Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Auburn's pass rush shows improvement

Carter, Coleman leading the way

AUBURN, Ala. -- Teammates say the level of trash Auburn defensive end Antoine Carter talks is directly proportional to how good he’s feeling physically.

“When his knee wasn’t as healthy, he wasn’t saying too much because he knew he was limited in what he can do,” cornerback Walt McFadden said. “But lately he’s been talking. Basically he’s been telling people what he’s going to do because he can do it now that his leg is healthy.”

Carter, a junior who has staked claim to a starting spot, has teamed with preseason All-SEC pick Antonio Coleman to give the Tigers a formidable pass rushing duo off the edge in recent weeks.

They were the driving force behind Auburn’s non-stop pressure against Ole Miss on Saturday, when the Tigers sacked Rebels quarterback Jevan Snead three times and hurried him on seven other occasions.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Coleman, who earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after finishing with four tackles for a loss, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. “I just got out there and had fun and just flew around and made plays.”

The best part? Auburn was able to apply that much pressure with its four down linemen, creating no need to send extra blitzers.

“Any time you can get pressure with four, why bring five? Or six? Or put yourself coverage-wise in potential jeopardy?” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “For most of the day the four-man pass rush, if it wasn’t getting there, it was at least hurrying the throws. So that was good to see and it was big.”

It’s been missing for a while. Auburn registered only two sacks against Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky. It has six the last two weeks.

Credit two things. First, Coleman is finally playing up to his All-SEC potential. He failed to register a tackle at Tennessee and Arkansas, when he was slowed by injuries to his right leg and wrist that prevented him from exploding off the line and using his hands to break free of blocks.

As he’s healed, he’s been in the backfield more. The 6-foot-3, 261-pound senior made 16 tackles against Kentucky, LSU and Ole Miss, with 6 1/2 tackles for a loss and three sacks.

Secondly, Carter, a 6-foot-4, 263-pound big-play lineman, has finally recovered from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The junior missed the first three games. Even once he returned, he was hesitant.

“It was kind of frustrating,” he said. “I had to build up confidence. It wasn’t really physically because rehab helped me get back physically. It was mentally, being scared to get on it.”

Carter eased his way back into the rotation before taking Michael Goggans’ starting spot against Kentucky three weeks ago. Now that Carter is getting the same number of reps he got in the spring, he’s stepped up his game considerably, with 16 tackles, 3 1/2 tackles for a loss and 1 1/2 sacks, which are tied for third most on the team.

The knee? It’s fine. Carter said Ole Miss cut blocked him on one play and he didn’t feel anything.

“He’s always been a great pass rusher,” Coleman said. “He just hasn’t had that many opportunities to go out there and show it. Now he’s showing guys that they need to pay attention to him. He’s taking some of the heat off me and we’re both getting to the quarterback.”

It’s led to an increased amount of trash talk, a playful art if you ask Carter.

“I talk it because I know I can back it up,” he said. “You have to get out there and have fun. You can’t just be out there going through the motions because you’re body gets tired of it, so you have to do something to make you keep going.”

He showed some restraint against Ole Miss, however, internalizing his thoughts about what he hoped Snead would do.

“I was saying: ‘Hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball,’” Carter said.

“He held the ball. It felt good.”

Note: Coleman was not the only Auburn player to be recognized for his efforts in the win over Ole Miss. Auburn cornerback Walt McFadden’s two interceptions earned him SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

McFadden, a senior from Pompano Beach, Fla., also tied a career-high with five tackles and 1 1/2 tackles for a loss in the Tigers’ 33-20 upset of the Rebels.

He returned the first of his two picks 29 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to give Auburn a 24-7 lead. His second interception sealed the win, coming deep in Tigers territory with under three minutes left. He has four interceptions this season and seven for his career.