June 2016

Lyle's Corner

Thursday, June 30th, 2016

Sometimes, even the most determined person is fighting a battle that those around them may not have the vaguest clue about.

When 4-star offensive lineman signee Brodarious Hamm of Griffin (Ga.) Spalding was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, shortly after National Signing Day, his expected arrival date at Auburn became a mystery.

But as of now, the question has been answered. Hamm is at Auburn - and has enrolled in classes.

Still, the fight is not over for the 6-foot-3, 320-pound Hamm. It's a work in progress.

As his battle with the disease goes on, Hamm will not play this season. Despite that, knowledgeable sources tell AuburnUndercover that his long-term prognosis is good and the Tigers look forward to getting him on the field down the road.

Hamm was ranked as the No. 32 tackle in the nation by the 247Sports Composite.

On a brighter note, today is former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall's birthday. Happy Birthday, Nick! I and all Auburn fans everywhere will never forget all the excitement you brought us on the field, especially in 2013! Good luck finding success in the NFL.

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

Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

Academics always takes priority over sports for a reason.

According to a report from AL.com's Wesley Sinor, 3-star safety and Auburn signee Marlon Character Jr. continues to have his enrollment delayed due to academic issues, as he needs to raise his grade in an online class that ends this Friday.

He will also be re-taking the ACT on July 6, so an academic improvement is necessary to get him to Auburn by July 31.

"He's been trying to infuse studying for the test and taking the online with staying in shape and working out and training," Marlon Character Sr. stated. "I told him, 'This will be your future. You have to learn how to manage your time.' There have been a couple of disappointments, I'm not going to lie, but this is what he's worked for his entire life. This kid doesn't have any quit in him, I see that."

The 6-foot, 170-pound Character committed to the Tigers last November, choosing Auburn over the perceived favorite, South Carolina, and many others. He had 20 offers altogether.

Ranked as the No. 18 player at his position for the class of 2016, Character is part of an incoming Auburn group that ranked ninth nationally (fifth in the SEC) in the 247Sports' team rankings.

"My main goal is just getting there," Character Jr. said. "Getting there healthy and as soon as possible. I'm going to be getting down there a little later than everybody else so I'll be trying to pick up the playbook and getting the hang of things and getting a feel for the coaches and the players and classes and everything.

"Once I get my head wrapped around everything, my goal is to make immediate starts and an immediate impact on the team. It'll be hard but I feel like I can get it done."

His confidence is clearly there, but let's all hope he keeps his grades afloat.

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

Monday, June 27th, 2016

Late last night, Auburn football landed its 11th commitment. This time, it's a former Baylor signee.

Less than 48 hours after visiting The Plains for the very first time, all-purpose back Kameron Martin announced his pledge to the Tigers via Twitter yesterday.

Martin, a 5-foot-10, 178-pounder from Port Arthur, Texas, took an official visit to Auburn this past Friday and Saturday and narrowed his choice down to Auburn or TCU before settling on the Tigers.

He will be eligible to play this fall after being granted a release from his scholarship at Baylor. He is expected to enroll in classes this week.

Following his visit, Martin told AL.com, "It was amazing. They treated me like family...The guys really want me and they feel like I can fit real good in their offense. They feel like I can come in there and play running back. My thing is, I just want to go somewhere where I can compete at the highest level. The SEC is the highest level."

Martin is a speedy running back who can be inserted at multiple spots on the field. He is a former four-star prospect who was rated as the country's No. 7 all-purpose back in the 2016 class by the 247Sports Composite. Reportedly, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds last year and tallied 1,846 yards as a junior and senior at Memorial High School.

This addition gives Auburn more options as they look to replace Roc Thomas and Peyton Barber in the backfield. Barber left for the NFL Draft, while Thomas transferred to Jacksonville State. Jovon Robinson is now the clear-cut starter, and Kerryon Johnson will look to bounce back in fall camp after missing spring practices due to a shoulder injury.

In other news...

- Athletic director Jay Jacobs announced today that Auburn has scheduled a home-and-home series with Penn State for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The first of the two showdowns will be played at State College before the Tigers host the Nittany Lions at Jordan-Hare Stadium the following year.

"This is another great opportunity for our players and fans to be part of something special," Jacobs said. "Bringing together elite programs rich in tradition is what college football is all about. We look forward to this home-and-home series with Penn State."

This will mark the first time in program history that Auburn has played a Big Ten opponent during the regular season. However, these two squads have faced each other twice before, and they've split them. PSU demolished the Tigers 43-14 in the 1996 Outback Bowl, but the Tigers returned the favor in the 2003 Capital One Bowl, upsetting the Nittany Lions 13-9.

On a personal note, I remember both of those games vividly. As for the '96 game, the weather was a monsoon in Tampa that day. Frankly, that game never should have been played in those conditions. Our offense was totally out of sync, and our defense couldn't stop Penn State and QB Wally Richardson.

On the first day of 2003, I watched our tangle with PSU on ABC. Prior to kickoff, then-studio analyst and former Auburn coach Terry Bowden predicted that he was "not sure they'll (Auburn) be able to pull this one off." Nearly everyone felt the same way. Penn State had a Heisman Trophy finalist in running back Larry Johnson. How wrong those predictions were. Johnson was limited to just 72 yards on 20 carries. Instead, the day belong to junior Auburn running back Ronnie Brown, who racked up 184 yards on 37 carries, with two touchdowns. He earned game MVP honors. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions never found the end zone all day, and could only muster three Robbie Gould field goals. Talk about Big D!

Oh, yeah: And the weather was a heck of a lot better than it had been seven years prior.

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

Sunday, June 26th, 2016

All of the news I have to share today comes from the football department.

To begin, Auburn has landed its 10th commitment for 2017, and he happens to be the brother of a current Tiger.

