​​Lyle's Corner

September 2020

Tuesday, September 29th, 2020

We now know the broadcast team for Auburn's upcoming game at Georgia this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Chris Fowler will provide the play-by-play, with Kirk Herbstreit handling color commentary. Allison Williams will serve as the sideline reporter. Additionally, the network's flagship college football program, "College GameDay", will be on hand for the contest as well. 

If I may editorialize a bit, Chris Fowler is, in my mind, one of the few supreme TV sportscasters we still have nowadays. He has genuine enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of the game. I sure do miss several ESPN personalities who are no longer with the network, like the retired Mike Patrick or Ron Franklin, just to name a couple. (If you'll recall, though, Ron got himself booted because he called one of his colleagues, the now-retired Jeannine Edwards, "sweet baby", and then "a--hole" after she objected to the former phrase.)

In other news.....

​- Today, during his weekly press conference, head coach Gus Malzahn announced that no new positive tests for COVID-19 have occurred since Auburn's 29-13 win over Kentucky last Saturday. In fact, the Tigers haven't had any such tests since two were reported on Sept. 12th. 

The 7th-ranked Tigers and 4th-ranked Bulldogs will square off at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN on Saturday. 

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

Monday, September 28th, 2020

​Today, the SEC announced the kickoff times and TV lineup for the league's Week 3 matchups, which will take place on Oct. 10th. The way things stand right now, we could have two contests between undefeated teams that weekend after Florida and Texas A&M both won, as well as Tennessee and Georgia, on the SEC's opening weekend. 

But to get to what you really came here to read about, Auburn's tilt with Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium has been set for 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) that weekend on the SEC Network. The Tigers have won the last four meetings against the Razorbacks. Hopefully, that streak will be extended another year. All of that said, however, Auburn's trip to Georgia for this upcoming weekend (Oct. 3rd) comes first. The Tigers and Bulldogs will square off at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN this Saturday night. Auburn hasn't won in Athens since 2005. We need to break that futile streak. 

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

Saturday, September 26th, 2020

It's late as I write this, so I'm going to be in "short and sweet" mode tonight with my take on our season-opening 29-13 win over Kentucky. 

I knew from the beginning that Auburn would be facing a scrappy bunch of Wildcats. Man, was I right! UK outgained us in every facet on the offensive side. Had it not been for the three turnovers that our defense forced, the final outcome would likely have not been as fortunate. Our offense may have rolled up 324 yards on the day, but it didn't come so easily. Bo Nix was the star of the day, passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns. All of those scoring tosses came in the second half. 

Special teams was solid, but on the whole, there's still plenty of work to do. Our defense needs to turn up the pressure on the opposing quarterback considerably. Terry Wilson wasn't perfect by any means for UK, but when he hit his receivers, they gained pretty big yardage. The Tigers gave up 384 total yards, and that won't do them any favors with a big match at Georgia looming on the horizon next week. 

And yeah, I was just as disappointed about Roger McCreary's 100-yard pick-6 being negated by a targeting call against Auburn's Derick Hall as I'm sure all of you were. Fortunately, since the infraction (whether legit or not) came in the first half, Hall won't have to miss any action at Georgia next week. On the whole, today's performance showed why I've never been wild about morning games. The Tigers started out very sluggish, but rose up and did enough things right to pull out the win. That said, they'll have to really buckle down in practice next week if they want to pocket a victory in Athens against the Bulldogs - especially since Auburn hasn't won there since 2005. 

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

Friday, September 25th, 2020

News broke this morning as to who will call Auburn's season opener against Kentucky on the SEC Network tomorrow. Tom Hart will handle the play-by-play, while Jordan Rodgers will provide the color, and Cole Cubelic will serve as the sideline reporter. As I write this, we're down to 21 hours and 18 minutes before the start of what will prove to be a very uncertain and strange season. Regardless of the circumstances, the Tigers had better be on their toes against a scrappy Wildcat squad that is certainly on the rise under Mark Stoops. 

This is the first match between the two teams since 2015. That was a Thursday night match in Lexington, with Auburn edging UK 30-27. In regards to the game location, however, this is Kentucky's first trip to the Plains since 2009. That one didn't turn out so well for Auburn, as it fell victim to a 21-14 upset loss, marking UK's first victory over the Tigers in football since 1966. Here's hoping that we have a much happier outcome this time around. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT tomorrow in Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

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

​Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020

​One of Auburn's players is switching positions ahead of the Tigers' season opener against Kentucky. Word came out today that freshman Jeremiah Wright, who signed as a three-star offensive lineman out of Selma, Ala., has moved to the defensive line and appeared on the Tigers' first official depth chart as a backup defensive tackle behind redshirt freshman starter Colby Wooden, senior Daquan Newkirk and sophomore Jay Hardy. 

