AUBURN, Ala. Four-star defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker committed to Auburn on Monday, the first of four high-profile announcements that could go the Tigers’ way in the days leading up to National Signing Day.
AUBURN, Ala. — It’s five days until recruits officially sign letters of intent on national signing day, but from Auburn’s perspective there is plenty of drama that remains in the final week.
Ron Baynes also was SEC official and played at Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. — With national signing day less than two weeks away, most of the work for Auburn’s 2010 recruiting class has been done.
AUBURN, Ala. — Four-star offensive lineman Eric Mack committed to Auburn on Wednesday, a day after he de-committed from South Carolina.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn released a statement Monday that suggests he isn’t going anywhere this offseason.
AUBURN, Ala. — One of the loudest cheers during Saturday’s basketball game at Beard-Eaves-Memorial was reserved for football coach Gene Chizik, who officially accepted the Outback Bowl trophy in front of the Tigers’ fans.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn head coach Gene Chizik hasn’t lost an assistant yet this offseason and doesn’t plan to.
AUBURN, Ala. — It was last February, a little over a month after he had been hired as Auburn’s recruiting coordinator, that Curtis Luper outlined the goals he and head coach Gene Chizik had for making the Tigers relevant again to prospective recruits.
Former Auburn coach replaces fired Leach
TAMPA, Fla. — How you judge Auburn’s pass defense in a 38-35 Outback Bowl win against Northwestern is based largely on which stat you look at.
TAMPA, Fla. — Auburn wide receiver Darvin Adams may have turned in the quietest Outback Bowl MVP performance in the game’s history.
TAMPA, Fla. — Josh Bynes was exhausted, the toll of more than 100 plays having wiped him out. But the Auburn linebacker had enough energy to sprint a hundred yards toward his parents in the stands after a Northwestern field goal doinked off the upright in overtime.
Wes Byrum kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime and Auburn held on for wild 38-35 win over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
On New Year's Day, the Northwestern Wildcats and Auburn Tigers will collide in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, a game that annually pits the SEC against the Big Ten Conference.
TAMPA, Fla. — Quarterback Cameron Newton, the No. 1 junior college recruit in the country, committed to Auburn on Thursday night with plans to enroll in school in the next week, according to the Tigers’ three recruiting Web sites.
abitter@ledger-enquirer.com
TAMPA, Fla. — A wide smile crept across Walt McFadden’s face when a few Auburn beat writers informed the cornerback that he was the first recipient of the “Good Guy” award, an honor meant to recognize a player who is consistently congenial with the media.
TAMPA, Fla. — Under sunny skies and in warmer weather, Auburn had its final full-scale practice before Friday’s Outback Bowl against Northwestern, working out for just over two hours at the University of Tampa on Wednesday.
GAME NOTES: On New Year's Day, the Northwestern Wildcats and Auburn Tigers will collide in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, a game that annually pits the SEC against the Big Ten Conference.
TAMPA, Fla. — No official line of succession had been planned, but Northwestern’s players already had a sense of how it would unfold.
TAMPA, Fla. — Only four quarters remain in Auburn quarterback Chris Todd’s winding career, one in which he’s played the scapegoat and the hero, sometimes within a matter of a few weeks.
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s not far down the road from Raymond James Stadium, site of Friday’s Outback Bowl, that the formative years of Gene Chizik’s life took place.
Dec. 13, 2008 — In a surprise move and despite an immediate negative reaction from fans, Gene Chizik emerges as Auburn’s choice to replace Tommy Tuberville as head coach.
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.
TAMPA, Fla. — Make no mistake: Auburn’s Philip Lutzenkirchen likes playing tight end, a position he has practiced all season as Tommy Trott’s backup.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Auburn football arrived in Tampa on Saturday for the Outback Bowl, which will be played on Friday.
AUBURN, Ala. — The first four years of Andrew McCain’s Auburn career were a twisted path of position changes, backup roles and frustration.
Proves in season’s second half he can succeed Coleman
After three days off, team heads to Tampa for bowl festivities
AUBURN, Ala. — Two Auburn football players have been arrested for driving under the influence in the last month.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn used 15 total defensive players against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, a low number but not an outrageous one considering the pace of the Crimson Tide’s offense.
