JMR

Big win for Auburn.  The "Joe Moorhead vs Kevin Steele" promo turned out to be empty hype.  State made it easier than anyone expected and Auburn cashed in every opportunity right out of the gate. Lots of positives and superlatives available in looking back at this one and very little to put in the "needs to improve" category.  In any event, here are some of the Things I Think I Saw.....
 

• Christian Tutt is fearless as a punt returner.  He is not at all intimidated by the immense responsibility he has in fielding a punt; he actually wants the ball in his hands so he can make something happen.  Tutt's aggressive style has been absolutely huge in establishing field position for AU.
   
• Gus continues to go against what conventional wisdom says he will do.  Instead of opening the game with a simple inside zone, the way so many offensive guys do, he opened the first possession by pulling both Tega and Harrell from the backside, and surprised everyone.  Both pulling linemen did their jobs perfectly, resulting in an easy score.
   
• H-back Spencer Nigh had a huge game, with some crushing blocks at critical junctures.  I don't know what Nigh ate at the pregame meal but I'd be happy to cook up a couple barrels of it for the entire offense before the next game.  For anyone who hasn't noticed, Gus has been trending away from 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end/H-back) in order to reduce the number of defensive players in the box.  This week he went back to his old staple and Nigh made it a great move.
   
• Bo Nix is improving/maturing faster than anyone could reasonably have expected.  He was accurate and on time with his throws this week, and made countless good decisions in the heat of battle.  He really is going to be special.
   
• I know it has nothing to do with Auburn but the freshman QB State used for most of the game is one who will bear watching.  Kid is an exceptional athlete and a great competitor.
   
• Roger McCreary played well again.  He missed a possible interception but did make a great play on the ball.
   
• Kudos to Prince Tega Wanogho for playing hurt. With Bailey Sharp out, AU can not afford not to have Tega in the lineup.  He is not himself physically but he is in there battling.
   
• Derrick Brown is being held on almost every play in every game and I haven't seen it called once.  I guess the officials figure Brown is so much better than everyone he faces that holding should be allowed.
   
• Marlon Davidson said prior to the start of the season that he wanted to go all out this season.  He is doing it, play after play, game after game.  Nobody hustles harder than Davidson, from snap to whistle.
   
• The fumble credited to Seth Williams was clearly NOT a fumble.  Leo Lewis pulled the ball away from Williams after both players were on the ground.  How the replay crew or the "command center in Bamaham" upheld that call is beyond belief.
   
• Bo Nix finished 16-of-21 passing.  I counted three drops among his incompletions.  Was great to see him find his touch on some deep balls.
   
• I thought the AU offensive line continued their improvement this week.  Pass protection was very good, and Bo seems to be learning to trust his guys.  That really helps the timing of pass plays.
   
• Great to see 6-5, 230 Sal Cannella snatch a 50-50 ball.
   
• Seth Williams seems to be getting back to full health.  8 catches for 161 yards and two TD's is pretty impressive.
   
• Gus needs to get busy coaching up Coach Cadillac.  Our running backs have been uncharacteristically sloppy with ball security for a couple of weeks now.
   
• Finally got a little bit of a look at D.J. Williams.  Got to keep in mind, he has been struggling with injuries since fall camp, and is not in shape.  Probably wont get there this season.  Looks to have potential, but we won't know until he is fully healthy and in good physical condition.
   
• Best game I've seen Chandler Wooten play.  The linebacker group is getting better every week.
   
• Kevin Steele played a ton of backups, as early as the first quarter.  Doesn't help the stat line but it's necessary to build depth. Great to see the young guys get a chance to learn and grow.
   
• The folks who worried last year about Anders Carlson being over-used should be encouraged.  If memory serves, Carlson has hardly been used for field goals at all.
   
• Was really happy to see Gus "running the offense" despite being up 49-16.  In the past, AU would have never thrown the ball in that situation.
   
• Joey Gatewood looked pretty good throwing the ball.  Got to keep in mind, he was mostly behind the second offensive line, rather than getting a chance with the ones.  All he needs is experience, and the more, the better.
   
