​​Lyle's Corner

Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Today's post is one of the "good news/bad news" variety. The good news is that spring practice officially kicks off for the football team at 4 p.m. CT this afternoon. The bad news is that head coach Gus Malzahn revealed that several players are out, either temporarily or permanently. 

First off, two key reserve defenders are no longer with the program. Graduate linebacker Cameron Toney is exploring transfer options and defensive back Markell Boston has been dismissed from the team before the start of spring practices. Why did Boston move on, you may ask? "Really, it was me," Malzahn stated. "He didn't meet our standards so he's no longer with us because of that." 

Senior safety Tray Matthews had his own thoughts on the matter. "It kinda hurt a little bit," he admitted. "I have to focus on what's ahead of me. Like coach (Kevin) Steele says, 'Be where your feet are at.' I'm going to build on this complex, we have practice today and I'm just focused on the coaches around me and the scheme we're trying to put in." 

Aside from those departures, Malzahn also confirmed that injuries and "personal business" will keep at least seven other players away from action for at least a portion of the spring. The list is as follows:

- CB Jamel Dean (out, injury)

- DB/RB Stephen Davis Jr. (no longer with team)

- OL Deon Mix (transferring as graduate)

- WR Darius Slayton (out, hernia surgery)

- WR Kyle Davis (personal business) 

- QB Sean White (arm, limited) 

- LB Kenney Britt (out, leg)

- Jauntavius Johnson (out)

Malzahn expects Davis to possibly be back with the team by spring break, which begins March 10. The Tigers will conduct five practices before spring break, starting today at 4 p.m. CT. 

In other news....

- The baseball team hosts Samford at 3 p.m. CT today at Plainsman Park. The game can be viewed online at SECN+. 

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

Monday, February 27th, 2017

​The women's basketball team orchestrated a 30-point fourth quarter to erase a seven-point deficit and close the regular season with a 70-64 victory at Arkansas Sunday afternoon. The Tigers ended the regular season at 17-13 overall, 7-9 in the SEC. Auburn shot 62.5 percent in the final period after being stymied for two quarters, during which Arkansas (13-16, 2-14) built a seven-point advantage entering the fourth quarter. But the undaunted Tigers opened the stanza on a 17-5 run and never trailed again. 

Auburn now stands as the No. 9 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Greenville, S.C. The Tigers will face Georgia at 11 a.m. Thursday in the first game of the second round. Head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy was sure to commend her team's performance. "It was unbelievable," she said. "We could not buy a basket in the second or third quarter. But once again, it was our defense that got us back. We made great defensive plays and scored in transition (in the fourth quarter)."

The first half was nip-and-tuck. A Katie Frerking 3-pointer as the first quarter expired gave Auburn a 20-15 lead. It was the Tigers' highest-scoring opening period since scoring 30 against Ole Miss on Jan. 8. But the Razorbacks kicked off the second quarter with an 11-0 run over the first 2:50 to go on top, 26-20. However, Auburn battled back to tie the game at 31-all on a trey by Brandy Montgomery with less than 10 seconds to go. Unfortunately, Arkansas' Malica Monk immediately responded with a 25-footer at the buzzer to put the Hogs back in front, 34-31 at intermission. 

Two lengthy scoring droughts for Auburn - a 6-minute run to open the second period and a 5-minute stretch to start the third - allowed Arkansas to cling to a slim lead. The Tigers stayed within two with two minutes left in the third, but the Razorbacks ended the stanza on a 5-0 run. As the final 10 minutes began, Auburn trailed 47-40. But the Tigers scored six unanswered points to cut the margin to one. 

A Janiah McKay jumper gave Auburn its first lead since early in the second quarter, and the Orange and Blue never trailed again. After they increased their cushion to seven at 64-57, Arkansas chopped it to two with late free throws and a pivotal 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds, but Montgomery and Erica Sanders sealed the win at the foul line. 

Despite shooting a dismal 35.3 percent for the game, Auburn was 50% or better in the first (50%) and fourth (62.5%) periods. The Tigers nailed eight treys and were 14-of-19 from the free-throw line. Arkansas committed 19 turnovers, which the Tigers converted into as many points. On the other hand, Auburn had a season-low seven turnovers. 

Three players posted double figures for Auburn. Brandy Montgomery scored 18 points, while Janiah McKay had 17 and Katie Frerking recorded 16. McKay scored 11 of her points in the final quarter, and Frerking had her sixth double-double with 10 rebounds. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals. Arkansas, meanwhile, had five players in double figures, led by Jessica Jackson and Devin Cosper with 14 points apiece. Jackson and Alecia Cooley each had double-doubles, as Jackson recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Cooley had 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Hogs outrebounded the Tigers, 45-37. 

In other news....

- The baseball team completed a series sweep of Holy Cross with a 13-4 blowout win on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers are now 7-1, while the Crusaders are 0-4. Auburn returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Samford at 3 p.m. CT. The game can be viewed online at SECN+. 

