​​Lyle's Corner

Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
Contrary to yesterday, I have some far more positive injury-related news to cover today. 
 
Auburn running back Kamryn Pettway is reportedly in good shape after suffering a minor injury against LSU last week. 
 
Pettway recorded 15 carries for 57 yards in the first half, but only saw two touches in minimal action in the second half. Head coach Gus Malzahn said Pettway was "banged up," but he has been at practice in recent days. 
 
"Yeah, it's nothing major," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee reassured. "It's just a bruised quad. He's been out there in pads both days. We're just taking it day-to-day right now." 
 
Pettway finished the night with 17 carries for 61 yards in the 18-13 victory over then-18th-ranked LSU. He has 336 yards and a touchdown to his name, and leads all running backs averaging 6.5 yards per carry. 
 
In other news...
 
- Last Saturday's apparent arson of a replacement tree at Toomer's Corner took Auburn fans right back to the incident committed by troubled Alabama fan Harvey Updyke almost six years ago. 
 
Updyke poisoned the original Toomer's oaks in 2010 and admitted to the crime under the pseudonym "Al from Dadeville" when he called into The Paul Finebaum Show ​soon thereafter. After pleading guilty to the crime, Updyke was ordered to pay Auburn University $796,731.98 in restitution in 2013, which was intended to finance the replacement trees and compensate for lost revenue. 
 
However, he still owes the university $793,852.98, meaning he's only paid 0.361 percent so far, according to AL.com. Updyke made minimum monthly payments of $100 every month in 2016 save for June and August, but made a double payment in September, according to the website. 
 
With legal fees included, Updyke presently owes a grand total of $813,378.48. He is on supervised probation after serving a six-month jail sentence for the crime and is scheduled for a hearing on Oct. 18. 
 
Say, all this talk about restitution makes me think of a notorious scene from the classic "Peanuts" Halloween special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Near the end of the special, Charlie Brown's sister, Sally (whom Linus persuaded to wait in the pumpkin patch with him for the Great Pumpkin's grand entrance), launches an angry (yet hilarious) tirade against Linus for (accidentally) making her miss the festivities that the rest of the gang has enjoyed (namely trick-or-treating and attending Violet's Halloween party). The rant culminates in Sally grabbing Linus by his collar and yelling, "You owe me restitution!" before storming off in anger. 
 
Famous last words, as they say. That remains one of my favorite holiday-themed specials, and always will be. I fully intend to catch it when it airs on ABC in the coming weeks. 
 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

​Tuesday, September 27th, 2016
I'm sorry to say that I have two injury-related stories to report today. 
 
- Austin Troxell's journey to recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee got underway today. 
 
Troxell, a touted Auburn offensive tackle recruit from Madison Academy (Ala.) reported that he would have surgery at 1 p.m. CT today in Birmingham. (As of this writing, the surgery has presumably already been completed.) 
 
A four-star prospect and the No. 88 overall recruit in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite, Troxell sustained the tear in a game two weeks ago. He tore the ACL in the same knee last season in the playoffs. 
 
Although Troxell needed crutches, he still attended last Saturday's Auburn victory over LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 
 
The 6-feet-7, 335-pound Troxell pledged to the Tigers this summer when Auburn edged out Alabama following an intense recruiting battle. 
 
The good news is that Troxell will have plenty of time to recover completely, as he will not enroll at Auburn until next summer. 
 
"My mindset going into the rehab this time is going to be a lot of the same as last time but more focused and more intense," Troxell stated. "I'm going to come back stronger than I have ever been. I'm going to do as much as I can to prevent this from happening again. It's going to be 6-8 months (of rehab)." 
 
- Troxell is not alone in his disappointment. Defensive end Paul James III injured his knee in practice last week and will likely miss the remainder of the season. 
 
"It was kind of a freak deal," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. "He was really doing a great job improving. It looks like he will be out for the rest of the season." 
 
James III was vying for a starting spot during the first three weeks of the 2016 campaign. Over the course of those three games, he recorded three tackles, including one for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. 
 
The Copiah-Lincoln Community College transfer was ranked as the nation's No. 2 weakside defensive end as a four-star junior college prospect in the signing class of 2016. 
 
That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 
 

Monday, September 26th, 2016
My first bit of news today will surely not bode well with most Auburn fans, if any. 

The Tigers' first SEC road game of the season will kick off in the morning. 

Auburn travels to Starkville for an 11 a.m. (CT) contest against Mississippi State at Davis-Wade Stadium on Oct. 8. The game will be televised by the SEC Network. 

The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 SEC) are coming off an 18-13 upset of then-18th-ranked LSU. Meanwhile, Mississippi State (2-2, 1-1 SEC) topped UMass 47-35 last week. 

Mississippi State has won three of the last four matches, including two straight, over the Tigers. Auburn hasn't won in Starkville since a 17-14 decision in 2010. 

Auburn quarterback Sean White made his first career start last year against the Bulldogs. He went 20-of-28 for 188 yards and an interception, and the Tiger offense failed to score a touchdown in a 17-9 loss to MSU. 

Auburn hosts Louisiana-Monroe as a 33.5-point favorite this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are off this week. 

While morning games aren't very convenient for most fans, perhaps this early showdown against the Bulldogs makes sense given the fact that neither team is having exactly a fairy-tale season up to this point. We just might fare better in this game than you may be led to believe. You never know. We'll all find out in two weeks. 

In other news...
- The man police believe set one of the oak trees at Toomer's Corner on fire is now facing a felony charge. 

Jochen Wiest, 29, of Auburn was charged with an additional charge of criminal mischief in the first degree today because of the damage done to the oak tree along Magnolia Avenue early Sunday morning. 

Wiest was previously arrested for public intoxication before he was charged with desecration of a venerable object after the tree along Magnolia Avenue was set ablaze around midnight on Sunday. The blaze singed and damaged the tree. 
 
