Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Auburn Football Preview
It's almost that time again...so here's the annual preseason Auburn preview, by position, thanks to generous helpings from ESPN Insider.
Quarterback
Last year, Brandon Cox emerged as the SEC's 2nd leading QB in pass efficiency and yards per game. That was after learning on the job, and taking some hard knocks early in the season. There's no doubt that there is enough talent for Auburn at starting QB, the question is whether or not Cox can take it to the next level with a largely new WR corps beyond Courtney Taylor.
Running Back
Kenny Irons missed two weeks of spring practices with minor injuries, but Brad Lester was finally healthy in camp, and he had the coaches most excited last season with his big play potential. Tre Smith will likely still see some time in the backfield due to his ability to catch the ball. Freshman Ben Tate enrolled early and impressed the coaching staff in spring practices as well.
Carl Stewart failed to make the transition from HB to FB, which creates a problem for the Tigers. Projected starting FB Mike McLaughlin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring, leaving Auburn only with Stewart, and 3 walk-ons for the FB position.
As usual, there is plenty of talent at HB for Auburn. But, who will block for them?
Wide Receivers
Auburn must replace the holes left by experienced receivers Ben Obamanu, Devin Aromashodu and Anthony Mix and tight end Cooper Wallace, while starting only with 3 receivers with any experience - wideouts Courtney Taylor, a senior, junior Prechae Rodriguez and senior tight end Cole Bennett. The good news is that Taylor looked completely healthy in the Spring, and could therefore return to his 2004 levels of production, as opposed to his disappointing 2005 campaign.
A dark horse candidate for the 3rd/4th WR slot is redshirt freshman Tommy Trott, a TE. According to offensive coordinator Al Borges, "Tommy's improved daily on his blocking in the spring and as he becomes a better blocker he's going to be a prominent figure in our offense."
Offensive Line
Auburn faces a difficult situation on the line this year, having to replace All-American LT Marcus McNeil, as well as RT Troy Reddick. As Tuberville himself says, "We've got guys who are stepping in and we feel like they're good football players, but there's going to be a drop-off."
Hard-nosed senior center Joe Cope, senior guard Ben Grubbs, and junior guard Tim Duckworth all return from last season to anchor the interior line.
Kicker
Senior kicker John "Great Except Against LSU" Vaughn returns with Sophomore kickoff specialist Zach Kutch for the 2006 season. Vaughn's normally steady leg lends itself to many FG attempts and safe extra points, but Kutch's kickoff specialist job is still vulnerable, as the team is looking for more consistency from him.
Defensive Line
For all the attention afforded junior defensive end Stanley McClover's decision to pass up his senior season and enter the 2006 NFL draft, the biggest losses came when nose-guard Tommy Jackson and defensive tackle Wayne Dickens completed their eligibility. This means that Auburn is in the unenviable position of replacing 3 out of 4 starters on the DL.
Fortunately, Auburn has plenty of talent left to fill the holes. Auburn's coaches are excited about the potential of junior college transfer Greg Smith, ranked among the nation's top JUCO defensive tackles. At the ends, senior Marquies Gunn and junior Quentin Groves have already established themsevles as excellent pass-rushers, although they need to improve on run defense and taking on leadership roles in the defense.
Linebacker
With Travis and Antarrious Williams completing their eligibility, the Tigers had some big holes to fill at linebacker as well as some depth concerns. They addressed one of those questions by moving senior Will Herring from free safety to outside linebacker, who has made a positive transition to the position, and had already established himself as a talented run-stopper in the secondary. Herring takes over at strong linebacker, with senior Karibi Dede moving to the MLB position. At weakside linebacker, a competition has been ongoing between sophomore Merrill Johnson and redshirt freshman Tray Blackmon. Johnson's injury-plagued spring has given Blackmon an edge in this position battle so far.
Defensive Backs
Early in the spring, Will Herring's move to LB was called an experiment. By the end of the spring it became permanent, but the coaches still have some concerns about the play of sophomores Tristan Davis and Lorenzo Ferguson at free safety. Junior Eric Brock and sophomore Steve Gandy are in a position battle for the starting slot at strong safety.
A quote from defensive coordinator and secondary coach Will Muschamp - "They've all played the safety position and at times they've played well, but we've got to get a lot more consistent at that position. We've got to tackle better at that position. We need a couple of guys to separate at that position and right now they haven't."