- The softball team dropped a 1-0 decision to James Madison yesterday afternoon for its first home defeat this season. A 13-game winning streak was snapped. Auburn is now 14-2 on the season, while the Dukes are 12-2. The Tigers will return to the field on Thursday when they host Liberty at 6 p.m. CT. That game will be available online at SECN+.  

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

Sunday, February 26th, 2017​

The second-ranked softball team posted back-to-back shutouts yesterday over Yale and 13th-ranked James Madison by respective scores of 9-0 and 4-0 at Jane B. Moore Field. To start the day off, Auburn recorded its first no-hitter of the season against the Bulldogs in the Tiger Invitational in front of a record home crowd of 2,620. 

Head coach Clint Myers had a few things to say about his team. "The pitching has been the strength of the whole season," he stated. "We've got two pitchers that deserve to be in the Top 50 Watch List for Player of the Year. They make pitches when they have to, they get outs when they have to and the defense is playing superb behind them. We pitch to contact and believe in the defense." 

Against JMU, Kaylee Carlson recorded a complete-game shutout with a season-high eight strikeouts. Meanwhile, Ashlee Swindle and Makayla Martin combined to pitch five innings of no-hit ball with five strikeouts against Yale. The three allowed just eight runners to reach base between the two contests. 

Offensively, Courtney Shea had two home runs and a team-high five RBI. Also, Kasey Cooper and Haley Fagan posted a combined six hits, including three for extra bases and four RBI. In the first match against Yale, Shea got the Tigers on the board first with an RBI single that scored Carlee Wallace, who reached base by a walk and was moved over by a single from Cooper. Two innings later, this one was put away as Auburn amassed six runs on as many hits to take a commanding 7-0 advantage. 

Fagan started it with a double and scored on the next pitch when Kendall Veach smacked a single to left-center field. Shea soon stepped to the plate and nailed a two-run homer over the right field wall. Alyssa Rivera slammed a double to deep-left field, and Whitney Jordan followed that up with a triple to center. Two batters later, Justus Perry drove a single up the middle to score two runs and conclude the inning. 

The onslaught continued in the fourth when Cooper hit a double to left field and pranced home when Fagan drilled a roundtripper to the opposite field to give the Tigers a 9-0 lead. Martin had a nearly flawless pitching performance for three innings, surrendering only one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch. Swindle then finished it off by tossing scoreless fourth and fifth stanzas capped by two strikeouts.  

In the second game, Carlson was excellent from the first pitch. She only gave up three hits through the first five innings. She even solved her own problem in the third when a ball was hit right back at her and she turned the 1-6-3 double play with runners on the corners. Offensively, Auburn was shut down in the first three innings, but that changed in the fourth when Fagan reached base with a leadoff hit. One batter later, Shea worked a full count before smacking her second homer of the day - a two-run score - to put the Tigers in front, 2-0.  

Auburn finished out its scoring in the fourth frame. Victoria Draper drew a walk and Wallace reached on an error. Cooper then drilled a single that bounced to the wall and cleared the bases, giving the Tigers a 4-0 advantage. James Madison put runners on in the sixth and seventh innings, but Carlson persevered and led Auburn to its fifth straight shutout victory and eighth of the season.  

The Tigers close out the Tiger Invitational this afternoon against James Madison at 1 p.m. CT. The game has been nicknamed the annual Pink Game. Proceeds from the Sunday Pink Game will be donated to the Cancer City of East Alabama. Pink ribbons and shirts were supplied to fans who arrived early, while supplies lasted. There will also be a silent auction for a chance to buy the game jerseys worn by the Tigers.  

In other news....

- The baseball team recorded consecutive shutouts of Holy Cross by scores of 7-0 on Friday, and 4-0 yesterday, respectively. The teams conclude the series at noon CT today.

- The men's basketball team lost to Arkansas 79-68 at Auburn Arena last night. The Tigers are now 17-12 on the season, 6-10 in the conference. Jared Harper led Auburn in scoring with 17 points, while Anfernee McLemore led in rebounds with eight. They will return to action on Wednesday with a trip to Georgia. The game is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

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

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

The Auburn men's basketball squad snapped a three-game losing skid on Tuesday evening in a dominating way by clobbering LSU 98-75 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. On top of that, the victory assured Auburn of its first winning season since 2009. 

Auburn was by no means unstoppable at shooting, as they hit just 14-of-31 three-pointers, but they handed a struggling LSU team its 14th straight loss. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was sure to point out the magnitude of this game. "It was crucial," he said. "We had to have this one."  

​Ronnie Johnson led the visiting Tigers with 17 points, while Danjel Purifoy and Bryce Brown had 15 apiece. T.J. Dunans recorded 11, and Mustapha Heron posted 10. In the rebounding department, Heron led Auburn with 9. Overall, the Tigers outrebounded LSU 39-30. Auburn drained nine shots in a row in the closing minutes to put this one away. 