AUBURN, Ala. — Quarterback Cameron Newton, ranked as the No. 1 junior college player in the country by Rivals, plans to visit Auburn this weekend, according to the Tigers’ three primary recruiting Web sites.
Trotter, Moseley finally get some quality reps
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn made progress in raising its scholarship numbers Wednesday, adding four players — two from junior college and two from high school — on the first day of the signing period for early enrollees.
AUBURN, Ala. For weeks, Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman told anyone who would listen that after he got the restrictive cast off his right wrist, it was on.
AUBURN, Ala. — With full-scale Northwestern preparation still a few days away and Auburn having plenty of practice time to fill before the Outback Bowl, seldom-used quarterbacks Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley got their chance to work in team drills Sunday.
AUBURN, Ala. — Fog persisted but the rains cleared Sunday, allowing the Auburn football team to move back outside for a full-pad, two-hour workout during its second practice prior to the Outback Bowl.
AUBURN, Ala. — Suspended Auburn quarterback Tyrik Rollison won’t be allowed to practice this December and will not make the trip to the Outback Bowl, Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Saturday.
Will try to balance focus with fun
Alabama, Georgia and Auburn were represented on the SEC coaches’ All-Freshman team that was announced on Thursday.
The Auburn football team will get an invitation today to play in the New Year’s Day Outback Bowl, according to bowl President Jim McVay.
Chizik says violation was unintentional during ‘Big Cat Weekend’ last May
AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik left Jordan-Hare Stadium Friday night conflicted with emotions, disappointed by Auburn’s narrow 26-21 loss to No. 2 Alabama in the Iron Bowl’s final minutes yet encouraged by the step the program has made in the year since he became coach.
AUBURN, Ala. — Quarterback Chris Todd threw a pair of touchdowns in a 26-21 loss to Alabama on Friday, setting Auburn’s single-season record for most touchdown passes in a season.
AUBURN, Ala. — With 37 yards and five points to make up in one final second, Auburn’s offense reached back into its bag of tricks, hoping it could find one more big play to pull off the shocker of the season against No. 2 Alabama on Friday.
AUBURN, Ga. — Standing anxiously on the sideline, Roy Upchurch was screaming at anyone who would listen.
AUBURN, Ala.
AUBURN, Ala. —
Greg McElroy led a 15-play, 79-yard drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch with 1:24 to go, and second-ranked Alabama kept its undefeated season and national title hopes alive with a gutsy 26-21 win over Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl.
AUBURN, Ala. — It didn’t take long after offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn took the job at Auburn that he received his first bit of unsolicited advice regarding the Iron Bowl.
AUBURN, Ala. — The car carrying Auburn football coach Pat Dye and sports information director David Housel paused at an intersection in town before Dye went noticeably quiet.
It is rivalry week in college football and in the state of Alabama, it doesn't get any bigger than this week's clash between the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers from Jordan-Hare Stadium.
GAME NOTES: It is rivalry week in college football and in the state of Alabama, it doesn't get any bigger than this week's clash between the second- ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers from Jordan-Hare Stadium.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s players don’t have a shortage of opinions about last year’s grisly Iron Bowl outcome.
AUBURN, Ala. — Zac Etheridge was in good spirits when he made another appearance at the Auburn athletic complex Tuesday, a little less than a month after a suffering a scary neck injury against Ole Miss.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn's players returned to the practice field Sunday night for their first full-scale workout since last Thursday. It was a welcome break.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kirk Speraw wasn’t overly impressed about the history his team made. The Central Florida coach was just happy about another victory.
AUBURN, Ala. — After he was hired as Auburn’s head coach last December, Gene Chizik vowed to prioritize recruiting, hoping to reestablish the school as a force in the Southeast and stretch the Tigers’ recruiting scope to include some of the country’s highest-profile prospects.
AUBURN, Ala. Ben Tate sheepishly admitted he might have said last week that he was the best running back in the state. A second later, he contradicted himself.
AUBURN, Ala. Running back Eric Smith is being sued for allegedly knocking a fellow Auburn student unconscious in a local hotel parking lot in August.
ATHENS, Ga. — There were cheers followed by silence followed by elation.
