Tigermike 3,053 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Easy wins harder than they lookSunday, October 22, 2006 It will be easy to look at the final score - Auburn 38, Tulane 13 - and not be impressed. After all, Auburn is supposed to beat Tulane like that - especially at home, on homecoming. No, it wasn't quite like last week, when the Tigers upset the then-No. 2 team in the nation, Florida, in front of a packed Jordan-Hare Stadium, on national TV. Which might be exactly why this victory, played out in relative anonymity - the stadium started to empty by halftime - deserves more respect than it will get. "As a team, to go out and beat a team you're supposed to beat, is harder than people realize," said Auburn wide receiver Courtney Taylor. "Coach (Tommy) Tuberville preached that to us all week, that we had to go out and prove we are as good as we looked in beating Florida. That was the message all week: Play like the team we are." Tough to do when you start out playing without your starting tailback, Kenny Irons, your starting fullback, Carl Stewart, one starting guard, Tim Duckworth, and starting free safety Aaron Savage. Then you lose backup tailback Brad Lester and linebacker Trey Blackmon in the first half. How do you play like the team you are when it seems as if half your team is on the sideline with no intention of playing? "You find out maybe you have more depth that can perform," said Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges. "It's nice to have some guys like that - that can play. It makes a difference to be able to function like that when you don't have your top backs." So a freshman, Ben Tate, rushes for 156 yards. Taylor gets his first touchdown catch of the season. And junior quarterback Brandon Cox finally looks like, well, Brandon Cox, completing 16 of 19 passes - and remembering all three incompletions. "Oh, yeah," said Cox, laughing. "The first was the one Tre (Smith) dropped. Then there was a bad throw to CT (Taylor). The third I had to throw the ball away on what was supposed to be a screen." Cox could stand and laugh because for the first time this season he felt like himself again. "This is as good as I've felt," Cox said. "Last week, I was close to 100 percent, but my mechanics were messed up because of my leg (injury). This week I worked on my mechanics, and after today, I really feel I'm 100 percent." Tulane might have been just what the doctor ordered for an Auburn team that no longer controls its own destiny, but is determined to get in a position to take advantage of the situation if destiny decides to revisit the Tigers. "When you feel good and you know you're playing good, you want the week to go by in a hurry," Cox said. "You can't wait to get back on the field and play again." Auburn should be favored the rest of the way, in games against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama, which means fans will expect the Tigers to do exactly what they did Saturday. "When you're favored to win," Borges said, "it's important that you go out and do it." Because it's never as easy as it looks. E-mail: rmelick@bhamnews.com Birmingham News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleDrill 178 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autiger518 1 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Nice post tigermike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerGlide 1 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 "Right now," David Irons said, "we're not worrying about (a national title). If it happens, we'll go. If not, we'll keep playing. All that national championship stuff will take care of itself." Huntsville Times Mark McCarter Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKW 86 7,440 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Easy wins harder than they lookSunday, October 22, 2006 It will be easy to look at the final score - Auburn 38, Tulane 13 - and not be impressed. After all, Auburn is supposed to beat Tulane like that - especially at home, on homecoming. No, it wasn't quite like last week, when the Tigers upset the then-No. 2 team in the nation, Florida, in front of a packed Jordan-Hare Stadium, on national TV. Which might be exactly why this victory, played out in relative anonymity - the stadium started to empty by halftime - deserves more respect than it will get. "As a team, to go out and beat a team you're supposed to beat, is harder than people realize," said Auburn wide receiver Courtney Taylor. "Coach (Tommy) Tuberville preached that to us all week, that we had to go out and prove we are as good as we looked in beating Florida. That was the message all week: Play like the team we are." Tough to do when you start out playing without your starting tailback, Kenny Irons, your starting fullback, Carl Stewart, one starting guard, Tim Duckworth, and starting free safety Aaron Savage. Then you lose backup tailback Brad Lester and linebacker Trey Blackmon in the first half. How do you play like the team you are when it seems as if half your team is on the sideline with no intention of playing? "You find out maybe you have more depth that can perform," said Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges. "It's nice to have some guys like that - that can play. It makes a difference to be able to function like that when you don't have your top backs." So a freshman, Ben Tate, rushes for 156 yards. Taylor gets his first touchdown catch of the season. And junior quarterback Brandon Cox finally looks like, well, Brandon Cox, completing 16 of 19 passes - and remembering all three incompletions. "Oh, yeah," said Cox, laughing. "The first was the one Tre (Smith) dropped. Then there was a bad throw to CT (Taylor). The third I had to throw the ball away on what was supposed to be a screen." Cox could stand and laugh because for the first time this season he felt like himself again. "This is as good as I've felt," Cox said. "Last week, I was close to 100 percent, but my mechanics were messed up because of my leg (injury). This week I worked on my mechanics, and after today, I really feel I'm 100 percent." Tulane might have been just what the doctor ordered for an Auburn team that no longer controls its own destiny, but is determined to get in a position to take advantage of the situation if destiny decides to revisit the Tigers. "When you feel good and you know you're playing good, you want the week to go by in a hurry," Cox said. "You can't wait to get back on the field and play again." Auburn should be favored the rest of the way, in games against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama, which means fans will expect the Tigers to do exactly what they did Saturday. "When you're favored to win," Borges said, "it's important that you go out and do it." Because it's never as easy as it looks. E-mail: rmelick@bhamnews.com Birmingham News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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