Auburn football: Tigers find home away from while preparing for Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., against Northwestern

TAMPA, Fla. — Auburn’s players were treated to a little piece of home as they trickled onto the practice field Sunday at the University of Tampa.

A giant “AU” logo closely resembling the Tigers’ colors was painted in the corner of Art & Polly Pepin Stadium, just like the one on the team’s practice field back in Auburn.

“That was a surprise,” linebacker Craig Stevens said. “We heard coach Yox (strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall) say we were going to break it down on the AU, but we thought that was just wherever he was at, that’s where we were going to break it down. It’s pretty funny actually.”

Auburn tried to keep things as normal as possible, going through a two-hour, full-pad workout during the morning of its first full day in Tampa for the Outback Bowl.

It was the Tigers’ first practice since last Tuesday, which coaches thought showed on the field.

“You could tell they’ve had four days off, and the effort was good, but I just think that we were a little bit sloppy, a little bit rusty,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. “We obviously need the next four days. You can just tell that we’ve had some time off, and we just have to get back into the rhythm of practice and the football rhythm.”

“We need to be more consistent,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said. “Our pace was good, but we had a few mental lapses we can’t put up with.”

The Tigers practiced in the morning, just as they will the next four days leading up to their matchup against Northwestern. Chizik and his staff preferred night practices throughout the season, but the Outback Bowl is set for an 11 a.m. kickoff.

“Everything he does, he does it for a reason,” wide receiver Darvin Adams said of Chizik. “He’s doing these morning practices just to get us ready for that game Friday.”

Auburn’s players were taken aback by the weather. Temperatures hovered in the mid-50’s, with an overcast sky and slight breeze making things even cooler. Coaches wore winter hats while most of the players had long-sleeve undershirts for practice.

“All the guys were getting mad,” said Walt McFadden, a native of Pompano Beach, Fla., three hours to the southeast. “‘I thought you said Florida was going to be hot. The Sunshine State, the Sunshine State.’ But I was like, ‘This is not my part of the state.’ I don’t know about this too much. Hopefully, the sun will come out and bring a little sunshine back.”

“We’re out here by the water so the wind’s going to blow all day,” said Stevens, a Tallahassee, Fla., native. “Especially when it’s cold, that will make it 10 times worse.”

The Tigers won’t let it hamper their good time. The team has a full itinerary this week, with trips to Busch Gardens and Clearwater Beach on the schedule. Auburn’s players visited St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Sunday evening after attending a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game Saturday night.

It was a new experience for McFadden.

“The big thing was the horn; every time they scored it was really loud,” he said. “I wish I could (have one in football). I’d blow the horn every time they didn’t score a touchdown. Any other play, even if I didn’t make the play, I’d push the horn. If I get a horn that big, you’re going to know I’m around somewhere.”

After watching the hockey game, Stevens concluded he is in the right sport.

“I’m not ready to play hockey,” he said with a chuckle. “If I went out there, I would just be going to fight.”