ATHENS, Ga. — Demond Washington gave Auburn’s lagging return games a much-needed boost Saturday at Georgia.
ATHENS, Ga. — Auburn’s offense looked unstoppable on its first two drives Saturday night at Georgia.
Caleb King carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards and two scores to lead the Georgia Bulldogs to a 31-24 win over the Auburn Tigers in an SEC showdown at Sanford Stadium.
@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:Auburn (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at Georgia (5-4, 3-3 SEC)
Outback, Cotton among possibilities
AUBURN, Ala. — A week after getting a commitment from five-star running back Michael Dyer, Auburn got another from Thibodaux, La., four-star receiver Trovon Reed, according to the Tigers’ three major recruiting Web sites.
ATHENS, Ga. — Auburn’s plan is to move quickly and put the pressure on Georgia’s defense. Georgia’s defense has struggled during the past two seasons recognizing and adjusting to plays.
It took receiver DeAngelo Benton 10 games to notch his first collegiate catch. That might be all it takes to get the former five-star recruit going.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn cornerback Walt McFadden paused after hearing the question, carefully weighing the benefits of giving an answer and providing bulletin board material for one of his team’s next two opponents.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn assistant coach Trooper Taylor, who oversees the Tigers’ punt return unit, deferred questions relating to that group to head coach Gene Chizik.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Sanford Stadium (86,117) -- Athens, Georgia. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: Auburn 6-1, Georgia 3-1. Away Record: Auburn 1-2, Georgia 2-2. Neutral Record: Auburn 0-0, Georgia 0-1. Conference Record: Auburn 3-3, Georgia 3-3. Series Record: Auburn leads, 53-51-8.
AUBURN, Ala. Forget the limos, the tree rolling, the smooth-talking coaches: Auburn’s best recruiting tool for prospective running backs might be Ben Tate’s on-field performance this season.
AUBURN, Ala. — Defensive coordinator Ted Roof had an emphatic response when asked if he wanted to get Demond Washington more reps at his new safety position in the second half of Auburn’s 63-31 win against Furman on Saturday.
Tigers welcome ho-hum game
AUBURN, Ala. — Michael Dyer, the No. 1 running back in the country by some scouting services, made his commitment to Auburn public Friday morning at a press conference.
Furman eyes upset that another FCS team, UT-Martin, almost achieved
AUBURN, Ala. — In the waning minutes of the Ole Miss game, Auburn’s Travante Stallworth made a heady play, taking a handoff on a speed sweep but not running toward the sideline.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn’s Demond Washington fired off a list of positions he’s played in his career: cornerback, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, punt and kick returner.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn safety Zac Etheridge has been released from the hospital two days after suffering a serious neck injury in the Tigers’ 33-20 victory against Ole Miss.
AUBURN, Ala. — Junior Demond Washington will move from cornerback to safety to help Auburn fill the spot vacated by Zac Etheridge, who suffered a season-ending neck injury against Ole Miss last Saturday.
AUBURN, Ala. His neck locked into place by a cumbersome brace, safety Zac Etheridge walked into the Auburn athletic complex Tuesday, just three days after a serious injury left him briefly paralyzed on the Jordan-Hare Stadium field.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn safety Zac Etheridge will miss the rest of the season after suffering a neck injury against Ole Miss and his future in football is uncertain, head coach Gene Chizik said Sunday.
AUBURN, Ala. — Zac Etheridge’s season-ending neck injury puts Auburn in a bind at safety.
401 yards of offense; Tate gets 144 rushing, Todd passes for 212
@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:THE STARS
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn safety Zac Etheridge was carted off the field on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital for examination after suffering a neck injury Saturday against Mississippi.
Ben Tate ran for 144 yards and a score on 25 carries, helping Auburn snap its three-game losing streak with a 33-20 win over 24th-ranked Ole Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Under-publicized unit impresses AU
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn wide receiver DeAngelo Benton has yet to catch a pass this season, prompting many to wonder if all the hubbub about the freshman’s talent was overblown.
AUBURN, Ala. The game film left Eltoro Freeman mystified.
Fresh off a much-needed victory, the 24th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels hit the road to take on the struggling Auburn Tigers in SEC action this weekend. Auburn owns a commanding 24-9 series advantage over Ole Miss.
