGaughy finished with 54 yards rushing.
On deck for the Red Raiders is Monroe County foe Amory next Friday.
Box score:
Shannon 34, Jackson (
First Quarter
SHS – Alex Thornton 7 run (Jimmy McPherson kick), 10:28
SHS – Marquez Floyd 25 interception return (McPherson kick), 9:38
SHS – Jerome Owens 7 fumble return (McPherson kick), 8:43
SHS – Keon McGaughy 36 rush (kick failed), 11:45
SHS – McGaughy 1 rush (McPherson kick), 3:55
Records: Shannon 2-1, Jackson (
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Plan to Win: Miss. State Tailgate/Southern Miss Review
In 2001, Auburn was in the midst of a four-game losing streak to Mississippi State. Damon Duval ended the skid with a field goal as time expired to give us a 16-14 victory. This was the last time State had a prayer in a game beyond halftime, until last year. As the Brandon Cox-led offense was mired in mediocrity and plagued with turnovers of all fashions, the Bullies found a way to somehow escape Jordan-Hare Stadium with the rare triumph. It is with this knowledge that most State fans have overlooked the loss two weeks ago to Louisiana Tech and actually believe they have a hope for Saturday night's contest.
This game, as I have previously stated, will be over by halftime. Wesley Carroll hasn't been able to move the State offense against either opponent in the first two games. Anthony Dixon hasn't been all that inspiring from all accounts, either. I'm sure the game plan will center on establishing the run, which plays perfectly into the strength of our defense, make that our top-notch defense. The secondary isn't that bad, either, and Carroll doesn't have the arm-strength to test our corners if they're isolated on islands down the field. Zac Etheridge laid some serious hits on the Southern Miss receivers brave enough to come across the middle, and I know he has a couple waiting for some of the State ball-catchers.
Will we finally see Tray Blackmon unleashed for more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps? Josh Bynes has been tremendous in the backup role and has played more minutes than the Lil' Ball of Hate, but the coaches have been hinting that Blackmon's been resting up for the five-straight conference games that await. Not to mention, Antonio Coleman should have many chances to rack up some monies as I'm sure Carroll will be in the backfield alone on most of MSU's drives.
"Your defense is awesome, I just think you're overestimating your offense." Yea, I have heard this several times today in the office as folks have called me everything from conceited to arrogant for proposing that their Dawgs will get run out of their own stadium (thus properly answering the question, "Who let the dogs out?"). Chris Todd is getting more comfortable, and we haven't even begun to open up the playbook beyond basic schemes and formations. Call it a healthy dose of Tubershell, but we're 2-0 for a reason despite the hiccups and growing pains. Can State fans say the same?
The key to Auburn blowing this game out will come down to turnovers. Since 2004, 30 of State's 33 total points against the Tigers have come courtesy of AU turnovers. That's right, in four games, they have racked up a whopping 33 points. In this span, Auburn has won more conference games (26, 27 if you count the SEC title game) than Sylvester Croom has racked up overall (18) in his tenure. So forgive me for not shaking in my boots thinking about the matchup this weekend in a mostly-empty Davis Wade Stadium.
I'm thinking 35-3 by halftime, 42-10 final Saturday night. State got to upset us last year in front of 10 or 11 people in 1970-esque televised quality courtesy of Lincon-Financial. Payback will be unleashed in front of a national audience in hi-def on ESPN2.
We will set up our tailgate with some of the folks I work with (Hunter Aycock and Chris Hussey) in the Junction in the morning after a friendly game of golf. The plan is to arrive on campus around 1 p.m. and start the tailgating festivities. I'll know more of an exact location on Saturday. If you are planning to stop by, please let us know so that we can direct you where you need to go.
In review of the Southern Miss tailgate, I feel as though the early kickoff had a huge affect on our execution. We were dragging a bit thanks to little sleep for the second week in-a-row, and I'm pretty sure the wee morning traveling for Robert, Jennifer, Joseph and Brent had something to do with Robert mis-remembering the directions. Then again, maybe I need to re-write them if they're not clear to the observers.
We had a good group, though, with the Roberts (Boully and Miller), Jennifer (with LeRobert in tow), Brent and Joseph Hipp; Brad and Amber Gregg; Jared and (your tailgater of the week) Paw Paw. Paw Paw put the rest of our respective attire to shame, and he was one of the most genuine folks I've ever encountered. The picture we were able to take outside Momma Goldberg's on our trek back to the bus is one that I will cherish the rest of my days.
It was great having the Arab crew in town, as it has been way too long between visits. Jennifer looked fantastic, and you can tell Robert is already a proud papa when you just mention LeRobert around him. The grin he unleashes used to only be seen when a chocolate molten from Chilis made its way in front of him.
