​​Lyle's Corner

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018

Unfortunately, my first post of the new year won't be a happy one, as you can imagine. I'm going to keep my take on our 34-27 loss to UCF in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl yesterday as brief as possible.

Offensively, we came out listless and ill-prepared. The first half was certainly one of the worst performances I've seen in the Gus Malzahn era. In the second half, we seemed to pick up steam, scoring two unanswered touchdowns to take a 20-13 lead. But it didn't last long, as the offense crumbled again....then rose up again down the stretch. The Tigers never stopped fighting and had a shot to, at the very least, force overtime in the final seconds. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham engineered a determined drive that reached UCF's 21. But that's where all hope was lost, as Stidham threw an interception in the end zone on a play that he explained was a miscommunication between him and intended receiver Darius Slayton. Stidham said that he was supposed to give Slayton a go route, but Slayton instead turned to the inside of the field.

Kerryon Johnson was only slightly better this time around than in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia last month, gaining 71 yards on 22 carries. Stidham, meanwhile, finished 28-of-43 for 331 yards with a TD and two interceptions. The first of those two picks was especially costly, as it was returned for a UCF score. The offensive line was especially out of whack most of the day. Lots of work needs to be done there....especially considering that the Tigers will lose four seniors (if I remember correctly) in that area.

Defensively, the Tigers gave up too many big plays, especially from UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton. By game's end, Auburn had surrendered 411 yards to the Golden Knights. Special teams was up-and-down at best. Daniel Carlson hit all of his PATs, and had two field goals as well. His kickoffs were also solid. However, punter Aidan Marshall had a rather shaky showing. Overall, I don't know what the problem was. Maybe it was a hangover from the New Year's celebration. Maybe it was the month-long gap between the SEC title game and this game. Perhaps it was just one of those days. Whatever the case, this was certainly not a pleasant ending to a season that saw Auburn upset two top-ranked teams in the same month and win a division title.

Now that the Tigers have wrapped up a 10-4 season, many fans have questions to ponder. Which players will stick around for another year? Who will make an early jump to the NFL, if anyone? Will the Tigers fix the mistakes where needed so that they can have another chance at any sort of championship next fall? Will any of the coaches move on? We'll just have to wait and see.

In other news....

- Auburn basketball plays at Tennessee tonight at 6 p.m. CT in Knoxville. That game will be televised by ESPNU.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, December 31st, 2017

Auburn basketball closed out its non-conference schedule in impressive fashion yesterday, dominating Cornell 98-77 in Auburn Arena. Five Tigers scored in double figures, with Bryce Brown leading the way with 19 points. Auburn (12-1) clinched its 12th win in the calendar year for the first time since 1998 and just the third time in program history (1995).

"We played well," head coach Bruce Pearl stated. "The most important thing is that we got back from the break, we took our opponent seriously and we took care of business. I'm very proud of that because coming to Auburn was to bring credibility and competitiveness to our basketball program. Now we move into league play, and the league is the best it's been and the deepest it's been. It's going to be a grind night in and night out. Physically, it's going to be a challenge, but I think we are also prepared."

Mustapha Heron tallied 17 points and four rebounds, while Horace Spencer and Jared Harper scored 12 each. Plus, Harper amassed seven assists and Spencer grabbed nine boards. Additionally, Chuma Okeke turned in his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Anfernee McLemore racked up eight points to go along with five rebounds and five blocks. In team stats, the Tigers outrebounded Cornell (5-7) by a wide margin of 47-30. Also, Auburn went 20-of-26 from the foul line and had 20 assists.

Brown in particular was pleased with the physicality of his teammates. "I feel like today we took that extra step, crossed that line, hit each other a little more," he said. "I felt like we shared the ball probably better than we have all season and today showed it." Auburn and Cornell fought each other on even terms for the first six minutes of the game, but the Tigers then outscored the Big Red 32-20 to take a 47-35 advantage into intermission. By that point, the Tigers' balanced offense was evident, as all nine players had scored at least three points and no player had 10 or more points after the first half.

Auburn stormed out of the locker room in the second half and largely put this one away, scoring 41 of the game's next 54 points to take an 88-49 lead with just under 10 minutes to go. Cornell battled back, but the deficit proved to be too big of a hill to climb. The Tigers pocketed the 98-77 rout. Auburn kicks off conference play on Tuesday when it travels to Knoxville - Bruce Pearl's old stomping grounds - to take on Tennessee. The game is set for a 6 p.m. CT tip, and will be televised on ESPNU.

In other news....

- Bad news on the football front. Auburn will be without cornerback Carlton Davis for tomorrow's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed this morning. Davis had missed the last three practices due to an undisclosed illness, and was consequently sent home yesterday. Davis ends his junior season having racked up 36 tackles (27 solo) and a team-leading 11 pass breakups. Jamel Dean and Javaris Davis will step in for him against the Golden Knights.

Even though the Tigers will face the nation's No. 1 offense, they don't seem worried about Davis' absence. UCF averages 315 passing yards per game, and quarterback McKenzie Milton is second only to Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield in passer rating and completion percentage. Whether or not Davis will return next year for his senior season remains to be seen.

Auburn and UCF kick off at 11:30 a.m. CT tomorrow at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The game will be televised by ESPN.