"Witnesses at Toomer's Corner identified a suspect, who was immediately detained and taken into custody by police on an unrelated charge of public intoxication," Auburn police released in a statement Sunday morning. 

Wiest is not affiliated with Auburn University. He has not bailed out of Lee County Detention Center, where his bond amount has climbed to $4,500. The criminal mischief charge carries a bond of $3,000.

Auburn University and the school's horticulture department determined damage to the tree exceeds $2,500, which prompted police to charge Wiest with the felony. 

According to Alabama state law, Wiest faces one to 10 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines if convicted of the felony charge. 

He also faces charges of desecration of a venerable object and public intoxication. As of Monday afternoon, he remained in the Lee County Detention Center. 

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

 
Sunday, September 25th, 2016
There seems to be a pattern developing. Good things seem to always happen for Auburn football when one second remains on the clock. 

In the 2013 Iron Bowl, Alabama got a second put back on the clock to try a game-winning field goal. You know the rest. 

Last night, LSU was at Auburn's 15-yard line with a second left, having been backed up by a five-yard illegal shift penalty. The Bayou Bengals were out of timeouts, trailing Auburn 18-13.  Quarterback Danny Etling took the snap, rolled right under pressure, and lobbed a toss to D.J. Chark in the far right corner of the end zone. Chark made the grab, and got the tip of one foot in bounds. With that, LSU began celebrating wildly. They had seemingly pulled off a 19-18 triumph. Meanwhile, the Auburn faithful were distraught, dejected and heartbroken. 
 
Cue one of retired sportscaster Keith Jackson's famous catchphrases: "Hold the phonnnnne!"

The aforementioned LSU penalty is a live ball foul. Hence, once the referee sets the ball, the clock starts again upon his signal. Now, the officials had to review the play to make a gut-wrenching decision. Did LSU snap the ball in time, or not? 

After what felt like an eternity, the 87,451 tension-riddled fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium got the answer: LSU was too late in getting the play off. Their apparent game-winning TD never counted. 

Now, the emotions were switched. Auburn was celebrating, while LSU was in despair. The home-standing Tigers had won 18-13. In doing so, they had clinched their first home victory over an SEC West opponent since topping South Carolina 42-35 on Oct. 25, 2014.
 
Yet another unique distinction: Auburn had won a conference match without scoring an offensive touchdown. The last time that happened was when they edged Mississippi State in a 3-2 squeaker in 2008. Plus, the 18 points Auburn scored against LSU was its most scored in a game without an offensive TD since a 27-17 upset of Florida in 2006, in which the Tigers scored four field goals, a safety, and two defensive TDs on a blocked punt and a fumble return, respectively. 

All historical facts aside, let's break down the positives and negatives of this incredible upset victory: 

Offense: The Tigers racked up 388 yards on the night (154 rushing, 234 passing). Not too shabby. So where did the problems loom, you ask? Struggles in the red zone, that's where. Six trips inside LSU's 20, yet just six Daniel Carlson field goals to show for it. That's not going to cut it as Auburn returns to league action in two weeks (they have what should be a breather against La. Monroe next week). Quarterback Sean White aptly summed it up. "It's very frustrating," he said. "What's most important is we got the win, but we are going to have to correct our issues in the red zone. We need to turn some of those field goals into touchdowns, there's no doubt." 

You took the words right out of my mouth, Sean.

Defense:  While Auburn gave up 338 yards to LSU, they also came up with crucial stops and held running back Leonard Fournette, one of the most powerful in the nation, to 101 yards on 16 carries, with no touchdowns. Plus, they forced a turnover for the first time since the opener against Clemson. That came early in the fourth quarter, when LSU QB Danny Etling and Fournette had a botched handoff exchange, which Auburn's Jeff Holland pounced on. 

Special teams: In a very rare occurrence, kicker Daniel Carlson accounted for all of Auburn's points, nailing field goals of 51, 29, 29, 31, 37 and 29 yards. In the process, he tied a school record for field goals in one game since Al del Greco achieved the same mark against Kentucky in 1982, as the Tigers topped the Wildcats 18-3. Meanwhile, punter Kevin Phillips had three punts in the game, averaging 40 yards per kick. Quite a rebound from last week's inconsistent showing against Texas A&M. 

Coaching: Head coach Gus Malzahn announced prior to this game that he would relinquish offensive play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. For the most part, Lashlee did a decent job. The only glaring mistake was a decision to go for the touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the 2-yard line in the waning seconds of the first half. At the time, Auburn was leading 9-7. Kerryon Johnson got the carry, but was stopped at the one. Why not kick the field goal? That could have very well shifted the momentum in a costly way. 

Overall: This was arguably the biggest game of Malzahn's Auburn tenure, and his troops came out on top in yet another crazy chapter in this storied rivalry. Now, the big question: Will the Tigers be able to carry the momentum forward for the rest of the year and secure a better future for him and the staff? 

In other news...

-  Sadly, the exhilaration surrounding Auburn's big win turned rancid this morning when reports of a suspected arson of one of the new Toomer's Corner trees surfaced. A few hours following the game, video leaked out showing a man appearing to light some of the toilet paper draped over the tree on fire, quickly engulfing the tree in flames. 

Auburn police arrested 29-year-old Jochen Wiest in the overnight hours on a warrant charging him with desecration of a venerable object. 

According to a statement by police, Wiest, who is not affiliated with the university, (but is an Auburn resident) developed as a suspect and was immediately taken into custody while still in the area on an unrelated charge of public intoxication.
 
Wiest was identified as the individual responsible for the incident after further investigation. A warrant was obtained, and he was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail on the prior charge. His bond was set at $1,000.  

The charge is a Class A misdemeanor in the state of Alabama and can carry a penalty of up to a year in jail and up to a $6,000 fine. 

I'm too infuriated to put this into words. 

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


Friday, September 23rd, 2016
Auburn's basketball program has landed a 5-star forward for 2018. 

E.J. Montgomery announced his pledge to the Tigers via Twitter, making him Auburn's first commitment for the 2018 cycle. Two factors were key  in his decision: family and the Tigers' coaching staff. 