Head coach Gus Malzahn said today that the change was made to provide the team with more depth on the interior of the defensive line. Auburn recently endured the mid-camp departure of junior defensive tackle Coynis Miller Jr., who was expected to compete for the starting job left open by consensus All-American Derrick Brown, who is now with the NFL's Carolina Panthers. 

The 6-feet-5, 340-pound Wright started the preseason working at guard but moved to defensive line in the last couple of weeks. "I see Jeremiah Wright, that dude's tough," center Nick Brahms earlier this month, when Wright was still an offensive lineman. "He can drive some people, now. He's good at pass pro. If he doesn't play this year, he's probably going to be backup this year, but that kid is going to be good in the future if he stays healthy and he stays humble and stuff. I'm real excited about him." 

​The shift to defensive tackle should come naturally for Wright, who played on both sides of the line of scrimmage during his high school days in Selma under coach Willie Gandy. "He played that in high school and we think he can help us there," Malzahn noted. 

One last note: Just three more days until we begin what should be an interesting (though unpredictable, in more ways than one) season. 

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

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

Two Tigers are out indefinitely due to offseason shoulder surgeries. Granted, these players may not be well-known compared to others. 

​Redshirt freshman linebacker O.C. Brothers and true freshman Buck edge-rusher Romello Height both underwent surgical procedures on their shoulders this offseason and are still recovering, head coach Gus Malzahn announced today. Malzahn did not establish a definitive timetable for either's return, but was hopeful that both will be available before the season ends. 

​"We've got two guys that are going to be out because of injuries, and that's O.C. Brothers and Romello Height," Malzahn said. "They had shoulder procedures in the offseason so they're recovering. We're hoping we'll get those guys back both before the season ends." Brothers is a former three-star linebacker from Rockledge, Fla., who signed with the Tigers as part of their 2019 class. He appeared in two contests, against Kent State and Samford, while redshirting under the NCAA's four-game redshirt rule. 

Height, a former three-star prospect out of Dublin, Ga., signed with the Tigers during the early signing period last December after flipping his commitment from Miami (Fla.) to Auburn. 

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

​Monday, September 21st, 2020

Yes, I'm still alive. But more than that, I'm excited that we're down to just five days before the start of the (highly uncertain) 2020 campaign. 

​According to a release, the Tigers voted and chose their four team captains for the season. Senior linebacker K.J. Britt, sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, senior defensive lineman Big Kat Bryant and junior running back Shaun Shivers received those honors. Head coach Gus Malzahn announced the picks a week before No. 8 Auburn opens its season against No. 23 Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

​Last year, Britt amassed 69 tackles (10 for loss) to clinch first-team All-SEC honors. Nix, the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year, set Auburn newcomer records for completions (217), passing yards (2,542) and touchdown passes (16). A dual-threat QB, Nix also rushed for seven touchdowns. Britt and Bryant were both named to the 2020 Preseason Coaches All-SEC First Team. Bryant made 16 tackles as a junior in 2019, with two tackles for loss and a team-best nine quarterback hurries. 

Shivers averaged 5.2 yards per carry during his sophomore campaign in '19 and scored the game-winning TD in the Iron Bowl against Alabama. (Who can ever forget the sight of him knocking off Alabama's Xavier McKinney's helmet on the play?)

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

Saturday, September 12th, 2020

​Bad news broke for Auburn football today. Head coach Gus Malzahn reported that two more players tested positive for COVID-19 this week as 10 more players were forced out of practice due to testing protocols. 

The two new cases came after Auburn had two clean rounds of testing last week. Unfortunately, the two positive cases will have to isolate for 10 days before going through a seven-day acclimation period. Meanwhile, the other eight will have to go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine after being identified through the team's contact-tracing program. According to Malzahn, five of the 10 players who missed practice this week due to COVID-19 protocols are starters. He seemed confident that all of them would be back in time for the Tigers' scheduled season opener on Sept. 26th against Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

Yes, you read that date correctly. We've got exactly two weeks left. That should seemingly be plenty of time for all of the afflicted players to recover. On an off-topic side note, we've already seen two big upsets in college football today, both by Sun Belt squads. As I write this, Louisiana knocked off No. 23 Iowa State, 31-14, and Arkansas State thumped Kansas State 35-31. Man, this has been one crazy day! We can only hope that Auburn doesn't fall victim to the same outcome when its season commences.

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

Tuesday, September 8th, 2020

I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. I sure did, especially since it was such a quiet one. But let's move on to Auburn news. 