Place-kicker Anders Carlson, younger brother of Auburn All-American kicker Daniel Carlson, has pledged to the Tigers.

According to Kohl's Kicking, he ranks nationally as the No. 2 place-kicker. He picked Auburn over Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt.

"For me, the SEC was a big-time factor," Carlson said. "So that limited it to Vandy and Auburn. And then, my brother was an important factor. Also, for myself, playing in the SEC and winning games is a lot more fun.

Auburn is a very high-level SEC team that will win games. Also, academically, it fits what I want."

The 6-feet-4, 190-pound Carlson made 12 of 18 field goals in 2015, including two from 52 yards away.

He'll head to Auburn mainly as a place-kicker but, like his brother, he can also punt if necessary.

Kohl's Kicking wrote the following description of Carlson: "Carlson is a superior athlete that will be a D1 specialist just like his older brother Daniel. Daniel is an NFL prospect and Anders is just as athletic at this point in his development. Anders has attended multiple Kohl's events over the years. In May of 2016 he proved he is going to be special by hitting two 85-yard KO's and hitting 9 of 10 FG's in the charting phase of camp. His consistency has improved and he was a weapon for his HS team last season. Carlson can also punt and with his 6'4'' frame he has a huge upside as a (kicker) of (punter)."

Carlson said that he has attended numerous Auburn games, including three Iron Bowls. (I can't help but wonder if the "Kick Six" game was one of them.) He also noted that the idea of possibly having seven or eight straight years of Carlsons kicking for Auburn was an extra bonus.

"I've thought about that," Carlson stated. "It's a cool thing to imagine. It's pretty awesome. But I'm more excited about my first year of him mentoring me on and off the field."

And Auburn fans everywhere should be equally excited to see Anders step up to see if he can follow in the successful footsteps of his big brother.

Now for a couple of bits of not-so-good news.

- Four-star defensive end signee Nick Coe of Asheboro (N.C.) was expected to arrive on the Auburn campus this weekend, and enroll in classes next week, but his high school coach has confirmed that that won't happen.

The exact reasons behind Coe's delayed arrival are hazy. Late last week, 247Sports was told that Coe made a 92 in an online course and was likely set to go.

Now, Asheboro High coach Owen George told AuburnUndercover that Coe will have to retake an online course for a higher grade.

"He will be (at Auburn) on July 31," George said.

The 6-feet-5.5, 265-pound Coe was a top-100 national recruit in the 247Sports rankings.

- Lastly for today, third-year sophomore defensive lineman James Thomas-Thornton announced on his Twitter account today that he is transferring from the program.

Thomas-Thornton was a member of Auburn's 2014 signing class. He redshirted that season and appeared in only one game in 2015, coming in the opener against Louisville. He leaves Auburn without having recorded a single individual stat.

Thomas-Thornton, who played at Vigor High School in Mobile, Ala., was rated as a 4-star prospect in the 2014 class according to the 247Sports Composite. The composite ranked him as the No. 6 weak side defensive end nationally and the No. 6 player overall in the state of Alabama.

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

Friday, June 24th, 2016

America's top softball recruit for 2017 is heading to The Plains.

Taylon Snow, a record-setting shortstop from Chino Hills (Calif.) High School, has announced via her Twitter account that she plans to sign with Auburn. She was previously committed to Washington, where her older sister, Tannon, is a freshman. Tannon originally pledged to Arizona State, but reversed her decision after Clint Myers left to become head coach at Auburn.

In three years as a starter, Taylon Snow has posted a batting average of .504, with 17 home runs and 102 RBIs in 99 games. She is ranked No. 1 in FloSoftball's Top 100 for the Class of 2017.

Chino Hills head coach Mike Southworth told FloSoftball that Taylon Snow's talents are unmistakable.

"Taylon Snow is an outstanding athlete and performer," Southworth said. "I have been fortunate to have many great basketball players as well as softball players play for me and she has possibly the greatest athletic skills of any of the basketball or softball players I have coached."

If that's any indication, perhaps Taylon will be a piece of the puzzle that could guide the Tigers to a College World Series title down the road. Let's hope so.

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

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016

I've been away for the past three days due to, among other things, celebrating my birthday. But now I'm back to post a couple of bits of news.

First off, sophomore Auburn basketball forward Horace Spencer has undergone successful meniscus surgery on his left knee and is expected to be fully recovered in time for preseason practice.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Spencer is expected to play a crucial role in coach Bruce Pearl's third year at the helm next season. Last year, Spencer averaged 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. He also blocked a team-high 65 shots.

"It was a tough break for Horace this summer," Coach Pearl stated. "He got off to a great start. Having just lost four frontline players in Jordon (Granger), Tray (Reed), Tyler (Harris) and Cim (Bowers), this is a big year for Horace.

"It's a tough break for him to miss the summer, but he is already ahead of schedule in his rehab, and he has a healthy knee. He has to keep working hard in the weight room and working hard academically. He will be good to go probably in September."

Let's all hope that that prediction comes true.

Now, I'll move on to some Olympic-related news.

Auburn diver Scott Lazeroff will enter this weekend on the brink of qualifying for the United States' Olympic team.

Lazeroff, a sophomore, scored a 671.10 in Tuesday's platform semifinals in Indianapolis, placing him 11th in the U.S. Diving Team Trials. During Tuesday morning's prelims, Lazeroff scored a 325.50, then eclipsed that with a 345.60 in the semis to claim one of the 12 transfer spots into Sunday's final.

The finals will begin at 5:40 p.m. CT on Sunday and be televised by NBC.

Two divers will move on to represent the U.S. at this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, which begin on August 6th. The platform diving prelims will be held on August 19th, with the semifinals and finals to follow on August 20th.

With all of this news out of the way, I'm in the mood to share a personal football-related tidbit.