"They've been recruiting me since the eighth grade and they've never stopped," Montgomery told AuburnUndercover in his first interview since his commitment was announced. "They've always been recruiting me hard, so I just felt like that was the right place for me." 

Family was equally instrumental. "My sister being there, she was always telling me it was a great school," Montgomery said, referring to his older sister, Brandy Montgomery, a member of Auburn's women's basketball team. "I've been there a lot and I have a great relationship with the coaches." 

Surprisingly, no Auburn coach served as Montgomery's primary recruiter, as he stated that all of the Tigers' coaching staff - head coach Bruce Pearl, associate head coach Chuck Person, and assistants Harris Adler and Chad Dollar - "all talked to me evenly." Throughout their numerous conversations over the years, the Tigers have clearly envisioned how they intend to use Montgomery. 

"They want me to come in, be a playmaker and try to help them win," he stated. "That will help me get better as well." 

Montgomery said that he is currently striving to improve his footwork and his shot consistency, especially behind the 3-point arc. "I feel comfortable at the 3-point line, but the mid-range is where I'm best at," he said.

Montgomery becomes Auburn's third five-star commitment in as many years, following Mustapha Heron in 2016 and Austin Wiley in 2017.  Montgomery pointed out that he could play a big part in helping the Tigers land other targets for their 2018 class, but following Heron and Wiley's lead wasn't exactly a focal point in Auburn's recruitment. 

"They mentioned it, but they haven't really heaped that on me," he emphasized. 

Montgomery, a Florida native who recently transferred to Georgia powerhouse Wheeler High School in Marietta, ranks as the No. 14 overall prospect for 2018 in the 247Sports Composite. 

He plans to make an unofficial visit to campus Saturday and participate in an open gym session at Auburn Arena. 

In other news...
- I won't go into details on this, but Gus Malzahn reported on his radio show last night that freshmen receivers Kyle Davis, Nate Craig-Myers and Eli Stove could very well see the field more frequently as the season progresses, starting with tomorrow night's showdown with 18th-ranked LSU. That could come in handy for Auburn's passing game, especially on deep routes.

- The NFL Carolina Panthers will have a familiar face in their backfield on Sunday. Cameron Artis-Payne, a running back for the Tigers from 2013-14, will make his first career NFL start after Jonathan Stewart injured his hamstring last weekend, according to The Associated Press' Steve Reed.  

In his second season, Artis-Payne rushed for 183 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. He will join another former Auburn star, quarterback Cam Newton, in Carolina's backfield on Sunday. 

In his senior campaign, Artis-Payne ran for 1,608 yards and 13 TDs while leading Auburn to an 8-5 slate. 

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

 
​Thursday, September 22nd, 2016
A former Auburn commit has pledged to the Tigers again. 

Daquon Newkirk, a defensive end from Florida, gave his verbal to Auburn in the summer of last year. However, he failed to meet the necessary academic requirements and enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in January. 
 
Newkirk's desire to play for Auburn has never shifted. In fact, when AuburnUndercover visited him in May, he told them he considered himself a commit. 

The only question lay in which class he would be listed in - 2017 or 2018? 

Newkirk hoped to land at the Plains after one full year at MGC, which would have put him in the 2017 class. 

Instead, he will not finish up at MGC until after the fall semester of 2017. 

Therefore, he will be an addition to the 2018 class. Hence, the aforementioned source has added him to the 2018 commit list. 

"Should be there for the season of 2018 but I will leave December of 2017 if everything goes smooth," Newkirk told AuburnUndercover. 

Yesterday, Newkirk sent out the following Tweet:
"1 year ago but don't worry I'm still AU blooded it's a process that I'm willing to wait out." 

In high school, Newkirk was a three-star defensive end for Orlando (Fla.) First Academy. Auburn, however, always thought that he had four-star ability. 

Newkirk is redshirting at MGC this season. That means after the 2017 season, he would have three years of eligibility left to play for Auburn. 

In other news...
- Unsurprisingly, the hottest topic of debate among Auburn fans at this point is Gus Malzahn's future on The Plains. 

Athletic director Jay Jacobs, in his 12th year with Auburn, is no stranger to the highs and lows of college football. 

In January of 2011, Jacobs celebrated as Gene Chizik won a national championship in his second season as head coach. Less than two years later, though, he told Chizik a change was in order after the worst Auburn season in six decades and hired Malzahn. 

During the 2013 campaign, Jacobs watched the Tigers clinch an SEC title and narrowly miss a national crown.Now, as the 2016 Tigers get ready for Saturday's game against LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a 1-2 start has ignited rampant rumors about Malzahn's fate.

Since the halfway mark in the 2014 season, Malzahn and Auburn have won just two of 12 Southeastern Conference contests, lost six straight home games to SEC teams, and dropped seven straight matches to Power 5 opponents. 

While Jacobs doesn't follow social media closely, he's far from unaware of the the increasingly restless fan community. And he says the situation must be rectified in a hurry. 

"We have to stop losing games we should win," Jacobs told AuburnUndercover. "No disrespect to our opponents, but when we have a chance to win, we have to win. We have to get better on offense and continue playing well on defense." 

The Tigers had major difficulty moving the ball in losing 19-13 to Clemson in the season opener and to Texas A&M 29-16 last Saturday. Both games were at home. 

"There is nobody more frustrated in trying to figure out a winning solution than Gus," Jacobs said. "He's working day and night with his assistant coaches to put these kids in position to win." 

But the bottom line, Jacobs said, is as basic as all get out: "We have to win games." 

After last year's squad went 6-6 in the regular season and finished 7-6 with a victory over Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl, Jacobs supported Malzahn but said on WJOXC-FM in Birmingham that "there's no excuse for going 6-6 at Auburn, even though you lost a couple of games by one possession or less." 

Last summer, Malzahn's contract was extended by one year, through 2020. His buyout is $8.95 million, lower than at least 10 other SEC head coaches. 