​One of Auburn football's reserve punters is moving on. Word came out this morning that Crimmins Hankinson has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Hankinson transferred to the Plains from Gardner-Webb, where he served as the team's starting punter in 2018. But during his time at Auburn, Hankinson was behind Oscar Chapman and Aidan Marshall on the Tigers' punter depth chart. 

On the whole, I can't say I'm surprised by this news. But the Tigers obviously have plenty of other options at this spot, and they can certainly get it done. As for Crimmins, I wish him the best. Personally, I'm not as concerned about our starting punter as I am about our special teams coverage. If you'll recall, that was a major issue last year. It definitely showed in the Oregon and Alabama games. 

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

​​Friday, September 4th, 2020

​Auburn football has one less defensive tackle on its roster. 

Yesterday, Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover reported that Coynis Miller Jr., a junior from Decatur, Ala., has left the team. Marshall's full article of what led to Miller's departure reads as follows:

​"Auburn defensive tackle Coynis Miller has apparently decided to opt out of his junior season after being ordered off the practice field on Wednesday, knowledgeable sources told Auburn Undercover on Thursday. Miller's future plans are uncertain, but he apparently will not return to the Auburn football team. 

Miller, who was a highly recruited 4-star prospect when he signed out of Jackson-Olin High School in 2018, launched a profanity-laced tirade on the practice field Wednesday after being told to put his helmet on. When told to calm down, he didn't and was finally told to leave the field. Sources tell AuburnUndercover that Miller made the decision to opt out after meeting with head coach Gus Malzahn on Thursday. 

​Miller's work ethic and consistent effort have been issues since he arrived at Auburn. He was expected to be a backup behind seniors DaQuan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell going into the season. Wednesday's incident, sources said, was not unprecedented. "He's really talented, but it just hasn't worked out,"  said a source close to the program. "(They) really wanted to save him, but he had to want it, too." 

Clearly, the details surrounding this situation aren't pretty. All we can do now is wish Coynis the best in the future, and count on others to step up to the plate on the defensive front. 

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

​Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

The kickoff times and TV networks for three of Auburn's first four football games - against Kentucky on Sept. 26th, at Georgia on Oct. 3rd and at South Carolina on Oct. 17th - have come to light. The SEC announced the news yesterday shortly after CBS announced that it would broadcast Auburn's match against defending national champion LSU on Halloween at 2:30 p.m. CT.  

The 11th-ranked Tigers will open the season on Sept. 26th when hosting Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on the SEC Network. The following week, Auburn will travel to Georgia for the earliest recorded playing of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. That game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. However, the Tigers' Week 4 trip to South Carolina is not quite settled. That contest will kick off at either 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. and air on either the SEC Network, the SEC Network Alternate channel or another ESPN platform. 

Obviously, the opening game's kickoff time doesn't sit well with me, and I'd bet that most Auburn fans feel the very same way. 

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

Tuesday, September 1st, 2020

Auburn football took a hit on the recruiting front as a now-de-committed Tiger flipped his pledge to Tennessee. 

​Two weeks ago, three-star offensive tackle J'Marion Gooch of Seymour (Tenn.) King's Academy assured he remained firmly committed to Auburn - even as other schools kept trying to lure him away. "I feel like it's the right thing for me now," Gooch told 247Sports at the time. "My situation, I feel like, is good....I feel like it was right. And I still feel like it's right. So I'm going to stand by it at the end of the day, 'til I feel it's decision time and sign the paper." 

Yesterday, he gave his allegiance to Rocky Top. His backing out of Auburn's commit list leaves Gus Malzahn's program with 13 pledges and about seven or eight spots to fill. On the offensive front, where the Tigers could take up to six pledges this cycle, they now have three verbals. Gooch was the lowest-ranked member of Auburn's commit list, so the Tigers won't take a large tumble in the rankings.  

Four months ago, Gooch picked Auburn over Tennessee, seemingly out of nowhere. But Gooch, the No. 22 recruit in the state of Tennessee according to the 247Sports Composite, said earlier this month he still communicated with the Vols frequently, although he remains "pretty solid" to the Tigers. His Vols pledge is led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and offensive line coach Will Friend. He said Tennessee "came back harder" after his commitment to Auburn. 

"Technically, the whole staff, I'm hearing from all of them - most of them," Gooch said. "Really, they just want to get me on camps and they said they'll take it from there when they get me on campus. They said I'll have a lot more opportunities if I stay home. That's (one of the) things they're telling me. ....I mean, I understand I have a lot of opportunities. But I feel like some stuff, I can do myself." 

For the time being, it's unclear if Auburn will continue to recruit Gooch - or if he will continue to consider the Tigers. 

But given the COVID-19 situation, I personally can understand his choice to stay close to home. 

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