​​Lyle's Corner

January 30th, 2017
I'll begin today's post with some recruiting news. The football team has landed a new tight end. 
John Samuel Shenker, a 3-star tight end/H-back from Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County, verbally pledged to Auburn on Sunday during his official visit to the campus. 
Shenker received a scholarship from Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey less than 48 hours after Lindsey was hired.
Six days later, Shenker made his decision. He is the Tigers' 20th commitment.
"Before I came here, I thought this was the place for me, but I just wanted to make sure," he said. "It's been a while since I've thought about Auburn. It's a fast process, but when I got here, I knew this was the place to be." 
The 6-feet-3, 245-pound Shenker is the No. 96 tight end nationally in the 247Sports Composite. During his senior seasonb,, he caught 30 passes for 451 yards and two touchdowns. 
He's the second tight end in the 2017 class, joining January enrollee Salvatore Cannella - formerly of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. 
"I've always liked them," Shenker explained. "Since I was young I've gone to their games. It's only two hours away. I've always grown up watching them." 
Surprisingly, Shenker was actually once committed to the Auburn baseball team. However, he has now turned his attention to the football field. 
"Committing for baseball, then changing my love to football, it didn't change how I felt about the campus and the school," Shenker said. "Not much changed." 
- Elsewhere, an Auburn graduate transfer has found a new home. Stanton Truitt has committed to North Carolina.
Truitt will play running back and slot receiver for the Tar Heels. 
He has two years of eligibility left and will be able to play immediately. 
The 5-feet-9, 185-pound Truitt was one of Auburn's fastest athletes with a 4.4-second speed. He chose UNC over offers from Florida Atlantic, Nevada, SMU, Miami, Kansas State and Virginia Tech. 
He officially visited FAU January 13-15.
He took a trip to North Carolina from January 16-18. "I love North Carolina," Truitt said. "I loved it. Just the school. The Business Department especially to get my Master's Degree. I got to hang out with the players and coaches. Everything is straight. My family trusted them and one another there." 
North Carolina loses its top two running backs and top three wide receivers. Availability in a spread, tempo offense drew Truitt in. 
"It's a no-brainer," Truitt said. "The opportunity is there. I saw the film and saw everything I can do."
Tar Heels running backs coach Larry Porter recruited Truitt for UNC.
I wish Stanton the best of luck at his new stomping grounds.
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, January 29th, 2017
Auburn walked into Fort Worth, Texas as a double-digit underdog, and left with a stunning upset.
The Tigers, thanks to a dominant second-half performance, defeated the TCU Horned Frogs 88-80 at Schollmaier Arena in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge yesterday evening. 
Auburn went on a commanding 25-2 run midway through the final 20 minutes to take an 80-59 advantage with 5:19 remaining that largely put this one out of reach. Freshman Austin Wiley led the way in that stretch, scoring nine straight points for the Tigers. He finished the game with a career-high 25 points, 21 of which came in the second half. 
Freshman Mustapha Heron was close behind with 17 points, 15 in the first half. Meanwhile, Jared Harper posted 13 points and four assists in just 19 minutes of play despite early foul struggles. 
Head coach Bruce Pearl had a very sound description of his team's performance. "That's probably the best we've competed this year," he stated. "I thought that our run in the second half where we turned up the defense a little bit and created some offense out of our defense was a big factor. The fact that we were able to get to the rim. I thought our guards were patient in getting the ball to Austin and to Anfernee, and we finished at the rim. That was a big factor." 
Wiley had a similar view on the victory. "It feels great," he said. "The team played phenomenal. We just have to keep picking it up and keep playing hard. I am sick a little bit, but I just tried to come out and help my team. Everybody helped me out by playing great. I am just proud of everybody." 
Anfernee McLemore recorded 13 points and five rebounds, while T.J. Dunans had four points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Pearl was blunt on Dunans' performance, calling him "a stat sheet stuffer." 
The win gave Auburn a 3-0 record in Big 12 play. The Tigers now have four true road victories this season, the most since 2008-09, and ties the mark for the most in the SEC with Florida. 
Auburn shot 54 percent from the floor and had a 38-36 lead in rebounds while assisting on 23 of its 36 made field goal attempts. The defense, meanwhile, held TCU to 41 percent shooting from the floor after they shot 61 percent in the first half. 
The first half was a wild shootout. McLemore's dunk gave the Tigers a 45-43 edge at halftime. By then, Heron had tallied 15 points. 
The Tigers notched their fourth win in six games to improve to 14-7 overall, 3-5 in SEC action, while TCU fell to 14-7, 3-5 in Big 12 play. 
Texas A&M transfer Alex Robinson led TCU with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Vladmir Brodziansky complemented him with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Having wrapped up regular season non-conference play, the Tigers will host Tennessee at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday night on the SEC Network. The Vols topped Kansas State 70-58 yesterday for their third straight victory. 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 