I'd like to wrap up this post by wishing all of you a happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed 2018. I pray that God will bless all of you in any way He sees fit in this new year to come! I can't wait to see what this new year brings for me, and for Auburn athletics!

That's all for now. Until next time, Happy New Year, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, December 28th, 2017

Auburn's biggest question heading into the Chick-fil-A Bowl against UCF was answered yesterday. Head coach Gus Malzahn reiterated that running back Kerryon Johnson will play in the game.

The seventh-ranked Tigers conducted their first practice on site in Atlanta yesterday and Johnson participated, although he wore a non-contact jersey in the session, which was held at Georgia Tech. He injured his right shoulder and ribs late in Auburn's 26-14 win over then-No. 1 Alabama in the Iron Bowl in November. Johnson also took part in practices last week before the holidays.

"He had a good practice while he was there (in Auburn)," Malzahn said. "And you're exactly right, we had him in non-contact by design, but he moved around very well. We had some other guys that were banged up, that were non-contact before the bowl site. We'll be smart with those guys. He looked good again today. Like I said before, he's going to play. I'm hoping he'll be as close to 100 percent as he can."

Johnson led the SEC in rushing this season with 1,320 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was named the SEC's offensive player of the year and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He tried to play through the injury in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia on Dec. 2nd, but had little success, being held to a season-low 44 yards. Now, the question lies in whether he will be healthy enough to drastically improve that mark on New Year's Day against the Golden Knights. We shall see.

In other news....

- A former Auburn running back has gotten himself into hot water. Brad Lester, who played for the Tigers from 2004-08, was arrested before Christmas and booked on child pornography charges, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gwinnett County jail records show that Lester was arrested last week and charged with one felony count of unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance  and one count of creating or possessing child pornography with the intent to distribute.

Lester is accused of filming an underage male in a bathroom stall with a cell phone at a restaurant near Dacula, Georgia. During his Auburn career, Lester rushed for 1,689 yards and 19 touchdowns. I'm sorry that Brad made this choice, but I will certainly pray that he can find peace, forgiveness and restoration in this difficult time in his life.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, December 27th, 2017

Auburn football received more bad news today regarding running back Kamryn Pettway.

Head coach Gus Malzahn reported today that Pettway did not travel with the team to Atlanta for the upcoming Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, as he was being held out of the game and decided to stay home with family. Pettway went through injuries and a suspension during his final season with the Tigers and only saw limited action in the first half of the season as Kerryon Johnson became the starter, eclipsing the 1,300-yard mark in the process.

Pettway's last game was Oct. 21st at Arkansas where he recorded 90 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he fractured a shoulder blade on his next-to-last carry. The Pratville, Ala. native shined in his sophomore campaign, leading the SEC in rushing with 1,226 yards. He entered the 2016 season as a fullback, but was shifted to tailback when returning starter Jovon Robinson was dismissed from the team before the start of preseason practices.

Pettway wrapped up his junior year with 305 yards and six touchdowns on 76 carries. He missed the season opener vs. Georgia Southern due to suspension, battled through plantar fasciitis in a 14-6 loss at Clemson in Week 2  and was hindered by the injury and other ailments before injuring his shoulder blade against the Razorbacks. At this point in time, I personally can't help but feel that his extended absence has to do with something more than just injuries. My first instinct tells me that he has an attitude problem. But that's just my 2 cents. Whatever the case, this is unfortunate for the Auburn offense. Then again, the Tigers have thrived pretty well without him, so it may not matter. Only time will tell when we take on UCF on New Year's Day at 11:30 a.m. CT from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, December 26th, 2017

Auburn football got some good news last night, as one of its most prominent defensive linemen will stick around for one more year. Junior defensive tackle Dontavius Russell announced via Twitter on Christmas night that he will return for his senior season in 2018 following an impressive junior campaign this year.

Heading into the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against UCF, Russell has recorded 41 tackles with three for a loss, including one sack, and has also forced a fumble and batted down a pass. He was projected as a second- to fourth-round NFL Draft pick by WalterFootball.com. While his stats have not exactly been eye-popping, coaches have constantly praised him for disrupting an opposing offense's plays - even in games when he doesn't record a single stat.

The 6-feet-3, 310-pound Russell is a three-year starter in the middle of Auburn's defensive front and has constantly drawn praise from the coaching staff during this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he owns a grade of 80. 1 in 13 games. Russell racked up 29 tackles last season, and 42 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, in 2015. No. 7 Auburn (10-3) and No. 12 UCF (12-0) will face off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on New Year's Day at 11:30 a.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The Tigers can now turn their attention to underclassmen Jeff Holland and Carlton Davis. Holland, Auburn's leading pass rusher (nine sacks), and Davis, its top corner, are contemplating for themselves whether to enter the NFL Draft early.

In other news....

- Auburn basketball returns to action on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Cornell at 2:30 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. It will be the final game before SEC play, and will be televised by the SEC Network.

That's all for now. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. I certainly did! Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, December 24th, 2017

Auburn basketball got off to a fast start yesterday afternoon and never eased up, soundly defeating UConn 89-64 in Auburn Arena for the Tigers' ninth consecutive victory. The team now heads into a week-long break at 11-1. Head coach Bruce Pearl credited the raucous Auburn fan base for the outcome. "Really pleased with the environment," he said. "We created a nice environment. I think our kids deserve that."