• Saw T.D. Moultry get another offsides penalty guessing at the snap count.  When a defensive lineman has more penalties than tackles, it's probably time for some of Rodney Garner's "special love."
   

Another tough one coming this week.  Never easy to play at Florida Field but Auburn's done it successfully before.  Florida's defense will make this tough but UF has not faced a defense as good as Auburn this season.  I have been really happy to see the team improve from week to week in pretty much every area.  Got to keep that up.  If we can, we have a chance to be a heck of a football team before the season ends.
 

WAR EAGLE!!

HUGE win for Auburn Football yesterday.  Very tough place to play, and against a good, well-coached team with lots of good players. Took a great effort from EVERY player who got on the field. Kudos to everyone involved for a job well-done.  Here are some of the Things I Think I Saw.....
 

• The reverse to Schwartz was a beautiful play, not only because it worked, but also for how well it was executed. AU faked the buck sweep to Whitlow, even pulling both guards to give the aTm linebackers and safeties bad reads.  Bo Nix got just enough of a block on the play to ensure Schwartz got a clean start.
   
• The Joey Gatewood TD pass to Shenker was also executed beautifully.  Auburn lined up unbalanced right, with Shenker the end man on the left.  He was completely uncovered, and Gatewood threw a very catchable pass.
   
• Derrick Brown was a huge factor in the game.  The big man had 3 TFL's, including 2 sacks, and he and Truesdell got push up the middle pretty much throughout the game.  Brown is a rare player, and I'm glad we get this one more season to watch him play for AU.
   
• Auburn's young linebackers continue to get better every week.  K.J. Britt is quickly becoming one of the better linebackers Auburn has had in a while.  This week, it was Zacoby McClain stepping up his game. Love the way he hits people.
   
• This was a strange game in terms of the officiating in the secondary.  Don't remember when I've seen as much pushing, shoving, and grabbing between defensive backs and receivers go uncalled, at least not involving teams not named Alabama.  Noah Igbinoghene led the Auburn defense with 8 solo tackles, and it seemed like he was involved in every other play.
   
• Looked to me like Kevin Steele was more aggressive to start this game than in any of the others so far this season. Auburn played a good bit of man, and went to some fairly exotic blitzes once AU took a 14-point lead and aTm was forced to throw more often.
   
• Christian Tutt is becoming a vital part of the AU defense.  He made an incredible play on a blitz, when Kellen Mond broke contain.  Tutt reversed his field and chased Mond down after a 4-yard gain on a play that would have given aTm a critical first down.  Tutt is also a very dangerous weapon as a punt returner. Twice in this game he gave the Auburn offense great field position on punt returns.
   
• I was interested in seeing aTm punter Braden Mann this week.  Mann won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter in 2018. He had an up-and-down day against Auburn yesterday, but did manage to average 56 yards on six punts, with a long of 68 yards. I realize he doesn't play for Auburn, but I enjoy watching someone do something exceptionally well, regardless.
   
• I thought Gus called a very good game, with occasional lapses. He seemed to get off track now and then, usually with a trick play as the catalyst, but overall, I was impressed. The use of multiple backs to run the ball in the first half was good, for multiple reasons. Boobee Whitlow was fresh in the second half, when AU was in position to try to run the clock, "other guys" (like Shivers and Harold Joiner) got some carries and a chance to be a part of the game, and the offense was less predictable. I thought Joiner looked pretty good at running back on the few plays he got.
   
• Bo Nix is getting better each week.  Yes, he overthrew some passes that could have been real difference makers. But he is making more good decisions than bad, and the ratio of good to bad is improving steadily.  His feet get choppy now and then, and he gets away from the fundamentals.  But he is a little better on that each week, and so far, Auburn is unbeaten with him at QB.
   
• I like what I see of Jay Jay Wilson, the tight end/H-back transfer from Arizona State.  He runs well, has good hands, and is an excellent blocker.  I'd love to see him used more in the passing game, whether it be at tight end, or as a WR, where he has mostly lined up so far this season.  In any case, I like the guy and am glad we have him.
   