We are surrounded on all sides by great neighbors at the campground, and Jim (not sure on a last name yet) saved the day by allowing us to plug into his satellite dish when all our efforts failed to boost a signal from our dish throughout the afternoon and morning hours. As Andy Shores so aptly put it, "the TV gets worst tailgater of the week." If you were at the camper, I don't think you'd argue.
I also wanted to give a shoutout to Andrew Monroe for keeping us updated with scores via text messages and for his procuring the necessary Auburn-West Virginia tickets (in the Auburn student section, no less). Brent and Boully's efforts were huge in our attempt to get the satellite rocking and rolling, and I'm pretty sure we showed Miller a great time for his first Auburn football experience.
That's all for now, folks. See everyone in Starkville. As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle!
-6-
This game, as I have previously stated, will be over by halftime. Wesley Carroll hasn't been able to move the State offense against either opponent in the first two games. Anthony Dixon hasn't been all that inspiring from all accounts, either. I'm sure the game plan will center on establishing the run, which plays perfectly into the strength of our defense, make that our top-notch defense. The secondary isn't that bad, either, and Carroll doesn't have the arm-strength to test our corners if they're isolated on islands down the field. Zac Etheridge laid some serious hits on the Southern Miss receivers brave enough to come across the middle, and I know he has a couple waiting for some of the State ball-catchers.
Will we finally see Tray Blackmon unleashed for more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps? Josh Bynes has been tremendous in the backup role and has played more minutes than the Lil' Ball of Hate, but the coaches have been hinting that Blackmon's been resting up for the five-straight conference games that await. Not to mention, Antonio Coleman should have many chances to rack up some monies as I'm sure Carroll will be in the backfield alone on most of MSU's drives.
"Your defense is awesome, I just think you're overestimating your offense." Yea, I have heard this several times today in the office as folks have called me everything from conceited to arrogant for proposing that their Dawgs will get run out of their own stadium (thus properly answering the question, "Who let the dogs out?"). Chris Todd is getting more comfortable, and we haven't even begun to open up the playbook beyond basic schemes and formations. Call it a healthy dose of Tubershell, but we're 2-0 for a reason despite the hiccups and growing pains. Can State fans say the same?
The key to Auburn blowing this game out will come down to turnovers. Since 2004, 30 of State's 33 total points against the Tigers have come courtesy of AU turnovers. That's right, in four games, they have racked up a whopping 33 points. In this span, Auburn has won more conference games (26, 27 if you count the SEC title game) than Sylvester Croom has racked up overall (18) in his tenure. So forgive me for not shaking in my boots thinking about the matchup this weekend in a mostly-empty Davis Wade Stadium.
I'm thinking 35-3 by halftime, 42-10 final Saturday night. State got to upset us last year in front of 10 or 11 people in 1970-esque televised quality courtesy of Lincon-Financial. Payback will be unleashed in front of a national audience in hi-def on ESPN2.
We will set up our tailgate with some of the folks I work with (Hunter Aycock and Chris Hussey) in the Junction in the morning after a friendly game of golf. The plan is to arrive on campus around 1 p.m. and start the tailgating festivities. I'll know more of an exact location on Saturday. If you are planning to stop by, please let us know so that we can direct you where you need to go.
In review of the Southern Miss tailgate, I feel as though the early kickoff had a huge affect on our execution. We were dragging a bit thanks to little sleep for the second week in-a-row, and I'm pretty sure the wee morning traveling for Robert, Jennifer, Joseph and Brent had something to do with Robert mis-remembering the directions. Then again, maybe I need to re-write them if they're not clear to the observers.
We had a good group, though, with the Roberts (Boully and Miller), Jennifer (with LeRobert in tow), Brent and Joseph Hipp; Brad and Amber Gregg; Jared and (your tailgater of the week) Paw Paw. Paw Paw put the rest of our respective attire to shame, and he was one of the most genuine folks I've ever encountered. The picture we were able to take outside Momma Goldberg's on our trek back to the bus is one that I will cherish the rest of my days.
It was great having the Arab crew in town, as it has been way too long between visits. Jennifer looked fantastic, and you can tell Robert is already a proud papa when you just mention LeRobert around him. The grin he unleashes used to only be seen when a chocolate molten from Chilis made its way in front of him.
We are surrounded on all sides by great neighbors at the campground, and Jim (not sure on a last name yet) saved the day by allowing us to plug into his satellite dish when all our efforts failed to boost a signal from our dish throughout the afternoon and morning hours. As Andy Shores so aptly put it, "the TV gets worst tailgater of the week." If you were at the camper, I don't think you'd argue.
I also wanted to give a shoutout to Andrew Monroe for keeping us updated with scores via text messages and for his procuring the necessary Auburn-West Virginia tickets (in the Auburn student section, no less). Brent and Boully's efforts were huge in our attempt to get the satellite rocking and rolling, and I'm pretty sure we showed Miller a great time for his first Auburn football experience.