GAME NOTES: Fresh off a much-needed victory, the 24th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels hit the road to take on the struggling Auburn Tigers in SEC action this weekend. Auburn owns a commanding 24-9 series advantage over Ole Miss.
AUBURN, Ala. There is a picture that circulates on Internet message boards every time Auburn’s quarterback situation gets dicey.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn running back Eric Smith was granted youthful offender status last week on a charge of third-degree assault stemming from an Aug. 21 incident outside of an area hotel, an Auburn court clerk confirmed Monday.
AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik reviewed his quarterback options after Auburn’s ugly 31-10 loss at LSU and came to a decision.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn departed from its traditional Sunday routine and gave players a day off from practice, using the time for meetings and review of game film from Saturday’s 31-10 loss to LSU.
Jordan Jefferson threw for a career-high 242 yards and two touchdowns, leading ninth-ranked LSU in a 31-10 rout of Auburn at Tiger Stadium.
Expect another last-play thriller
AUBURN, Ala. The trip to Baton Rouge this weekend will have extra meaning for walk-on Auburn linebacker Ashton Richardson.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn cornerback Harry Adams has been dismissed from the football team for an unspecified violation of team rules.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn has been searching for a third wide receiver to complement starters Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery.
AUBURN, Ala. What happens when a resistible force meet a movable object?
A cat fight is on the docket in Baton Rouge this weekend, as ninth-ranked LSU is set to battle Auburn in SEC action. LSU owns a 23-19-1 advantage in the all-time series with Auburn, including victories in the last two meetings between the teams.
GAME NOTES: A cat fight is on the docket in Baton Rouge this weekend, as ninth-ranked LSU is set to battle Auburn in SEC action. LSU owns a 23-19-1 advantage in the all-time series with Auburn, including victories in the last two meetings between the teams.
AUBURN, Ala. Gene Chizik thinks this is the time of the college football season when there are no more secrets or surprises.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn linebacker Eltoro Freeman dressed Saturday against Kentucky, but he didn’t have much of a role.
Hard work, focus pay off for Dogs
Had 15-game winning streak against Wildcats
Randall Cobb scored the go-ahead touchdown with a four-yard run late in the fourth quarter to lead the Kentucky Wildcats to a 21-14 upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide in SEC action.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama. Television: ESPN U. Home Record: Kentucky 1-2, Auburn 4-0. Away Record: Kentucky 0-1, Auburn 1-1. Neutral Record: Kentucky 1-0, Auburn 0-0. Conference Record: Kentucky 0-3, Auburn 2-1. Series Record: Auburn leads, 24-5-1.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s depth problem is starting to rear its ugly head.
THE STAR
Slapped with first loss in Chizik era
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Auburn’s defensive problems were so substantial, so across the board in a 44-23 loss to Arkansas that defensive coordinator Ted Roof had a tough time getting specific with the target of his disappointment.
Ryan Mallett threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another score, as the Arkansas Razorbacks pummeled the 17th-ranked and previously unbeaten Auburn Tigers, 44-23.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s coaches have heaped considerable praise all week on strong-armed Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.
SEC foes collide in Fayetteville this weekend as the Arkansas Razorbacks host the 17th-ranked Auburn Tigers, new additions to the AP Top-25.
GAME NOTES: SEC foes collide in Fayetteville this weekend as the Arkansas Razorbacks host the 17th-ranked Auburn Tigers, new additions to the AP Top-25.
AUBURN, Ala. — Philip Pierre-Louis returned punts in a pinch for Auburn at Tennessee. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll do it again.
AUBURN, Ala. With a 26-22 victory Saturday night at Tennessee, Auburn matched its win total from last season.
Auburn 6 7 3 10—26
@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:THE STARS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Auburn junior Bart Eddins made his first career start at right guard Saturday night against Tennessee, filling in for Byron Isom, who missed his second straight game because of a team-imposed suspension.
Ben Tate rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown to lead the Auburn Tigers to a 26-22 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC action at Neyland Stadium.
Chizik says win against Vols today may increase ranking
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn got a commitment from punter Steven Clark on Thursday, according to the Tigers’ three recruiting Web sites.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor is about as excitable as it gets, whether it’s at a practice, an interview or a game.