• I thought the offensive line was improved for the second straight week. Was hard to put much value on their play last week, given the quality of Kent State as an opponent, but this week they were going against a very stout front.  They weren't perfect, but they won more individual battles than they lost.  Marquell Harrell has pretty much become our top drive blocker, and the oft-maligned Kaleb Kim has gotten better over the course of these first four games. Kim played pretty well and pretty consistently yesterday, despite a poor shotgun snap (which I saw got him officially credited with a fumble).
   
• VERY impressive that the AU defense held aTm to 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. That's winning football, in any league.
   
• Auburn's secondary has been really impressive tackling in space. Lots of sure tackles made one-on-one in open space yesterday, Smoke Monday's miss on an aTm touchdown notwithstanding.  In fairness to Monday, I kind of felt like he had the targeting foul from last week on his mind when he went to make the play.
   
• Great defensive stand by the defense when aTm was first-and-goal at the two with 6 minutes left.
   
• The AU defense is going to need "more" out of Big Kat Bryant and TD Moultry.  The two did not record a tackle between them yesterday.  Bryant had 3 QB hurries but offset that with 3 offsides penalties.
   

On to the next one.  Great to have the A&M win in the conference books.  Not everything was perfect, but that happens when you play a quality opponent. Overall, I thought Auburn played very well.  Of course, the idea is to be even better next week, and better still the week after that. So far, it looks like the Tigers are following that path.  We have a chance to be an outstanding team by season's end. Just gotta keep grinding.

WAR EAGLE!!

Not a great deal to be learned from a game like this one, as Kent State is the least-talented opponent AU has faced thus far this season. Still, as is always the case, "it's more about us than about them", and how the team and players execute their assignments and responsibilities does matter, regardless of the opponent.

Auburn's defense has been an obvious strength all season, yet Kent State was able to convert four third downs on their opening drive, despite incurring a couple of untimely penalties.  Auburn was hurt repeatedly by the Kent State screen game.  How can that be? AU has chosen in every game this year to play conservatively on defense, with sizeable cushions given to wide receivers. Oregon took advantage early with their quick game, and Tulane was able to make some plays on the outside.  KS opted to exploit the open space with their screen game, figuring they would not be able to protect their QB from the AU pass rush.  That proved to be a wise decision, as Auburn did generate five sacks of the KS quarterback.  As the game unfolded and Kent State's plan became obvious, Auburn adjusted and took control.

I thought there was improvement this week in most areas, and with that in mind, here are some of the things I think I saw.....
 

• The offensive line showed major improvement this week.  With an obvious emphasis on the running game, the offensive linemen were moving their feet after contact for the first time this season.  AU also used two pulling guards much more than in any game so far, and Horton and Harrell are improving in that role.
   
• Bailey Sharp got the start at left tackle in order to rest Tega.  Sharp was hardly "great" but he was vastly improved over what I saw from him last year, and I would not put him in the "liability" category.  Great to have a little depth there, especially with Austin Troxell out this season.
   
• Marquel Harrell played really well in this game.  He wasn't perfect, but he was very good, especially as a drive blocker.  More of that, please!
   
• Big Kat Bryant is still learning to play the position.  He is talented, but still has a ways to go in refining his skills and techniques.
   
• Marlon Davidson is playing this season with great effort, and that showed again this week. Of Auburn's 5 sacks, Davidson had 2.5.
   
• Boobee Whitlow had a very good game but he is still learning the fine points of playing running back.  Boobee needs to learn to squeeze the seam, running as close to his offensive linemen's butts as possible which puts him further away from the first unblocked defender.  He also has to become a better blocker in pass protection, as he was solely responsible for a huge sack of Bo Nix.
   
• I was impressed with Tyrone Truesdell's play.  He generated a lot of push of the Kent State pocket and helped make the KS quarterback uncomfortable.
   
• Still seeing some missed assignments on the AU offensive line.  Hard to believe that, with five senior starters.
   
• Speaking of missed assignments, the AU defense struggled a good bit against Kent State's hurry-up offense in the first half and even to a lesser degree in the second half.  On KS' long TD pass in the second quarter, the AU safeties were confused and didn't get lined up at all before the ball was snapped.
   