Saturday, January 28th, 2017
A former Auburn football standout will soon be roaming the sidelines again. 
Ex-linebacker Kevin Greene has gained another coaching gig, as it was reported yesterday afternoon that he had taken a job coaching outside linebackers with the NFL's New York Jets. 
Greene was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame last year, but hasn't been in coaching since he left the Green Bay Packers staff in 2014 citing his desire to spend more time with his family. 
During his senior year at Auburn, Greene recorded 11 sacks, winning the 1984 SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. 
During a 15-year tenure in the NFL, Greene played for the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers (twice) and San Francisco 49ers, and recorded 160 sacks and forced 23 fumbles. He led the league in sacks in 1994 and 1996. 
As a coach, he guided the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers and will aim to help get the Jets back on track after a very disappointing 2016 campaign. 
One last note: Don't forget that Auburn basketball plays at TCU tonight at 5 p.m. CT, with the contest being televised on ESPNU. 
That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
Friday, January 27th, 2017

Yes, I'm still out there. I've been watching Auburn's basketball games, and I'm well aware that the football program hired its new offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey. Unfortunately, I've dealt with more important events over the last nine days that have kept me from writing. 
Auburn football has one less commitment in the 2017 recruiting class. Octavius Matthews, the No. 1 athlete in the junior college ranks, told SEC Country yesterday that he has de-committed from the Tigers. As Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports first indicated, this may have been a choice on Auburn's part. Regardless, Matthews was already starting to explore other schools.  
He took an official visit to Purdue last weekend. He pointed out that he "may" take an official visit to Tennessee this weekend, although the Volunteers already accepted a running back commit earlier this week. As of now, Matthews said that Purdue and Kansas are his favorites for the time being. 
Matthews' de-commitment from the Tigers gives Auburn two running back commits in the 2017 class - 4-star prospects Devan Barrett and Alaric Williams. Matthews won't be joining them. 
His decision drops the Tigers slightly in the composite score, but they remain at No. 8 in the team rankings with a slim advantage over Texas A&M. Aside from the fact that most of the top options are already decided, it's unlikely that Auburn will add another running back late in this class. 
Matthews has agonized over his options for months now. He announced his plans to take official visits to Kansas and Western Kentucky. He also had grade issues, which pushed his planned enrollment back one semester already.
Matthews flipped to Auburn from Louisville on June 6. 
In other news...
- Auburn basketball. plays at TCU tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be telecast on ESPNU. 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 


Tuesday, January 17th, 2017
Losing Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams to the NFL Draft obviously dealt the Auburn defense quite a blow. However, one of the most vital components of the Tigers' secondary will be back for one last ride in 2017. 

Safety Tray Matthews will return for his senior season. He said prior to the Allstate Sugar Bowl that he planned to return to The Plains, but still had to discuss his future with his family. 

"I'm pretty much coming back," Matthews stated at the time. "I'm just curious." 