That's all for now, folks. See everyone in Starkville. As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle!
-6-
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
SEC Forecast - Week 3
The best part of football season to me, aside from being inside a stadium watching 22 players battle it out on the gridiron, is the routine that sets in over the course of my week. In college, we honed a perfect formula that worked and followed the schedule to a "T" during those 13 weeks spanning from Labor Day until the first weekend in December. This is something that has followed me into adulthood, and I'm sure that as long as my superstitions continue will be habitual the rest of my days.
The winning combo so far this year has been as follows: Sunday, pack up everything for the weekend (which has included doing laundry). Monday, go to work and set up the timeline for the weekend as I begin to formulate the Plan to Win for our tailgate. Tuesday, write this column to set up my picks and mentality for the season. Wednesday, finalize the Plan to Win and write the review from the previous week's tailgate. Thursday, get everything ready for the trip on Friday. Friday, wear my white Under Armour AU polo to work and change into my Kodi Burns/Wes Byrum jersey and blue jeans for the game I'm covering that night as well as the travels that await to get to the game.
With that being said, it's time for the third installment of 2008 picks. Highlighting the Southeastern Conference schedule for this weekend is South Carolina's tilt with Georgia. The 'Dawgs got surprised by Steve Spurrier's resilient bunch last season in Athens, and the Cocks cost UGA a likely chance at Ohio State in the Superdome with their 16-12 victory. In one of two revenge games for the weekend, Georgia should win this one handily - especially considering USC's stellar offensive performances in games 1 and 2. Spurrier still has some tricks up his sleeve, though, and I feel like they've been sand-bagging a little bit waiting for this one. He does, after all, have Georgia's number. The visitors will receive a scare in Williams-Brice, but they're more likely to be dethroned from the top-5 when Alabama comes to town in two weeks than either of these next two ball games. Georgia 20, South Carolina 10.
UAB (0-2) at Tennessee (0-1): Last time we saw the Vols, they were finishing off a choke job of epic proportions in Los Angeles. In their final tune-up before the Gators come calling, they should have no problem with an atrocious UAB (which has surprisingly put up 30-plus in both of its games thus far). Those of you dedicated enough to watch this on Raycom's 11:30 a.m. kickoff are a little too starved for football after two weeks. Tennessee 38, UAB 7.
Arkansas (2-0) at Texas (2-0): Talk about deceptive records. I did not think Arkansas would struggle in their first two games, but they found a way to make them interesting. Is Bobby Petrino really having that much trouble there? Methinks they were hiding a lot of their play book for this weekend's nationally-televised trip to Austin, where Mack "I can't find my own defensive coordinator without Tommy Tuberville's help" Brown will look to erase the memory of Arkansas' last game in Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Texas will win, but barely - just like the team's last mele in 2004. Texas 31, Arkansas 28.
Auburn (2-0) at Mississippi State (1-1): How do you spell "revenge"? If not for five turnovers in last year's game, Auburn would have gone into Gainesville without the right offensive line and without having tested Kodi Burns at all. So, I guess AU can thank State for that. "Knowing we turned the ball over five times leaves a sour taste in my mouth when I think about that game," Tuberville said in the presser this week. You're not alone, Tubs. This one will be over by halftime simply due to this fact: Mississippi State's offense is terrible, while Auburn's defense is top-notch. Auburn 42, Miss. State 10.
Middle Tennessee (1-1) at Kentucky (2-0): You know, this one could be a lot better (and a lot closer) than people would think looking at the game on paper. Kentucky has appeared solid in its two victories this season, especially considering Curtis Pulley was removed from the team days before the opener at Louisville. Never to fear, though, for Dicky "Nittany" Lyons, Jr., will save the Cats Saturday night in the Commonwealth. Kentucky 38, MTSU 21.
Samford (2-0) at Ole Miss (1-1): The Rebels did everything right in losing at Wake Forest last weekend, but their defense was, unfortunately for them, the last ones out on the field. Samford has been putting up serious points under first-year head coach (and one of Auburn's Heisman Trophy winners) Pat Sullivan. They'll probably score a few Saturday night in Oxford, too. It's just Ole Miss will score more...a lot more. Ole Miss 45, Samford 24.
Rice (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Raise your hand if you thought, on Sept. 9, that Vanderbilt would be leading the SEC East. That's right, America, if the SEC title game were to be held tomorrow, it would feature the 'Dores and OPEN (the SEC's most common out-of-conference foe, as fate would have it). So far, Vandy has been the thorn in my side as far as picks go. I'd like to pick them for Saturday, but Rice's offense is good...real good. Surely, the run has to end at some point since they are Vandy, right? If not, look at it this way 'Dore fans: I'm doing my part to get you to a bowl. Rice 31, Vanderbilt 24.