Five Tigers scored in double figures. Desean Murray and Mustapha Heron each scored 13. Malik Dunbar tallied 12, Jared Harper scored 11, and Davion Mitchell added 10. Defense played a major role in the first half, limiting UConn to just 25 percent shooting while building a commanding 23-point lead. "When we defensively get in a position where we dictate, we can be pretty good," Pearl reasoned. "This team wants to get better, so we're really pleased to be going into the holiday 11-1."

Horace Spencer also contributed with nine points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 19 minutes of play. Pearl commended him for "his toughness, his physicality." Spencer himself had his own powerful view on the 8,039 fans that attended the game. "We definitely fed on it, " he said. "We can hear all of our fans cheering us on, showing the love they have for us."

Auburn went on a 16-0 run in the opening minutes, continuing a season-long trend of quick starts. Malik Dunbar sank a trio of 3-pointers in that stretch. Murray scored in the lane over larger defenders to give the Tigers a 17-7 advantage soon after. After Harper's trey, Pearl turned to the crowd, raising his arms so as to encourage fans to raise the noise level to a fever pitch. It worked. Dunbar's third 3 increased the count to 23-7. Harper's assist to Heron for a dunk made the score 30-13. Shortly thereafter, Spencer canned consecutive baskets to mount the lead to 21.

The Tigers then went cold, going on a four-minute scoring drought, but that broke thanks to Harper's long trey with nine seconds left in the half to make it 47-24 at intermission, matching Auburn's biggest first-half lead of the season. Auburn refused to break in the second half, and Harper nailed an even deeper 3 to up the Tiger cushion to 27. Spencer's offensive rebound and subsequent dunk soon made it 62-33. Later, Mitchell had a trey of his own with 13:14 remaining to make the score 67-33.

The Tigers edged UConn in rebounding, 45-44. Chuma Okeke snatched eight rebounds in 16 minutes. Murray countered with six boards. Auburn is now 11-1 for the first time since it began the 1999-2000 campaign at 16-1. The team will not be back in action until next Saturday when it hosts Cornell at 2:30 p.m. CT in the last match before SEC play. The contest will be televised on the SEC Network. "The way we played, I think this is the best we've played," Pearl lamented. "On both sides of the ball, we seemed to have an idea of how we wanted to play the whole night. We've got ourselves a bit of an identity. I would say this is as well as we've played." Auburn fans likely couldn't agree more.

In closing, I'd like to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas. Whatever you do tomorrow, please remember that Christmas is not about gifts. It's about spending time with those who matter the most to you, and even more importantly, about the birth of Jesus Christ, whom God sent into the world to give his life to save us from our sins. Life is a precious gift, and it can be gone in a flash.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, December 20th, 2017

Auburn basketball topped Murray State 81-77 last night in Murray, Ky. to pocket its eighth straight win. The Tigers have not won that many in a row since the 2002-03 season.

Desean Murray led Auburn with 18 points and had nine rebounds as well. Mustapha Heron and Bryce Brown also scored in double figures with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Jared Harper played a big role, too, with 17 points on the night, including four makes from behind the arc and a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line. Eleven of his points came in the game's final four minutes. The sophomore also tallied six rebounds and four assists. "I've always had the confidence to make plays late in the game," Harper said. "I've spent a lot of time in the gym. I trust myself and my teammates trust myself."

As a team, the Tigers shot 88 percent from the charity stripe (15-of-17) and 44 percent from 3-point range (12-of-27). This victory didn't come so easily. Murray State (7-3) jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the game's first 2:30. But the Tigers evened the score on three straight treys from Malik Dunbar. Trailing 18-10 at the 11-minute mark of the half, Auburn outscored the Racers 32-18 to take a 42-36 advantage into the break. 

Most of the second half was tight. The teams traded baskets for the first 12 minutes of that period before Murray State grabbed a 60-58 lead with just over eight minutes remaining. A 3-pointer by Murray and a 3-point play by Brown gave the Tigers the lead again at 64-62. The Racers would not quit and regained the lead with four minutes left at 67-66. Soon after, however, with the score tied at 69-all, an amazing trey by Harper gave Auburn a 72-69 lead - and they would never trail again.

After two free throws by Murray State, Harper again delivered in the clutch with another trey. A steal by Heron then turned into a turnaround jumper by Murray to put the Tigers up, 77-71. Four straight free throws in the final minute by Heron and Harper put this one away for the 81-77 final. "It was a great team effort tonight to come in here in a tough environment on the road," Harper stated.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was pleased with his team's outcome. "Jared made big shots, we got a couple of stops and we got some rebounds at the end," he said. "We made our free throws and got out of here (with a win)." With the victory, the Tigers are now 10-1 on the season. On Murray State's side, Terrell Miller Jr. led the Racers with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Jonathan Stark also contributed with 21 points, five boards and five assists.

The Tigers now must focus on a home match with UConn on Saturday in Auburn Arena. The game is set for a 1:30 p.m. CT tip-off, and will be televised on ESPN2.

In other news....

- Auburn football took a hit in depth at linebacker yesterday as sophomore Tre' Threat announced via Twitter his decision to transfer from the program. Threat is a reserve linebacker who has not seen the field at all this season. He played in every game as a freshman while also serving as a special teams player. According to 247Sports, Threat is a former 3-star player and the No. 12 player in Alabama for the Class of 2016. His play as a freshman in 2016 gave him hope that he would land a consistent role this season, but that never transpired.