Pearl pointed to a couple of specific areas as key to the final result. "We played better defense in the second half. We didn't get killed on the boards," he said. "We won the battle of the boards by 9 (39-30). Better defense. Better rebounding. And if we can improve in that area, we can be a pretty competitive team." 

Auburn improved to 17-11 overall, 6-9 in SEC play. Meanwhile, LSU fell to 9-18 overall, 1-14 in league action. Pearl believes his troops still have plenty of room for improvement. "We are so young, and you just don't know what you're going to get," he said. "But I think it is going to put a little wind in our sails. We've got three games left. We've probably got to go 2-1 in these last three games to have a chance to play on the first night of the SEC (Tournament)." 

Brown sank consecutive treys to help Auburn take a double-digit lead in the second half. Later, Heron's layup increased the margin to 67-54. Soon after, a put-back by Purifoy mounted the Tigers' advantage to 15. Austin Wiley's steal and pass to Dunans for a slam dunk, followed by Heron's drive, extended the lead to 80-63. The rout had clearly taken shape.

"We're not very big. We have two freshmen centers who are both going to be terrific players, and our power forwards (T.J. Lang and Purifoy) are both very undersized," Pearl stated. "As a result, we try to spread the floor and take what the defense gives us."  

The visiting Tigers also had an overwhelming 43-19 advantage in bench points. "We don't drop off when we go to the bench," Pearl said. "We're trying to get focused on playing with effort and energy."  Auburn held a narrow 45-42 lead at intermission, and had only a 21-17 lead in rebounds by that point. But as the game wound down, the Tigers changed all that. Auburn only canned 6-of-18 treys in the first 20 minutes, with Lang hitting of 2-of-3. On LSU's side, Antonio Blakeney led in scoring with 29.  

Auburn returns to action on Saturday when they host Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Pearl knows that the Razorbacks shouldn't be taken for granted. "They're playing great basketball," he emphasized. "You talk about a team that plays hard and plays together, and doesn't drop off a lot when they go to the bench. That's going to be a really crucial game if we're going to build on this momentum. In order for us to meet the expectations of our team, we need to finish strong." 

In other news....

- The women's basketball team hosts LSU tonight at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be seen online at SECN+.

- The baseball team overcame a seven-run deficit to top Florida A&M 12-8 yesterday afternoon at Plainsman Park. The Tigers begin a three-game series with Holy Cross tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. (Incidentally, the game against Jacksonville State scheduled for two days ago has been postponed until March 15th at 3 p.m. CT due to rain.)   

- The softball team hosts North Dakota tonight at 6 p.m. CT before hosting this weekend's Tiger Invitational, during which time they will host 13th-ranked James Madison at 4:45 p.m. CT Saturday and 1 p.m. CT on Sunday. 

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

​​Monday, February 20th, 2017

​Auburn baseball clinched the series over George Washington with a 4-3 victory yesterday afternoon at Plainsman Park. The key play came on a 3-run double in the sixth by junior shortstop Luke Jarvis. Auburn head coach Butch Thompson was especially grateful for the outcome. 

​"I'm just thankful for the grind, thankful for another one-run game going into the ninth," he stated. "I was uncharacteristic, a lot more vocal today with our guys, but this is what we've got to do to keep growing, is pushing these moments. We had a couple of really good moments to end innings."

Jarvis' big moment came with the Tigers trailing 2-1, two outs and a full count. "I just got a fastball that kind of hung up there over the plate," Jarvis said. "That's what Coach (Sisson) has been preaching for us since day one is to be ready outside for when you get to two strikes and react in. Our primary goal is to see something out over the plate and let it get deep enough and not too big." 

Auburn fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but got on the board in the second on a Bo Decker double that allowed Jonah Todd to score. Decker posted three hits in the contest. Todd and Jay Estes had two hits apiece. Daniel Robert singled in the first inning to boost his reached base streak to 19 games dating back to March 13, 2016. He missed the last six weeks of last season due to injury. 

Elsewhere, freshman right-handed pitcher Davis Daniel made his college debut, and had a solid outing, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing just two runs. He also recorded three strikeouts with no walks. Meanwhile, Andrew Mitchell pitched two innings out of the bullpen, and improved to 1-0. He struck out two and gave up only two hits. 

In the seventh, with the bases loaded and one out, Robert made his first appearance on the mound for the season. He surrendered a sac fly, but nothing beyond that, and that bailed the Tigers out with a 4-3 lead. Right-hander Corey Herndon pitched for the ninth inning, and posted his first career save.  

On the Colonials' side, Robbie Metz was the leader, with two hits and two RBI. In addition, he started on the mound and held Auburn to just one hit on eight hits in five innings. Meanwhile, Tyler Swiggart (0-1) took the loss with three runs allowed in one inning. 