• Bo Nix is having some accuracy issues at times, which appear to be related to his footwork.  His throws on the quick screens are, at times, forcing the WR to make difficult catches, which destroys the timing of the play.  He also missed two throws on plays that would have resulted in touchdowns.  I'm happy with the kid's play overall but he is going to have to continue to progress and not stray from the fundamentals he knows so well.
   
• Was glad to see Joey Gatewood get some authentic playing time, even though he was only afforded one passing opportunity. I thought I saw improvement in his execution as he gained confidence late in the game.  I hope Auburn can continue to get Gatewood playing time, as we are likely to need him at some point this season.  Having a capable backup would also allow Auburn to use Bo Nix more in the running game, where he can be a major contributor.
   
• Was interesting to note the formation Auburn used on the flea-flicker TD from Nix to Stove.  Auburn lined up with two tight ends, normally a running formation, and used max protection, putting seven blockers in front of Nix.  Kent State sold out to stop the run.
   
• I am more impressed each week with the development of Roger McCreary.  He is rapidly becoming a strong cover guy, and a sure tackler.  The same can be said for Noah Igbinoghene, but McCreary is still just a young pup.
   

SEC play starts this week, with AU visiting Texas A&M. I haven't felt real good about this game, with Auburn struggling to establish a running game but I thought I saw signs of improvement in that area this week and I'm certainly taking into account the caliber of the competition.  Auburn will need to play well in all three phases to win in Aggieland.  And get off to a fast start on both sides of the ball.  This week we get a real idea of whether we've gotten better since the opener.

WAR EAGLE!!

If you haven't read this thing before, let me explain the name: When any of us watches a game, we firmly believe we saw certain things. But if you sit and watch film, tape, or a digital video recording of the game, you ALWAYS see things you didn't see the first time, or even see some things differently. So if you saw it differently than I did, you may very well be correct in your observation. I am just unwilling to spend the time to watch plays over and over. So these are some of the things I think I saw in the game.....
 

• Gus Malzahn has returned to his throne as play-caller. In my opinion, he's called some great plays, and like any other guy doing that job, he's called some duds. It goes with the territory.  I thought he got a little carried away with trickery a couple of times, but to his credit, he got on track toward the end when it mattered.
   
• I've had friends blowing up my phone last night and today complaining about the Auburn offensive line. As an old offensive lineman and OL coach, I was not pleased with the run-blocking. But I only recall one time when the OL was responsible for a breakdown in pass protection, which is easily the most difficult part of playing that position. There was a twist stunt on the offensive right side, where Horton and Driscoll failed to switch off, and Bo Nix was forced to throw the ball away. More on pass protection later.
   
• Going into the game, I worried about AU attacking the Oregon defense. Oregon has better players on that side than most fans realize, and they have a ton of experience with nine starters returning from last season. They also have a new Defensive Coordinator, which makes it difficult to anticipate what that defense will do in terms of tactics and overall strategy. They brought pressure, gave Auburn lots of different fronts to look at, and, as anyone would expect, brought pressure on a young quarterback playing his first college game. The breakdowns in protection were caused by two things: One, the QB has to see the defense and align his protection accordingly. There were a few times when Bo Nix should have moved his running back from one side to the other to match up the number of blockers with the number of rushers. Two, there were a couple of other times when the running back took a poor angle to the guy he was supposed to block, and got beat. As often happens, there were a couple of times when the running back just didn't do a very "manly" job of blocking. I am confident pretty much all of that will be corrected over the next couple of weeks, and Bo will enjoy much better protection by the time SEC play starts.
   
• I was really impressed with Oregon's offensive plan to start the game. Auburn chose to give big cushions on the outside, and Oregon OC Marcus Arroyo gave Justin Herbert lots of quick, easy throws into that soft coverage. That scheme, implemented mostly on the outside, served to neutralize the rush from Auburn's talented defensive line. Many of Oregon's called plays early in the game were RPOs, and the reaction of the AU defense dictated that those plays became passes, vs runs. That tactic also put Auburn's young linebackers in conflict. Very smart plan, and executed to perfection by their four-year-starter at QB. As it turned out, Auburn made adjustments defensively (although the big cushions mostly remained), and was able to stem the Duck offense.
   