"I would just like to say thank you to the coaches, staff, and all of the supporters at Auburn University for blessing me with the opportunity to come play for such a wonderful university. I will forever treasure the moments I had in such a great town," he tweeted. "However, after talking it over with my parents and coaches, I have come to the decision to officially transfer from Auburn University."

We all wish you the best of luck, Tre'. We hope you will find success at your next school.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, December 18th, 2017

Auburn added another vital piece to the Class of 2018 yesterday afternoon. Four-star defensive end Kayode Oladele of Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic pledged to the Tigers on Sunday during his official visit to the school. "I just felt like this was the place to be," Oladele said bluntly.  The 6-feet-4, 235-pound Oladele ranks as the No. 11 strong side defensive end nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He is Auburn's 20th commit for 2018 and third on the defensive line.

Oladele intends to sign with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the new early signing period. He is the second Nigerian native on the commit list, joining four-star buck linebacker Richard Jibunor. The Tigers already have two Nigerian-born players on the roster. Oladele was unable to play this season due to a visa issue, but he said that that problem has since been rectified. He plans to enroll at Auburn next summer. Oladele picked the Tigers over Ole Miss, although he was actually committed to Florida State at one point.

Auburn now has the No. 9 recruiting class in the 247Sports recruiting team rankings. The Tigers still have about five spots left to fill. "I committed because it feels like home here," Oladele said. "It feels like family. Every time I'm down here, it's just really nice."

In other news....

- Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said yesterday that injured running back Kerryon Johnson returned to practice on Sunday and was in good shape. His teammates reacted well to his presence. "He practiced today, " Lindsey said.

"He was good today, so I think he's going to be in great shape. We don't play for two more weeks, so I feel good about him. It's a comfort from a standpoint from a guy that's played a lot of snaps. He really picks up on things as well. He's definitely an emotional leader for us."

Auburn and Central Florida face off in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN.

- Auburn basketball defeated Middle Tennessee State on Saturday night by a score of 76-70. The Tigers started the game with a 29-12 run and hardly looked back. The defense forced a season-high 24 turnovers. Offensively, Mustapha Heron and Jared Harper each tallied 16 points. Auburn will return to the court tomorrow night with a trip to Murray State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT. Although the game will not be televised, you can listen on the Auburn Sports Network. Also, the game will be broadcast for free online at OVCDigitalNetwork.com.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, December 16th, 2017

This post concerns a player's personal opinion, but it still may very well be valid and encouraging.

Running back Kerryon Johnson may be set to return to action on New Year's Day. Johnson (shoulder) was unable to play at full strength in Auburn's 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship on Dec. 2nd and only netted a season-worst 44 yards. The Tigers returned to practice yesterday for the first time since then in preparation for a showdown with 12th-ranked UCF (12-0) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Although Johnson didn't make it clear whether or not he practiced Friday, he did assure one fan that he would play in the game. When asked by a fan via Twitter last night if he will play in the New Year's Six match, Johnson retweeted it with a simple "Of course." Assuming  Johnson's prediction comes true, it would do great favors for the Tigers and the SEC's leading rusher (1,320 yards).

Kamryn Pettway has been confirmed out for the game, and his Auburn career might also be done after a string of injuries and off-the-field punishments have forced him to miss most of the season. He hasn't played a down ever since Oct. 21st at Arkansas when he ran for 90 yards. Johnson injured his right shoulder and ribs in a 26-14 victory over then-No.1-ranked Alabama on Nov. 25th. He went down with the injuries late in the game. "I know he'll want to play," head coach Gus Malzahn stated Wednesday. "He's a great competitor. All of our guys will want to play. Our guys play for each other. So we'll see where that goes. I'll have a better idea once we get out to practice and move around and everything that goes with that."

No. 7 Auburn (10-3) practiced Friday and will return to the field for five straight days of practice beginning Sunday. Johnson has been named to several All-American teams as a second-teamer and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

In closing, don't forget that Auburn basketball returns to the court tonight at 5 p.m. CT against Middle Tennessee State in Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, December 14th, 2017

Auburn may well have to resort to its third-string running back when it's time to face Central Florida in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The worst possible scenario certainly seems inevitable. Head coach Gus Malzahn has already confirmed that Kamryn Pettway will not play in the game, and his Auburn career may also be done after a string of injuries and off-the-field disciplinary issues. On top of that, Kerryon Johnson's shoulder and rib injuries have placed his status for the New Year's Day match against the 12th-ranked Golden Knights (12-0) in doubt.

"I know he'll want to play," Malzahn said. "He's a great competitor. All of our guys will want to play. Our guys play for each other. So we'll see where that goes. I'll have a better idea once we get out to practice and move around and everything that goes with that." The seventh-ranked Tigers (10-3) begin practicing for the Peach Bowl tomorrow. Johnson injured his right shoulder and ribs in a 26-14 upset of then-top-ranked Alabama on Nov. 25th. He played through the injuries in the SEC Championship Game and was noticeably not up to par, finishing with a season-worst 44 yards in the 28-7 loss to Georgia.

Johnson leads the SEC in rushing yards (1,320) and has been named to several All-America teams as a second-teamer.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, December 13th, 2017

Today, I have two Auburn commits to write about.