The Tigers will return to action on Tuesday when they host Jacksonville State at 3 p.m. CT in Plainsman Park. The game can be viewed online at SECN+.

In other news....

- The softball team tallied a season-high 13 hits in clobbering Mercer 10-1 yesterday to close out the Plainsman Invitational. They will return to action on Thursday when they host North Dakota at 6 p.m. CT. 

- The women's basketball team hosts Alabama tonight at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

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

Sunday, February 19th, 2017

The Auburn softball team defeated Evansville and Creighton by scores of 5-3 and 9-0, respectively, at Jane B. Moore Field yesterday on the second day of the Plainsman Invitational. It only took five innings to secure a victory in the second game. 

Pitcher Makayla Martin played a big role in the outcomes, as she recorded 8.1 scoreless innings and 13 strikeouts. Head coach Clint Myers was quite apt about her performance. "(Martin) was lights out tonight," he said. "The ball had life. She was in the mid- to upper-60s."  ​

​Indeed. Over the course of the two matches, the San Diego, Calif. native let only four runners reach base, and held opponents to a paltry batting clip of .148. Haley Fagan and Alyssa Rivera helped her out as well, as they each posted two hits. Kasey Cooper and Carlee Wallace also contributed with 4 and 3 RBI, respectively. 

In game one, Emily Spain, Courtney Shea and Victoria Draper all drew walks in the second inning to load the bases with one out. Wallace then reached out on a fielder's choice, but that allowed Shea to score and give Auburn a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, the Tigers scored four more runs to mount their advantage to 5-0 thanks to four walks and two illegal pitches. 

Evansville (0-4) managed to get within striking distance by scoring two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh. But at that point, Martin - who had been relieved earlier in the contest - returned to record a groundout to give Auburn a hard-fought 5-3 victory. 

Against Creighton in the second game, the Tigers bunched their scoring together in the second and third frames to clinch the win. Draper beat an infield single with the bases loaded and two outs to score the contest's first run. Wallace scored an RBI single soon after, and then Cooper followed suit with a bases-clearing double that scored three to make it a 5-0 Auburn cushion. 

In the third, the Tigers increased the count to 6-0 when Spain smacked a single through the right side of the infield that brought in Carmyn Greenwood. It soon became 8-0 thanks to consecutive sacrifice flies by Madi Gipson and Wallace. In the bottom half of the fourth, Rivera drove a double into left field allowing Brittany Maresette to score and concluding Auburn's scoring for that contest. 

Martin, a sophomore, was certainly on a roll. Through the first four innings, she posted eight strikeouts and didn't allow a single base runner. Her hope for a perfect game was squashed only by a single up the middle in the top of the fifth with one out. 

She struck out the next two batters to end the night with a career-high 10 strikeouts and give the Tigers their seventh straight victory. Auburn wraps up its home tournament this afternoon at 2 p.m. against Mercer. 

In other news....

- The baseball team split a doubleheader with George Washington yesterday, winning the first game 2-0 before falling in the second 9-5. They closed out the series today at noon CT today. If all goes as planned, I'll post the score from that game tomorrow. 

- The men's basketball team lost at Texas A&M 81-62 last night. They will return to action on Tuesday at LSU at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. 

- The women's basketball team hosts Alabama tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

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

Friday, February 17th, 2017

The Auburn softball team won its home opener for the 21st consecutive season by defeating Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 4-3 yesterday.

The difference in the outcome was Carmyn Greenwood's run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the victory, the Tigers improved to 4-1 on the season. 

Auburn posted five hits, including two home runs, from five different players. Carlee Wallace recorded two RBIs, while Greenwood reached base safely three times. Makayla Martin started at pitcher for the first six innings and had a superb showing, with a season-high seven strikeouts and only one earned run allowed. Kaylee Carlson stepped in as a reliever for the final two innings and had her own excellent performance. While facing eight batters, she did not give up a hit and struck out one.  

The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead when Wallace smacked an 0-2 pitch into left field, plating Kasey Cooper in the process. But SIUE cut the margin in half in the third with an RBI single that made it 2-1. However, Auburn got a boost in the third when Kendall Veach nailed her third homer of 2017 to increase the count to 3-1. Even more significantly, it was the Tigers' third solo homer of the year, as Veach made it a round-tripper. 

But the Cougars refused to quit. Two innings later, they evened the score at 3-all courtesy of two runs on two hits and an Auburn error. In the eighth inning, though, the momentum swung back into the home team's favor. Carlson put SIUE down in order, setting the stage for a tension-filled bottom half of the stanza.

Haley Fagan led the way with a single to left field. Veach then posted a walk and both runners made it into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Shea. Then, Greenwood saved the day, as she stepped to the plate and drove the first pitch into deep left center field to tie the ribbon on this one. Auburn had won in thrilling fashion, 4-3. SIUE fell to 5-1 on the season.

