5 Reasons AU Should Win

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5 Reasons Auburn should win

Friday, November 18, 2005

1. HISTORY IS ON AUBURN'S SIDE

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has won four of the last five games against the Tide and three games in a row. At Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers are 5-2.

Auburn is in the midst of an Iron Bowl winning streak that hasn't been approached since the 1980s. Part of the reason is due to the coaching stability at Auburn during the Tuberville era. Linebackers coach Joe Whitt goes back even further, as he will celebrate his 25th consecutive Iron Bowl on Saturday.

"It means a lot to both teams," he said. "It means a lot to our staff, their staff, their fans, our fans. It's a special game. The reason for it is because of neighbors playing neighbors and friends playing friends."

2. BRANDON COX HAS DEVELOPED

Cox has weathered pressure -- and a host of early miscues -- to blossom into a solid SEC quarterback.

Cox's first career start is one he would just as soon forget. He tossed four interceptions and lost one fumble in a nightmarish debut against Georgia Tech.

The season could have collapsed from that point. Instead, Cox got smarter and better. He's thrown only three interceptions in the nine games since then, and he has the SEC's best pass efficiency rating in conference games.

"It's night and day," Cox said of his performance since the opener. "I'm more confident, more comfortable in the pocket, more comfortable with my role in the offense and just being on the field. Offensively, we've improved each game."

3. KENNY IRONS DOMINATES For the last five weeks, Irons has been the best back in the country. The fact that he leads the SEC in rushing is impressive enough. The feat is even more remarkable when you recall that the junior from Dacula, Ga., was a non-factor in several early season games.

He rushed for 6 yards against Georgia Tech, 28 against Mississippi State and 27 against South Carolina. In fact, it wasn't until the Oct. 15 Arkansas game that Irons emerged as Auburn's true No. 1 back. In the five games since then, Irons has averaged 30 carries for 156 yards -- dazzling stats by any standard.

Irons' wait has paid off for the Tigers, who now have the top-ranked offense in the league due in large part to a player who was benched in the opening game.

4. TIDE HAS LOST INVINCIBILITY

Last week, Alabama had an undefeated season to defend. This week, the stakes are the same for both teams.

Last year, Auburn had a sense of invincibility. The Tigers had survived challenges to their undefeated record for 11 weeks. They weren't about to falter in their biggest game of the season.

Alabama could have had that same attitude. With an undefeated record and an overtime victory against LSU, the Tide might have felt they were taking part in a hallowed season. Instead, they must grapple with the sudden collapse of expectations.

Auburn doesn't have to deal with such emotions, as the Tigers haven't been undefeated since August.

The stakes are the same for both teams. They're playing for an outside shot at the SEC Championship game and a nice New Year's Day bowl bid.

5. SOMETHING TO PROVE

Embarrassed by the last two games, Auburn's defense won't take Alabama's struggling offense lightly.

Two weeks ago, Auburn had a defense that coordinator David Gibbs could be proud of. After giving up 57 points and almost 900 yards against Kentucky and Georgia, plenty of doubts have crept in.

Gibbs has blamed breakdowns in the secondary and a lack of quarterback pressure. Whatever the causes of the problems, he's pledged to fix them this week before the Iron Bowl.

Think Auburn's defense is unconcerned with Alabama's anemic offense? Think again. Defensive players know they are on the spot after two pitiful performances.

"The bottom line is we're giving up a bunch of points and a bunch of yards and that isn't acceptable at Auburn," Gibbs said. "Auburn has a great defensive tradition here, and we're not living up to it right now. We have to change that."

-- Evan Woodbery

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Think Auburn's defense is unconcerned with Alabama's anemic offense? Think again. Defensive players know they are on the spot after two pitiful performances.

"The bottom line is we're giving up a bunch of points and a bunch of yards and that isn't acceptable at Auburn," Gibbs said. "Auburn has a great defensive tradition here, and we're not living up to it right now. We have to change that."

That is good to hear. If the AU D steps up big today, I expect a great evening!

WAR EAGLE!