- First off, Arryn Siposs, a 25-year-old former professional Australian rules footballer, got a close look at Auburn during an official visit on Monday and Tuesday, and was pleased with what he saw. "It's pretty overwhelming to be honest," Siposs said. "It's an amazing, amazing place. The facilities alone for football were crazy, but the whole place itself, we don't experience anything like this back home. It's special, that's for sure."

As a result, Siposs committed to the Tigers during the visit. "There was nowhere else I wanted to go," he said. "The coaches back in Australia, Nathan Chapman and John Smith, mentioned this to me and spoke to me about there was a bit of a process going on about it. They gave me a call about a month ago and said it was pretty much a done deal and that Auburn was the option. I was absolutely going to be taking it up for sure. Where else would you want to go really? It has been one of the top five schools for a long time now. Hopefully, I can have some sort of impact and we can go all the way."

Siposs is linked to Prokick Australia, which has placed more than 60 players on American college football rosters. One of them, Tom Hornsey, won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter while playing for Memphis. "I have probably only thought about it the last year or two to be honest," Siposs pointed out. "I thought it would be a little bit more time before this would happen, but it's going to be an amazing experience. Being able to see the crowds and how big it is, not just here but all over the place. It's going to be very special and something I'm very much looking forward to. I'm glad it's becoming a reality, which is awesome."

All that said, Siposs admitted that he lacked knowledge of Auburn when making the visit from Australia. "I just knew that it was quite a big school and they had a really good history in terms of success," he said. "They've always wanted to chase their main goal, which is a championship. In terms of its history, not a lot, but that's something I look forward to picking up on quickly. Just seeing everything around at the moment you get a pretty good idea of how important it is to everyone in the town."

Chapman, who serves as owner and punting coach for Prokick Australia, thinks Auburn will get a good fit in Siposs. "We had been targeting Auburn for awhile to place a guy there," Chapman said. "We knew we had to have a great one for them. And here he is." Siposs does not yet have a rating from 247Sports. However, with his verbal pledge, the Tigers now have 19 commitments for the Class of 2018. Siposs is expected to arrive next summer.

- Auburn's second commitment yesterday is its second in the Class of 2020. Deondre Jackson, a running back out of Lithonia, Ga., confirmed his pledge to the Tigers in a tweet last night. Jackson doesn't yet have a rating from 247Sports, but is a very talented back, as he has already had offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and Tennessee, among others. While it won't be simple for Auburn to keep him committed over the next two years, it's still a nice addition to a future Auburn class ahead of next week's early signing period.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, December 12th, 2017

A fourth outgoing senior has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, this time a linebacker. Mobile native Tre' Williams, a Mobile native, will play in the annual event in his hometown, he announced today. Williams racked up 62 tackles, including a career-high 5.5 sacks, while forcing one fumble and recovering another during his senior campaign.

Williams joins kicker Daniel Carlson, long snapper Ike Powell and safety Tray Matthews, who accepted invitations to the annual all-star game as well. Williams has battled a shoulder injury for most of the last half of the 2017 season. The injury kept him out of the entire second half of Auburn's 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. No. 7 Auburn (10-3) will square off against No. 12 UCF (12-0) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on ESPN.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, December 10th, 2017

Auburn basketball had to hold on for dear life against a never-say-die UAB team in order to defeat the Blazers yesterday in Auburn Arena by a score of 85-80. Bryce Brown led the Tigers with 27 points, while Jared Harper countered with 21 points and five assists. Brown tied a season-best in made 3-pointers with six. In total, Auburn (8-1) nailed 11 shots from beyond the arc, including makes from Harper, Desean Murray and Chuma Okeke.

Murray amassed 18 points and seven rebounds, while Anfernee McLemore helped out with a team-high nine rebounds, five points, three steals and two blocks. Malik Dunbar, in his first start as a Tiger, tallied nine points and six rebounds, including two on the offensive side. The Tigers out-rebounded the Blazers (6-4) by a 35-31 margin, marking their ninth straight contest with more rebounds than the opponent to begin the season.

Largely thanks to Harper, who scored 13 of the game's first 18 points, Auburn jumped out to a commanding 18-4 lead. After a tip-in by Murray, the Tigers had their largest lead of the half at 35-20 with just over seven minutes left until intermission. At that point, though, UAB rose up and went on a 20-12 run to trim Auburn's advantage to 47-40 at the break. In the second half, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run thanks to a trey from Brown and a 3-point play by Dunbar to make the score 53-40.  But the battling Blazers again surged back to make it a one-score game at 67-65 with 5:45 left to play.

However, Auburn put this one away from that point on with a few put-backs and went 10-of-12 from the charity stripe to secure the 85-80 win. "So many guys had to step up for us to get this win," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "The key was the battle of the boards. We out-rebounded them. A key stat was 14 offensive rebounds for Auburn and nine offensive rebounds for UAB. They get more than half, and they didn't get them tonight. It was a really good environment today. We're very pleased to head into finals where we're at right now."  Chris Cokley led UAB with 26 points and nine rebounds. William Lee tallied seven points and a team-best 10 boards.

The Tigers, after playing three games in six days, will now get to enjoy a few days off before returning to action next Saturday. Auburn will face Middle Tennessee State at 5 p.m. CT in a neutral-site game in Birmingham, Ala. at Legacy Arena. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network. Tickets are still available at www.AubTix.com.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, December 9th, 2017

Three Tigers have been invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl this year. Kicker Daniel Carlson, long snapper Ike Powell and safety Tray Matthews will all play in the annual all-star game for outgoing seniors.