Western Kentucky (1-1) at Alabama (2-0): This game should not be close, and I have a feeling UAT's offense will put up more than 51 yards through three quarters Saturday under the lights at the big red top. The Tide running backs should have a handful of the "best damn 3-yard runs in the history of college football" against the Hilltopers. Alabama 31, Western Kentucky 14.
North Texas (0-2) at LSU (1-0): North Texas was supposed to be the Tigah's third and final tune-up on the spread attack before traveling to Auburn next weekend, but Gustav had other plans for the Pelican State. Now, this game's location is up in the air while LSU officials watch Ike's path. The distractions won't matter in this contest as LSU is really, really good and North Texas is really, really bad. I can only hope that they will come up and bite the Geaux Tigers next week in Auburn, though. (Disclaimer: please do not read this as me hoping for destruction from Ike or any other hurricane. I hope any and all Louisiana, Texas and Mexico natives are safe and free from the storm's path.) LSU 41, North Texas 6.
Last week: 8-1
Season: 16-5
The winning combo so far this year has been as follows: Sunday, pack up everything for the weekend (which has included doing laundry). Monday, go to work and set up the timeline for the weekend as I begin to formulate the Plan to Win for our tailgate. Tuesday, write this column to set up my picks and mentality for the season. Wednesday, finalize the Plan to Win and write the review from the previous week's tailgate. Thursday, get everything ready for the trip on Friday. Friday, wear my white Under Armour AU polo to work and change into my Kodi Burns/Wes Byrum jersey and blue jeans for the game I'm covering that night as well as the travels that await to get to the game.
With that being said, it's time for the third installment of 2008 picks. Highlighting the Southeastern Conference schedule for this weekend is South Carolina's tilt with Georgia. The 'Dawgs got surprised by Steve Spurrier's resilient bunch last season in Athens, and the Cocks cost UGA a likely chance at Ohio State in the Superdome with their 16-12 victory. In one of two revenge games for the weekend, Georgia should win this one handily - especially considering USC's stellar offensive performances in games 1 and 2. Spurrier still has some tricks up his sleeve, though, and I feel like they've been sand-bagging a little bit waiting for this one. He does, after all, have Georgia's number. The visitors will receive a scare in Williams-Brice, but they're more likely to be dethroned from the top-5 when Alabama comes to town in two weeks than either of these next two ball games. Georgia 20, South Carolina 10.
UAB (0-2) at Tennessee (0-1): Last time we saw the Vols, they were finishing off a choke job of epic proportions in Los Angeles. In their final tune-up before the Gators come calling, they should have no problem with an atrocious UAB (which has surprisingly put up 30-plus in both of its games thus far). Those of you dedicated enough to watch this on Raycom's 11:30 a.m. kickoff are a little too starved for football after two weeks. Tennessee 38, UAB 7.
Arkansas (2-0) at Texas (2-0): Talk about deceptive records. I did not think Arkansas would struggle in their first two games, but they found a way to make them interesting. Is Bobby Petrino really having that much trouble there? Methinks they were hiding a lot of their play book for this weekend's nationally-televised trip to Austin, where Mack "I can't find my own defensive coordinator without Tommy Tuberville's help" Brown will look to erase the memory of Arkansas' last game in Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Texas will win, but barely - just like the team's last mele in 2004. Texas 31, Arkansas 28.
Auburn (2-0) at Mississippi State (1-1): How do you spell "revenge"? If not for five turnovers in last year's game, Auburn would have gone into Gainesville without the right offensive line and without having tested Kodi Burns at all. So, I guess AU can thank State for that. "Knowing we turned the ball over five times leaves a sour taste in my mouth when I think about that game," Tuberville said in the presser this week. You're not alone, Tubs. This one will be over by halftime simply due to this fact: Mississippi State's offense is terrible, while Auburn's defense is top-notch. Auburn 42, Miss. State 10.
Middle Tennessee (1-1) at Kentucky (2-0): You know, this one could be a lot better (and a lot closer) than people would think looking at the game on paper. Kentucky has appeared solid in its two victories this season, especially considering Curtis Pulley was removed from the team days before the opener at Louisville. Never to fear, though, for Dicky "Nittany" Lyons, Jr., will save the Cats Saturday night in the Commonwealth. Kentucky 38, MTSU 21.
Samford (2-0) at Ole Miss (1-1): The Rebels did everything right in losing at Wake Forest last weekend, but their defense was, unfortunately for them, the last ones out on the field. Samford has been putting up serious points under first-year head coach (and one of Auburn's Heisman Trophy winners) Pat Sullivan. They'll probably score a few Saturday night in Oxford, too. It's just Ole Miss will score more...a lot more. Ole Miss 45, Samford 24.