One starting cornerback slot is solidly in the hands of sixth-year senior David Irons, but the duo of junior Jonathan Wilhite and senior Montavis Pitts continues to compete at the other corner.
Punters
Denior Kody Bliss returns after an All-SEC season in which he averaged 44.9 yards per punt, tops in the league and sixth in Division I-A. He was at his best when it really counted, averaging 45.8 yards per punt in SEC games.
Punt and Kick Returners
The Tigers will be looking for new return specialists in both spots. They need a new punt returner simply because the coaches grew tired of Tre Smith's fumbling problems. They need a new kick returner because they lost Aromashodu, who averaged 24.2 yard per return last year.
If the Tigers are looking for someone dependable, they can turn to Courtney Taylor. If they're looking for a big-play spark, they may turn to Robert Dunn.
Schedule
There is really good news about this year's schedule, and there is really bad news about this year's schedule. The good news is that Auburn plays most of their cupcake games early in the season, when the team usually comes out of the gate sluggishly, and while new starters are getting used to their roles on the field. The really good news is that Auburn's SEC schedule has all of the toughest games at home, with the exception of the Iron Bowl at Tuscaloosa (AKA Jordan-Hare West). LSU, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia all come to Auburn, while Auburn travels to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Alabama.
The bad news about this year's schedule is that Auburn has no weeks off between games. There is a 10-day gap before the Arkansas game, but that is because of a Thursday game at South Carolina. The really bad news is that the Auburn-LSU game is on the third weekend of the season, when many of Auburn's position battles may still be up in the air, the team may not have found its groove, and at least two key linebackers (Tray Blackmon and Kevin Sears) will still be suspended for alcohol-related incidents.
If Auburn can beat LSU, the schedule leaves the road open for a rolling finish and potential BCS bowl game, if not the whole enchilada. If the replacements on the offensive line and in the WR corps are not up to snuff, it could be a season of embarrassments in front of the home crowd, and tough road games that should not be tough at all.
Due to the number of key contributors who left last season, it is another year that could vary from dominating and delirious to struggle-filled and bitter. Just like last year. Saddle up, and War Damn Eagle.
Quarterback
Last year, Brandon Cox emerged as the SEC's 2nd leading QB in pass efficiency and yards per game. That was after learning on the job, and taking some hard knocks early in the season. There's no doubt that there is enough talent for Auburn at starting QB, the question is whether or not Cox can take it to the next level with a largely new WR corps beyond Courtney Taylor.
Running Back
Kenny Irons missed two weeks of spring practices with minor injuries, but Brad Lester was finally healthy in camp, and he had the coaches most excited last season with his big play potential. Tre Smith will likely still see some time in the backfield due to his ability to catch the ball. Freshman Ben Tate enrolled early and impressed the coaching staff in spring practices as well.
Carl Stewart failed to make the transition from HB to FB, which creates a problem for the Tigers. Projected starting FB Mike McLaughlin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring, leaving Auburn only with Stewart, and 3 walk-ons for the FB position.
As usual, there is plenty of talent at HB for Auburn. But, who will block for them?
Wide Receivers
Auburn must replace the holes left by experienced receivers Ben Obamanu, Devin Aromashodu and Anthony Mix and tight end Cooper Wallace, while starting only with 3 receivers with any experience - wideouts Courtney Taylor, a senior, junior Prechae Rodriguez and senior tight end Cole Bennett. The good news is that Taylor looked completely healthy in the Spring, and could therefore return to his 2004 levels of production, as opposed to his disappointing 2005 campaign.
A dark horse candidate for the 3rd/4th WR slot is redshirt freshman Tommy Trott, a TE. According to offensive coordinator Al Borges, "Tommy's improved daily on his blocking in the spring and as he becomes a better blocker he's going to be a prominent figure in our offense."
Offensive Line
Auburn faces a difficult situation on the line this year, having to replace All-American LT Marcus McNeil, as well as RT Troy Reddick. As Tuberville himself says, "We've got guys who are stepping in and we feel like they're good football players, but there's going to be a drop-off."
Hard-nosed senior center Joe Cope, senior guard Ben Grubbs, and junior guard Tim Duckworth all return from last season to anchor the interior line.