Carlson, a three-time Lou Groza Award finalist, has enjoyed an outstanding career with Auburn and owns the SEC record and is second all-time in the FBS in career points scored (465). Also, he's never missed an extra point (195) in his career. He kicked four field goals of 50 yards or longer this season for the Tigers. But there have also been bumps in the road. He had a nation-high three field goals blocked this season, and is tied for 57th nationally in accuracy (75 percent), as he made 21 of 28 field goals, his worst conversion rate since his freshman year in 2014 (also 75 percent). He tied for 14th nationally in field goals made per game (1.6).

Carlson had a shaky start this season, missing four of 12 field goals in September, but bounced back with a perfect seven makes in October before missing three of his final nine kicks. His only misses in October, November and December were blocked kicks (three). Carlson put 72.4 percent of his kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks.

Matthews, meanwhile, has 53 tackles this season, including a sack. He also recorded an interception and a fumble recovery. He played in 12 of Auburn's 13 games this season, missing one because of a hamstring injury. Matthews has amassed 210 tackles in his four-year career, which started in 2013 at Georgia. He transferred to Auburn after his freshman season, sat out a year, and returned to the field in 2015 for the Tigers.

No. 7 Auburn (10-3) faces No. 12 UCF (12-0) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day at 11:30 a.m. CT in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN.

In other news....

- Auburn basketball hosts UAB at 3:30 p.m. CT this afternoon in Auburn Arena. That game will be telecast on the SEC Network.

- Finally, let's take a look at Auburn football's non-conference schedules through 2024. This season, Auburn took on Georgia Southern, Clemson, Mercer, and ULM. In the coming years, Auburn will face tough competition outside the league. The list is as follows:

-2018: Washington (in Atlanta), Alabama State, Southern Miss, Liberty.

- 2019: Oregon (in Arlington), Tulane, Kent State, Samford.

- 2020: Southern Miss, UMass, Alabama A&M.

- 2021: at Penn State, Georgia State, Alabama State.

- 2022: Penn State, Western Kentucky, Mercer.

- 2023: at California

- 2024: California.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, December 8th, 2017

Auburn basketball soundly defeated Gardner-Webb 80-55 in Auburn Arena on Wednesday night. The Tigers set season highs in rebounds and points allowed. Auburn (7-1) yanked down 52 rebounds - the most they've claimed since grabbing 56 against Florida A&M on Jan. 4, 2014. Meanwhile, the Runnin' Bulldogs (3-7) were held to just 55 points - the fewest the Tigers gave up since surrendering just 48 in a win over Middle Tennessee on Dec. 29, 2014.

"The defensive effort was really outstanding," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Gardner-Webb is a good offensive team, and if you allow them to run their stuff, they'll score. That's the best defensive effort from start to finish that I think we've had in a long time. We jumped on them early and stayed on them." Desean Murray led the Tigers with 20 points and seven rebounds. It was his 24th career game with 20 or more points and the first time he's achieved that mark as a Tiger. Anfernee McLemore also helped out with his second career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He also amassed a career-best six blocks in 20 minutes of play. Jared Harper also notched a career-high with 10 assists. That was the most assists by an Auburn player since Kareem Canty achieved the mark against Northwestern State on Nov. 27, 2015.

In the team stats, Auburn had 10 players make it on the scoring sheet and 13 to snatch at least one rebound, including six with five or more. The Tigers stormed out to a 21-4 lead in the first six minutes of the game thanks to baskets from McLemore, Murray, Mustapha Heron, Chuma Okeke and Horace Spencer. Gardner-Webb battled back to narrow the score to 23-12, but Auburn was able to build a 42-28 lead going into the locker room at halftime.

The Tigers opened the second half on an 8-0 run thanks to treys by McLemore and Bryce Brown, as well as a tip-in by Murray to increase the count to 50-28. The Tigers would go on to mount their advantage to 67-37 on a dunk by McLemore with just over 8:30 left in the contest. The final outcome was never in doubt. However, the most memorable moment of the evening came after the final horn. With his teammates and family looking on, senior Patrick Keim was awarded a scholarship by Coach Pearl and the coaching staff.

Auburn returns to the court tomorrow when it hosts UAB in an in-state showdown. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- Although Auburn's Peach Bowl showdown against Central Florida is still just less than 24 days away, it's already been confirmed as to who will call the game on ESPN on New Year's Day. Dave Flemming will provide the play-by-play, while Brock Huard will present the color commentary. Allison Williams will be the sideline reporter. It should be very intriguing to see how this one plays out. I firmly believe that a win would ease the Tigers' disappointment of not being able to win the SEC title.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

For the time being, Auburn football's non-conference slate for 2020 includes contests with Alabama A&M, UMass and Southern Miss. But the Tigers might soon add another Power 5 conference opponent to the list. Brandon Marcello of 247Sports reported yesterday that Auburn is in talks to face North Carolina in a 2020 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game match. 

However, there is one small proviso in the deal. A Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is already scheduled for Week 1, so a possible Auburn-North Carolina game may get delayed until Week 2.

