Iggy shows position change made sense

[WFE12 9,191]

Noah Igbinoghene shows himself, others position change made sense

@benjaminwolk

auburnsports.com

ATLANTA — Noah Igbinoghene won't deny how he felt before the game.

"After the first snap, I was good, but I'm not even going to lie, before the game, I was kinda nervous since I hadn't played the position since middle school. It's different," Igbinoghene said. "But once I got my feet wet a little bit, it was fine."

The receiver-turned-cornerback made his first-career start on the defensive side of the ball. It didn't come against a early-season foe to ease him into it. It came against the No. 6 team in the country. It was against a quarterback with a Heisman-caliber pedigree with his wide receivers who proved a special playmaking ability Saturday.

But when you ask the Auburn defensive leaders what impressed them most during the win — at least in the case of defensive tackle Dontavius Russell — Igbinoghene's name comes up immediately.

"Noah, he's not a freshman or anything, but he just started playing defense. He played well for us and made some big plays in the end zone," Russell said. "There were a lot of young guys who played well today, but Noah was impressive to see."

Two times against Washington, Browning threw end-zone fades in Igbinoghene's direction. Two times, Browning's receivers got their hands on the passes with nice touch. Two times, Igbinoghene swatted through the receivers' hands on the play to force incompletions that would've otherwise been touchdowns.

He didn't look like someone who spent the 2017 season entirely as a wide receiver.

Despite success throughout the offseason, and regular high praise from coaches and teammates, Igbinoghene still felt like he needed a performance against a team like Washington to show himself he was ready to be an SEC cornerback.

"I think I did [need to prove it to myself]. Even though I did it in practice and scrimmages, there's nothing like a game. I did it in the game today. I think I've still got some stuff to prove, but I think I proved a little bit today," Igbinoghene said. "I expected to be targeted as a wide receiver moving from cornerback. They probably didn't think I was going to be as good as I was today. I was ready for it."

It wasn't a flawless performance.

Washington had its successes throwing deep fades along the sidelines. Jamel Dean, Jordyn Peters and Igbinoghene were all bested at times throughout the day. Igbionghene was also called for a defensive pass interference, though it was one of the more questionable penalties called on Saturday.

All in all, however, it was a sensational debut for a guy who wasn't even playing the position 10 months ago.

"At the end of last season, I was working at wide receiver, and I'd got better at it. Then all of a sudden, they trying to move me to DB. All that work at wide receiver, but I had to do what's best for this team. And, it's all worked out," Igbinoghene said. "At first, I was kinda doubting myself a little bit because, like I said, I hadn't been playing the position since middle school. Especially in the SEC, or facing Washington in the first game. So hearing that [praise] from [Kevin Steele], my coaches and my teammates, they're the reason I got ready."

[doverstutts 1,643]

we got a winner here,boys....i was extremely impressed with iggy

[Beaker 2,457]

Yyeah, I was very impressed against a seasoned, veteran team.

[alexava 6,973]

Position changes don’t always work. Especially sides of ball. The ones that do work take time. This one is the exception. Excellent move!

[DAG 33,982]

He is the most instinctive out of all of them tbh . Wait till he gets his fundamentals down. Potential 1st rounder , no lie 

[Zeek 16,650]

26 minutes ago, DAG said:

He is the most instinctive out of all of them tbh . Wait till he gets his fundamentals down. Potential 1st rounder , no lie 

I was admittedly iffy about someone who just switched over being one of our starters. He’s the perfect build against fast and tall receivers. He might just become a turnover machine when he gets more comfortable.

Daniel Thomas was a monster in run support but we might need to consider over the top secondary coverage on some plays.

I did enjoy seeing more corner and safety blitzes.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

I really thought I had a winner last year on the man crush thread with my unnamed RB.  But I know I have one with Iggy!!!

[Zeek 16,650]

SIAP

https://www.timesdaily.com/sports/auburn_football/auburn-football-igbinoghene-proves-himself-in-opener/article_93206605-cc6d-56e0-ac96-61b0072d6d02.html

Quote

Auburn Football: Igbinoghene proves himself in opener
By Josh Vitale The Montgomery Advertiser 9 hrs ago  0

AUBURN — Noah Igbinoghene couldn’t lie: He was nervous before Saturday’s game against Washington.

The last time he had stepped onto the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the Jan. 1 Peach Bowl, he was a reserve wide receiver. Nine months later, he was a starter against the No. 6-ranked team in the nation at cornerback — a position he hadn’t played in a real game since middle school.

“I did it at practice and did it in scrimmages,” Igbinoghene said. “But there’s nothing like a game.”

As it turns out, the sophomore had little to worry about. Washington quarterback Jake Browning targeted the first-time starter at cornerback seven times. Igbinoghene allowed three catches (and one accepted pass interference penalty) for 71 yards and broke up two throws in the end zone.

Auburn defeated the Huskies 21-16 to open the 2018 season.

“They probably didn’t think I was going to be as good as I was today. I mean, I was ready for it,” said Igbinoghene, who also recorded five tackles. “I still got some stuff to prove, but I think I proved a little bit today.”

There were obviously some signs of inexperience, which could probably be expected playing against a senior quarterback who entered Saturday’s game having thrown for more than 9,100 yards and 78 touchdowns through the first three years of his career. Igbinoghene was whistled for pass interference twice, but only one had to be accepted because Ty Jones made a 36-yard catch through contact on the first.

That completion got Washington to the 13-yard line late in the first half, and Browning hit Quinten Pounds for a 13-yard touchdown with Jamel Dean in coverage a play later.