Yesterday evening, on the last day underclassmen could enter their name in the NFL Draft, Matthews made an official announcement on Twitter. 
"Excited to play one more year and my last year here at Auburn . This WILL be an epic year," he wrote. 
Matthews concluded his junior season with 76 tackles and an interception. He transferred to Auburn after the 2013 campaign, sat out the following season and made his debut in 2015. He dealt with shoulder injuries in his first season with the Tigers, but played a crucial role at safety during his junior campaign, when the Tiger defense finished seventh nationally in scoring defense, only giving up an average of 17.1 points per game. 
In other news...
- Auburn basketball returns to action tomorrow night when they host LSU at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. 
That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

Monday, January 16th, 2017​​
Two former Auburn assistants have joined forces. 
Former Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes will serve in the same position at UConn next season, a source familiar with the decision confirmed to AuburnUndercover. 
Grimes served as the Tigers' offensive line coach from 2013-15. Under his leadership, his offensive fronts regularly ranked among the best in the nation and set the stage for the SEC's first offense to lead the nation in rushing (328.3 yards per game) in 2013. Grimes coached NFL Draft picks Shon Coleman and Greg Robinson. Also, center Reese Dismukes won the Rimington Trophy during his three-year Auburn career. 
Grimes left The Plains following the 2015 season to coach under former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati. The Bears fired Tuberville following this season. Grimes was on Cincy's staff for one season. His hiring at UConn was first reported by James Crepea of AL.com.
Grimes joins Rhett Lashlee, the former Auburn offensive coordinator who left for the same position at UConn on Wednesday. 
That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017
It was a wacky game, but Auburn finally clinched its first SEC win of the season. On the road, no less. The Tigers topped Missouri 77-72 at Mizzou Arena yesterday evening. 
 
Mustapha Heron led the way, tallying 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists and scoring seven of Auburn's final 11 points. 
 
He was one of five Tigers to score in double figures, including 43 points off the bench. Bryce Brown and Ronnie Johnson each scored 13 bench points. Brown canned 4-of-8 3-point shots. Elsewhere, Jared Harper posted 10 points and four rebounds, while Horace Spencer amassed 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks. 
 
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was especially glad to get the victory. "That is a team in Missouri fighting for their lives," he said. "It is a road win. It is an SEC win. Right now, given the fact we are a mish-mash, we will take it." 
 
As the game came down the stretch, Mustapha Heron truly made his presence felt. He nailed two different crucial shots with the score tied. First, he sank a trey from the right corner to put Auburn ahead 60-57 with 5:09 left. That was soon followed by another 3 for a 69-66 edge and another jumper for a 71-66 Auburn cushion with 1:27 to go. 
 
He didn't stop there, draining two free throws with 21 seconds remaining. Johnson then locked up the victory with two foul shots of his own. Auburn converted all six free throw tries in the last 52 seconds. 
 
Heron had quite an explanation for his vital 3-pointers in the game's waning minutes. "Knowing that I didn't get off to a good start, I tried to put that past me and do what I do basically. It's very important. It was a hard-fought win." 
 
Early in the second half, the road Tigers went on a 9-0 run in 1:43 that included Bryce Brown's fourth 3-pointer, a LaRon Smith lay-up, a tip-in by Horace Spencer and a lay-in by Ronnie Johnson. In the process, Auburn went back in front 47-44 with 13:11 to play. 
 
With the victory, Auburn equaled last year's win total, moving to 11-5 overall, 1-3 in the SEC. Missouri fell to 5-10, 0-3 in the conference. 
 
Jordan Barnett led Mizzou, tallying 20 points. 
 
Auburn has another road match on Saturday against Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The game is set for 3 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast on ESPN. 
 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​Sunday, January 8th, 2017
Sometimes, even the best individual performance isn't enough to lead your team to victory. 
 