If you're a history buff, then you know that this coming football season will mark the 20th anniversary of overtime being instituted into college football. On November 16th, 1996, Auburn hosted Georgia in the 100th edition of "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry." The teams and the fans had no way of knowing that they would be a part of history.

The Tigers, led by quarterback Dameyune Craig, cruised to a 28-7 halftime lead against a Georgia team that was only 3-5 at the time, and it seemed like a cake walk was in the making. But the Bulldogs, led by first-year head coach Jim Donnan, refused to fold. Quarterback Mike Bobo engineered a furious rally, capped off by a 30-yard touchdown strike to Corey Allen as time expired in regulation to deadlock the score at 28-all. The stage was set for the first overtime game in SEC history.

The teams valiantly fought, and fought, and fought some more. There was one overtime. Then there was another. And another. And another.

In the fourth OT, Georgia went up 56-49 on a two-yard TD scamper by Toran Kirtsey. Then Auburn took over, needing seven points to keep the game going. But alas, Lady Luck had had enough of this see-saw battle. Three plays netted seven yards, leaving Auburn in a do-or-die fourth--and-3 situation. Craig tried to convert on a QB keeper, but was stopped one yard shy on the 16. Game over.

Interesting note: A few years back, when I was still attending all of the home football games, I visited the new museum, I discovered that this very game was described on one of the orange and blue walls. The description ended by saying, "Auburn won 56-49 in four overtimes."

As the singer Meatloaf would have said, "Two out of three ain't bad." The final score was correct. Same with the number of overtimes. But the winning team was absolutely WRONG! I wasn't fooled one bit.

God only knows whether or not that error has been corrected since then. One thing I know for sure: Whoever printed that mistake on the wall either had one vivid imagination, or simply didn't want to cause an uproar by truthfully saying that Georgia won.

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

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

I originally had no intention to make a post today due to Father's Day...until I came across a bit of recruiting news that I had no knowledge of until I had already posted yesterday's news.

First off, 4-star offensive tackle Austin Troxell of Madison (Ala.) Academy committed to the Tigers yesterday afternoon during a visit to the campus.

Troxell, who stands 6-feet-7 and weighs 330 pounds, is the No. 2 recruit in the state of Alabama according to the 247Sports Composite. He is now the Tigers' 9th commitment.

Auburn was the first program to offer Troxell, doing so during his sophomore year. He picked the Tigers over Alabama, the school he grew up a fan of.

With Troxell's pledge, Auburn climbed from No. 31 to No. 17 in the recruiting team rankings.

"It was just the fit here," Troxell told AuburnUndercover. "The atmosphere. Fits me personality wise. The coaches, the players...it just fits me the best."

Troxell was adamant that his recruitment is done. Only one school will get an official visit. "Auburn -- that's it," he insisted.

Running backs coach Tim Horton was Troxell's primary recruiter. Offensive line coach Herb Hand also played a role.

"He's great," Troxell said of Hand. "High-energy guy. I've got a good relationship with him. I haven't known him that long but I've got a good relationship right now. And it's only going to get better."

Troxell also went on to say that he knew Auburn was the perfect fit when he visited for Big Cat Weekend two weeks prior.

He informed the coaching staff, including head coach Gus Malzahn, of his decision yesterday. He was joined by his entire family.

"The staff is all excited," he stated. "They said thanks for believing in them. I believe in their system and as coaches."

He added one final crucial point, saying, "I'm all in."

Former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik would be especially proud of that statement.

Now, to the other bit of news.

Today, Auburn offered former Alabama commit Evan Neal of Okeechobee (Fla.), a young but touted offensive lineman, during his unofficial visit to the school.

Neal, at a staggering 6-feet-6 and 353 pounds, is only a rising sophomore. He could play tackle or guard in college.

Neal committed to Alabama on May 6th, but backed out just nine days later. However, he remains high on the Tide's list and visited that school yesterday.

Coming off a strong freshman season, Neal has already racked up a pack of offers. The most recent have come from Georgia and Miami (Fla.).

Neal is expected to be the only visitor of note on The Plains today. The coaching staff is getting ready to take some time off in conjunction with the NCAA's dead period (June 27th - July 10th). During that period, a school cannot have prospects visit the campus.

Coupled with Troxell's pledge, all of this wraps up an obviously busy weekend for offensive line coach Herb Hand. I bet he'll be looking forward to the two-week break.

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

Saturday, June 18th, 2016

Graduate transfer point guard Ronnie Johnson's arrival on The Plains draws closer.

Johnson, who played at Houston the past two seasons, told Auburn Undercover on Thursday that he will be on campus next week, arriving either June 24th or 25th. That will leave him plenty of time to get his enrollment arranged before Auburn's next mini-semester starts on June 27th.

While it's not that far away, Johnson is getting increasingly anxious for that time to come.

"It's nice just having a few days off at home and getting to be around the family a little bit," said Johnson, who is back in his hometown of Indianapolis. "But I'm really ready to get there with my second family, too, and start this process. These workouts are really important for the regular season and being able to play with each other. I'm really excited about that."

Although the Tigers began summer workouts on June 6th, Johnson said he hasn't been checking in with his new teammates or head coach Bruce Pearl on a daily basis for updates. Instead, he wants to observe them himself and develop his own views.

"Coach Pearl's been putting in certain stuff," he stated, "but he told me that he wasn't putting in a lot until I got there, so the things that he's putting in now is simpler stuff that wouldn't be hard for me to learn when I got there."

Johnson's arrival was delayed due to one class that he had to complete at Houston. That class ended on June 3rd.

"I talked to the coaches about it and they knew about it just like I did," he said. "They were really just focused on me getting that last class done with - and so was I, because I've just been trying to take everything one step at a time and not rush anything. Everything is a process, so I just had to put my time and effort into that one class."