Rice (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Raise your hand if you thought, on Sept. 9, that Vanderbilt would be leading the SEC East. That's right, America, if the SEC title game were to be held tomorrow, it would feature the 'Dores and OPEN (the SEC's most common out-of-conference foe, as fate would have it). So far, Vandy has been the thorn in my side as far as picks go. I'd like to pick them for Saturday, but Rice's offense is good...real good. Surely, the run has to end at some point since they are Vandy, right? If not, look at it this way 'Dore fans: I'm doing my part to get you to a bowl. Rice 31, Vanderbilt 24.
Western Kentucky (1-1) at Alabama (2-0): This game should not be close, and I have a feeling UAT's offense will put up more than 51 yards through three quarters Saturday under the lights at the big red top. The Tide running backs should have a handful of the "best damn 3-yard runs in the history of college football" against the Hilltopers. Alabama 31, Western Kentucky 14.
North Texas (0-2) at LSU (1-0): North Texas was supposed to be the Tigah's third and final tune-up on the spread attack before traveling to Auburn next weekend, but Gustav had other plans for the Pelican State. Now, this game's location is up in the air while LSU officials watch Ike's path. The distractions won't matter in this contest as LSU is really, really good and North Texas is really, really bad. I can only hope that they will come up and bite the Geaux Tigers next week in Auburn, though. (Disclaimer: please do not read this as me hoping for destruction from Ike or any other hurricane. I hope any and all Louisiana, Texas and Mexico natives are safe and free from the storm's path.) LSU 41, North Texas 6.
Last week: 8-1
Season: 16-5
Monday, September 8, 2008
The View from Section 109: The Southern Miss Game
Eight months later, almost to the day, I’m singing a different tune after watching the defense pitch shutout ball through the first six quarters (and nearly seven if not for an untimely interception set up Southern Miss within striking distance of the endzone). Paul Rhoads has made most AU fans, including this observer, think “Will Muschamp who?”
Through the first 42 minutes of the game, the Golden Eagles’ offense had barely surpassed the century mark in total yards as the Tigers’ hard hat defense looked well on its way to two-straight shutouts to open the season. Much like the 2004 matchup with
“We let them stay in the game with our mistakes,” Tommy Tuberville explained in the post-game presser. If not for the four turnovers, a 34-0 or 38-0 final is highly likely. All that being said, I feel much better knowing that the turnovers were from the running backs fumbling rather than inexcusable interceptions thrown by the quarterbacks. Ben Tate, Brad Lester and Eric Smith will not make those same mistakes over and over.
Speaking of the quarterback play, Chris Todd looked like he did in the final two drives of the opener and marched the offense down the field and into the red zone on the first two series with relative ease. For the most part, he had us in the right play and the right formation, and he made something happen on his underhanded shovel pass to Tate before his knee collapsed on the ground. In my opinion, he did enough to earn the start this weekend at State.
Those who know me best realize that it takes a lot for me to question our coaches, but I’m not sure what was going through their minds by letting Kodi Burns play (outside of the red zone) when the game was in hand. Burns did not look healthy on his last series, and he set up the first USM score because of this. Do I think he got a fair shake in the quarterback race, as far as what we have seen on the field? Not really, but I’m going to trust the coaches on this. They see and know a lot more than myself.
Next up, it’s time for a little revenge. Later on this week, I’ll award the tailgater of the week in the plan/review as well as offer my score predictions for the tilt in
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Backup QB, stout D does it
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Special to the Journal
MOOREVILLE - Even Gary Johnson couldn't have scripted a better opening to his first career start for Mooreville in its rivalry tilt with Mantachie.
The sophomore directed the Troopers (1-1) on offense while a stout rushing defense limited the Mustang (0-2) attack to just 153 total yards in Mooreville's 14-6 victory on Friday night at Steve Bass Field.
Taking the reins of the Trooper offense for injured classmate Drew Wheeler, Johnson dazzled the home crowd with a 51-yard scamper in which he waltzed into the endzone untouched with 10 minutes, 15 seconds to play in the opening period.
"Gary's just an athlete," Mooreville coach Kevin Austin said. "Quarterback's not his natural position. He's come to work hard and has had a great attitude. When Drew went down, he played exactly where we needed to have him."
The Mooreville defense was forced to hold onto the eight-point lead after a fumbled snap and the combined efforts of Blaine Davis and Rob Thompson got the Mustangs to the Mooreville 1 after starting at the 37.
Josh Box saved a touchdown by pulling Davis to the ground on third down, and Davis was met behind the line by a group of Trooper defenders on the game's final play to secure the win.
"We made some plays to give ourselves a chance," Mantachie skipper Mike Hill said. "This is what high school football is all about. We had some excitement, and we saw some young men grow up tonight. Everyone learned something, and my hat goes off to Mooreville. Both teams played their hearts out, but they were able to come out on top."
