Cornerback: Letting the Entire Team Down

[AuNuma1 1]

Whoever is opposite of Carlos Rogers has been getting burned and burned bad. This has been going on for the last month. This MUST be corrected before we play UGA. I'm tired of all the sunshine pumping lately and I'm glad that our coaches are too, at least Coach Chizik anyway. If this isn't corrected, we can easily lose these last two games...YES, last two games. Like it or not, we've got a problem at a critical position, especially in these last two games.

These are the happiest times for Auburn's unbeaten football team, but defensive coordinator Gene Chizik is not in the best of moods.

He's tired of watching opposing wide receivers running open behind cornerbacks, the position he coaches. Ole Miss scored on touchdown passes of 64 and 25 yards in Auburn's 35-14 victory last Saturday.

A pass interference call when a receiver who was open deep led to Kentucky's only touchdown in a 42-10 Auburn victory. Arkansas scored on a 61-yard pass in a 38-20 loss and Louisiana Tech on a 78-yard pass in a 52-7 loss.

I'm looking hard at Zach Gilbert, Patrick Lee and whatever we've got to do. That corner position is letting down the whole football team. That's what I told them today. I certainly made it clear that position is wide open.

B'ham News

Huntsville Times

[StatTiger 3,188]

Has Coach Chizik spread butter on that "toast"?

[tombigbeetiger 223]

BUT WHO CAN PLAY IT WELL ENOUGH TO FEEL COMFORTABLE with him?.....the lee kid looks like a football player......move tony bell?....i don't know

[AuNuma1 1]

Tony Bell? That kid looks promising but he's a true freshman...too risky at this point, no?

[sportwareagle 0]

I'm just happy to know that they are trying to fix the problem, and hopefully they can do it quick because if they can let Flatt pass on them like that, then Greene is going to look like the next coming of John Elway!!!

Please fix it, and fix it quick!!!

WAR EAGLE AND BEAT THE DAWGS!!!!!!!

[BamaGrad03 0]

Tony Bell is a safety though.

[88Tiger 0]

We are going to have to double up over there or shade a safety and hope Carlos can continue to shut down the other WR.

[TrueBlue72 0]

In a way, its good that OM completed those big passes on us. It puts the focus directly on the problem and I trust that CGC will do whatever is necessary to fix the problem. I believe that some of the problem may be the result of blitzing and leaving the DB's with more responsibility. That is the best way to stop a passing team in most cases, but it does leave the possibility of an occasional big play.

I do NOT believe we will be torched by Greene! I think he will be on the seat of his pants on many plays and I have yet to see any QB who can complete passes while seated.

[texaubie 0]

I'm worried about Greene but if we can shut down their running game and make them 1 dimensional than we'll have a much easier time with Greene.

[WarTim 3,457]

If anyone can get it "straightened out", Coach "C" can ! ! !

[Tigerfan 0]

Chizik On The Warpath Concerning Corner Play

By Mark Murphy Inside the Auburn Tigers

Date: Nov 2, 2004

Auburn's defensive coordinator and secondary coach Gene Chizik is not happy and is not shy about saying why.

Auburn, Ala.--Gene Chizik is about as subtle as B-52 bomber when giving his opinion on the play of Montae Pitts or any of the Auburn cornerbacks with the exception of senior star Carlos Rogers.

“Right now we are not getting the job done over there at one of those corners,” the Auburn defensive coordinator and secondary coach says. “Other than Carlos Rogers I am not happy with the way any of the corners are playing. I am talking on run or pass.”

Montae Pitts (19) makes a tackle vs. Louisiana Tech along with Karibi Dede (21).

Pitts made major strides earlier this season and won the starting job. However, in recent games the redshirt sophomore has regressed and with record-setting Georgia quarterback David Greene on the horizon, plus talented receivers to throw to, Chizik says the starting job is now up for grabs.

“I am looking hard at Zach Gilbert and Patrick Lee,” he says. “Whatever we have got to do. That cornerback position is letting down the whole football team. That is what I told them today so we will see what happens. I certainly made it clear today that position is wide open.

“Two weeks from now, if somebody has convinced me--which could very easily happen--that they are better than the ones we have had in there they will be in there and the ones we have had will not. It is that simple.”

The Tigers gave up two touchdown passes to Ole Miss. One was on a deep ball when wide receiver Bill Flowers ran past Pitts on a third down and long situation for a 64-yard score. Chizik calls the play of Pitts and backup Kevin Hobbs a “huge concern.” Hobbs gave up a deep ball to Steven Harris of Arkansas, who hooked up with Matt Jones for a 61-yarder.

Hobbs, a part-time starter last year, was moved to free safety in the spring. However, a season-ending injury to cornerback David Irons, Jr. prompted Chizik to move Hobbs back to cornerback. Depth at the position took a hit when Lamel Ages, a reserve fifth-year senior, decided not to return this season and redshirt freshman transferred to South Florida to play cornerback.

“Right now I don’t have any confidence in any corner we have in the house other than one (Rogers),” Chizik says. “We have got to find a way to get it done.”

Zach Gilbert

Gilbert, a 5-10, 189 walk-on redshirt freshman from Florence, played in Auburn’s 35-14 victory at Ole Miss as the Tigers clinched the SEC West title.