While nothing is written in stone regarding this, it wouldn't be surprising to see Auburn in Atlanta in 2020, as they are already set to play Washington in the 2018 Kickoff Game. In 2019, they will travel to Texas to take on Oregon in Week 1. Now, they may soon have the Tar Heels on the 2020 schedule. If that's the case, it would mark the first meeting between the teams since the 2001 Peach Bowl (which UNC won 16-10). The schools have only played each other six times altogether in football. It's nice to see Auburn trying to get games like this worked out. Let's hope it becomes a reality.

In other news....

- Auburn basketball hosts Gardner-Webb tonight at 7 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. The game can be viewed online at SECN+. You can also listen to the Auburn Sports Network by any means necessary.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, December 4th, 2017

After days of seemingly endless and intense speculation, the answer has finally come: Gus Malzahn will stay put on The Plains. Malzahn has agreed to a new deal with Auburn after offers from Arkansas included a deal worth over $7 million. The deal is structured with raises every year of the contract, with it reaching more than $7 million a year at the end of the contract, according to a source. A person familiar with the contract reported that the seven-year deal is worth a total of $49 million. The agreement was reached yesterday afternoon.

"Strength and stability go hand-in-hand, and we have both in Coach Malzahn," Auburn University president Steven Leath said in a statement. "We're excited for the future of Auburn football. This means a lot to the Auburn family." Malzahn and Auburn officials expect to finalize details in the contract extension within a few days. Malzahn guided Auburn to two victories over top-ranked teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, a first in the playoff era. The Tigers lost the SEC Championship 28-7 in a rematch with Georgia, which sends the Bulldogs to the playoff and Auburn to a New Year's Day game in the Peach Bowl against Central Florida.

Malzahn is 45-21 with one SEC title, two SEC West Division championships, a national runner-up finish and two New Year's Six bowl appearances in five seasons as the Tigers' head coach. He is currently the only SEC coach with a victory over Nick Saban. He is 2-3 against arch-rival Alabama. His original deal was worth an average of $4.75 million per year through 2020. Malzahn was repeatedly bombarded with questions about possibly leaving to be the next head coach at Arkansas. He responded that he planned to be at Auburn in 2018, but never publicly confirmed that he was indeed returning. Now, any such concerns can be laid to rest.

No. 7 Auburn (10-3) is set to face No. 12 UCF (12-0) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN.

In other news...

- Auburn basketball defeated George Mason yesterday by a score of 79-63 in Auburn Arena. The victory put the Tigers at 6-1 for the second straight year. That feat has not been accomplished since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. Four players scored in double digits. Mustapha Heron led in that stat for the fourth-straight game, amassing 19 points and eight rebounds. Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, meanwhile, had 16 and 12 points, respectively. Davion Mitchell added 10.

The Tigers were also effective in rebounding, with Anfernee McLemore grabbing 10 boards, while Desean Murray, Chuma Okeke and Heron each yanked down eight. McLemore also tied a career-high in blocks with five rejections. This was his third game in a row with that many blocks. Auburn will continue its longest homestand of the season on Wednesday night when it hosts Gardner-Webb. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. The game can be viewed online at SECN+.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, December 3rd, 2017

The 2004 and 2010 Auburn Tigers both accomplished the outrageously difficult task of beating a team twice in the same season, with the second coming in the SEC Championship Game. Unfortunately, the 2017 team was not able to duplicate that feat. My insight on our 28-7 loss to Georgia yesterday is very simple and straightforward. We started out hot, taking it down the field for a 7-0 lead just over five minutes into the game on a 6-yard pass from Jarrett Stidham to Nate Craig-Myers.

From that point on, though, the Bulldogs crippled the Tiger offense at every opportunity, and Auburn did itself no favors by committing a plethora of mistakes - especially dropped passes, penalties and turnovers. In my mind, three plays cost us dearly. The first came early in the second quarter with Auburn on the UGA 14. Stidham dropped back to throw, but then decided to turn right instead of scrambling upfield. Georgia's David Bellamy rushed in from behind and stripped the ball loose. UGA recovered at the 16, and promptly drove 84 yards to tie it at 7-all.

The second came in the third quarter, with the Tigers trailing 10-7. They made a promising drive to the Georgia 14, with a great chance to get points on the board. They stalled there, however, and had to settle for a 31-yard Daniel Carlson field goal try. The snap was high, but Tyler Stovall saved it and placed it down. Carlson didn't put enough height on it, and UGA blocked the kick. A rare misfortune for the typically automatic senior kicker. The Dawgs drove down for a field goal of their own to go up by six as the fourth quarter got underway.

Auburn's third, and arguably most fatal, miscue occurred early in the fourth quarter. The Tigers had marched to midfield. Kerryon Johnson had been announced as the starting running back prior to kickoff, and Auburn fans were very excited. Unfortunately, Johnson just wasn't himself yesterday, and he fumbled the ball away on this drive. The Bulldogs recovered, and converted the mistake into another TD that largely put this one away. In the process, Georgia captured its first conference title since 2005 - and shattered Auburn's College Football Playoff hopes.

At the end of the day, Auburn had been held to 259 total yards (145 passing, 114 rushing). That's not anemic, but certainly not explosive.  Johnson was ineffective, gaining just 44 yards on 13 carries. The defense, meanwhile, was never prepared for the adjustments that UGA had made from its first meeting with the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in November. The Tigers surrendered 421 yards to Georgia.