The second half could not have started much better for the Mustangs as a healthy dose of Tyler Snead, who rushed five times for 33 yards on the drive, put the visitors within striking distance. Jeremy Warren put the finishing touches on the 63-yard series with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Zach Westmoreland to bring the score to 7-6.
It appeared as those the Mustangs were poised to take their first lead of the contest, but the Troopers defense had other ideas. After Mantachie recovered an onside kick attempt in Mooreville territory, Benton Whitt had two tackles-for-loss and Brayden Whitmon added a sack as Mantachie lost 17 yards and had to punt the ball back to Troopers.
Eight straight carries from Jonathan Yant, highlighted by a 3-yard touchdown scamper, extended the Troopers' lead to 14-6. Yant took a pitch from backup quarterback Griff Loftis and rambled to pay dirt.
"It was sloppy out here tonight, and it showed on both sides," Austin added. "I thought both teams played their hearts. It's a shame either team had to lose, but I'm glad to get the win. That was something we needed the most, and even though we have a lot of work to do, I'm glad to get this win."
Johnson led all ball carriers with 120 yards on 24 attempts, while Yant provided 84 tough yards on 13 totes. Both had a score. Meanwhile, Snead had 69 yards and Davis added 20 on the game's final drive to lead Mantachie. The Mustangs recovered three fumbles in the game.
Both teams will be at home next week as Walnut visits Mooreville and Mantachie plays host to Nettleton.
Box score:
Mooreville 14, Mantachie 6
Mantachie 0 0 6 0 - 6
Mooreville 7 0 7 0 - 14
MOR – Gary Johnson 51 rush (Matthew Pannel kick), 10:15
Third Quarter
MAN – Zach Westmoreland 3 pass from Jeremy Warren (2 pt failed), 8:17
MOR – Jonathan Yant 21 rush (Pannel kick), 2:37
Records: Mooreville 1-1, Mantachie 0-2
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Plan to Win: Southern Miss Tailgate/Louisiana-Monroe Tailgate Review
Perhaps my favorite feature of the campground (and I hate to be this blunt) was riding the bus to/from the game. This was a pleasant surprise, limiting the walking distance for my mom. With a central pickup location at the corner of Donahue and Highway 14, I’m also pretty sure that it diminishes the possibilities for unnamed persons to get lost on campus.
I heard nary a negative comment about any of the day’s activities, and you could tell everyone was excited to get the young season off the ground. Things got started around 9 a.m. when I set up the TVs, and it was soon thereafter that Andrew and Katy Braden arrived to help get the tailgate started in earnest. While most things went in our favor, there were also a couple of first-game blunders that we will address and attempt to rectify this weekend with the Southern Miss game.
While discussing the Tailgater of the Week award with
I want to also make an honorable mention or two. First, Andy wanted to thank Josh Jackson for “not staying very long.” Also, Carl Monroe went above and beyond Sunday afternoon to help us get the camper covered in preparation for the wind and rain from Gustav that was expected (but I’m pretty certain never materialized) in the Auburn area.
Now, our attention turns to Southern Miss. Due to the lovely 11:30 a.m. kickoff, pre-game festivities will take place on campus followed by a small spread following the game. I encourage all parties to come to the camper and park to ride the University Station bus with us, which should assist in avoiding traffic to attend the tailgate following the game. Other televised games that will be shown are Florida-Miami and Wake Forest-Ole Miss (depending on what time we end up finishing the game with USM).
As far as the game is concerned, Auburn’s defense – to me – is top dog in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Tommy Tuberville said we had a lot of unseen mistakes to the naked eye, but the players made up for them with their athleticism. I had previously refused to acknowledge Neiko Thorpe’s name change (come on, how cool would it have been to have a “Lipscomb” roaming the defensive backfield?), but his hit in the fourth quarter Saturday night resonated through the remaining Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd. Yea, he’s gonna be good.
What more can anyone say about Antonio Coleman? Could you have scripted a better start for someone coming off a potentially career-ending neck injury in March? It was good to see him hit someone not wearing an AU jersey, and I’d be willing to say his forced fumble and sack was the turning point in the game…on ULM’s first play from scrimmage.
Southern Miss’ offense poses a threat due to the fact that they’re coming off a school record-setting performance last Saturday against another Sun Belt foe, Louisiana-Lafayette. They will feel as though they have the advantage with the no-huddle attack, but I assume they’ll find that our defense won’t tire nearly as easily as ULL despite the tempo the hurry-up scheme employs. This game and the one against West Virginia game will be the two that prove how effective it has been for our defense matching up with our offense on a daily basis.
We’ve been told Chris Todd will make his first start behind center for the Tigers, and it seems as though people fail to look at his final two drives directing the offense Saturday night. Yes, he had some bad decisions and looked a little rusty as far as holding onto the ball too long. Part of me wants to think that his shoulder’s durability was in the back of his mind early on, but when he got hit a couple of times and didn’t feel the familiar negative effects, he grew in confidence not only in his teammates but in himself. The Golden Eagles’ defense will not pose the threat ULM’s as they’re not as familiar with Tony Franklin’s scheme.