Kicker
Senior kicker John "Great Except Against LSU" Vaughn returns with Sophomore kickoff specialist Zach Kutch for the 2006 season. Vaughn's normally steady leg lends itself to many FG attempts and safe extra points, but Kutch's kickoff specialist job is still vulnerable, as the team is looking for more consistency from him.
Defensive Line
For all the attention afforded junior defensive end Stanley McClover's decision to pass up his senior season and enter the 2006 NFL draft, the biggest losses came when nose-guard Tommy Jackson and defensive tackle Wayne Dickens completed their eligibility. This means that Auburn is in the unenviable position of replacing 3 out of 4 starters on the DL.
Fortunately, Auburn has plenty of talent left to fill the holes. Auburn's coaches are excited about the potential of junior college transfer Greg Smith, ranked among the nation's top JUCO defensive tackles. At the ends, senior Marquies Gunn and junior Quentin Groves have already established themsevles as excellent pass-rushers, although they need to improve on run defense and taking on leadership roles in the defense.
Linebacker
With Travis and Antarrious Williams completing their eligibility, the Tigers had some big holes to fill at linebacker as well as some depth concerns. They addressed one of those questions by moving senior Will Herring from free safety to outside linebacker, who has made a positive transition to the position, and had already established himself as a talented run-stopper in the secondary. Herring takes over at strong linebacker, with senior Karibi Dede moving to the MLB position. At weakside linebacker, a competition has been ongoing between sophomore Merrill Johnson and redshirt freshman Tray Blackmon. Johnson's injury-plagued spring has given Blackmon an edge in this position battle so far.
Defensive Backs
Early in the spring, Will Herring's move to LB was called an experiment. By the end of the spring it became permanent, but the coaches still have some concerns about the play of sophomores Tristan Davis and Lorenzo Ferguson at free safety. Junior Eric Brock and sophomore Steve Gandy are in a position battle for the starting slot at strong safety.
A quote from defensive coordinator and secondary coach Will Muschamp - "They've all played the safety position and at times they've played well, but we've got to get a lot more consistent at that position. We've got to tackle better at that position. We need a couple of guys to separate at that position and right now they haven't."
One starting cornerback slot is solidly in the hands of sixth-year senior David Irons, but the duo of junior Jonathan Wilhite and senior Montavis Pitts continues to compete at the other corner.
Punters
Denior Kody Bliss returns after an All-SEC season in which he averaged 44.9 yards per punt, tops in the league and sixth in Division I-A. He was at his best when it really counted, averaging 45.8 yards per punt in SEC games.
Punt and Kick Returners
The Tigers will be looking for new return specialists in both spots. They need a new punt returner simply because the coaches grew tired of Tre Smith's fumbling problems. They need a new kick returner because they lost Aromashodu, who averaged 24.2 yard per return last year.
If the Tigers are looking for someone dependable, they can turn to Courtney Taylor. If they're looking for a big-play spark, they may turn to Robert Dunn.
Schedule
There is really good news about this year's schedule, and there is really bad news about this year's schedule. The good news is that Auburn plays most of their cupcake games early in the season, when the team usually comes out of the gate sluggishly, and while new starters are getting used to their roles on the field. The really good news is that Auburn's SEC schedule has all of the toughest games at home, with the exception of the Iron Bowl at Tuscaloosa (AKA Jordan-Hare West). LSU, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia all come to Auburn, while Auburn travels to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Alabama.
The bad news about this year's schedule is that Auburn has no weeks off between games. There is a 10-day gap before the Arkansas game, but that is because of a Thursday game at South Carolina. The really bad news is that the Auburn-LSU game is on the third weekend of the season, when many of Auburn's position battles may still be up in the air, the team may not have found its groove, and at least two key linebackers (Tray Blackmon and Kevin Sears) will still be suspended for alcohol-related incidents.
If Auburn can beat LSU, the schedule leaves the road open for a rolling finish and potential BCS bowl game, if not the whole enchilada. If the replacements on the offensive line and in the WR corps are not up to snuff, it could be a season of embarrassments in front of the home crowd, and tough road games that should not be tough at all.
Due to the number of key contributors who left last season, it is another year that could vary from dominating and delirious to struggle-filled and bitter. Just like last year. Saddle up, and War Damn Eagle.