The Tigers return to Jane B. Moore Field for the second day of the Plainsman Invitational this afternoon. They will host Creighton at 2:30 p.m. CT followed by a rematch with SIUE at 4:45 p.m. CT.  

In other news....

- The Auburn women's basketball team lost to Ole Miss 63-59 in Oxford last night. They will return to action next Monday when they host Alabama at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

- The men's basketball team will play at Texas A&M tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU. 

- The baseball team kicks off the 2017 season this afternoon when they host George Washington at 2 p.m. CT. The game can be seen online at SECN+.

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

Monday, February 13th, 2017

For as long as I've been a loyal Auburn athletics follower, I've learned one valuable lesson that might as well be accepted as gospel in the world of sports: No lead is ever safe. That certainly held true for Auburn basketball against Ole Miss in Oxford last Saturday night. 

The Tigers went into halftime with a 47-27 lead, and appeared well on their way to a blowout road win. But alas, in the second half, all such hopes faded into black reality as the Rebels surged back to overtake Auburn by a score of 90-84. The Tigers fell to 16-9 overall, 5-7 in SEC play, while Ole Miss improved to 15-10 overall, 6-6 in the league. 

The Rebels scored the first eight points of the contest before Auburn's Danjel Purifoy responded with consecutive 3-pointers. The Tigers then caught fire, going on a 13-0 run in a time span of 7:07 to take a 21-14 lead with 8:23 left in the first half. They later went on a 14-4 run to mount the count to 35-23. That included two treys by Ronnie Johnson and one by Bryce Brown. Johnson finished with a season-high 18 points and eight assists off the bench. Meanwhile, Mustapha Heron added 16 points and six rebounds, while Purifoy had 12 points. 

Auburn closed the first half on a 26-8 run to take its 20-point cushion into the break behind Johnson's 11 points, draining all three 3-point tries and dishing out five assists off the bench. The Tigers shot 56 percent from the floor, sinking 8-of-14 (.571) treys while holding Ole Miss to just 26.5 percent shooting.

Heron nailed a 3-pointer early in the second half to give the Tigers their largest advantage at 52-29. Unfortunately, things turned ominous after that, as four straight turnovers enabled the Rebels to cut the margin to 52-40 with 15:24 to play. 

Soon after, Ole Miss went on a 10-0 run to narrow the Auburn lead to 60-58 with 9:55 remaining before Purifoy's third trey of the night put the Tigers up 65-60. However, a few minutes later, Cullen Neal sank a trey with five minutes left to put the Rebels ahead 70-69. It was their first lead since early in the first half. With 1:11 remaining, a trey by Johnson cut the Ole Miss lead to 80-76. 

Terence Davis led the Rebels with 26 points, all of which came in the second half. 

One stat that majorly destroyed Auburn was turnovers. The Tigers committed 20 of them, and were outscored 26-12 in points off turnovers. You just can't have that many mistakes in the SEC. Also, if I may editorialize a bit, am I the only one who thought that the officiating of this game was absolutely horrible? Not calling fouls on Ole Miss when they committed them, calling fouls on Auburn that they didn't commit....good grief! It was just annoying as heck! It made you want to pull your hair out!

OK, enough of that. The Tigers return to action tomorrow night when they host 17th-ranked Florida at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. The Gators are currently 20-5 overall, 10-2 in the conference. Florida topped Texas A&M 71-62 on Saturday for its sixth straight victory, and has won 13 of its last 15 matches. 

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

​Sunday, February 12th, 2017

Gus Malzahn officially announced Larry Porter as Auburn's new tight ends/H-backs coach yesterday. Porter will also hold the position of recruiting coordinator. 

​"I want to thank Coach Malzahn for giving me and my family the opportunity to be a part of the Auburn family," Porter said in a statement released by the school. "He has assembled a great staff and has all of the pieces to pursue a championship. Auburn has a great football tradition and I can't wait to get started. War Eagle!" 

Porter, a 21-year coaching veteran, has mentored future NFL players Jacob Hester, Joseph Addai, Quinn Johnson, Trindon Holliday, Tatum Bell and Dontari Poe in his career. He was also part of the staff for LSU's 2007 national championship team. 

"Larry is a true professional and will be a great addition to our staff," Malzahn stated. "He is an outstanding coach with a very good history of player development and is one of the top recruiters in the country."

For the past three seasons, Porter served as running backs coach and special teams coordinator at North Carolina (and also worked with former Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who recently announced his departure from coaching citing his desire to spend more time with his family). Although Porter replaces Scott Fountain, who held the title of tight ends and special teams coordinator, on staff, Malzahn is actually assigning special teams to running backs coach Tim Horton. 

"I'm excited to have Tim serve as our special teams coordinator," Malzahn noted. "He has assisted with that unit the last four years and will do an outstanding job."

Now, let me briefly touch on another subject. Yes, I watched Auburn's basketball game against Ole Miss last night, and like everyone else who watched or attended, I witnessed one of the biggest collapses in recent memory. If all goes as planned, I'll write about that game in more detail tomorrow (difficult though it may be). 