All that being said, Auburn will use much of the same game plan that worked against the Warhawks Saturday night with several “jumbo” formations (or at least as jumbo as you can get out of the shotgun) and lots of running plays. Ben Tate, Brad Lester and Eric Smith will be the focal points of our game plans for at least this week and next, I’m thinking. Hopefully, Mario Fannin will get a few more touches, but I don’t want to risk having him get hurt before he gets his opportunity to shine against SEC opponents. My prediction: Auburn 24, Southern Miss 13.
Back to the tailgate, making his first-ever Auburn football trip will be Robert Miller, my sister’s new interest. That being said, we’ll also witness the 2008 debut of Jeanie as well as be surrounded by the usual cast of characters (Andy, mom, dad, myself, Brad, Amber, Jared). Other known possibilities include Katy Braden and Chris Purser, he of Ole Miss fame.
Here are directions, should you need them:
From College Street, the easiest way is to turn onto Glenn and hang a right onto Donahue. Get in the left-hand turn lane ASAP and hang a left on Hwy 14/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Stay on this for approximately 3 miles and look for the Thunder Cat gas station sign on your right. Once you pass the gas station, there will be the campground with several gravel entrances on your right. We'll be in the back corner (look for the enormous RUSHING orange flag atop the camper). Call me with any questions (334-750-1735).
As always, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again. War Eagle.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
2008 SEC Forecast – Week 2
As I gazed into the crystal ball last week, I was certain of a few things: 1.) Clemson would not steamroll Alabama like most (including this author) had hoped; 2.) Vanderbilt would struggle mightily this season and would drop its opener at Miami of Ohio; 3.) Mississippi State could very well lose at Louisiana Tech, which serves them right for going to Ruston; and 4.) UCLA did not stand a chance against Tennessee, my pick for the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championship.
If you took my picks to the bank, and I do not in any way, form or fashion encourage said activities, you’d be hurting about as bad as I was last night when the last kick sailed wide left (if I were to have had money riding on these 18-22-year-olds). State welcomed itself back to reality with a 22-14 loss to those other Bulldogs, while Alabama is “back” again…at least until October. While they ruined my predictions, I’m proud for Vanderbilt and Kentucky – two teams I have no problems pulling for in the conference. Both came away with convincing victories on the road to give some serious momentum heading into the rest of September.
So what will our conference provide for an encore in week two? It’s hard to find a “game of the week” with only three that are genuinely intriguing: South Carolina taking on Vanderbilt on Thursday night, Miami (Fla.)’s first attempt at Urban Meyer and Florida as well as Ole Miss’ trip to Wake Forest. Since I’ve heard enough about how much this game means to both team’s schedules, your week two most intriguing matchup will be the contest held in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Rev. Houston Nutt’s debut couldn’t have gone much better Saturday night against Memphis, giving Ole Miss fans the hope and satisfaction they’ve been yearning for since Eli Manning was calling the shots behind center. The running game was a tremendous success, and Jevan Snead showed his athleticism by even catching a pass out of the “Wild Rebel” formation. As I had expected would be the case all weekend, expectations are starting to escalate, and spirits are sky high here in northern Mississippi.
Wake Forest fans have an equal amount to be excited about after the Deacons swatted around Baylor Thursday night in their 41-13 opening victory. Riley Skinner will give the young Ole Miss secondary trouble with his deadly accurate arm, while Jim Grobe will also lean heavily on a blue collar running game to control the clock and keep Tyrone Nix’s defense on the field for chunks of time.
In all seriousness, Grobe and Nutt have a lot in common in coaching styles and techniques. Grobe has the hardware Nutt is missing, but I’m pretty sure Nutt could have won the ACC a time or two at another school besides Wake Forest. If the Deacons prevail, this will be a win that will look much better nationally in November than it will on Saturday. Should the Rebels pull off the “upset,” there won’t be much to stop Ole Miss from being 4-0 heading into Gainesville at the end of the month – much to the chagrin of the Mississippi State fans. In the two-deeps, not much separates the two schools, so I’ll go with the home-field advantage in what promises to be one of the weekend’s best overall games: Wake Forest 21, Ole Miss 17.
South Carolina (1-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0) (Sept. 4): Both schools will be playing their second-straight Thursday night contest, and Steve Spurrier has announced the Gamecocks will go with the hot hand of Chris Smelley in Nashville. Both defenses had great openers, and I don’t think Vandy is going to be nearly as bad as I had previously written. Chris Nickson looked like he did as a freshman, while Mike Davis was able to take the game over in the second half for Carolina in the 34-0 blanking of North Carolina State. Spurrier and the Cocks should be able to pull this one off with the same formula from the week before, setting the stage for the showdown with UGA. South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 10.