Lee, a 6-0, 193 redshirt freshman from Miami, has been playing well on special teams. “Zach Gilbert played well,” Chizik says. “We got Zach in about nine or 10 snaps on defense in nickel situations and he really played well. He is solid, he is a competitor. We are going to find out if he can win a starting job.”

Patrick Lee is shown at an Auburn practice.

Lee has made progress in recent weeks and is second on the team in special teams tackles with seven solos, one behind Rogers. “He has really come on on special teams and has shown that he really wants to play the game,” Chizik says. “I am going to give him a look. I have nowhere else to turn right now except some guys who have been really doing well stepping up their game in the last two or three weeks and those are two guys who have.”

The Tigers took two days off from practice with their first open date this Saturday. They return to action a week later when Georgia comes to Auburn for a big SEC showdown. Gilbert and Lee got work with the first team defense on Tuesday along with Pitts.

“We are just not playing real good in the secondary right now,” Chizik adds. “That is just the bottom line. Slice it anyway you want, but when all the smoke clears right now we are playing below average in the secondary with the exception of one guy.”

[Tigerfan 0]

Sorry to double post this topic, someone beat me to the punch

[tigereyes 19]

I think an easy fix would be to put Rosegreen on that side and Herring on Rogers side. Rogers is more a coner/saftey and Herring does better stopping the run.

[sportwareagle 0]

Whatever they do, they have got to fix it, and luckily we have one of the bst guys working on that!!!!

[BoJtrueAUman 4]

I think an easy fix would be to put Rosegreen on that side and Herring on Rogers side.  Rogers is more a coner/saftey and Herring does better stopping  the run.

117903[/snapback]

We did that last year and it didn't work out to well we need to leave Junior where he needs to be.

[tigereyes 19]

I think an easy fix would be to put Rosegreen on that side and Herring on Rogers side.  Rogers is more a coner/saftey and Herring does better stopping  the run.

117903[/snapback]

We did that last year and it didn't work out to well we need to leave Junior where he needs to be.

117942[/snapback]

I think he needs to stay at saftey too, he just needs to move to Pitts side of the field. The Ole Miss game Herring was trying to make up for Pitts mistakes and he can't do it. I think that Rosegreen can give Pitts better pass support if he were on the other side. Rogers does not need any pass support and that would leave Herring free to roam and make hits.

[Tigerdog 0]

well i would suggest lorenzo ferguson, but i guess he is being redshirted due to his injury. (recovering nicely by the way)

Next year will be promising however, with Ferguson and Irons and with Lee and brock.

[BoJtrueAUman 4]

I think an easy fix would be to put Rosegreen on that side and Herring on Rogers side.  Rogers is more a coner/saftey and Herring does better stopping  the run.

117903[/snapback]

We did that last year and it didn't work out to well we need to leave Junior where he needs to be.

117942[/snapback]

I think he needs to stay at saftey too, he just needs to move to Pitts side of the field. The Ole Miss game Herring was trying to make up for Pitts mistakes and he can't do it. I think that Rosegreen can give Pitts better pass support if he were on the other side. Rogers does not need any pass support and that would leave Herring free to roam and make hits.

117951[/snapback]

oh ok then sure that sounds good

[AUHansel 0]

wasn't David Irons gonna play cb this year until he got hurt? I know that Pitts hasn't been incredible, but if that is the only weak spot in the team, i'll take it. do not move rosegreen to corner, that just disrupts things. plus, uga has leonard pope, a 6'7 tight end that has really come on in the last couple of weeks. we need our linebackers and safetys to be in the middle too.

[BoJtrueAUman 4]

that is also true Hansel

[88Tiger 0]

I am still thinking all this over as to why DC GC would come out and say this...is he trying to get guys to pick it up or is he genuinely concerned or he is trying to "bait" UGA....

[BoJtrueAUman 4]

maybe both

[mcgufcm 4,107]

oh there has to be genuine concern. pitts was benched for most of the first half against arkansas after the first drive. then he was put back on the field b/c hobbs got burned. gilbert is a nice option at nickel b/c he's smart, but he's not gonna be the guy lining up opposite 6'3" gibson or 6'2" brown. he just can't do it. lee has look average all year at corner (really solid at special teams though) so i really think the solution is going to be the same one we were forced to go with after irons got hurt: montae pitts.

he's got the size and the physical talent to take on either of the uga receivers. his problem is mainly mental mistakes. i hope over the next two weeks we make him a little tentative b/c i'd rather have him playing off and making up ground with that speed than getting too tight and playing catch up. regardless, i'd put a dollar on him starting the uga game.

[sportwareagle 0]

Well, because all of this has recently come out and the fact the UGA can watch film and see what happened in the Ole Miss and Arkansas game, I think UGA will exploit that side of hte field and expect them to put Gibson over there. I think Pitts is really going to have to put in the extra time the next two weeks and step up for this game because we can't have a lot of big plays and make the offense play catch up all day.

[AUesquire 1]

UGA's passing game and Green in particular, are so effective because of the great job Green does with his play action fakes. UGA's running game has been effective so the fact that Green fakes so well helps his receivers get that one extra step needed. The CB's are going to have to stay focused like never before and Herring and Rosegreen can't get caught taking the bait.