Quan Bray, Auburn's receivers getting ready with Trovon Reed out, Emory Blake doubtful

With Trovon Reed out with a shoulder injury and Emory Blake doubtful for Saturday's game at Arkansas with an ankle injury, Auburn's backup receivers know they'll have bigger roles to play.

"We have to bring it to the table more and more each day," freshman Quan Bray said.

Blake and Reed account for 32 catches, 424 yards and four touchdowns.

Auburn hasn't had much production from its receivers beyond those two. Travante Stallworth has 10 catches for 160 yards, although he hasn't had a catch the last two weeks.

Quindarius Carr (3 catches, 14 yards), DeAngelo Benton (2 catches, 56 yards), Bray (2 catches, 6 yards) and Jay Wisner (1 catch, 20 yards) are the only other wide receivers with receptions this season.

"It’s going to be a great opportunity for those guys to step up if he does not play," head coach Gene Chizik said.

For Bray, a true freshman, it's a big step up in responsibilities. He took Reed's place on punt return and in certain formations last week too. It's been an adjustment for someone who was more of an athlete at Troup County High in LaGrange, Ga., playing various positions.

"The biggest adjustment is just playing the dominant receiver position," he said. "Just getting the feel of it and stuff."

He, like the rest of the freshmen, feels like he's made major strides in the first five weeks of the season.

"I see in all of their faces, they’re ready to get on the field," Bray said. "Everybody’s becoming confident day-by-day. Each practice, everybody’s getting more reps. And I think we’re coming along very well.”

Some other notes and quotes:

* Today was our first chance to speak to Bray. He did so on the condition that we didn't ask about his family situation, which is understandable (his mother was murdered this summer, allegedly by his father). He was very eager to talk about anything else, though.

* Bray, by the way, had a huge sigh of relief when the officials rules that the ball hit off the South Carolina defender's helmet on his first punt return, which at the time looked like a muff. "It bounced off his head, but everybody had probably thought it had bounced off me," he said. "I had a sigh of relief when it bounced off his head.”

* Bray is in the same class as QB Kiehl Frazier, who sounds like a cool cat. “I see Kiehl, he’s getting confident, more and more each week," Bray said. "When he first got here, he was just chilling. As we came along, Kiehl is improving more and more. You’ll see more of him.”

* DT Jeffrey Whitaker said Auburn underestimated Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson, who came in relief of an injured Ryan Mallett in last year's game. "We were all excited," Whitaker said. "We got the backup, we got the great Mallett out. Let’s rush him. And we rushed him and he threw it for a 60-yard bomb. 'Oh, no. He’s good too.' So now, the deal is, he’s earned our respect. "

* DE LaDarius Owens remembers the quarterback switch too: "The thing that stuck out in my mind was coach Rock (Tracy Rocker) telling the defense before the game, 'If we take out Ryan Mallett, then we win the game.' We took him out and the dude came in, not even warming up and threw it like 60 yards. It was like, 'Uh oh.' He's a pretty good passer."

* Whitaker said the first focus for Auburn's defense is still to stop the run. "The deal is to stop it and make them one-dimensional, which they showed you that they don’t mind being. So it’s going to be a tough challenge."

* Pressuring Wilson is a key. "It's a game where the pressure's on you," Owens said. "We can't leave those guys out to dry on those receivers forever."

* Auburn's defense wasn't on the field nearly as often as it was the first four weeks. The Tigers only faced 52 snaps on defense. " Get some more JUICE, man," Whitaker said. "It was encouraging."

* Redshirt freshman Chad Slade said he's worked at every offensive line position other than center. Sounds like he's the team's super sub. When Reese Dismukes had to leave briefly Saturday against South Carolina, Jared Cooper slid over to center while Slade moved in at left guard, the third position he's played this year. "Whenever coach needs me I’m going to be there for him," Slade said. "No matter what spot I’m in I’m going to do the best I can do.”

* Slade, who started the year at right tackle while A.J. Greene was working back from an injury, is working mostly at guard right now, to get up to speed at the position.

* As for center? “I don’t know about that," Slade said with a chuckle. "I don’t snap too good."

This story was originally published October 4, 2011 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Quan Bray, Auburn's receivers getting ready with Trovon Reed out, Emory Blake doubtful."