Despite enjoying time with family the past two weeks, Johnson hasn't put basketball on the back burner. Since returning to Indiana, he's continuously been on the road, playing the game with his friends and others in open gyms around the state. It only serves as a foreshadowing of what's to come at Auburn.

Reflecting back on his commitment to the Tigers, Johnson pointed to head coach Bruce Pearl and associate head coach Chuck Person as the primary factors. Johnson grew up watching Pearl during his tenure at Tennessee, and became especially fond of the team's up-tempo style.

"And it's not just about those two guys - it's the conference itself. It speaks for itself," Johnson said, referring to the SEC. "I'm a competitive-type dude, man, so I love to play against big-time competition. I'm ready to be tested and I like that to happen a lot."

Apart from leadership, Johnson believes his most vital qualities are his speed and his ability to quickly dissect a defense so as to get his team into the best play possible.

Last season with the Cougars, however, Johnson felt that he didn't display his full potential.

He appeared in 31 games, making 13 starts. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. He also tied for fourth in the American Athletic Conference in free throw percentage with an 80% conversion mark.

But in Johnson's eyes, those figures were meaningless. He has bottom-line philosophy: since the Cougars didn't reach the NCAA Tournament, he considers last season a disappointment.

This season, his main aim is to ensure that the Tigers don't endure the same fate.

"I'm really looking forward to the tournament," Johnson lamented. "It hurt me that I came up short last year. I don't like coming up short."

Neither do I, Ronnie. Who does?

I hope you all have a happy Father's Day weekend! Be sure to tell your Dad how much you love him tomorrow, and every day. For those who no longer have their fathers, I pray for God's healing power and strength to be upon you.

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

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016

Today, I'll start with some basketball-related news, and then will follow that up with football-related news.

Austin Wiley, a five-star power forward commit in Auburn basketball's 2017 recruiting class, survived two rounds of cuts to land a spot in the United States' U17 national team. Tryouts started last week with 39 of the best under-17 players in the nation. That number dwindled to 18 on Sunday before the official 12-man roster was announced today.

Don Showalter serves as head coach of the USA team, with Mike Jones and Arizona basketball great Miles Simon serving as assistants.

The team will practice twice a day Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week as it continues to prepare for the FIBA U17 World Championship, which starts June 23rd. The USA team is in Group A in addition to Egypt, Taiwan and Turkey. Every team in the tournament makes it to the round of 16, which starts June 28th. The gold medal game will be played on July 3rd at 2 p.m. CT.

This year's tournament will be held in Spain, with games taking place in two locations: the Palacio de los Deportes (English for "The Palace of Sports") in Utebo and the Siglo XXI in Zaragoza.

The USA's opener is June 23rd, when it faces off against Taiwan in Utebo.

Wiley is the son of former Auburn basketball legends Aubrey Wiley and Vickie Orr.

Now, on to football.

Nine different Tigers made the preseason All-SEC teams selected by Athlon Sports magazine. The teams were released today.

Offensive lineman Alex Kozan and placekicker Daniel Carlson were Auburn's first-team honorees, while defensive back Rudy Ford appeared twice, once on defense (third team) and once on special teams (fourth team). The Tigers' other selections were running back Jovon Robinson (fourth team), offensive linemen Braden Smith (second team) and Austin Golson (third team), defensive linemen Carl Lawson (second team) and Montravius Adams (fourth team), and defensive back Carlton Davis (third team).

Alabama had the most overall selections with 14, followed by LSU with 12, and Florida, Georgia and Tennessee with 11 apiece.

Auburn kicks off the 2016 campaign against defending national runner-up Clemson on Sept. 3rd at 8 p.m. CT in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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

Monday, June 13th, 2016

Auburn has gained another commitment in football.

Bill Taylor of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) American Christian, a long snapper recently offered by Auburn, has committed to the Tigers.

The 6-feet-4, 235-pound Taylor is the No. 2-ranked long snapper in the country, according to Kohl's Kicking.

"They offered me right after camp yesterday (Sunday) and I came home, told my parents and made the decision this morning (Monday)," Taylor said. "I visited a lot of colleges this summer and after seeing everywhere and talking to my parents, Auburn just felt like the right choice. I feel at home there. The coaching staff really made me feel wanted."

Taylor previously visited the Tigers in February.

Aside from Auburn, Taylor also notched offers from Memphis and Samford. Interest also came from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Louisville, Missouri and North Carolina.

Kohl's Kicking wrote the following description of Taylor on its website:

"During the Winter Southern Showcase, Bill put on a show with his talents. He scored on every one of his long snaps but also achieved an average snap time of .64 seconds. Not only is Bill the most explosive 2017 snapper, he is one of the largest and most athletic. He is 6-feet-4 and weighs 235 pounds. His current abilities and frame make Bill one of the best snappers in the country. He attended the Underclassman Challenge and scored on 8 of his 10 long snaps with an average snap time of .63 seconds. He recently followed that up with another solid performance at the Spring Southern Showcase. Bill is already one of the best snappers in the country but what makes him special is he hasn't reached his full potential yet."

Well, when he gets his chance, let's all hope he gets to that point...and then some.

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

Sunday, June 12th, 2016

Just when I thought that this would be an uneventful day in the Auburn world, I just came across a bit of recruiting-related news that, while far from a guarantee, is still a possibility nonetheless.

Auburn got a pleasant surprise this morning when five-star running back Najee Harris showed up on campus for an unannounced visit, according to 247Sports' Keith Niebuhr.

The Antioch (Calif.) product is currently pledged to Alabama, but that's not hindering a recruiting effort by Auburn offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Rhett Lashlee, who visited Harris recently.

Harris, who committed to the Tide in April of last year, was in Atlanta for the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. According to Niebuhr, Harris was expected to spend a few hours on The Plains before returning to the airport this afternoon.