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

​Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

​The SEC office announced yesterday that Auburn point guard Jared Harper was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season after leading the Tigers to a season sweep of Alabama for the first time since 2009. 

​Harper, a Mableton, Ga., native averaged 17.5 points while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 70 percent on 7-of-10 3-pointers in Auburn's 82-77 win in Tuscaloosa and against Tennessee. 

He posted 14 points, including 11 in the second half, in the victory over the Tide while sinking 2-of-3 treys and 4-of-6 free throws. He took a charge and on the following possession, converted a four-point play to give the Tigers a 64-52 advantage with 8:33 left in the game. He also recorded a rebound and an assist. 

With the victory, Auburn pocketed its fifth road win of the season, tying the mark for most in the SEC with Florida and South Carolina. Against Tennessee, Harper tallied a game-high 21 points on 5-of-7 3-pointers while also recording two rebounds, two assists and a steal. 

Not only is this Harper's second time this season to garner SEC Freshman of the Week honors, but it's also the third for the Tigers this season. Harper previously won the award on Dec. 26 after guiding Auburn to two big wins in three days against Oklahoma and UConn. In those contests, he recorded consecutive career-highs while averaging 21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals. 

Austin Wiley earned the award on Jan. 23 after averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and a block in 22.5 minutes to lead Auburn to victories over Alabama and LSU. 

The Tigers are currently 15-8 on the season, its best start since 2002-03, and will host Mississippi State tonight at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU. 

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

​

Sunday, February 5th, 2017

Auburn defeated Alabama 82-77 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night to complete its first sweep in the annual series since 2009.

Solid 3-point shooting benefited the Tigers the most, as they canned 15-of-27 trey attempts to finish the night at 55.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.  

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was sure to point out this victory's significance. "There are some places where you win, they just matter more," he stated. "Even when I was at Tennessee, it mattered because of the rivalry, particularly in football. Coming to Auburn, it really mattered."  

The victory improved the Tigers to 15-8 on the year, 4-6 in the SEC. Alabama, meanwhile, fell to 13-9 overall, 6-4 in the conference. Auburn appeared to have this one in hand when they led 78-64 with 2:10 remaining. But the Tide made things scary, going on a 10-0 run to cut the margin to four with 1:01 to go. Fortunately, the Tigers' Mustapha Heron nailed four free throws to dash any hopes of a Tide comeback. He made all six of his foul shot tries in the contest. 

"My focus was trying to get to the free-throw line tonight, and just knock my free throws down," he said.  

Five Tigers scored in double figures on the night. Ronnie Johnson led with 15 points. Jared Harper and Danjel Purifoy each tallied 14 apiece. Heron scored 13, while Bryce Brown posted 12, on 4-of-5 three-point attempts. 

Purifoy emphasized his determination to lead his team to victory. "I just came out for this game on fire," he said. "I had that mentality the whole game to do what I had to do to get us this win. My point guards really found the open man, and we knocked down the shots tonight." 

The Tigers drained seven straight 3's to begin the second half. Johnson, Harper, Brown, Purifoy and T.J. Lang all sank shots from behind the arc to put Auburn up 69-54 with 7:08 to go. Auburn's 15 treys were its second-most 3's this season, and the most in league play. The Tigers converted 21 treys against Coastal Carolina.  

Pearl was especially impressed. "Our kids made big shots," he said. "We knew we had to knock down the 3-ball because of how big they are, so we went small at four for almost the whole game. It paid off. It paid dividends." 

One of the few dark spots for Auburn was the fact that they played without Horace Spencer. He didn't make the trip to Tuscaloosa after injuring his shoulder against Tennessee last Tuesday. 

The Tigers took a narrow 41-39 lead into the locker room at halftime after a wild opening 20 minutes in which they rang 7 of 13 3-point efforts. Auburn shot 55.2 percent in the first half, its highest percentage in conference action this season. 

Brown's trey gave the Tigers their first lead of the match at 13-12. Johnson, who led Auburn in the half with 12 points, followed that up with a pair of 3's and a layup to put the Tigers up by five with under 12 minutes to play in the half. An ensuing steal and layup by T.J. Dunans gave Auburn a 23-16 cushion.

Brown subsequently nailed two more treys to put Auburn ahead 36-25 before an 8-0 Alabama run narrowed the gap before the break. Anfernee McLemore snatched six rebounds in the first half, and finished the game with eight. However, the Tide led in boards, 47-28. Fortunately, the Tigers' plethora of 3-pointers overcame the rebounding deficit. 

Heron extended his freshman record of scoring in double figures to 23 contests. Braxton Key and Corban Collins led the Tide with 17 points each. Auburn returns to action on Tuesday when they host Mississippi State at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by ESPNU. 