AUBURN, Ala. — Just who will start for Auburn at right guard Saturday at Tennessee remains a mystery.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Neyland Stadium (104,000) -- Knoxville, Tennessee. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Auburn 4-0, Tennessee 2-1. Away Record: Auburn 0-0, Tennessee 0-1. Neutral Record: Auburn 0-0, Tennessee 0-0. Conference Record: Auburn 1-0, Tennessee 0-1. Series Record: Auburn leads, 26-21-3.
AU offense vs. Vols defense tough test
Todd ties record as Auburn tallies 560 yards offense
Ball St. 7 3 7 13—30
Chris Todd threw for 287 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Auburn Tigers to a 54-30 victory over the Ball State Cardinals in a non-conference battle at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Ho-hum opponent, but work still to do
AUBURN, Ala. — College football coaches generally aren’t forthcoming when it comes to divulging details about their teams.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama. Television: FSN-South. Home Record: Ball State 0-2, Auburn 3-0. Away Record: Ball State 0-1, Auburn 0-0. Neutral Record: Ball State 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Conference Record: Ball State 0-0, Auburn 1-0. Series Record: Auburn leads, 2-0.
AUBURN, Ala. — Eight players of Auburn’s 19-member freshman class have not yet played this season, and it’s unclear whether they will continue down a path that leads to a redshirt season.
AUBURN, Ala. A year ago Ball State would have been a major headache as a non-conference opponent. Now, the Cardinals provide a relative break in Auburn’s schedule.
AUBURN, Ala. — A severe thunderstorm from the southwest drenched fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium prior to Saturday night’s Auburn-West Virginia football game, delaying its start by 63 minutes.
auburn, Ala.
West Virginia 21 0 9 0—30
Chris Todd threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns as the Auburn Tigers recorded a hard-fought, 41-30 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers in a non-conference battle.
Both teams 2-0 and known for power offense, quick defense
AUBURN, Ala. — Pat White is gone, his four-year run as West Virginia’s quarterback coming to an end last season. But if you talk to anyone around the Auburn football program, the Mountaineers don’t lose much in his replacement.
AUBURN, Ala. A brief yawn from a reporter during a late interview session last week caught the eye of Auburn special teams coordinator Jay Boulware.
AUBURN, Ala. — With the weather forecast calling for scattered thunderstorms and a 40 percent chance of rain Saturday night, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik didn’t mind practicing during a downpour Wednesday night.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: West Virginia 2-0, Auburn 2-0. Away Record: West Virginia 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Neutral Record: West Virginia 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Conference Record: West Virginia 0-0, Auburn 1-0. Series Record: West Virginia leads, 1-0.
AUBURN, Ala. Jeff Grimes isn’t big into simply doling out grades following a football game.
AUBURN, Ala. — A limited number of Auburn football six-pack season ticket packages are available for $300.
AUBURN, Ala. When Kodi Burns graciously agreed to switch positions after losing out on the starting quarterback job in August, Auburn coaches promised that the junior would still be a major weapon in the Tigers’ offense.
Game times have been set SEC and ACC games on Saturday, Sept. 26.
AUBURN, Ala. — There is “no chance” Auburn reserve defensive lineman Cameron Henderson will play this year, head coach Gene Chizik said unequivocally Sunday.
AUBURN, Ala. Gene Chizik spent most of the offseason trying to convince Auburn nation that he was the right man to bring the program back to glory.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn running back Ben Tate spent the first quarter on the bench Saturday against Mississippi State in what was described as a coach’s decision.
Mississippi St. 0 17 0 7—24
@BR Boxtext bold lede comma:THE STAR
The Auburn Tigers ran for 390 yards and five touchdowns, as they defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 49-24, in SEC action at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn, Mississippi State have new coaches since odd 3-2 meeting
AUBURN, Ala. — After nine months off the field because of offseason heel surgery and only a week of preseason practice, Auburn sophomore linebacker Adam Herring simply wanted to contribute any way he could last Saturday against Louisiana Tech.
AUBURN, Ala. The yards and points mounted, much to the excitement of the Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd, but Auburn’s offensive players and coaches left last Saturday’s game against Louisiana Tech somewhat unfulfilled.