On one hand, a change of heart by Harris seems like wishful thinking. On the other side of the coin, countless players flip their commitments for one reason or another. Stranger things have happened. We'll just have to see how Coach Lashlee's efforts to land Harris pan out.

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

Saturday, June 11th, 2016

Today will be a rare instance in which I express my insight on something that has nothing to do with Auburn, but is still related to the SEC.

News surfaced yesterday that LSU has adopted a new policy that will ban opposing marching bands from performing during halftime at Tiger Stadium, starting this season. Yes, you read that correctly.

"It's a safety issue," spokesman Michael Bonnette told The Advocate. "We don't have room down there for both bands. "In order for bands to perform at half, they've got to come down to the field before the first half ends. That's a lot of people on the sideline."

The policy will likely affect traveling marching bands, which, due to the cost of sending the entire group, normally send small pep bands to most road games with the exception of one or two regular-season matches.

Since LSU comes to Auburn this season, Auburn's band obviously won't have to worry about being left behind. However, Jacksonville State's Marching Southerners had planned to travel to Baton Rouge to face the Bayou Bengals on Sept. 10th. Band director Ken Bodiford responded to the new policy on Facebook, announcing that the band will instead use the money for another trip.

According to The Advocate, Alabama's Million Dollar Band has also adjusted their season travel plans, and will send a small pep band to Baton Rouge due to the new policy.

Am I the only one who finds this to be inexplicably ridiculous?

First off, although I've never visited the stadium (and never intend to), I've heard more than a few accounts from friends and other Auburn fans who have had not-so-enjoyable experiences there. However, this new rule strikes me as something nowhere close to a "safety issue." I personally consider it a sign of partiality that would give opposing bands a feeling of isolation and disrespect.

When a school visits an opposing team's campus, they would all expect everyone affiliated with the opponent in question to treat them with kindness and compassion, and make them feel welcome and appreciated. Otherwise, the visiting team would never want to return in the future.

I was raised to live by the Golden Rule: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Granted, I wasn't perfect at doing so, but when I slipped up, you can bet that I always learned from my mistake and tried MUCH harder next time around. The LSU folks need to put themselves in the place of those who will be affected by this new policy and ask themselves, "How would I feel if my school's marching band was prohibited from performing at halftime?"

Personally, if I were in a band and forbidden from performing on an opponent's field, that would disappoint the stew out of me.

Only time will tell how future visitors are affected by this. I would hope this would cause a change of heart from the powers that be at LSU if the results were negative, but I wouldn't count on it.

Rant over. Do your feelings echo mine?

One more thing: Yes, I did watch the final game of the women's softball College World Series last week, and was very disappointed that we came up short. However, I'm also mighty proud of my team for never giving up all year long, and for making it this far. As long as Clint Myers is in charge, I'm confident that we'll always be a big-time contender.

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

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016

Emily Carosone's walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning was the perfect exclamation point on a game that turned from bleak, to optimistic, to nerve-wracking, to exhilarating for Auburn.

It lifted the Tigers to a dramatic 11-7 victory over Oklahoma in Game 2 of the College World Series finals last night. More significantly, it forced a winner-take-all showdown between the two teams tonight at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Carosone wasn't alone in her heroic measures. Tiffany Howard made another key play when she robbed the Sooners of a would-be two-run homer in the sixth to keep Auburn's title hopes intact.

Head coach Clint Myers, who watched his squad dig itself into a 7-0 hole, had what may be a major understatement as to what triggered the incredible rally.

"We have a very good offense and they're going to swing the bats," he said. "If you haven't noticed, they like to do it late and make it exciting."

Kasey Cooper was even more to the point. "We like to make things interesting at Auburn," she lamented.

Regardless of how it happened, it shattered Oklahoma's 31-game winning streak. The Tigers improved to 58-11 on the year, while the Sooners slipped to 56-8.

"We're confident in our offensive abilities to come back," Cooper stated. "We've always been known for never quitting."

So true.

Carosone eagerly awaited the chance to break Oklahoma's heart, and Auburn only needed to get Victoria Draper in from third. The pitch came, and Carosone smacked it over the fence to ignite a vivacious celebration.

"Right before I got in the box, I was thinking, 'Hit it hard,' because if I hit it hard and it went somewhere, Victoria was going to score no matter what," Carosone said. "I don't know about the pitch. It was just there."

Rachael Walters came in and pitched five innings as a reliever, triggering Auburn's comeback and shutting down Oklahoma in the process. Makayla Martin pitched the final two, improving to 15-3 on the season.

Howard's heads-up catch at the wall kept the score tied at 7-all.

Walters, apparently, had an appetizing way of expressing her gratitude to Howard.

"I owe Tiffany like a million steak dinners," she said.

Auburn trailed 7-0 in the second inning, and its sweet dreams of a national championship appeared to be turning sour. But, as has been the case all year, the team was not about to fold.

"It wasn't difficult to go out there and just tell them to be Auburn and be proud," Myers pointed out.

The Tigers deadlocked the score at 7-7 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Cooper.

Unsurprisingly, Myers never lost an ounce of hope.

"It was 7-0 and we've only hit once," he said. "Basically, we went out there in the circle and had some words of encouragement. We said, basically, there is so much of this game left. We can score bunches. "We've got to play defense, we've got to get people in circle back trusting we're going to make plays and we know what we're doing."

It was a game for the ages. Oklahoma scored six runs in the top of the second, then Auburn scored five in the bottom portion. After that offensive shootout, the Sooners were clinging to a slim 7-5 advantage going into the third.

The score remained that way entering the fourth stanza.