Now that I've completed this post, I can turn my attention to the Super Bowl! Personally, I'm rooting for the Falcons. I only saw them play in one other Super Bowl in my lifetime, which came in January of 1999. Unfortunately, that one didn't end happily, as they took a good licking at the hands of the John Elway-led Denver Broncos. I hope you all enjoy the game, whether you're watching by yourself or partying with friends and family. 

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

​​Thursday, February 2nd, 2017

With National Signing Day 2017 in the books, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced yesterday afternoon that the Tigers have added 23 of the country's top high school and junior college players for the 2017 season. What follows is a list of every player, with a few details about them.

- Calvin Ashley (OL, 6-7, 330; St. John's College HS; Washington D.C.): Top-tier offensive tackle for Coach Joe Casamento at St. John's College High...USA Today first team All-American....Under Armour All-America Game...No. 6 offensive tackle for ESPN, 247Sports, Scout...7th offensive tackle for Rivals....also played basketball, active in community service.

- ​Malcom Askew (DB, 5-11, 185; McAdory HS; McCalla, Ala.): Enrolled in January....played at McAdory for Coach David Powell...2016 regional MVP...2016 first-team and 2015 second-team ASWA all-state...Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game....played QB as a senior...rushed 61 times for 238 yards and three TDs....93-of-175 passing for 1,536 yards and 17 TDs...also had 11 tackles and an INT on defense....consensus four-star prospect....No. 7 player in state of Alabama according to Rivals....helped Yellow Jackets to 8-4 record and trip to second round of Class 6A playoffs...also played baseball and basketball....studying in the College of Engineering 

- Devan Barrett (RB, 6-1, 195; Tampa Catholic HS; Tampa, Fla.): Multi-talented athlete playing for Coach Mike Gregory and the Crusaders, playing running back and safety....1,271 yards rushing and 11 TDs in nine games as a senior, with 1,507 all-purpose yards...44 career TDs and over 4,000 total yards...also played basketball

- Nick Brahms (OL, 6-4, 280; Navarre HS; Navarre, Fla.): ​Offensive guard who enrolled in January...preseason first-team all-state for Coach Jay Walls....missed senior season with broken leg...won Doc Blanchard Award at U.S. Army All-American Bowl for outstanding scholar-athlete...second-team Florida Class 6A all-state as a junior...also lettered in weightlifting and track...father played lacrosse at Air Force....studying in the College of Business

- K.J. Britt (LB, 6-0, 235; Oxford HS; Oxford, Ala.): Hard-hitting prospect who enrolled in January...played at Oxford High for Coach Ryan Herring...124 tackles as a senior...added 17 TFL, five sacks, and an INT....2016 regional MVP and first-team all-state...2015 first-team ASWA all-state honoree...Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game....helped team to 10-1 record, region title and playoff berth in 2016...studying in College of Engineering.

- Big Cat Bryant (Buck, 6-4, 225; Crisp County High; Cordele, Ga.): Premier pass rusher who led the Cougars to state Class 3A semifinals...Georgia class 3A defensive player of the year and all-state...102 tackles, 36.5 TFL, 15.5 sacks as a senior...Under Armour All-America Game...also a basketball and track letterman...cousin of former Auburn defensive lineman Montravius Adams

- ​Sal Cannella (TE, 6-5, 230; Scottsdale (Ariz.) CC; St. Viator HS; Arlington Heights, Ill.): Excels as a pass-catcher...29 receptions for 449 yards and seven scores in 2016 at Scottsdale CC...first-team all WSFL-ACCAC...all-area and all-Northwest at St. Viator (Ill.) High...31 catches for 521 yards and seven TDs as a senior...also all-conference and all-area in basketball...studying in the College of Human Sciences 

- Anders Carlson (K, 6-3, 185; Classical Academy; Colorado Springs, Colo.): Nation's top-rated prep kicker...went 13-of-23 on field goal attempts with a long of 51 and a perfect 49-of-49 on extra points...Under Armour All-America Game....three-sport star in football, basketball and soccer...brother of current Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson.

- Carlito Gonzalez (DB, 6-1, 195; Stephenson HS; Decatur, Ga.): Hard-hitting safety prospect who played for Coach Ron Gartrell and the Region 6-AAAAA Champion Stephenson Jaguars...Class 6A Georgia all-region coaches team...also ran track in high school

- Noah Igbinoghene (WR, 5-11, 190; Hewitt-Trussville HS; Trussville, Ala.): Speedy wide receiver for Coach Josh Floyd and the Huskies...had more than 1,700 all-purpose yards and 18 TDs in 12 games his senior year...all USA Today Alabama first-team...ASWA Class 7A all-state first team...Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game...also ran track in high school....parents were Olympic track athletes 

- Alec Jackson (DL, 6-5, 280; Jefferson Davis HS; Montgomery, Ala.): Big-bodied lineman for Coach Lee Carter and the Volunteers...had six sacks, 60 tackles and nine TFL his senior year....138 tackles, 13.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries for his career...Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game....all USA Today Alabama first-team...ASWA Class 7A all-state second-team... 