Auburn freshman Mustapha Heron scored 20 points against Ole Miss last night, tying a school record in the process. But alas, it wasn't enough to prevent the Rebels from beating the Tigers 88-85. Auburn had an eight-point lead at halftime, but it quickly slipped away. 
 
Heron has now tallied double figures in all 15 of his college contests, the longest streak ever by an Auburn freshman. He eclipsed the mark of Wesley Person, who set his milestone in the 1990-91 campaign. 
 
In Heron's case,. he scored 16 of the Tigers' last 19 points, helping his squad wipe out a 12-point Ole Miss advantage within just four minutes of playing time. He evened the score at 80-all with 1:02 to go. 
 
Jared Harper pitched in as well. 
 
"While I was observing on the bench my team was fighting to get us back in the game," he stated. "I think we were down eight and coach put me back in the game and put the ball in my hands."
 
Harper didn't disappoint, as he got hot in the closing minutes and finished the game with 24 points. While it wasn't enough to change the outcome, he remained in good spirits, saying, "I think we got better."
 
Conversely, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl offered a different kind of reasoning. "When you score 85 points, you should win a lot of college basketball games," he said. However, he also noted that he was "pleased with our effort."  
 
Apart from the loss, the Tigers suffered another blow when Danjel Purifoy, their second-leading scorer, turned his left ankle in the first half. He spent the second half on crutches and Pearl said the freshman is doubtful for Tuesday's contest at Missouri. He scored six against the Rebels. That's quite a contrast from his average of 14.2 points per match. 
 
"That was tough. He's an important part of our scheme," Pearl lamented. 
 
The Tigers slipped to 10-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play. This marks their first 0-3 start in the league since the 2013-14 season.  Meanwhile, Ole Miss improved to 10-5 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. 
 
However, Heron insisted that the Tigers are turning the page. 
 
"We're worried about getting the next one," he said. "We got better tonight, and we're going to Mizzou with a clear mind." 
 
The Battle of the Tigers begins at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday night, and will be televised on the SEC Network. 
 
In other news...
 
- The football team has its new secondary coach on board. And it didn't have to look very far to find him. 
 
Auburn hired Missouri secondary coach Greg Brown yesterday. Brown replaces Wesley McGriff, who spent one season as the Tigers' secondary coach, but left The Plains after Auburn's 35-19 Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma to become defensive coordinator at Ole Miss. 
 
"I'm excited to welcome Greg Brown, who is one of the best defensive backs coaches in all of football to our staff at Auburn," head coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement. "Greg has coached three Thorpe Award winners and has a strong proven track record of developing players at both the college and professional levels." 
 
Brown coached Missouri's cornerbacks last season. Prior to that, he coached at Louisville for two seasons and at Alabama in 2013 as secondary coach. Brown is the fifth former assistant under Nick Saban to be hired by Gus Malzahn at Auburn. 
 
"I'm extremely excited to come to Auburn and have the opportunity to work for Gus Malzahn and on the defensive side of the ball with (defensive coordinator) Kevin Steele," Brown said in a statement. "Auburn has a great football tradition built on hard work and toughness. I can't wait to get to Auburn to help continue to build upon that success." 
 
Brown was defensive coordinator at Colorado from 2011-12 and co-coordinator at Arizona in 2010. In total, he has held 16 different assistant coaching positions in the NFL and college since 1984. 
 
Missouri led the SEC with 15 interceptions during the regular season, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Brown has coached three Jim Thorpe Award winners in his three-decade-plus career. He previously worked with Steele at Alabama in 2013. 
 
That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

​Friday, January 6th, 2017
It just wasn't Auburn's night in Vanderbilt's Memorial Gymnasium on Wednesday evening. 
 
The Commodores stormed out to a 21-2 lead early and went on to defeat the Tigers 80-61.
 
Matthew Fisher-Davis frustrated Auburn in particular, scoring 19 of Vandy's first 24 points. He finished the match with seven treys and 33 total points.
 