For the first two innings, it looked like the clock was nearing midnight in Auburn's Cinderella season. The Tigers gave up six hits and committed two errors as the Sooners raced out to a seemingly comfortable 7-0 advantage. Oklahoma had an answer for every pitch the Tigers threw at them, scoring two home runs and two more runs on consecutive bunt singles.

But Auburn rose up. Whitney Jordan smacked a 3-run homer to left field. Then, Howard tripled to chop Oklahoma's lead to 7-4. Cooper's RBI single cut the margin to 7-5.

That's when the roller coaster ride really began.

Now, the Tigers have a chance to win all the marbles tonight. One thing's for sure: I can feel the adrenaline pumping through every ounce of my body as the hours until the first pitch pass by. I bet you all can, too.

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

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

I've had an especially busy day today, so instead of writing a complete story on Auburn's 3-2 slip against Oklahoma in Game 1 of the World Series finals last night, I'm going to give a more succinct view of the outcome, and address what I feel should be done differently when the teams face off again tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.

In a nutshell, Auburn played too aggressively last night, and tried to hit the ball far too often. They need to be a bit more conservative, taking walks when necessary, and wait for the perfect moment to hit the ball. Plus, when they do hit, they need to put more hang time on the ball so as not to allow so many easy catches by Oklahoma for outs, as was the case last night.

All I know for sure is that we need this win to stay alive. Will our dreams for a College World Series title remain intact, or will Oklahoma bring this Cinderella season to a crashing halt? In about two and a half hours, we'll get the answer.

In other news...

- News broke yesterday that Auburn and head coach Gus Malzahn have agreed to a contract extension that will run through the 2020 season. It is, in essence, a one-year extension, as Malzahn's previous contract ran through the 2019 campaign.

He also received a salary increase of $250,000 per year. Malzahn will now make $4.725 million in the final year of his deal, which now runs through Dec. 31, 2020. His previous deal called for him to make $4.35 million in 2016.

During last week's SEC meetings, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs gave Malzahn a vote of confidence, saying, "He's our coach and he'll be our coach for a long, long time." News of the extension seems to confirm that those words were not just empty promises.

Malzahn has endured extensive criticism since last year's 7-6 campaign. The Tigers entered the season as a consensus Top 10 preseason team and were picked by the media as preseason SEC Champions during SEC Media Days. (This proves that predictions mean NOTHING.)

After coming within 13 seconds of the national title in his first year at the helm in 2013, Malzahn has gone 15-11 overall and 6-10 in SEC play since.

- As you probably know by now, Auburn's season opener against Clemson has been set for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff on Sept. 3rd. Today, the SEC released the kickoff times and TV schedule for the first three weeks of the season. However, rather than provide the entire list, I'm going to only give Auburn's kickoff times for games 2 and 3.

On Sept. 10th, Auburn will host Malzahn's former team, Arkansas State, at 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. In Week 3 on Sept. 17th, Texas A&M comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on either ESPN or ESPN2. Mark your calendars, folks, and set your DVRs, if need be.

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

Monday, June 6th, 2016

Following Auburn's exciting 8-7 eight-inning victory over Florida State last night, one of my Facebook friends posted that the game "made me a nervous wreck." I responded by saying, "What fun is sports without a little drama every now and then, right?"

In this case, the drama culminated in Madi Gipson smacking a single that got away from the left fielder. She sped from first base, to second, to third.

Just moments later, pinch-runner Morgan Podany scored on a play at the plate to put a Tiger victory - and a trip to the College World Series title round - in the bag.

The best-of-three championship series begins tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN against Oklahoma, which topped LSU 7-3 in last night's late game. The finals will feature single games tonight, Tuesday and, if necessary, Wednesday. It wouldn't have been possible without Gipson's scintillating play.

"I wasn't going to stop for anything," she insisted. "Coach earlier in the year stopped me on a triple and I wasn't stopping this time."

Auburn head coach Clint Myers admired Gipson's persistence. "I wasn't stopping her," he said, "because she was looking fast."

At 57-10 on the year, the Tigers now have the most wins in school history. They are 3-0 in the College World Series. They needed to unleash a little magic to reach those marks last night.

The Seminoles scored three runs in the seventh to even the score at 7-all. No problem. Gipson and the Tigers snatched the victory an inning later.

Carlee Wallace and Jade Rhodes each recorded three-run homers, then Kasey Cooper added a solo score to give Auburn a 7-4 advantage. However, FSU deadlocked the count on a 3-run homer by Cali Harrod to force extra innings.

"It wasn't as pretty as we would have liked, it wasn't as easy as we would have liked, but I think you saw the fight, I think you saw the heart," Myers stated.

Very much so. Same with teamwork and dependability. "Just trust the people who are out there," he lamented.

Last season, Myers, who was in his second year on The Plains at the time, took the team to their first World Series appearance. Now, he has Auburn two victories away from winning the whole kit and caboodle.

"Having the opportunity to play for a national championship is something that we have talked about since we've got there," Myers emphasized. "It's them buying into the hard work and the commitment of practice, weight room and everything else."

Aside from the homers, Auburn also made two critical defensive plays. The first came when Cooper bare-handed a bouncer and threw a runner out at first. The second was destined for the highlight reel. Victoria Draper made a running diving catch that surely prevented at least one run.

"That's what Auburn softball is," Cooper stated. "Playing Auburn softball, we expect to make the routine plays and the great plays will come. That's what our coaches live by." (Just for the record, that's been one of my long-time philosophies as well.)

Wallace, who gave the Tigers the early lead, considered her performance a major redemption from what she deemed a sluggish outing in Auburn's 4-3 win over Georgia on Saturday.

"Basically, I had had enough," she said. "It was a great team win yesterday...but personally, being real with myself, that might have been one of the worst offensive days I have had in awhile. I kind of just regrouped. This time of the year, I really don't have much of a choice."

That attitude makes perfect sense when a College World Series title is within grasping distance.