Southern Miss (1-0) at Auburn (1-0): All summer, Tommy Tuberville and Tony Franklin assured Auburn fans that the Running Back U. identity would not be lost with the spread offense. Saturday night on the Plains, their words came to fruition as the Tigers piled up 316 yards on the ground – with all the snaps coming from a shotgun formation. The passing game needs some work, but the defense is better than expected. In what should prove to be the longest game of the day with kickoff at 11:37 a.m. (CT), Auburn will use that defense to hold in a Golden Eagle offense that put up 51 on Louisana-Lafayette last week. Auburn 24, Southern Miss 13.
Central Michigan (1-0) at Georgia (1-0): Barrett Sallee at CollegeFootallNews.com, who happens to be one of my mentors from Auburn, says to watch out for Central Michigan giving Georgia a lot of problems Saturday. It is with this advice that I make my score prediction a lot lower than what I had previously considered. The Chippewas will put up some yards and keep the Dawgs defense on the field a little more than what Hawai’i accomplished in January. That being said, the Mid-American Conference should never be in a game with a top-five SEC team. Georgia 34, Central Michigan 17.
Norfolk State (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0): I’m ecstatic for the Bluegrass faithful as they’re staring a 2-0 start right dead in the eyes after the 27-2 win over hated Louisville. Could they be better than I had originally thought? I sure hope so. I can’t really see a letdown brewing here, but it would be different would this be 2003 instead of 2008. These guys, behind Dicky Lyons and Rich Brooks, know how to win now. Kentucky 38, Norfolk State 3.
Tulane (0-0) at Alabama (1-0): Tulane has been practicing in Birmingham to get ready for Saturday night’s game in Tuscaloosa. As much as I hate to admit this, the Tide’s defense could be much better in the front seven than I had thought. Then again, from the looks of the stat lines, Clemson studied the Alabama-Tennessee film from 2007 and found ways to look worse than the Vols against Nick Saban’s bunch. If that was the plan, Clemson executed it flawlessly. Don't get me wrong, though. Bama pummelted Clemson and deserved to win that game. Could ole Three Names really have turned the corner like so many fifth-year senior quarterbacks before him? Saturday’s not the night to answer that question. Besides, there’s only one SEC team capable of losing to Tulane, and it resides in Starkville, not Tuscaloosa. Alabama 31, Tulane 7.
Southeastern Louisiana (1-0) at Miss. State (0-1): Who could have seen Saturday’s loss in Ruston coming? The Dawgs had a lot of fight on defense, but their offense was – gasp – atrocious again. Hasn’t this been the blueprint for all of State’s teams in the past eight years? Southeastern Louisiana is bad and having to deal with the distractions from Gustav as they prepare at Oxford High School for the Saturday night affair. This should not be a question of if State can win but of by what margin? Bully and Co. will need to move on fast with Auburn, LSU and Georgia Tech looming in the coming weeks. Miss. State 28, Southeastern Louisiana 11.
Arkansas (1-0) at Louisiana-Monroe (0-1) (Little Rock): This is not a mistype. Louisiana-Monroe will serve as the home team Saturday night at the Rock as Arkansas will help boost the Warhawks’ home attendance figures with a likely sell-out at War Memorial. Honestly, this is one of the nicest places to watch a game in the conference, and it’s a shame that they don’t play more than two games a season here. The Hogs struggled to find an offensive identity in Bobby Petrino’s debut and had to come-from-behind to win in 28-24 fashion. As stated before, this is not going to be a good season for the woo pig sooies, but at least they have that cool YouTube video circulating around. Arkansas 24, Louisiana-Monroe 10.
Troy (1-0) at LSU (1-0): This game could get moved to a later date or to another venue thanks to Gustav, but the Trojans and Tigers both had convincing opening victories over pesky foes. Last time these two teams met resulted in a 24-21 LSU win back in 2004. Blakeney’s program is better now than it was then, but LSU still has the superior athletes – a fact that will always ring true. The score may be closer than Tigah fans hope, but the distractions coupled with Blakeney’s coaching abilities will still be not enough to give Troy the W. LSU 24, Troy 14.
Miami (Fla.) (1-0) at Florida (1-0): In one of the 1,000-plus speaking points produced by the Florida sports information department, I’m sure it reads that Urban Meyer has failed to lose to another team that hails from the Sunshine State. I bet it does not read anywhere in the diatribe that no UF player was born the last time the Gators were triumphant over the Hurricanes. Don’t let that stop you, Louis Murphy, from running your mouth, though. Don’t get me wrong, I think Florida will win handily. I don’t think it’ll be a clean game, and I think Miami will put a scare in early. Florida 38, Miami (Fla.) 21.
Last week: 8-4
Season: 8-4
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