The Tigers still haven't won there since 2000. The Commodores notched their 10th straight victory over Auburn, and their 13th victory against them overall. 
 
Head coach Bruce Pearl summed it up well. "Vanderbilt played great," he said. "They had their way with us. I'm very disappointed in our defensive effort. We got the ball to the rim a lot but couldn't score. It was very difficult at the beginning when they jumped on us and took it away quickly." 
 
Auburn fell to 10-4 overall and 0-2 in league play. Meanwhile, Vandy improved to 8-6 overall and 2-0 in the SEC.
 
The Tigers started four freshmen for the fourth consecutive contest. It didn't work out so well. They dug themselves into an early hole before battling back and staying nip and tuck with the Commodores for the last 13 minutes of the first half. Still, Auburn trailed 46-29 at the break.
 
The Tigers continued to fight gamely in the second half, but couldn't overcome their inauspicious beginning. 
 
Jared Harper led Auburn with 19 points, including 14 in the second half. Mustapha Heron was close behind with 13. Unfortunately, Vandy nailed 14 3-pointers of their own. Fisher-Davis did most of the damage. 
 
"He is a terrific shooter and does a great job of getting open," Pearl admitted. "He got a lot in transition too because we weren't executing and turning the ball over." 
 
Hopefully, Auburn will bounce back when they host Ole Miss at 5 p.m. CT Saturday in Auburn Arena. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network. 
 
In other news...
 
- Jochen Wiest, who was accused of setting fire to a Toomer's Corner oak tree nearly four months ago, has learned his fate. 
 
He pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to first-degree criminal mischief, thereby closing the case on the hideous incident. 
 
Wiest was given a three-year suspended jail sentence, five years of probation, a $20,807 fine and a ban from Auburn's campus.
 
According to OANow.com, the fine money will be used to replace the damaged tree. 
 
Wiest will return to Germany after he receives his passport, which was confiscated to assure that he'd remain in America to stand trial for the arson. 
 
Regardless of his punishment, I'm personally concerned about only one thing: Will Wiest be successful in paying the fine money? If you've read any recent articles on Harvey Updyke, you know that he's nowhere near paying his restitution in full...and more than likely never will do so.
 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!  
 

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017
With Auburn's 2016 football season having been in the record books for nearly two days, two players have already decided on their future plans. One will stay put, while the other will move on. I'll start with the departure.
 
Yesterday, sophomore receiver Stanton Truitt announced on Twitter that he plans to transfer and spend his last two years of college at another school. He will be immediately eligible as a graduate.
 
In part, his message read, "I can't wait to start my new journey and see where 2017 takes me. Thank you all for everything!"
 
Truitt, a third-year sophomore, had one reception for four yards in Auburn's 35-19 loss to Oklahoma in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Monday night.
 
This season, he had seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. His longest reception was 45 yards. He was the Tigers' sixth-leading rusher with 187 yards and two scores. His best game came against Arkansas in October, when he rushed for 78 yards and two TDs and caught a 45-yard scoring pass as well in Auburn's 56-3 blowout of the Razorbacks.
 
Truitt moved from receiver to running back midway through the season, yet saw time at both positions late in the year. He's the first player to decide to leave the team since the season ended.
 
Truitt was rated a three-star prospect out of Monroe, Ga., in high school. 
 
Now, for the good news.
 
Quarterback John Franklin III will stick around for his senior campaign.
 
Therefore, Auburn is expected to begin the spring with a three-man race at quarterback with Sean White, Jarrett Stidham and Franklin III vying for the job after a roller coaster season marked by struggles and injuries at the position.
 
In the Sugar Bowl, White suffered a broken forearm, while Franklin III was hindered by a hand injury.
 
"I plan on being here for my fifth year. I'm graduating from Auburn and playing my last season here," Franklin III stated following the game. 
 
Franklin III had been considering leaving the team as a graduate transfer in the summer.
 