In other news...

- Yesterday, the football team offered Bo Nix, a promising 2019 quarterback from Scottsboro, Ala., with strong ties to the school.

His mother attended Auburn. His sister, meanwhile, will attend there this fall.

And, as any loyal Auburn fan knows, his father - Patrick Nix - played quarterback for the Tigers in the mid-1990s - and enjoyed great success in doing so.

Indeed, it was quite a day for Bo Nix, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound signal caller with a powerful arm. "It's a huge step," he said.

Nix previously claimed offers from such schools as Cincinnati, Kentucky and Southern Miss. He's also on the radars of many other schools.

Even so, Auburn is admittedly very special to him. He attends football games every fall and, he estimated, has been on campus "triple-digits."

"I," the younger Nix stated, "grew up here."

Nix camped with the Tigers this past weekend, working one-on-one with offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Rhett Lashlee.

"It was a neat experience, especially as the time went on," Nix said. "It got better and better. The receivers I threw to were good. One of them was really good. I enjoyed it."

How did he feel about landing that Auburn offer, you may ask?

"It was awesome," he said. "I'm excited about it. I'm excited to open up my recruitment. I'm looking forward to the future."

If Bo dons the orange and blue, will he be able to follow in the successful footsteps of his father? As for Patrick, I can still see those two amazing touchdown passes he threw to Frank Sanders in 1993 against Alabama, and in 1994 against Florida, respectively. What avid Auburn fan can't?

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

Sunday, June 5th, 2016

The picture looked ominous for the Auburn softball team yesterday as they trailed Georgia 3-1 entering the seventh inning.

Then, the never-say-die bunch came alive and turned the tables, scoring three dramatic runs in the top of the frame to defeat the Bulldogs 4-3. The victory moves the Tigers to within three wins of a national championship.

Auburn looks to continue its journey toward that goal tonight at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2 in a game against Florida State, who defeated Michigan earlier this afternoon.

Tigers head coach Clint Myers aptly summed up the win, saying it "puts us in a great place."

"I'm really proud of the fight and the never-quit," he added.

And with good reason. In particular, Kasey Cooper, Emily Carosone and Jade Rhodes all came through in the clutch, driving in runs in the final inning, but were certain to give others credit.

Pitcher Rachael Walters refused to flinch when Georgia put two runners on in the bottom of the inning. The final play of the contest was a soft ground ball to her.

Myers went on to say that teamwork played a key factor in the game's outcome.

"You heard what they were saying: 'I was doing it for her. I was doing it for us. I did what I had to do,'" Myers stated. "We have a term: Pass the baton. If one doesn't get it done, the next one will."

Such was the case when Cooper, Carosone, and Rhodes delivered after Tiffany Howard and Victoria Draper reached base to open the final stanza.

"Without Victoria getting on, the top of the order comes up with one out, and that situation doesn't happen," Carosone stated.

"Me and Cooper had it easy. We just had to get hits because the runners were already in scoring position."

For most of the game, the Bulldogs were on fire in their post-season run, jumping out to the 3-1 advantage as the game came down the stretch. But when all was said and done, Auburn had improved to 56-10 on the season, 2-0 in the World Series. Meanwhile, UGA slipped into the losers' bracket with a 46-19 slate.

"This team has had great fight all year long," Myers continued. "They never quit. As long as they have a breath, they never quit. That's just a competitive nature. That's playing with a great heart. That's playing with total confidence."

The Tigers had a chance to increase their lead in the last inning, but on a fielder's choice RBI by Rhodes, Carosone was called out for running out of the base path for the second out, and Rhodes was called out because the umpires ruled that the first base coach had assisted her in returning to the bag.

But the crucial run was scored prior to the final out, giving the Tigers the lead for good.

Makayla Martin pitched the first two innings, and went through Georgia's entire lineup once in the process. Walters subsequently entered in relief to pitch the final five innings, giving up one earned run while improving to 11-3 on the year.

"The pitching was phenomenal and the hitting was timely," Myers lamented. "We made a few mistakes, but great teams figure out ways to win, and they did tonight. I'm very, very proud of all of them."

In the early going, it looked like it was Auburn's day. Howard reached base and scored courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Carosone in the first. The Tigers could have mounted an even bigger cushion, but left seven runners on through the first four innings.

Georgia cashed in on the miscues, scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth innings.

Auburn, however, determinedly responded in the seventh with decisive RBIs by Cooper, Carosone and Rhodes.

As a result, the Tigers are within one victory of the best-of-three championship series, and within three wins of the whole shebang.

Howard, in particular, is basking in the excitement. "I'm pumped. I'm so excited," she said. "To just think we can win three more games, it's mind-blowing."

In other news...

- The football team gained another commitment yesterday when four-star defensive back Malcolm Askew declared that he would play for Gus Malzahn's Tigers.

According to 247sports.com, the announcement came at Auburn's annual Big Cat recruiting event:

"Malcolm Askew always planned to take things slow and not announce a commitment until late in the recruiting cycle.

But during a visit to Auburn that began on Monday and concluded this weekend, the 4-star defensive back from McCalla (Ala.) McAdory came to the conclusion he didn't want to wait any longer.

Askew committed to the Tigers on Saturday, becoming the sixth member of the recruiting class.

With Askew's commitment, Auburn moved up from No. 39 to No. 30 in the recruiting team rankings."

According to the 247sports rankings, Askew ins the No. 10 player in Alabama for 2017.

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

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

The softball team came right out of the gate with a dominating first inning, and went on to manhandle UCLA by a score of 10-3 in their first game of College World Series yesterday afternoon.

Jade Rhodes said that the Tigers would do whatever it took to clinch the title. "And if that means getting hit by a pitch and getting bruises..." she lamented.

