Another article...

[woods1110 0]

National spotlight on Tigers, Vols

By Jay G. Tate

Montgomery Advertiser

Noseguard Josh Thompson and the rest of the Auburn defensive line will have its hands full against Tennessee's strong offensive line Saturday night. 

-- Lloyd Gallman, Advertiser

 

Junior Rosegreen generally isn't one for vocal restraint. Auburn's loquacious safety is the team's most chatty player, a creative trash-talker and a master of mind games.

So when talk this week centered on Tennessee's pair of freshman quarterbacks and how Auburn planned to frustrate them, Rosegreen's eyes perked up. This was his time, his chance to let the barbs flow without inhibition.

Instead, Rosegreen surprised.

"I can't tell you all what we're going to do. We're going to do some good things. That's all I can tell you," he said. "We're going to have some fun out there."

The Tigers, currently 4-0 and ranked No. 8, have been here before.

Saturday night's game at Tennessee will be televised by ESPN and is considered one of the top matchups in the nation. Many analysts, including ESPN's Lee Corso, have promoted Auburn as a legitimate candidate for the national championship.

Just as they did before the 2003 season.

Auburn began that year ranked No. 6, then fell off the face of the earth with blowout losses to Southern California and Georgia Tech. In the months afterward, players said they realized the hype had affected them psychologically.

"I guess we felt like we were good and didn't need to work as hard," defensive end Bret Eddins said. "I don't think anybody really wanted to think that, but you hear about No. 6 and BCS and the expectations -- it's easy to think you're just going to win."

Those days are over.

Auburn players seem more intent on perfection now. The intangible buzz that enveloped the athletic complex a year ago is gone, replaced with a more hardened attitude.

The Tigers beat No. 5 LSU two weeks ago, drawing massive national attention. Writers from USA Today, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com have been calling for interviews in recent days.

AUBURN AT TENNESSEE

When: 6:45 p.m. Saturday

Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.

Records: Auburn (4-0, 2-0 SEC); Tennessee (3-0, 1-0)

On the air: TV -- ESPN; Radio -- WLWI-FM 92.3, WMSP-AM 740

Yet it's rare to hear an Auburn player mention LSU anymore.

"They've been a little bit less concerned about where they've been ranked, or the polls -- any of those things that were talked about continuously this past year," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "It's been a little bit easier on even our seniors. It hasn't been talked about nearly as much."

Attention this week has focused on UT's two freshman quarterbacks, Erik Ainge and former Auburn recruit Brent Schaeffer, and the Vols' powerful running game.

Almost lost in the shuffle is this: The winner of Saturday night's game probably moves into the top 5. That team will emerge as a darling for talking heads bent on finding someone besides Oklahoma to talk about in the national-title picture.

Auburn matches up well with Tennessee.

The Vols have a steady defense that lacks the star power of yesteryear. Middle linebacker Kevin Simon, one of the SEC's most exciting defenders, is out for the season with a knee injury. Strong-side linebacker Kevin Burnett, also an All-SEC performer, now is the defensive leader.

It's still difficult to evaluate how good UT's defense is because the team has played three games -- including meetings with UNLV and Louisiana Tech.

Florida scored 28 points against Tennessee two weeks ago, though UT scored 30.

"It's a typical Tennessee team -- really athletic," Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges said. "They have great speed. I can remember playing them when we were at UCLA (in 1996) and it looks like similar body types. They have some good-looking pass rushers and good-looking cover corners. They are going to give us all we want."

The main story with Tennessee is its offense.

It's all guided by Ainge and Schaeffer, who were in high school this time last year. Reports regarding the players and their contrasting skill sets vary widely depending on the source.

"(Schaeffer) is a scrambler that can throw it around, a lot of play-action, makes plays, makes you miss and is very athletic," Tuberville said. "(Ainge) is a little bit more of a pocket passer, a more precision guy that reads coverages in the drop-back scheme."

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, though, doesn't change the offense based on which player is in the game.

"They're really not so different," he said.

Ainge has been Auburn's primary focus so far. He hit 16 of 24 passes for 192 yards in UT's win against Florida, showing unusual accuracy despite taking several strong hits from Florida linemen.

Fulmer said Thursday that Ainge will replace Schaeffer as the Vols' starter in Saturday 's game, but both could play.

Despite Rosegreen's cryptic comments, Auburn doesn't seem bent on tricking the freshmen into mistakes. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said he thinks Fulmer keeps things elementary with his teenagers and asks the older guys to make the plays.

"They take a lot of the decision-making process out of (the quarterbacks') hands. I don't know how much you can use trickery to confuse the guy," Chizik said. "They call the play. I'm sure they have the leeway to check out of a few things, but I think it's more of a call and run it. Plus, they're lining up and seeing what you line up in, and he's looking over at the sideline and they send in a new play."

Carnell Williams may need some new plays soon.

Defenses have been paying him more attention than before, assigning their best tacklers to monitor every move Williams makes. Though he's having a fine season -- 395 yards in four games isn't exactly disappointing -- Williams hasn't broken free for those long runs that typified his career until this season.

The Citadel forced Williams into four plays for losses last week. It used to take him months to accrue that kind of trouble.

He's hoping to change all that Saturday night.

"The yards are tough to come by, but I'm not getting down and hanging my head because I'm not getting my yards and things like that," Williams said. "Things are just kind of tough, as far as seeing daylight and things like that. Those guys get out there, and I guess when you come in rated high with a big nickname, folks are going to be geared up to stop you."

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5...502aumainwj.htm

I don't know why, but that article just got me really PUMPED!!! I am almost to the point where I am getting butterflies in my stomach waiting for this game...

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

Whatever happened to that highlight reel of AU-UT last season that someone posted right before the start of this season? I know will get everyone pumped up!

WDE! Beat Smokey!

[tombigbeetiger 223]

i've had butterflies all week and now i've got the shakes.....i heard a rapid clicking sound today that i could not seem to find....i looked everywhere....it seemed to close to me all the time,no matter where i went....finally, my wife tired of seeing me walk around looking like i was hunting easter eggs.....about a minute later, she says" i think i found out when it's coming from"....i asked her where, and she replies" i think it's your nuts"....that how hyped up i am for this game and i'm 50 years old

[War Eagle 96 10]

Clicking sound....ha!