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

​Wednesday, September 21st, 2016
Apparently, nothing will be any different at quarterback for Auburn this week against LSU.
 
Sean White will stay put as the Tigers' starter entering the showdown with the 18th-ranked Bayou Bengals in what is arguably the most crucial game of Gus Malzahn's career. 

"We feel like he gives us the best chance of winning," Malzahn reasoned. "We've got to be better around him. We've got to put him in better situations from a coaching standpoint to help him. That's the reason."  

Despite the unchanged agenda, Malzahn pointed out that John Franklin III "will be available." 

Franklin III played the entire fourth quarter of Auburn's 29-16 loss to Texas A&M last Saturday. With him at the controls, the Tigers averaged 6.1 yards per play, the best quarter in the game. 

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium on ESPN. 

Yesterday, during his weekly press conference, Malzahn vowed to turn the anemic Auburn offense around. 

Against Texas A&M, the Tigers amassed 399 yards of offense, but needed 89 plays to do so, and drives died more often than not. Auburn had such a tough time moving the ball that 11 straight possessions resulted in eight punts, one field goal, a turnover on downs and a fumble. 

The stat sheet shows that the Tigers are largely relying on the ground attack on first down. The Aggies frequently had those plays figured out, setting up an average distance of third-and-9 on third downs. They harassed the mesh point on zone-read plays, and Auburn did little to adjust that. The first play resulted in a sack, and the play was sniffed out again in the final quarter. Malzahn placed the blame on the coaches and not the offensive line.

He was asked if the issues are restricted to game planning, and if adjustments in the game aren't up to speed, and replied, "It's all of the above." 

Thus far this season, Auburn has called 78 run plays on first down and 29 pass plays. The Tigers have only converted five of those passes into first downs and 15 runs into first downs. 

The obvious redundancy on offense has certainly made life easy for opposing defenses, as Auburn has been tackled for loss 32 times, the highest mark in the nation. 

Malzahn went on to say that the two losses "have probably hurt me worse than any of the others" in his seven years on the Plains as an offensive coordinator and head coach. Auburn's tangle with LSU is even bigger given the Tigers' record in the last 12 SEC contests (2-10) and a seven-game home losing skid against Power 5 teams (the second-worst mark in America). 

Malzahn is more than well aware that the fan base is growing restless. 

"I definitely feel their pain first of all," he assured. "I know the Auburn family and I know their expectations. I don't read social media, I just know. They expect us to play good football and I hurt, too. Matter of fact, like I just said, we've got to do a better job - I gotta do a better job. And we're going to." 

Oh, yes. One final note: This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most notorious Auburn-LSU games in history: "The Barn Burner." It earned its title thanks to an event that took place elsewhere than the field itself. That night, Auburn's Old Students Activity Center across from Jordan-Hare Stadium caught fire after a fan moved his grill underneath an overhang due to a late afternoon shower. Thank God that nobody was injured or killed. 

Former ESPN commentator Ron Franklin said it best about this storied rivalry. "Strange things seem to happen when these two teams get together." (He said this in the opening moments of ESPN's telecast of the 2005 game between the two squads.) Who knows what this year's match will bring? 

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

Tuesday, September 20th, 2016
A highly-touted Auburn recruit received some bleak news yesterday. 

Austin Troxell, a four-star offensive tackle commit, found out that he has a torn ACL in his right knee. It's the same knee he sustained an ACL tear on in the playoffs last season. 

To say the least, Troxell was very disappointed to learn of the situation. "I'm pretty beat up about it," he told AuburnUndercover. 

Troxell said he was injured on the opening play from scrimmage last Friday night in his game against Huntsville (Ala.) Westminster. 

He underwent an MRI last Saturday. Initially, doctors only found a meniscus tear. However, more bad news surfaced yesterday.
 
"He came back and told me I tore my ACL, too," Troxell stated. 

Troxell holds the second-highest ranking of any Auburn commit, eclipsed only by five-star offensive tackle Calvin Ashley. He's the No. 88 overall recruit nationally in the 247Sports Composite. 

He pledged to the Tigers this summer when Auburn beat out Alabama following a vehement recruitment. 

Troxell has reportedly already spoken with Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand and running backs coach Tim Horton, the latter of whom was his area recruiter. 

"They're supporting me and staying positive and telling me they've got my back," Troxell said. 

A date for Troxell's surgery has not been set. He hopes to attend Saturday's Auburn-LSU game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

I wish Austin the best in his recovery.

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

​Monday, September 19th, 2016
I just came upon a bit of news that is minor, yet significant enough to make note of. 

Auburn's game against Louisiana-Monroe in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 1 has been set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel available on broadcast system. The game will also be available for online viewing via watchESPN and the watchESPN app. The kickoff time and broadcast was announced today by the SEC. 

This contest is the last in a string of five straight home matches for the Tigers to begin the 2016 campaign. Auburn stands at 1-2 heading into a showdown with No. 18 LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC). Kickoff for that game is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

The Tigers are 9-0 all-time against ULM. The teams last squared off in 2012. Auburn needed overtime to upend ULM 31-28 on a Cody Parkey field goal. The Tigers finished 3-9 in what proved to be Gene Chizik's final season as the Tigers' head coach. 

Unless Auburn wants a whiff of a similar scare this time around, it will have to rectify its dormant offense in a hurry. Plus, one other fair warning: This very same opponent came to Tuscaloosa in 2007, and nobody gave them a ghost of a chance against Alabama. Final score: ULM, 21, Alabama, 14. 

As the late Auburn head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan said, "Just remember: Goliath was a 40-point favorite over David." Those are words to live by when it comes to sports, my friends. 

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

​Sunday, September 18th, 2016
Auburn fell to Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium by a score of 29-16 yesterday evening. The loss not only dropped the Tigers to 1-2 (0-1 in SEC play), but also left them with three dubious distinctions: Auburn has now endured its third straight home defeat to the Aggies, its school-record sixth straight home loss to a conference opponent (dating back to a 41-38 heartbreaker to this same squad in 2014), and a seventh consecutive defeat to a Power 5 team, behind only Colorado, which has 10.