Well, Auburn was hit four times in the decisive first inning, scoring five runs in just one hit. It proved too much for UCLA to overcome, as the Tigers only mounted their lead as the game progressed. Plus, Kaylee Carlson held the Bruins in check with the exception of a couple of pitches in the fourth inning.

With the victory, Auburn moves on to play Georgia on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs beat Florida State 5-4 in Thursday's first game. The Tigers hope to repeat their regular-season success against UGA, when they swept them in a three-game series.

The first inning virtually ended all doubt as to who would come out on top. It transpired in a straightforward manner. Hit by pitch, hit by pitch, hit by pitch, hit by pitch.

"It was an unusual inning, but it's what we do," Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. "We take advantage of what they give us."

Aside from the five runs, Rhodes got an RBI when she was hit for the first time this season. Haley Fagan scored a run on a sacrifice fly. Whitney Jordan drove in a run of her own when she was hit by a pitch. Two more runs came when a ground ball courtesy of Victoria Draper was mishandled.

"We did what we needed to do in that first inning," Myers said. That may be an understatement.

Remarkably, UCLA missed Emily Carosone, who holds the Auburn record for getting hit by a pitch. She's been hit 84 times. When asked if she felt left out, her response was rather blunt. "Uh, no," she answered.

Fagan, Carosone, and Kasey Cooper each drove in two. Rhodes and Jordan drove in one apiece.

Carlson, thanks to her outstanding performance, improved to 18-2 on the year.

"She had one little hiccup in the middle, but it's about how you finish," Myers explained. "She composed herself and threw zeroes the rest of the way. We played great defense - no errors, a minimal amount of walks and great pitching in the circle and we surely had timely hitting. We're very excited about where we are."

Carosone drove in two more runs in the third to give the Tigers a seemingly effortless 7-0 cushion.

Mysha Sataraka got UCLA on the board in the fourth with a three-run homer to cut Auburn's lead to 7-3. But Fagan retaliated with an RBI double in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-3. Cooper's two-run double in the sixth put the icing on the cake.

"Really, what our motto is: Just find a way," Rhodes said.

The Tigers did just that. In doing so, they improved to 55-10. Meanwhile, the Bruins fell to 40-15-1.

Note: The upcoming game against Georgia was originally scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m. CT, but was moved to Saturday at 6 p.m. CT due to inclement weather in the area.

In other news...

- Sophomore running back Kerryon Johnson missed spring practice due to undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. However, according to his father, Johnson is now back to full strength.

"He's fine. He's rearing to go," Kerry Johnson told AuburnUndercover yesterday. "He's fully cleared, fully active in the summer workouts. He's good."

During spring practice, Kerryon Johnson was able to take part in some individual drills, but sat out all contact drills and did not play in the A-Day game.

Johnson had a solid freshman season in 2015, rushing for 208 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. He also caught 14 passes for 159 yards and averaged 27.6 yards on 14 kickoff returns. His return to health became even more significant this week when Auburn announced that junior running back Roc Thomas was granted his release and plans to transfer. While Johnson was expected to see significant playing time at tailback anyway, Thomas' departure assures that Johnson will enter the season as the No. 2 running back behind senior Jovon Robinson.

Although running backs coach Tim Horton said the spring would have been beneficial for Johnson's strength development, he doesn't expect the injury to hinder Johnson's performance on the field this fall.

"He will make it work," Horton said. "Obviously, we would love to have had him in that weight room and getting knocked around some...He made plays for us all year last year. He's a guy that is going to be on the field and we are going to get the ball to him, whether it's kickoff returns, whether it's throwing bubble routes to him or handing it to him."

- This isn't Auburn related, but it regards a familiar face I'm fairly certain I've seen in recent years during Auburn football games. Longtime referee Tom Ritter is retiring from on-field duty, SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw announced yesterday. Ritter has been with the SEC since 2000, and officiated the 2003 and 2012 SEC Championship games.

However, Ritter's retirement will not be complete. He will now be working in the replay booth during games, according to Shaw.

James Carter, who has been a referee in the SWAC and a referee in the SEC, will replace Ritter as a referee.

This marks the third referee change for the SEC in the past two years. Last year, longtime referees Matt Moore and Penn Wagers moved on. Moore retired, while Wagers left to pursue an opportunity in another league.

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

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016

Right off the top, let me remind you all that the women's softball team faces UCLA at 1:30 CT this afternoon on ESPN as the College World Series commences in Oklahoma City. I hope we can make a successful march to the title.

Now that that's out of the way, I have a bit of recruiting-related news for you. Yes, I realize that National Singing Day isn't for another eight months, but this would undoubtedly be AUsome (and that's not a typo) if it were to become a reality.

Word came out last night that Kellen Mond, the nation's top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2016 class according to ESPN.com, announced on Twitter that he had de-committed from Baylor in the wake of a scandal that resulted in head coach Art Briles' firing.

Mond explained that he didn't want to play at Baylor without Briles.

"After further discussion with my family, I have made the decision to recommit from Baylor University," Mond tweeted. "When I committed last summer, the primary basis was due to having the leadership of Art Briles and Kendall Briles as a great football foundation. Although this decision has been difficult, I would like to sincerely thank the TREMENDOUS Baylor fans and community for their support during this recruitment process."

Auburn is believed to be at the front of the pack for Mond's contributions, and according to 247Sports.com, he has an offer from Texas A&M on the cards as well. Other SEC schools attempting to land Mond include LSU and Georgia.

On the other hand, Mond himself told another source that Auburn is his leader at the present time, with Ohio State and Texas A&M following. Naturally, only time will tell where he chooses to go for certain. He still has plenty of time to think about it.

One final note: Earlier this week, it was officially confirmed that Roc Thomas has transferred from Auburn to Jacksonville State. I wish him well with the Gamecocks, as well as all of his future endeavors.

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