But Igbinoghene also did his part to keep the Huskies out of the end zone.

On a second-and-goal play from the Auburn 8-yard line midway through the second quarter, Igbinoghene knocked a ball out of Jones’ hands as he attempted to come down with a touchdown catch along the left sideline. Dontavius Russell sacked Browning on the next play, and Washington settled for the field goal.

Early in the third quarter, Browning targeted Jones again in the right corner of the end zone on a second-and-5 play from the 8. Igbinoghene knocked the ball out of the air, the Huskies committed offensive pass interference with a pick on the next play, and the drive eventually ended with a missed field goal.

“He's got a lot of talent,” defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said the next day. “He's got tremendous upside and really had a lot of good snaps. A lot of good snaps.”

Auburn’s performance in the secondary on Saturday was far from perfect. Browning completed 18 of 32 passes (56.3 percent) for 296 yards and a touchdown on a day where the Tigers sacked him five times. Fourteen of those completions went for more than 10 yards. Aaron Fuller caught seven passes for 135 yards.

The three primary areas on defense Steele pointed to as needing the most work are “the first three steps of the down,” or the wide receivers’ release off the line of scrimmage; positioning at the top of the route when the ball is in the air; and penalties — three of the 12 called against the Tigers were pass interference.

“They didn’t knock the top off the coverage for a touchdown, but they did have the throw and catch,” Steele said. “And I will say this: There are a couple of those that you know why they call Browning the most accurate quarterback returning in college football. He threw an impressive ball. But those are the things we really have to clean up and clean up quick.”

Still, it’s hard to argue that Saturday wasn’t a good start for Auburn’s defense in a winning effort. Especially for Igbinoghene, who was perhaps one of the biggest questions on a veteran-laden unit simply because he had no experience.

He didn’t know if he would make that kind of impact so quickly six months ago when the decision was made to move the former four-star wide receiver out of Hewitt-Trussville High to cornerback. Igbinoghene had never been anything but successful on the track (he’s an accomplished long and triple jumper) or the football field (he totaled more than 1,700 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns as a senior), but initially, there were some doubts.

It didn’t hit Igbinoghene that he could play defense at this level until the end of the spring, when the 5-foot-11, 196-pound sophomore realized during a scrimmage, “Maybe I can really do this, because I got the intangibles to do it. I got the speed. I got the height. I got the vertical. All that stuff.”

Saturday went a long way toward proving it.

“It was all my hard work paying off,” Igbinoghene said. “But it’s only the first game, so I still got some stuff to do.”

 

[Slammer1 409]

Can someone please tell me how you pronounce Igbinoghene? Inquiring minds want to know ?. I do not hear that well ? . TIA!

WDE

[keesler 5,924]

I think he did a fantastic job, and will only get better.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

53 minutes ago, Slammer1 said:

Can someone please tell me how you pronounce Igbinoghene? Inquiring minds want to know ?. I do not hear that well ? . TIA!

WDE

ig-buh-NAH-guh-nee I think.

[looney 794]

31 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

ig-buh-NAH-guh-nee I think.

Didn't know if the 3rd syllable NAH was the emphasis or if there was a fourth syllable GEE to pound on.

The announcer was going your route, though (and they got Shivers right, so maybe they did their homework).

And, of course, this was in my brain:

 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, looney said:

Didn't know if the 3rd syllable NAH was the emphasis or if there was a fourth syllable GEE to pound on.

I just keep hearing "monogamy".

Quote

The announcer was going your route, though (and they got Shivers right, so maybe they did their homework).

And, of course, this was in my brain:

 

 

Any Office Space meme deserves a repost. 

[boisnumber1 2,818]

On 9/2/2018 at 5:16 PM, Zeek said:

I was admittedly iffy about someone who just switched over being one of our starters. He’s the perfect build against fast and tall receivers. He might just become a turnover machine when he gets more comfortable.

Daniel Thomas was a monster in run support but we might need to consider over the top secondary coverage on some plays.

I did enjoy seeing more corner and safety blitzes.

Don't be getting iffy with Iggy

[boisnumber1 2,818]

AU D Gettin Iggy Wit It.

[around4ever 4,139]

1 hour ago, Slammer1 said:

Can someone please tell me how you pronounce Igbinoghene? Inquiring minds want to know ?. I do not hear that well ? . TIA!

WDE

Cor-ner-back

[AUApostle 7,651]

I'm wrong, but in my head I say Igbigoni...and it's fine because no one ever hears me.

[Slammer1 409]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

ig-buh-NAH-guh-nee I think.

Closer than I would have been, thanks ?

WDE

[doc4aday 1,887]

Iggy works for his name!  He is something special and will be a lock down corner in the SEC. I think our DBs may develop into the same level of fierceness as our front 7. Imagine......11 ferocious warriors terrorizing SEC offenses all season long.  LSU beat a weak Miami team that will likely lose 5 or more games this season. No team even came close to playing the level of competition we did Saturday. Not sure any if any SEC teams could have beaten UW Saturday. Maybe bammer or UGA on a good day, but UW would take them to the wire no doubt.  UW would have easily beaten LSU i, Ole Miss, and MSU imho.

[boisnumber1 2,818]

38 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

I'm wrong, but in my head I say Igbigoni...and it's fine because no one ever hears me.

You must not be married.

[AUApostle 7,651]

22 minutes ago, boisnumber1 said:

You must not be married.

That's how I stay married...say things in my head....my safe space.