AUBURN, Ala. — Mario Fannin’s one-game stint as Auburn’s punt returner might be over.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama. Television: FSN. Home Record: MSU 1-0, Auburn 1-0. Away Record: MSU 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Neutral Record: MSU 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Conference Record: MSU 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Series Record: Auburn leads, 57-23-2.
AUBURN, Ala. — When a football team splits carries between two different-sized running backs, it is practically sportswriting law to identify the bigger one as “Thunder” and the smaller one as “Lightning.”
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn running back Eric Smith is back with the team after a 2 1/2-week absence following his arrest for third-degree assault last month, Tigers head coach Gene Chizik said.
AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik is guaranteed to make $1.9 million annually as Auburn’s head coach, but he stands to make a lot more if he is successful.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s offensive players had an extra bounce in their step Monday, laughing and joking in ways they didn’t as the 2008 plummeted downhill.
AUBURN, Ala. — Freshman safety Daren Bates was expected to be the only newcomer to start for Auburn in Saturday’s season opener against Louisiana Tech. As it turned out, junior college transfer Nick Fairley joined him.
AUBURN, Ala.
Longest play in AU history sparks Tigers
@BR Agate Big B/C:THE STAR
Louisiana Tech 7 3 3 0—13
Chris Todd threw for 255 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help lead the Auburn Tigers to a 37-13 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in non-conference action at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Tigers looking to make a statement after 5-7 season, leadership change
AUBURN, Ala. — Tracy Rocker knows what it’s like to experience an Auburn home game from a player’s perspective. But the former All-American defensive tackle isn’t going to spoil anything for the team’s newcomers who are about to go through it for the first time.
AUBURN, Ala. Derek Dooley won’t lack tour guides Saturday, when he brings his Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to Auburn.
AUBURN, Ala. — If everything goes according to plan Saturday against Louisiana Tech, Auburn will use as few offensive linemen as it can and as many defensive linemen as it has on the two-deep roster.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: LaTech 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Away Record: LaTech 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Neutral Record: LaTech 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Conference Record: LaTech 0-0, Auburn 0-0. Series Record: Auburn leads, 10-0-1.
AUBURN, Ala. Auburn didn’t release its depth chart until Tuesday, but freshman safety Daren Bates has known for 2 1/2 weeks that he would start the season opener against Louisiana Tech.
AUBURN, Ala. — From the moment he took the Auburn head coaching job, Gene Chizik vowed to return the program to its smashmouth roots.
AUBURN, Ala. — A clock that counts down the days until the start of the season hangs in the Auburn locker room. As of Sunday night, the time until Tigers’ Sept. 5 opener against Louisiana Tech was down to five days and some change.
AUBURN, Ala. — At 22 years old, Walt McFadden feels old. The fifth-year senior is by far the dean of the Auburn cornerbacks — a wise, battled-tested veteran leader whose younger teammates have taken to calling “Daddy Walt.”
AUBURN, Ala. — It wasn’t the quarterback news he had hoped to hear two weeks ago, but Neil Caudle will take it.
AUBURN, Ala. — The NCAA has ruled Auburn senior wide receiver Montez Billings out for the first four games of the season because of an academic issue, the school announced Thursday.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Bo Jackson wouldn’t change a thing.
AUBURN, Ala. — Special teams coordinator Jay Boulware wouldn’t say for punter Clinton Durst and place-kicker Wes Byrum will start when Auburn opens its season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 5, but he made it sound like that will be the case.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn running backs coach Curtis Luper spoke confidently about his group last week, touting the experience of his multitude of veterans and the raw skills of his newcomers, seemingly immune from the crippling depth problems his fellow assistants have had to deal with all month.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s football team had the day off a week ago Monday, but not Kodi Burns. The quarterback-turned-wide receiver took it upon himself to go to the Tigers’ indoor practice facility and work on the finer points of his new position, catching over 100 passes on a JUGS machine.
AUBURN, Ala. — Weak-side linebacker Eltoro Freeman is slowly working himself back into Auburn’s rotation from a hamstring injury. Walk-on Wade Christopher has kept his spot warm.
AUBURN, Ala. — Backup Tigers running back Eric Smith turned himself in to the Auburn Police Department at a little after 1:30 p.m. Monday on a third-degree assault charge, police Capt. Tom Stofer said.