- Traivon Leonard (DB, 6-0, 190; Oxbridge Academy; West Palm Beach, Fla.): Instinctive defensive back for Coach Brendan Kent at Oxbridge Academy...had 10 career INTs and 57 total tackles for the ThunderWolves...first team all-county and second team all-state...also played basketball...won Pathfinder Award 

- T.D. Moultry (LB, 6-2, 230; Jackson-Olin HS; Birmingham, Ala.): High-speed linebacker who primarily plays on the outside...MaxPreps first-team All-America for Coach Tim Vakakes and the Mustangs...all USA Today Alabama first-team...ASWA Class 6A all-state first team...U.S. Army All-American Bowl...also played basketball

- Jordyn Peters (DB, 6-1, 185; Muscle Shoals HS; Muscle Shoals, Ala.): Elusive, hard-hitting safety who played for Coach Scott Basden and the Trojans...all-USA Today Alabama second-team...Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game....also a basketball and track and field letterman...dad played basketball at William and Mary

- John Samuel Shenker (TE, 6-4, 240; Colquitt County HS; Moultrie, Ga.): Versatile athlete for Coach Rush Propst and the Packers...as a senior, he had 30 receptions for 451 yards and two TDs...first-team all-state...regional special teams player of year....standout infielder on 2015 and 2016 state champion baseball teams at Deerfield-Windsor...father played football at Harding University

- Jarrett Stidham (QB, 6-2, 210; McLennan CC; Stephenville HS; Stephenville, Tex.): Five-star quarterback transfer who was the nation's top-rated dual-threat signal-caller coming out of the prep ranks...student at McLennan CC, fall 2016...played 2015 season at Baylor, where he was 75-of-109 passing for 1,265 yards and 12 TDs as a true freshman...three-time all-state selection for Coach Joseph Gillespie at Stephenville High....Under Armour All-American Game...Elite 11...District 3-4A MVP as a junior...career passing totals of 6,516 yards and 80 TDs....career rushing of 1,790 yards and 29 scores...all-district in basketball and also ran track....studying in the College of Liberal Arts 

- Bill Taylor (LS, 6-4, 240; American Christian Academy; Tuscaloosa, Ala.): Athletic long snapper who played for Coach Chris Smelley at American Christian Academy...five-star prospect rated No. 2 by Kohl's Kicking...four-year starter for the Patriots...dad was a long snapper and linebacker at Alabama

- Austin Troxell (OL, 6-7, 315; Madison Academy; Gurley, Ala.): Versatile lineman who played both sides of the line of scrimmage for Coach Grant Reynolds and the Mustangs....first-team ASWA all-state and Class 4A all-Region 7 team...Under Armour All-American Game...consensus Top 25 offensive tackle....also played basketball 

- Tyrone Truesdell (DL, 6-3, 335; Lucy Laney HS; Augusta, Ga.): Run-stuffing defensive lineman who played for Coach Rodney McFadden and the Wildcats...39 tackles, seven TFL, 2.5 sacks as a senior...Border Bowl Team Georgia...Augusta Chronicle Dream 16....first team all-Region 4-AA and all-area...also throws the shot-put.

- JaTarvious Whitlow (WR, 6-0, 200; LaFayette HS; LaFayette, Ala.): Talented athlete who is a three-sport all-state performer... ASWA Class 2A back of the year for Coach James Lucas' Bulldogs...passed for 2,292 yards and 29 TDs and rushed for 2,147 yards and 30 TDs as a senior...Offense/Defense All-American Bowl offensive MVP...all-state in basketball and finalist for player of the year...selected for AHSAA North-South basketball all-star game...state champion in the long jump, triple jump, 200 meters and 400 meters 

- Alaric Williams (RB, 6-1, 210; Southside HS; Southside, Ala.): Multi-talented athlete who projects as a running back...played for Coach Ron Daugherty and the Panthers...gained 550 yards and seven TDs in just four games...ASWA Class 6A second-team all-state...also ran track

- Malik Willis (QB, 6-1, 185; Roswell HS; Atlanta, Ga.): Quarterback prospect who enrolled in January...played senior season for Coach John Ford at Roswell High, leading the Hornets to the Class 7A state title game....passed for 2,562 yards and rushed for 1,033 as a senior, accounting for 37 TDs....Class 7A AJC offensive player of year and first-team all-state...played sophomore and junior seasons at Westlake High....also a baseball letterman and honor roll student....uncle James Anderson played 11 seasons in the NFL....studying in the College of Business

- Chandler Wooten (LB, 6-2, 225, North Cobb HS; Acworth, Ga.): Productive edge rusher who enrolled in January....registered 124 tackles and 15 TFL as a senior at North Cobb High....Class 7A all-state and regional defensive player of the year for Coach Shane Queen...Under Armour All-American Game...studying in the College of Business 

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