• Oregon hit several good runs using an outside zone play. As with the aforementioned RPOs, those plays were designed to attack AU's inexperience at linebacker. In the first half, the Auburn linebackers missed several run-fits badly, resulting in big gains by the Ducks. That got corrected as time went on, and the Ducks offense, which generated 176 yards of offense in the first quarter alone, was only able to muster 156 yards in the remaining three quarters.


• On Oregon's second TD, Javaris Davis has excellent coverage. He is, however, six feet tall at most, and the Oregon receiver is 6-6. End of story.
   
• After Nix hit a 28-yard pass to Harold Joiner on a wheel route, Auburn pulled left guard Marquel Harrell on a running play. Kaleb Kim failed to pick up the three technique in front of Harrell, resulting in a three yard loss on first down at the Oregon 12. In fairness to Kim, the Oregon DT was prepared for that play, and jumped in Harrell's pocket before Kim could cut him off. Well-scouted by the Oregon defensive staff.
   
• On Bo Nix' s first interception, the throw was a little off-target. On the second pick, the ball was under thrown. Those picks were not a result of pressure. When you throw the ball, those things happen.
   
• After the fumble return by Big Kat Bryant, AU lost 3 yards on a first down trick play. (Gus says he would like to have that call back.) On third down in that series, Harold Joiner was lined up at H-back and missed his block, causing that opportunity to end in a field goal.
   
• On Oregon's last TD, Roger McCreary was in man coverage, and followed his man inside even though the play was a run, thus losing his outside leverage and being outflanked by the OU running back.
   
• Kudos to Bo Nix on Auburn's first TD. Oregon didn't get lined up, and there was no defender outside on Eli Stove. I've seen that happen a thousand times, and the offense either doesn't see it, or doesn't get the play off in time. Nix (and Stove) saw it, executed the obvious play, and got the score.
   
• Speaking of Eli Stove, it was great to see him back on the field. This was his first game back, and he helped his team win the game. Happy for him, and happy to have him back!
   
• On Oregon's offensive possession after Auburn's first TD, Christian Tutt made two outstanding plays defensively, resulting in fording an OU punt. Tutt also returned 5 punts, fora nice 12.8 yard average. He looked confident back there on punt returns, and he will only get better.
   
• Auburn's tempo, and the second-half emphasis on the running game had the Ducks defense exhausted by late in the third quarter. I'll give them credit; they kept fighting, but they didn't have enough left. Sometimes, you just gotta beat 'em down.
   
• Watching Jeremiah Dinson play defense for Auburn, I couldn't help remembering the injuries he incurred on a devastating blind-side block by Ricky Seals-Jones in the aTm game a couple of years ago. Dinson was a huge factor in this game, and led the team with 8 tackles, 5 assists, and a sack. Kudos to that young man for his courage and perseverance.
   
• Was fun to watch the improvement of K.J. Britt as the game went along. He had a couple of poor run-fits early, but got that corrected pretty quickly. And boy, did he "bring the wood". Love watching that kind of play.
   
• Was impressed with the hitting of Zacoby McLain. Violence is in his wheelhouse.
   
• Been waiting all summer to see young Owen Pappoe, and he did not disappoint. Smart, talented football player. Great things are undeniably ahead.
   
• Congrats to tight end Spencer Nigh! A former walk-on, Nigh played much of the game, blocked fairly well (room for improvement!), and had a 9-yard pass reception on the game-winning drive. Gotta be a proud moment for him, and in his home state of Texas.
   
• Kudos to Boobee Whitlow for a great effort. He's made a lot of progress since last year. He wasn't perfect, but nobody can say he didn't run hard.
   
• Lastly, I have no idea why Gus didn't choose to go for two after the winning TD. I can only guess that he thought 5 points, with 3 seconds left, was enough to win. Thank goodness Herbert didn't hit the Hail Mary at the end.
   

This was obviously not a "pretty" game. There were mental mistakes made, as well as a few physical ones. Our special teams may be practicing twice a day from now till the A&M game. But it's a win, against a quality opponent that was well-prepared.

