Two keys to the game Saturday...

[cason 0]

Turnovers and touchbacks.  I could be wrong but I think this game is going to be the opposite of 2008's famous 3-2 debacle.  And if it is a high scoring, offensive type game, the team that commits the most turnovers will lose. 

and I would just like to say that our special teams looked amazing last weekend.  for the past two years i have held my breath on punts and kick offs thinking "don't fumble, please don't fumble, get on the ground, just get on the ground."  I know its early, but this year I already find myself yelling "GO!  GO!  ALL THE WAY BABY!!!"  So while the Oline and Dline need a lot of work, lets recognize Coach Boulware and the special teams for winning that game for us last week.  Props to Mason, Parkey, and Blake.  Nice work gentlemen.

[auburntiger77 0]

Turnovers will be huge....  To get them, we must be more aggressive... I look for us to play much better this week... 

[Gregini 0]

Turnovers are always a big factor but I like the fact you mentioned touchbacks too.  Cody Parkey has obviously worked reqlly hard to improve his distance and control and making them start at the 20 each while taking away a chance at a big play from their return game is also huge.  Bouleware has done a great job.

On the flip side, does anybody know if their kicker can kick it out of end zone or cause a touchback?  Our return guys could help us a lot with field position too.

[Browning4AU 405]

I don't know but I suspect we see a lot of squibs this year and a lot of punts out of bounds.

[tsande07 271]

I don't know but I suspect we see a lot of squibs this year and a lot of punts out of bounds.

Why would you expect that? 

[aujess07 4]

I don't know but I suspect we see a lot of squibs this year and a lot of punts out of bounds.

Why would you expect that? 

I might be mistaken, but I think he's referring to the opposing teams kicking away from our return units.

[AUBwins 10,107]

Turnovers and touchbacks.  I could be wrong but I think this game is going to be the opposite of 2008's famous 3-2 debacle.  And if it is a high scoring, offensive type game, the team that commits the most turnovers will lose. 

and I would just like to say that our special teams looked amazing last weekend.  for the past two years i have held my breath on punts and kick offs thinking "don't fumble, please don't fumble, get on the ground, just get on the ground."  I know its early, but this year I already find myself yelling "GO!  GO!  ALL THE WAY BABY!!!"  So while the Oline and Dline need a lot of work, lets recognize Coach Boulware and the special teams for winning that game for us last week.  Props to Mason, Parkey, and Blake.  Nice work gentlemen.

Let us not forget ... While we didn't see many punt returns, TR looked very comfortable back there also.

[Browning4AU 405]

I don't know but I suspect we see a lot of squibs this year and a lot of punts out of bounds.

Why would you expect that? 

I might be mistaken, but I think he's referring to the opposing teams kicking away from our return units.

This

[cason 0]

I hope Parkey just keeps kicking it out of the end zone.  Was it Duvall that used to boot them deep everytime?  been a while since we had a kicker with as much leg as Parkey...

[CTsaysWDE 3]

I hope Parkey just keeps kicking it out of the end zone.  Was it Duvall that used to boot them deep everytime?  been a while since we had a kicker with as much leg as Parkey...

Duvall would all the time for sure (until his senior year, but we won't talk about that...)  I think once or twice he actually split the uprights.  I felt we deserved 3 more pts. for that.

I look forward to our special teams being an advantage instead of a hindrance to the team!

[Rednilla 5,401]

First off, as big a deal as it really is to have a kicker like Parkey, I don't think touchbacks are going to be too much of a key to this game. As many issues as we had with special teams last year, kickoff coverage was not one of them (remember all the love Craig Sanders rightfully got? That was from his coverage on kicks). I like giving Parkey props for his job kicking the ball, but I don't think MSU has an all world returner, so it doesn't make quite the same impact.

Also, it was never the kickoffs we were worried about fumbling, it was the punts, and I agree that Trovon looked exceedingly comfortable catching/returning those, which was pleasant even if it wasn't a surprise.

Special teams, however, WILL be a key to the game, and kickoffs are part of that, though I suspect our own return game will play a bigger part. Turnovers will almost certainly play a huge role, as well.

To the question about Duval, yeah, I think he was the last kicker we had who put the ball in the end zone on kickoffs regularly, but in fairness that was when the ball was kicked from the 35, whereas it's kicked from the 30 now. That five yards is a pretty big deal, because if you can't line drive it out of the end zone, then it's better to put more air under it (even if it doesn't go as far) so that the coverage team has more time to get downfield.

[fly757au 0]

Duvall could bomb it. Albeit, that last year, you never knew where it was going.

I remember routinely seeing him kick 60-70 yard field goals in warmups. He had a booming leg. Too bad his head wasn't screwed on as tight.

[BPI 0]

1. Get the running game going.

2. Stop thier running game.

I know we can do #1 but not optimistic about #2 as they have an excellent running game.

[Cox Street 0]

1. Get the running game going.

2. Stop thier running game.

I know we can do #1 but not optimistic about #2 as they have an excellent running game.

This.

[Rednilla 5,401]

Honestly, the biggest key to this game, as with virtually every game, is to win the battle in the trenches. The big uglies don't get much attention unless they're doing something wrong, but it's the most important part of the game.

[Junebug 0]

My two keys are touchdowns and tackles. We are going to have to score early and often. And we have to make tackles. The YAC yards that UST got was insane. We must tackle.

[Wrights_Mill_Road 2]

1. Get the running game going.

2. Stop thier running game.

I know we can do #1 but not optimistic about #2 as they have an excellent running game.

well, since we couldn't run against USU, i doubt we establish a run against MSU.  i am thinking pass and wrap-around draws.  we aren't the downhill running game we were last year and against USU passing was CLEARLY more effective.  keep it simple and stick with what works.  in the end, it doesn't matter if we run or not as long as we score points when we have the ball.

i think keys are

- continue to pass well and pass on 1st down.

- continue to play excellent on special teams

- have some stops or a couple of turnovers on D.  once the O gets going, all we need is a stop or two on D and their O won't be able to keep up.

[FoleyLion 0]

My key to the game:

[auriptide 0]

My two keys are touchdowns and tackles. We are going to have to score early and often. And we have to make tackles. The YAC yards that UST got was insane. We must tackle.

Thorpe and Mcneal must be much tougher against the run for us to win. McNeal got destroyed by the WR on USU's first rushing TD.

[BPI 0]

So true Red....There has never been a championship team that did not win it in the trenches.......I for one see lineman every bit (if not more) as highly as, running backs , quarterbacks, or recievers......There are a few ( very few ) of us who look at the good plays by the big 'un' s  too !