Despite the unhappy outcome, it's already been confirmed that Auburn will play in Atlanta again in the Peach Bowl against 12th-ranked Central Florida on New Year's Day at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN. This will mark the first meeting between the two teams since 1999. The squads had met three years in a row from 1997-99, with Auburn winning all three (41-14 in '97, 10-6 in '98, and 28-10 in '99). Until then, the Tigers will have plenty of time to get all of their banged-up players healed, and figure out what needs to be fixed in all three phases of the game.

With all that said, the biggest question on every Auburn fan's mind right now is whether or not Gus Malzahn will go to Arkansas. Reports have leaked out that they want him to make a decision by the end of the day. He said yesterday that he "wants to be" the Tigers' head coach again next year. However, as we all know, "want to be" and "will be" are two different things. Only time will tell.

As a closing note, my alma mater, Troy University, clinched a dramatic 32-25 win over Arkansas State last night to capture a share of the Sun Belt conference title with Appalachian State. I watched that game on ESPN2, and man, was it a thriller or what! It was even more significant considering how infrequently Troy's games get televised. Go Trojans! That certainly cheered me up a bit after my Tigers didn't have such a fortunate outcome.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

This isn't related to Auburn, but it does regard the SEC. Therefore, it qualifies as news.

SEC Media Days has been held in Hoover, Ala.,  every year since 1985, but earlier this year, rumors swirled rampantly that the event could be moved to a larger city. Yesterday afternoon, that speculation became a reality. The event will be moving to Atlanta in 2018.

According to a release from the SEC, conference commissioner Greg Sankey stated that Atlanta is a sensible choice since it already hosts so many other high-profile league events. "SEC Football Media Days is a signature event for our conference and we are pleased the city of Atlanta will host this kickoff to the 2018 college football season," he said. "SEC Football Media Days is now added to Atlanta's inventory of great events, which includes the annual SEC Football Championship Game and this season's College Football Playoff Championship Game. We are looking forward to building an exciting event next July to feature our student-athletes and coaches."

In spite of this, Sankey pointed out that the event would return to Hoover in 2019, which is good news for those in the area that especially enjoyed hosting it. Where it will go from there remains uncertain, but cities like Nashville and St. Louis, among others, could very well work their way into the mix in the future. It will be very interesting to see what transpires.

Until next summer comes, though, let's just turn our attention to today's rematch with Georgia in the SEC title game. We CAN pull this off! I'm confident that the players and coaches fully realize just how much is at stake here. We're going for our second conference title under Gus Malzahn, our third in this decade, and our fourth since the turn of the millennium. Plus, a win today would mean that the folks at the Auburn Sports Network would have to get busy producing a DVD of this season. That would make an AUsome Christmas present for any Auburn fan, to say the least.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, December 1st, 2017

As I begin writing this, the SEC Championship Game is 30 hours and 18 minutes away. Naturally, the biggest question on every Auburn fan's lips is: Will Kerryon Johnson be able to play in the rematch against Georgia? Well, according to head coach Gus Malzahn, the answer may not come until kickoff. During his radio show last night, Malzahn only stated that the 1,200-yard rusher "has done some things in practice this week."

The junior starter injured his shoulder in the third quarter and re-aggravated it late in the fourth quarter of the 26-14 upset win over then-No. 1 Alabama last week. "We said day to day, but it could be a game-time decision of his status," Malzahn said. On the fortunate side, he also said that Kam Martin, Devan Barrett and Malik Miller have taken "quite a few" reps with the offense over the last five weeks of practices as the staff gave Johnson time to recover from bumps and bruises suffered in recent games. "They've had a very good week of practice," Malzahn stated. "You can tell they're excited....Really, I think they're in a good position to come in and be able to execute."

No. 2 Auburn (10-2) and No. 6 Georgia (11-1) square off at 3 p.m. CT tomorrow at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be televised by CBS. Malzahn offered one last remark of Johnson, saying, "He's going to do everything he can to be out there." Now, there's always the chance that Gus is simply toying with the media with that response. We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless of whether or not Kerryon plays, I strongly believe that we can beat the Bulldogs again...and in the process, capture our second conference title in Malzahn's five-year tenure, and third of this decade.

In other news....

- Now, let's take a look into the future. By that, I mean that Auburn's 2018 football schedule was released late yesterday afternoon. Here it is:

September 1st: Washington vs. Auburn (Atlanta)

September 8th: Alabama State at Auburn

September 15th: LSU at Auburn.

September 22nd: Arkansas at Auburn

September 29th: Southern Miss at Auburn.

October 6th: Auburn at Mississippi State

October 13th: Tennessee at Auburn

October 20th: Auburn at Ole Miss

October 27th: Open date

November 3rd: Texas A&M at Auburn

November 10th: Auburn at Georgia

November 17th: Liberty at Auburn

November 24th: Auburn at Alabama.

A couple of these games strike me as especially notorious. As for the season opener, my strong gut feeling is that this is our first ever meeting with Washington. When LSU comes to town, you just know that Auburn will be beyond desperate to ease the pain of the collapse in Baton Rouge that unfolded this year. The Southern Miss game will mark our first match against them since 2008 (a 27-13 Auburn victory). In regards to Tennessee, this will be their first visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium since '08 (a game in which the Tigers squeaked by with a 14-12 win - one of just two conference games that Auburn won that year in Tommy Tuberville's last season at the helm, with Mississippi State being the other).

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!