Personally, I was pleased with Bo Nix in his first game. The kid is an incredible competitor, and if you have any talent at all (he does), that's enough to make you a winner. I'm excited for the future. Bo has a ways to go, but he's off to a great start. Now that I've seen him in a big-time game, I honestly believe he will be even better than most people think.

Far as I know, we got out of the game with no major injuries. The load gets a little lighter the next couple of weeks, before SEC play begins. I'm hopeful that we will get Joey Gatewood some genuine playing time in these next couple of games, to help his development and build depth at that important position.

If it's true that "the biggest improvement is between game one and game two" (I believe it is), we have a chance to be pretty good. I'm looking forward to it. War Eagle!!

I thought about not doing one of these this week. My life certainly doesn’t revolve around Auburn football, or football in general, so I’m not “depressed” about the game. But I’ll admit, I’m not excited about talking about it, or the state of the program at present. But, I said at the beginning of the season I’d do it, so here are some things I “think” I saw in the game.

I’m going to try to focus on the positives (yes, there were some) as much as reasonably possible. Alabama has a lot of very good players, and they were well-coached and well-prepared, so they were obviously going to make some plays.
 

• I thought the effort by Auburn’s players, on both sides of the ball, was outstanding. Even when the game was clearly out of reach, I saw no quit.

 

• There were an inordinate number of physical and mental errors on Auburn’s part to start the game. Dropped passes by Seth Williams, Ryan Davis, and Boobee Whitlow to start the game were obviously not confidence-builders for the offense or for Jarrett Stidham.

 

• Speaking of Stidham, he did not play very well, but neither was he “awful.”  He began the game with accurate throws, but came up with some poorly thrown balls later.

 

• Strangely enough, I thought the offensive line played their best game in a while. AU had some decent success running behind Jack Driscoll, and Horton and Harrell played probably their best game of the season.  Kaleb Kim was better but he is just not very strong/powerful.  To his credit, though, he has gotten steadily better since returning to the starting lineup.

 

• The penalty on Javaris Davis for hitting the Alabama punt returner on the fair-catch was definitely a foul but he was almost on the guy before he gave the fair catch signal. Davis was trying to make a big play. He should have been looking at the return man and veered away when the signal was made. But it was close, and not as “flagrant” as it probably looked.

 

• The holding penalty on Sal Cannella that brought back Shivers’ 75-yard TD was huge. Cannella was definitely holding but those are almost never called.  That said, I thought the game was fairly officiated.  Not “well-officiated,” but “fairly”.

 

• Seth Williams has played very well this season for a true freshman but this game was not his finest hour.  He not only dropped a couple of passes but didn’t block very well either.  It was an especially big game, his first Iron Bowl, and he is still a youngster.  I look forward to watching him grow.

 

• Boobee Whitlow looked the healthiest he’s been all season.  He dropped two passes, but gave great effort, and he has made tremendous progress as a running back this season.

 

• Chandler Cox will be missed.  He has blocked well all year, and this week was no exception.  He looked to be open for a possible TD (poor view on TV) on the failed fourth down pass to Anders Carlson.  Some fans like to criticize Cox but I love the way he plays the game.

 

• Big Kat Bryant came a long way this season yet he still needs lots of work…pass rush moves, and just pure physical strength….but he did improve throughout the year. Like all our defensive ends, he does that two-step shuttle down inside when the offensive tackle blocks down and loses contain but I put that on Rodney Garner and Kevin Steele, not on the players.
   

• One of the things I hope the defensive backs are taught…either by the new staff or the current one…..is how to use their hands in coverage. When running right with a receiver, it’s ok to use the back of your hand or forearm to “feel” the receiver so you know you are sticking with him.  It’s not OK to grab his jersey or put your arm around his waist.  That small technique issue has bothered me all season.

 

• Even with Malzahn’s trick plays, there was still some major predictability in our offensive plays.  Alabama guessed right far too many times for it to be coincidence.

 

• We will sorely miss DeShaun Davis and Darrell Williams.  Those guys are smart, experienced players, and both made outstanding plays in their last Iron Bowl.

 

• I’ve been pulling for Noah Igbinoghene all season.  As a converted receiver, he has worked his way into the starting lineup as a corner and has been challenged often by opposing offenses.  It was good to see him do as well as he did this week against Alabama’s exceptionally talented wide receivers.