Let's take a look and try to break down what prevented Auburn from coming out on top.
 
Offense: On Auburn's second possession of the contest, it looked as though they picked up right where they left off in last week's dominating win over Arkansas State, marching 80 yards in 2:26, with the drive culminating in a one-yard plunge by Kamryn Pettway (his first touchdown as an Auburn Tiger). The Tigers took a 7-0 lead, and all seemed promising. But alas, the flame died down from that point on. Auburn's next 10 drives resulted in the following: punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, field goal, punt, punt, punt, punt. Pettway offered an explanation for why the offense became so inept. "It was just a lack of focus. I think we got a little too comfortable," he said. We didn't change anything or adjust anything. We just didn't execute any of our plays."  

Sean White had an OK performance, but was benched late in the fourth quarter in favor of John Franklin III. Franklin gave the offense some spark, but by then, the game was locked up. Now, there's talk floating around that he will take over starting duties. According to Coach Malzahn, "We'll talk about things next week." All told, the Tigers generated 399 total yards. That's efficient, but they still need to do more to win.

Defense: Another solid showing from Kevin Steele's troops. Had it not been for this unit, the score could have very well been a blowout. They held the Aggies to five field goals and just two touchdowns in the red zone. The Tigers only trailed 16-10 at the break, and began the second half by forcing three straight three-and-outs. However, Auburn also gave up some big plays at times, with the back-breaker coming on an 89-yard TD gallop by Trayveon Williams with 7:16 remaining that put the game away. By the end of the night, the Tigers had allowed 478 total yards to the Aggies. Texas A&M's Trevor Knight and his talented group of receivers gave Auburn fits. The secondary is still vulnerable. 

Special teams: A rare poor performance from this unit. The lone bright spot was Daniel Carlson's field goal in the closing seconds of the first half. However, the Tigers were forced to punt nine times on the night, with a subpar average of 35.0 yards per kick. That was largely due to two weak punts by Ian Shannon, who was edged out by Kevin Phillips for the starting role in the offseason.  

Overall: The offense had its chances, but could do nothing with them. The defense played admirably well, but not well enough. The coaching and play calling was poor. The Tigers had better get thing cleaned up fast, as LSU comes to town next week. 

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

Saturday, September 17th, 2016
As I write this, Auburn's tangle with Texas A&M is four hours and 20 minutes away. 

I'm going to be succinct and simple in giving what I believe are three keys to victory against the Aggies. 

1. The offense must unleash the passing game against a vulnerable A&M secondary: The Tigers' starting quarterback, Sean White, proved himself worthy in Auburn's 51-14 rout of Arkansas State last week. Today presents another perfect chance for him to showcase his skills against an Aggies' secondary that, statistically, has had modest success against the pass. 

2. Pile up the yards on the ground: ​Our offensive line needs to open up lanes for Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway to dash through. Heck, maybe Malik Miller will get a carry or two. Of course, no matter what the Tigers do on offense, the offensive front must do everything in its power to contain Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett. When you're playing against him, that's no easy task. 

3. Slow down A&M's passing attack: Trevor Knight, the Aggies' signal-caller, is a graduate transfer from Oklahoma. Any avid college football fan will remember how he ate Alabama's lunch in the Sugar Bowl a couple of years ago, but he came to College Station after losing the starting job to Baker Mayfield. Knight has a great arm, so the Tigers must flush him out of the pocket with all their strength. Otherwise, it could be a long night...especially considering the Aggies' splendid group of receivers: Josh Reynolds, Christian Kirk, Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones. To put it bluntly, Auburn's defense must put on a show as good -or even better - than they did against Clemson. 

Oh, yeah. There's one other key to victory that doesn't really qualify for this list, because it's a given in any game: Avoid turnovers and costly penalties. 

Auburn enters this contest as a four-point favorite, but I hope they're not paying any attention to that. Since A&M joined the SEC in 2012, the visiting team has won all four of the previous meetings between these two squads. In other words, Auburn has yet to beat the Aggies on its own home turf (63-21 in 2012, and 41-38 in 2014). We need to break that streak today in an obviously crucial game for both teams. 

On the whole, if we do enough things right, we can bring home what would be a big win. I smell quite a shootout brewing tonight. I think this is going to come down to the age-old question: Who wants it the worst?

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

​Wednesday, September 14th, 2016

The SEC released its full schedule for the 2017 campaign last night. 

Naturally, the news fills out Auburn's schedule for that season. The Tigers will open conference play with their first-ever trip to Missouri. The two teams last met in the 2013 SEC Championship Game, with Auburn emerging as a 59-42 winner. 

Auburn stands as the lone team in the league to play three straight SEC games on the road, with trips to LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M spread from mid-October through early November. 

Meanwhile, the Tigers will host rivals Georgia (Nov. 11) and Alabama (Nov. 25) at Jordan-Hare Stadium. On the other side of the coin, Auburn goes on the road five times, including a trip to Clemson on Sept. 9 (when they will hopefully break a three-game losing streak to the Tigers). 

Auburn's 2017 schedule
Sept. 2- Georgia Southern 
Sept. 9- at Clemson
Sept. 16- Mercer
Sept. 23- at Missouri
Sept. 30- Mississippi State
Oct. 7- Ole Miss
Oct. 14- at LSU
Oct. 21- at Arkansas 
Oct. 28- OPEN
Nov. 4- at Texas A&M 
Nov. 11 - Georgia
Nov. 18 - Louisiana-Monroe
Nov. 25 - Alabama 

Auburn's SEC East rotating opponent
- 2017: at Missouri
- 2018: vs. Tennessee
- 2019: at Florida
- 2020: vs. Kentucky
- 2021: at South Carolina
- 2022: vs. Missouri
- 2023: at Vanderbilt
- 2024: vs. Florida
- 2025: at Tennessee

On the whole, I'd say this makes for a very exciting and eventful schedule. However, I can also tell you from experience that schedules are always subject to change. Don't be shocked if that happens to any of these games between now and their designated seasons. 