AUBURN, Ala. — There isn’t a move Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman makes that his understudy Nosa Eguae doesn’t watch with a discerning eye.
AUBURN, Ala. — There were no winners or losers in Auburn’s scrimmage Saturday, no convoluted scoring system, no definitive standout players.
AUBURN, Ala. — To better simulate a game during Saturday’s scrimmage, Auburn put some of its coaches in the Jordan-Hare Stadium press box.
AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik didn’t say whether or not running back Eric Smith has a future with the Auburn football team after the sophomore was arrested for disorderly conduct in the early hours Friday morning.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn doesn’t have a bye the first 11 weeks of the season, not getting a break in the schedule until Nov. 21.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn weak-side linebacker Eltoro Freeman is still not participating in practice because of an injury, just not the one everyone thought.
AUBURN, Ala. — As Mario Fannin began practice Tuesday night at Auburn’s loosely defined H-back position, a new face joined him in the rotation line — freshman Anthony Gulley.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s offensive players were hesitant to completely credit their success in Saturday’s scrimmage to the fact that senior Chris Todd was named the quarterback two days earlier.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s coaches informed three walk-ons during a team function Friday night that they would be placed on scholarship this season: punter Clinton Durst, holder Clayton Crofoot and wide receiver John Cubelic.
AUBURN, Ala. — Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn stopped short of saying Thursday’s decision to go with Chris Todd as Auburn’s starting quarterback was a relief.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn did not name a No. 2 quarterback behind Chris Todd on Thursday night. That’s because offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn wants to take a nice, long look at freshman Tyrik Rollison.
AUBURN, Ala. — Calling it a “tough day for everybody,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik ended the speculation at the Tigers’ quarterback position Thursday, naming senior Chris Todd as the team’s starter while announcing Kodi Burns will work some as a wide receiver.
AUBURN, Ala. — Every day he walks into the interview room after practice, Auburn’s Mario Fannin gets asked which position he played.
AUBURN, Ala. — The news on Auburn’s quarterback front Wednesday was that there was no news.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn billed Tuesday’s scrimmage as an important test for his quarterbacks, a chance to make an impression before he narrows his search for a starter.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes was quick to acknowledge his concerns about depth after only a week of practice, confident in his starting five but wary of what’s behind them.
AUBURN, Ala. — Under NCAA rules, Auburn could have practiced in full pads Sunday. But the Tigers didn’t, pushing it back one more day to keep everybody fresh.
AUBURN, Ala. — Out of breath and with his legs wobbling beneath him, Auburn wide receiver DeAngelo Benton dropped to the ground and immediately pushed his body back up. He reeled off a series of up-downs before gathering himself, bear crawling 5 yards forward to the next line and repeating the sequence.
AUBURN, Ala. — Freshman offensive lineman Aubrey Phillips is out for an undetermined amount of time after suffering a “non-football related episode,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Saturday.
AUBURN, Ala. — Whenever linebacker Eltoro Freeman isn’t gung-ho about hitting the practice field behind the Auburn athletic complex, he pipes some Lil’ Wayne into his headphones to get amped up.
AUBURN, Ala. — By any measure, Travante Stallworth is fast. The Tigers freshman receiver was clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash coming out of high school in Leesville, La., a burner relative to the rest of his competition.
AUBURN, Ala. — A minor shift in quarterback reps highlighted Auburn’s practice Friday.
AUBURN, Ala. — When the rain stopped and clouds cleared, only half of Auburn’s roster made its way onto the fields behind the athletic complex Wednesday night. The other half moved indoors for an hour of conditioning drills before the two groups switched places.
AUBURN, Ala. — Wide receiver Philip Pierre-Louis is not currently on Auburn’s roster, but head coach Gene Chizik stressed that the redshirt freshman is still on the team and will be back once school starts.
AUBURN, Ala. — A series of dust-ups dotted Auburn’s football practices last August. Emotions ran as hot as the temperature on several occasions, an inauspicious sign for what proved to be the team’s most disjointed season in a decade.