 

• I was disappointed when the throwback pass to Tucker Brown was intercepted.  Brown is a former walk-on, a “blocker” who lines up as a tight end and I’d have loved seeing him actually catch a pass in the Iron Bowl.

 

• Saw some excellent play by Coynis Miller and Tyrone Truesdell in the game.  Encouraging for the future.  Miller is a genuine load for anybody to block and he’s not yet full grown.

 

• Larry Porter is one of Auburn’s best recruiters, and in addition to that, I’ve been really happy with the job he’s done with our special teams this season.  Those guys are well-coached and that’s a pleasant change from the years since Jay Boulware left.

Lots of rumors and whispers around the Auburn program right now. I’ve heard them all, but like most of us, have no idea which are true, if any. I won’t bother to speculate on what will happen with Malzahn, but I do believe that the longer this uncertainty drags on, the more likely it is he returns as our coach next year. Guess we will see.

Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to read my post-game thoughts this season, and WAR DAMN EAGLE!!

Rather than spend time looking at Auburn’s starters working against an out-manned Liberty, I thought it would be interesting to look instead at some of the backup players, many of whom got some extensive playing time in this game. Some got in because it was Senior Day; some got in as a reward for sticking with the team all through the season and some got in because they are possibly future contributors. I tried to focus mainly on the latter group ...

It’s important to keep in mind that there’s not a lot of “development” work done with most backups during the season. With a fixed limit on practice time, most of that is spent trying to improve the starters and major contributors. So if a kid gets his chance to get on the field, the fact that he looks raw doesn’t necessarily mean he’s already reached his potential. With that in mind, here are a few things that caught my eye as I watched the backup players in this one……
 

• Austin Troxell has played lots this season, as a sixth offensive lineman and probably the top backup available for that group. He played some this week at both guard and tackle. I’ve watched Troxell closely all season, and his biggest problem is his footwork in pass protection. That part of his game still needs major work, but I do think he has improved overall as the season has progressed.

• John Samuel Schenker has played more and more recently, and got a good bit of PT this week. I liked his hands coming out of high school, and still do. But he has become more and more proficient as a blocker as he’s gained experience. This week he played both H-back and tight end, and I was encouraged by his play. At 6-3, 245, he has a chance to be a capable replacement for Chandler Cox at H-back, which is a key role in Malzahn’s run game. Schenker is one I’m looking forward to watching grow.

• Bailey Sharp has been around a while, and still has work to do. His footwork is not good, and should be better by now. Still, a dedicated off-season could enable him to be a player. Will be interesting to see what kind of progress he makes between now and next fall.

• I was pleased to see Asa Martin finally get some decent PT this week, and disappointed that Auburn has not made better use of his abilities this season. Martin has some quickness about him and runs hard. We could have used his help this season. Looking for good things from him in the future.

• Coynis Miller and Daquan Newkirk both have the size and athleticism to become factors on the defensive line. Miller in particular is a natural athlete.

• Tashawn Manning and Brodarius Hamm got some major time at the offensive guard spots, and I am encouraged by their physical talents. Like any offensive lineman who hasn’t played much, they looked a little tentative at times, and don’t yet have the confidence to just let it rip without thinking about it. But both are big and strong, move well, and I thought were more physical at the point of attack than some of our starters.

• I’m not going to include young studs like Jamien Sherwood and Christian Tutt in this group. Both have played extensively already, and look to be huge contributors going forward.

• I’ve heard good things about Zakoby McLain all season, and was able to get a good look at him this week. He’s athletic, with good speed, but needs a great off-season in the S&C program. Long way to go to replace DeShaun Davis.

• Lots of other guys got into the game, some extensively and some for just a few plays. But I’ve tried to mention the ones who caught my eye or that have been mentioned as doing well in practice.

Not much to be said about the next game. Alabama is very good, and deserving of their #1 ranking. To say Auburn will have to play well to stay in the game is an understatement. But, as well as Saban knows the Malzahn offense, Malzahn knows the Saban defense equally well. And it’s the Iron Bowl. Enough said. WAR EAGLE!!