One last note for today: When Auburn hosts Texas A&M this Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN, a new trio of broadcasters will be calling the action. Dave Flemming will handle the play-by-play, with Brian Griese serving as the color commentator (for the record, his father, Bob, who had an extensive tenure with ABC and ESPN, is now the color man for the Miami Dolphins Radio Network), and Todd McShay as the sideline reporter.   

I used the word "new" in the above paragraph for a reason: The tandem of Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer were on hand for Auburn's first two games this season. While I don't have anything directly against them, I share the view of so many other fans that Musburger constantly made references to Alabama's opener against USC during Auburn's match with Clemson. He seemed to have learned his lesson because man, did he catch heck for it from the fans on social media!

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

 
Monday, September 12th, 2016
I'll start off today's post with the kickoff times for Auburn's next two games.

This Saturday, the Tigers will host Texas A&M at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT), with the game being televised by ESPN. Then, the following week, Auburn hosts LSU at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) on ESPN as part of an SEC triple-header on the network that will also include Georgia at Ole Miss at 11 a.m. CT and Arkansas facing Texas A&M in Arlington at 8 p.m. CT.  

Now for a somewhat important question: What will the Tigers do following freshman tight end Landon Rice's exit from the team this past week? His departure leaves the team thin at both tight end and H-back. 

Rice reportedly did not take part in practice last week. Following last Saturday's 51-14 win over Arkansas State, head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed Rice was no longer with the program. 

"He has left the team for personal reasons," Malzahn said of Rice, who did not play in either of Auburn's first two games prior to the announcement of his departure. "He's got a great family and his brother (receiver Logan Rice) still plays for us." 

Rice had been listed as the co-starter at tight end along with sophomore Jalen Harris as well as the reserve to Chandler Cox at H-back. 

Despite that, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee wasn't worried about what Rice's leaving meant for the Tigers' depth chart at those two positions. Lashlee maintained that Harris and Cox will continue to "do what they're doing" at their respective spots. 

Harris, in particular, could very well see his role with the team grow as the season goes on, according to Lashlee. 

"He did some good things last night with his hand down in some of our pro sets. He played even some H-back in the second half, too," Lashlee explained. "He's much better this year than he was last year, which is good. He's shown good improvement. So we've just got to keep bringing him along, because he's going to play every week. How much we use him may determine more on the game plan than him, but he's getting better." 

Apart from Harris and Cox, Lashlee also pointed out that Keenan Sweeney, a former walk-on who received a scholarship in preseason camp, could now "factor into the mix" himself. 

"He's always been a guy that we know is very reliable," Lashlee said of Sweeney, a sophomore. "Real smart. He knows the system. So we feel OK about our depth there. That's just kind of how we'll proceed until we have to change plans." 

Here's to hoping that the current plan works out well. 

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

 
​Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Auburn's 51-14 whipping of Arkansas State last night at Jordan-Hare Stadium gave Tiger fans plenty of reason to be optimistic that their team is turning a corner. 

It was more satisfying when you consider all of the wild action that unfolded elsewhere around the SEC, as well as the country. Georgia narrowly avoiding an upset at the hands of Nichols State, Arkansas needing double OT to overtake TCU, Central Michigan stunning Oklahoma State on a last-play Hail Mary-lateral touchdown (which actually never should have happened in the first place, according to the rule book. You can read about that yourself, if you haven't already.)...good grief! It was crazy as heck! 

OK, now to my insight on this dominant performance.

Offense: How can you complain when your offense piles up 706 total yards (462 rushing, 244 passing)? That figure stands as the second-most total yards in school history, eclipsed only by a 712-yard output in a 62-3 drubbing of Western Carolina in 2013. 

In the running game, Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway stole the show, rushing for 124 yards and 152 yards, respectively. Johnson's highlight of the evening came in the first quarter. With the Tigers on the ASU 47, quarterback Sean White looked to throw, but quickly got surrounded by pressure from the Red Wolves' rush. Just before being thrown to the turf, he made a desperate underhand toss to Johnson, who spun away from a host of Red Wolves defenders on the Auburn sideline. He then reversed his field, cutting across to the far side and hurdled over a defender en route to the end zone. Touchdown, Auburn! 

Meanwhile, quarterback Sean White proved himself worthy as well, completing 17 of 23 passes for 243 yards and three TDs. While we're on the subject of the passing game, the highlight in that department was freshman Kyle Davis' amazing one-handed grab amid double coverage late in the first period. A 42-yard gain to the ASU 4. Three plays later, the Tigers took a 14-7 lead, which they never relinquished. That catch was a mouth-dropping moment worthy of highlight-reel status for years to come. Meanwhile, senior Tony Stevens, not to be outdone, had two touchdown receptions. 

Defense: It's easy to be fooled because ASU somehow managed 326 yards of offense against defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's bunch. The catch is that the Red Wolves didn't break the 200-yard mark until late in the third stanza. Plus, the defense recorded four quarterback sacks. The only glaring error was surrendering a 63-yard pass from Chad Voytik to Christian Booker in the first period to set up ASU's first score. That was the result of a missed assignment. Still, another inspiring performance overall. 

Special teams: In a rare occurrence, punter Kevin Phillips didn't have to kick one all night. Instead, the evening belonged to junior kicker Daniel Carlson. He converted three field goals (from 18, 37 and 42 yards) and six PATs. But the play of the night in this category came with 8:08 left in the first half. With Auburn holding a 21-7 advantage, Carlson lined up to try a 37-yard field goal. The snap came to back-up quarterback Tyler Stovall when...surprise! Instead of spotting the ball for Carlson, Stovall blindly tossed an over-the-shoulder pass to Carlson, who sprinted right, got into the clear, and dashed home for a 20-yard touchdown. The Tigers had not scored in this manner since the 2000 game against Vanderbilt, when Damon Duval threw a TD pass to Lorenzo Diamond. All told, Carlson scored 21 points in this match (one TD, three FGs six PATs) to set a new school record for points in a game by a kicker. The previous high was 18, set twice, first by Al del Greco against Kentucky in 1982, then by Carlson against Alabama in 2014.   