AUBURN, Ala. — Tracy Rocker stood shocked as Auburn opened spring practice, taken aback that his newly-inherited defensive linemen skirted physical confrontations by dodging blockers and frustrated that his star end, Antonio Coleman, went about his business in a quiet, self-contained manner.
HOOVER, Ala. — The carnival known as SEC Media Days concluded Friday with the most entertaining lineup of public speakers all week.
HOOVER, Ala. — A year after picking Auburn as the SEC West favorite, the media dropped the Tigers all the way down to fifth in the division.
The kickoff times and the TV assignments for the first two games of Auburn's upcoming season have been set.
AUBURN, Ala — Offensive lineman Aubrey Phillips flirted with Auburn prior to National Signing Day in February before eventually choosing Florida State. As it turns out, he’s coming to the Plains after all.
Auburn’s big recruiting weekend is already paying dividends. Safety Demetruce McNeal out of Banneker High in College Park, Ga., committed to the Tigers on Saturday night according to Auburn’s three major recruiting Web sites.
AUBURN, Ala. — With two-a-days slated to begin in less than a month, a quarterback undoubtedly remains Auburn’s biggest question mark for a second straight year.
AUBURN, Ala. — Offensive gurus generally aren’t without their quirks.
AUBURN, Ala. — Quarterback Tyrik Rollison, who was one of the prizes of Auburn’s 2009 recruiting class, has been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse and is enrolled at the school, Tigers football operations coordinator Scott Fountain confirmed Tuesday.
AUBURN, Ala. — As the afternoon drew to a close, Auburn coach Gene Chizik raced into Scott Fountain’s office, busy from a hectic day of meetings judging by his wardrobe, politely interrupting because he needed to schedule a flight, ASAP.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn continued to address a position of need in its 2010 recruiting class, picking up a commitment from Buford, Ga., linebacker Jessel Curry on Tuesday, according to the Tigers’ three recruiting Web sites.
AUBURN, Ala. It was November of 2007 when Ted Roof’s inglorious run as Duke’s head coach came to an end, the 6-45 record in four-plus years standing out on his résumé like a scarlet letter, fairly or unfairly branding the former standout coordinator as someone who had gotten his shot to run a program and failed.
AUBURN, Ala. When Auburn’s coaches embarked on a weeklong tour of the state of Alabama in a stretch Hummer limousine earlier this month, the primary aim, at least according to Tigers recruiting coordinator Curtis Luper, was simply to introduce Gene Chizik’s newly assembled staff to high school coaches they’ve never interacted with in the most efficient way possible.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn coach Gene Chizik said senior tight end Gabe McKenzie has returned to the program.
AUBURN, Ala. — Sen’Derrick Marks turned out to be a first-day NFL draft pick after all.
AUBURN, Ala. — A novice in the NFL draft selection process, former Auburn guard Tyronne Green sought out advice from players who had gone through it before, just to gauge what he can expect when this weekend’s festivities get under way.
AUBURN, Ala. — With an odd mix of backups and walk-ons making up Auburn’s defense Saturday at A-Day, the offense finally had its day in the sun this spring.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s defense didn’t steal the spotlight during Saturday’s A-Day scrimmage, but a few players still stood out nonetheless.
AUBURN, Ala. — When Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb speaks about his mother, he does so with cautious hope.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s quarterbacks were live for at least a portion of Thursday’s half-scrimmage, and the defense put big hits on Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter that forced them out of action briefly.
AUBURN, Ala. In a departure from past years, Auburn’s A-Day scrimmage, 2 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, will feature an offense vs. defense format instead of the Tigers splitting into two full teams.
AUBURN, Ala. — The number of able-bodied safeties at Auburn’s disposal during the live portion of spring drills has dwindled so much the past two weeks that there is little, if any, time for players to catch their breath.
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s three healthy quarterbacks rotated evenly throughout Saturday’s scrimmage, perhaps for the last time.
AUBURN, Ala. — Any sense of satisfaction Auburn’s defenders had following a 61-34 rout of the offense in Saturday’s scrimmage was tempered by concern for an injured teammate.
AUBURN, Ala. — For the first time in 21 years, the Iron Bowl will be played on a Friday.
AUBURN, Ala. — An antsy Aairon Savage watched impatiently during Auburn’s scrimmage last week, itching to get on the field, knowing he had to at least give it a try.