"I'll talk about it with my family afterwards and we're going to make the best decision but as of now I plan on being here," he said.
 
Franklin III went 3-of-7 passing for 25 yards, and also had five carries for 16 yards before his right hand gave out. He said that the cramps wouldn't allow him to grab the football in an unusual and unexplainable injury.  
 
Franklin III, who transferred from East Mississippi Community College, is confident that he will be a strong contender for the starting job against White and Stidham, a highly-touted transfer from Baylor. 
 
"Now that I've got a whole year experience under my belt, coaches know what type of player I am and I feel like I've got a real chance this time," he assured. 
 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017
Auburn didn't have the joyful finish it had hoped for to close out an up-and-down season. 
 
Oklahoma whipped the Tigers 35-19 in the Sugar Bowl in the Superdome in New Orleans last night. It was incredibly similar to the first meeting between the schools in the same bowl game in 1972, when the Sooners, behind quarterback Jack Mildren, routed Auburn by a 40-22 count. 
 
This time, the Tiger offense came out roaring on its first series, mixing the run and pass effectively and chewing up almost six minutes of the clock. The drive culminated in H-back Chandler Cox's 3-yard scoring scamper - his first touchdown as a Tiger. 
 
The bad news? Quarterback Sean White suffered a broken forearm on the drive. Despite that, he remained in the game, trying to convince himself and his coaches that he could tough it out. But then the truth came forth in the X-rays,  and John Franklin III stepped in. However, he later dealt with an arm injury of his own. Hence, Jeremy Johnson finished out the contest. 
 
After Auburn's quick start, the Sooners responded with two TD drives of their own to take a 14-7 lead. Still, the Tigers kept it close with two Daniel Carlson field goals to narrow the score to 14-13 at the half. 
 
In the second half, however, any hope of an Auburn victory vanished. 
 
Let's try to break this down and see what went wrong. 
 
Offense: As noted above, the Tigers hung tough in the first 30 minutes, but the wheels came off from that point on. White and Franklin's injuries certainly didn't help matters. White finished the game just 4-of-10 for 35 yards. Franmklin was 3-of-7 for 25 yards. Johnson did a decent job, going 5-of-9 for 93 yards with an interception. Unfortunately, Auburn's only passing touchdown was  thrown by running back Kerryon Johnson, who hit tight end Jalen Harris on a 2-yard toss from the Wildcat formation on the game's final play. The only real bright spot on this side of the ball was Kamryn Pettway, who generated 101 yards on 24 carries, but didn't find the end zone. The Tigers finished the night with 339 yards. Frankly, that's a surprising figure. 
 
Defense: When this unit gives up 524 yards of offense to its opponent, you know it's been a rough day. Also, the 35 points the Tigers gave up were the most they surrendered this season. Slowing down Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, Joe Mixon and Dede Westbrook proved too great a challenge for Kevin Steele's bunch. 
 
Special teams: Daniel Carlson was his usual outstanding self, slamming three of his four kickoffs through the end zone, and nailing two field goals and two PATs. Kevin Phillips was just as impressive, averaging 48.8 yards on his five punts. He pinned two of them inside the 20. The return game was solid in kickoffs, but not on punts. The Tigers will certainly be glad to have Carlson back next year for one last ride, although the same can't be said for Phillips.
 
Overall: In a nutshell, the Tigers came out of the gate looking ready to upset the Sooners, but became listless in the final 30 minutes. It was a disappointing conclusion to a crazy 2016 campaign. Now, as the team heads into the offseason, there is plenty to wonder about. Will the Tigers be able to turn things around? Will a new quarterback win the starting race over spring practice and preseason camp? Will the offense make improvements? Will the defense regain its tenacity? Can the coaches develop the talent they have (especially at QB)?  Will next fall be Gus Malzahn's last chance to right the ship? Only time will reveal the answers.  
 
In other news...
 
- Auburn basketball returns to action at Vanderbilt tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network. 
 
That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!