Coaching: Gus Malzahn did an admirable job this time around, sticking with Sean White as his starting QB, and putting John Franklin III in when the game was on ice.  He also pulled off a few razzle-dazzle plays at the right moments. Simply put, Gus reverted back to his old form. Let's hope he continues to stay that way. 

Overall: The offense was explosive, the defense was solid, the special teams was outstanding. What more could you want, even if it was against an inferior team such as this? Now for the big question: Will the Tigers be able to sustain this momentum in the long run as they delve into the real meat of the schedule starting next week, when they host Texas A&M? 

I'll close with a couple of side notes. First off, freshman tight end Landon Rice has left the team for personal reasons, according to Coach Malzahn. However, Landon's brother, Logan, is still with the program. 

Also, has it already been 15 years since the day America changed forever? 

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


​Thursday, September 8th, 2016
Isn't it amazing just how quickly things can change? 

It looks like former Auburn running back Peyton Barber will have a place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after all. 

Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times​ reports that Barber was promoted to the Bucs' 53-man roster yesterday. He was released earlier this month as part of the team's final roster cuts before re-signing as a member of the practice squad the following day. 

Last season, Barber led Auburn with 1,016 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 237 carries. He closed out his college career with 1,071 yards and 13 scores on 248 touches. 

Barber left Auburn for the NFL with the intent of supporting his mother, who he revealed was homeless during the NFL Combine. 

"It was just because there were some things I was going through with my family," Barber explained. "I don't know if anybody knows: My mom, she's homeless right now."

I, for one, stand and applaud Peyton for his selflessness. I sincerely hope that he can make enough money to find his mother a home. 

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

 
​Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
Auburn plans to use two quarterbacks against Arkansas State - head coach Gus Malzahn's former team - on Saturday.

After watching a three-quarterback system struggle miserably to pick up first downs and score points against second-ranked Clemson last week, Malzahn announced the change in plans during his weekly press conference yesterday. Sean White will start at quarterback, while John Franklin III, a dual-threat signal-caller, will take reps with the second-team offense. 

"We thought it would be successful, but it was not," Malzahn openly admitted. "Going into the first game the plan was that we were going to throw a lot at them. We felt like all three quarterbacks had some things they could be successful with, and we were going to give them a lot to think about." 

Additionally, Malzahn was asked if Franklin would serve as a Wildcat quarterback, and replied, "We're bringing John along with the offense. He'll get the No. 2 reps in practice." 

Meanwhile, Jeremy Johnson, who is 7-3 as a starter, will work with the third-team offense and, according to Malzahn, "will be ready if called upon." 

"Our goal going in was to be aggressive," Malzahn said in reference to the Clemson game plan. That explanation likely didn't sit well with Auburn fans. 

The Tigers regularly shuffled the three quarterbacks - sometimes play after play - in an ill-conceived rotation that's rarely seen on the college level. Auburn fell to Clemson, 19-13. 

"We weren't as successful as I thought we would be with those, but that was the plan. A little unknown right there, throwing a lot at the opponent. We're moving forward with Sean White and bringing along John Franklin." 

We can only hope that this new plan will be at least one step in taking the offense in the right direction. And for the record, I have to agree with most Auburn fans that rotating quarterbacks as often as Malzahn did against Clemson is bloody nuts. 

In other news...
- After serving a one-game suspension, safety Stephen Roberts will return for Auburn this week, Malzahn confirmed during the opening remarks of his weekly press conference yesterday. 

 According to a police report provided by the Auburn Police Department, Roberts, a junior, was arrested Aug. 24 at 9:53 p.m. on Harmon Drive in Auburn. The firearm he possessed was a pistol, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told AuburnUndercover. Roberts was in the passenger seat of a vehicle during a traffic stop and fled from officers, according to Auburn Police Captain Lorenza Dorsey. 

According to Alabama state law, both charges are misdemeanors. Roberts is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. CT, per Auburn Municipal Court records. Two days later, the Tigers will host Alabama A&M. 

Roberts started the final four games of the 2015 campaign and was expected to be a starter this season prior to his arrest. 

However, it's still not clear just how soon he will return to the lineup. 

"We're going to bring him along," Malzahn said. "I'm not ready to say where or how many reps and all that." 

- Prior to the start of this season, Kamryn Pettway converted from H-back to running back full-time in the aftermath of Jovon Robinson's dismissal. Rumors were rampant that Pettway could win the starting job. 

However, in Auburn's opener against Clemson, he didn't make his first appearance until the third quarter. To add insult to injury, he didn't touch the ball a single time. 

Moving forward, however, Coach Malzahn assured that things would be different. That starts with this Saturday's match against Arkansas State. 

"Kam Pettway will have more of a role in this game," Malzahn said during his weekly press conference. 

Kerryon Johnson, who beat out Pettway for the starting job, led the Tigers in both carries (23) and yards rushing (94) against Clemson. But even Johnson admitted that he was astounded at Pettway's minute role. That is, until Johnson thought it over a bit more. 

"When you go back, I mean, shoot, if you don't put together drives, that takes away from everybody getting on the field," Johnson explained. "We had 40 yards at halftime. We didn't have a lot of carries because we didn't have the ball. That hurts everybody on offense. I think it was more of, as a unit, we didn't move the ball, which is why he didn't get as many reps as he would like." 

In spite of his limited role, however, Johnson said Pettway remained in high spirits. 

"He's not down about it. We're not down about it. He knows he's just fine. We just got to get together as a unit and get better." 

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

Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
I have three major stories to write about today. Two of them involve current Tigers, while the other concerns a former Tiger who now has an NFL home. 

- Defensive back Stephen Roberts is reportedly practicing with Auburn despite currently serving a suspension stemming from his arrest last month. 

Safety Tray Matthews confirmed yesterday that the sophomore has been taking part in team drills during practices. 

While defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said he knows what lies ahead for Roberts this week, he declined to go into details, saying that he will leave it to head coach Gus Malzahn to announce the Opelika native's fate later today. 

I'll keep my eyes peeled for Malzahn's decision, and hopefully, I'll be able to write about it tomorrow. I've described the details of Roberts' arrest before, and to do so again would strike me as fruitless and redundant. 

- Graduate transfer defensive back Marshall Taylor's availability this week remains in dire straits. 

The former Miami (Ohio) player has yet to play this season after arriving early at preseason camp following his involvement in a physical altercation at a party in Columbus, Ga. He practiced for just over a week before Auburn's season opener last Saturday against second-ranked Clemson, but did not play. 

Auburn (0-1) hosts Arkansas State (0-1) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

"We're working toward it. We're working toward it," Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "It's still  a work in progress, so it's a little bit early to say." 

The party Taylor attended also included running back Jovon Robinson, who was dismissed from the program August 3 following multiple off-the-field incidents. 

- Former Auburn cornerback Jonathan Jones went undrafted after closing out his career with the Tigers last fall. He then signed with the New England Patriots, the most successful NFL team of this millennium, shortly after the NFL Draft wrapped up. 

This past Saturday, his persistence paid dividends, as he made the cut for the Patriots' 53-man roster, where he will play alongside former teammate - and fellow defensive back - Brandon King. 

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Jones impressed talent evaluators at the NFL Draft Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds, the fastest among all defensive backs and the third-best time overall. In addition, he did 19 reps on the bench-press, tied for second-most at his position. Although it wasn't enough to get a draft selection, Jones' performance during camp and the preseason helped him make the roster for the four-time Super Bowl champions. 

Jones, a Georgia native, played for Auburn from 2012-15. He started all 13 games for the Tigers last season, collecting 69 tackles (1.5 for loss), one interception and a team-high 13 pass breakups, in addition to two fumble recoveries.  

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

 
​Monday, September 5th, 2016
Happy Labor Day, everyone! 

After opting to leave Auburn early for the NFL Draft following a 2015 campaign in which he rushed for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns, running back Peyton Barber's NFL career hasn't exactly gotten off to the splendid beginning he envisioned. 

He went unselected and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. 

Barber was cut by the Bucs last week, but now it looks as though he may have a spot for the 2016 season after all, as he has been signed to Tampa Bay's practice squad according to Brandon Marcello of AuburnUndercover via his Twitter account. 

True, being part of a practice squad may not exactly be ideal, but it's certainly a tolerable way to spend the first year of your professional career after going undrafted. 

Yes, I fully realize that what's done is done. Still, this strikes me as a time to play a mind game of "What if?" What if Peyton had stayed for at least one more year? Would Auburn have a more successful running game than they have thus far this season? (For that matter, what if Jovon Robinson hadn't committed the incident that he did to get kicked off the team?) 

If there's one figure on the final stat sheet from our opener against Clemson that makes me cringe, it was 87 yards rushing on 41 attempts. To the best of my memory, that's our worst rushing output since the 1998 opener against Virginia when we had a paltry 18 yards on the ground in a 19-0 loss. 

Unless the Tigers drastically improve their ground attack as the season goes on, many Auburn fans will likely ask the aforementioned questions themselves. 

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

​Sunday, September 4th, 2016​
I'm going to keep my take on Auburn's 19-13 season-opening loss to Clemson relatively brief. 

Offense: In the first half, the offense had all the effectiveness of a balloon without helium. Auburn had only generated a woeful 38 total yards by intermission. We really didn't get in gear until the waning minutes of the contest. By the end of the night, we had accumulated 262 total yards - easily the worst performance by a Malzahn-coached team I've ever seen. In the final seconds, I felt pretty hopeful that we would pull off a miracle with two Hail Mary tries to the end zone from Clemson's 40. Then again, considering our performance prior to that point, perhaps it was too munch to expect, anyway. Three turnovers (two INTs and a fumble) didn't help matters, either. But our two most glaring faults were awful play from the offensive line, and red zone troubles - one of our biggest trouble spots from last year. Plenty of work needs to be done.

Defense: If there was any bright spot for Auburn, it was definitely here. Any unit that can hold one of the nation's most potent offenses to 399 total yards, force two turnovers, and surrender just 19 points deserves kudos. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was a proud man, and rightly so. Hopefully, this was just a foreshadowing of what is to come under his guidance. 

Special teams: This remains a strength. Daniel Carlson nailed two field goals, including a 53-yarder - the junior's school-record sixth from 50-plus. Plus, one of Kevin Phillips' five punts was a 68-yard boot. The return game wasn't too bad, with 42 yards. Even so, it takes more than one unit to win a game.   

Coaching: Personally, I have to agree with most observers that this was our biggest downfall. The constant rotate of our three quarterbacks was more disorienting than a Tilt-a-Whirl ride. Even H-back Chandler Cox and running back Kerryon Johson took direct snaps out of the Wildcat (Johnson scored our lone touchdown in that manner). But worst of all, once we reached the red zone, Coach Malzahn ran far too many "vanilla" plays that were all too predictable for Clemson to figure out. He needs to come up with some razzle-dazzle, as he's so capable of doing. 

Overall: It could have turned very ugly, very fast for the home-standing Tigers. But it didn't. Auburn kept Clemson on its toes all night long. However, we just couldn't make the crucial plays when it counted. Now, Auburn needs to put this disappointment behind them and get ready to host Malzahn's former team - Arkansas State - next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. We still have plenty of time to right this ship. But it had better happen soon, or Malzahn will more than likely have a pink slip in his future. 

That's all for now. Until next time, have a happy Labor Day, everyone. God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!