Sanders Officially Commits!

Former Alabama commitment Craig Sanders has left the Crimson Tide for Auburn according to multiple reports. The four star defensive end committed to Alabama in May but has not heard from the Tide coaches much lately.

Sanders and Bama pledge Corey Grant visited Auburn for the West Virginia game. He is ranked the 12th best defensive end in the country by Rivals and the 199th best player in the nation. He is ranked the 7th best player in the state by Rivals. Sanders is also a four star on Scout and ranked the 20th best player on Scout. ESPN.com rates him a three star (79/100) and the 40th best defensive end.

Sanders is out of Ariton High School in Ariton, Alabama. As a junior he racked up 90 tackles and 9 sacks. Sanders also rushed for 1,057 yards and 16 touchdowns in only seven games. He was named Class 1A All State by ASWA as a junior and was a finalist for the Mr. Football award. As a sophomore he had 79 tackles, 19 sacks and blocked three kicks.

He has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State, Clemson and Georgia. He is 6'4", 230 lbs. and runs a 4.6 second 40 yard dash. He projects to qualify with a 3.68 GPA and a 19 on the ACT, which he plans to retake. He will major in criminal justice and plans on enrolling in January.

Sanders Decommits From Bama, Committing to Auburn

Craig Sanders has decommitted from Alabama and will instead go to Auburn according to his mother. His mother sent out an e-mail saying he had mixed feelings about Alabama. More to come!

Tennessee's Explanation

About the Tiger Walk...from the Knoxville News Sentinel:

"In 2004 when the Tigers played here, we had approximately 5,000 fans show up with the band and the cheerleaders, which was a great atmosphere, but a huge safety issue for the student-athletes, band and cheerleaders and fans because of the tight space," said a Tennessee spokesperson.

"If something had happened to a fan in that area, EMT would not have been able to respond because of the crowd size."

Seastrunk An Army All American

Lache Seastrunk has been named an Army All American. He was also nominated for the Ken Hall trophy which honors the U.S. Army Player of the Year.

Tiger Walk

Tiger Walk has been cancelled by the University of Tennessee for Saturday. They cancelled it due to "safety and security reasons". For some reason, the Vol Walk or whatever it is called gets to go on for whatever reason. A makeshift Tiger Walk may occur. If so, I will post it.

Notes

• Byron Isom practiced today and could play this weekend against Tennessee. The guard was suspended last game for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
• Gene Chizik is very familiar with Monte Kiffin's defense. Chizik and the older Kiffin go way back to when Chizik was defensive coordinator at UCF and was given pointer from Kiffin while he was defensive coordinator of the Buccanneers.
• Kodi Burns and Onterio McCalebb are still listed as "day to day". I would definitely expect to see McCalebb this weekend and Burns could also make it back.
• Onterio McCalebb is now officially in the mix for punt returner. Philip Pierre-Louis also fielded some punts today.
• Antoine Carter revealed that he had knee surgery in April to reattach a meniscus.

Vote In These Three Polls!

• Vote for the Auburn or Alabama player of the week here.
• Vote for your favorite mascot here.
• Vote for coach of the year here.

Statistics Rankings

• Rushing Offense - 5th Nationally, 2nd SEC
• Passing Offense - 27th Nationally, 2nd SEC
• Pass Efficiency - 6th Nationally, 3rd SEC
• Total Offense - T-3rd Nationally, 1st SEC
• Scoring Offense - 3rd Nationally, 2nd SEC
• Sacks Allowed - T-1st Nationally, 1st SEC
• Rushing Defense - 82nd Nationally, 10th SEC
• Passing Defense - 34th Nationally, 8th SEC
• Pass Efficiency Defense - 28th Nationally, 6th SEC
• Total Defense - 41st Nationally, 8th SEC
• Scoring Defense - 69th Nationally, 10th SEC
• Sacks - T-31st Nationally, 5th SEC
• Tackles For Loss - T-59th Nationally, 7th SEC
• Net Punting - 102nd Nationally, 10th SEC
• Punt Returns - 111th Nationally, 11th SEC
• Kickoff Returns - 84th Nationally, 10th SEC
• Turnover Margin - T-5th Nationally, T-1st SEC

Arkansas To Be A Day Game

After starting the season with five straight night games, the Auburn-Arkansas game will be during the day. The time has not officially been set but it will fall into one of these slots:

• 11:00 AM on ESPN
• 11:21 AM on SEC Network
• 11:30 AM on ESPNU
• or 2:30 PM on CBS

The other games filling these spots will be Alabama-Ole Miss, Georgia-Tennessee and Houston-Mississippi State.

Future Opponents (Opponent in Bold and This Week's Game)

Ohio 23

Tennessee 34 - vs. Auburn (6:45 ESPN)

Arkansas 7 - vs. Texas A&M (6:30 ESPN2)

Alabama 35 - @ Kentucky (11:21 SEC Network/GamePlan)

Florida 41

Kentucky 7 - vs. Alabama (11:21 SEC Network/GamePlan)

LSU 30 - @ UGA (2:30 CBS)

Mississippi State 26

Ole Miss 10 - @ Vanderbilt (6:00 ESPNU)

South Carolina 16

Furman 33 - vs. Elon (2:00 SportSouth)

Western Carolina 14

Arizona State 17

Georgia 20 - vs. LSU (2:30 CBS)

Pick'Em Leaders!

I am now getting killed...I've only made 12 correct each of the last 3 weeks. Here are the overall leaders:

• 1) Dreaming of the Plains... - 52 points
• 2) Dirty South - 50 points
• 2) freeportiger - 50 points
• 2) RandyWatson - 50 points
• 2) AU fan in Bessemer - 50 points
• 6) AUFootballRevival - 49 points
• 7) AUtastic - 48 points
• 7) XlentAU - 48 points
• 7) AUTiger10 - 48 points
• 7) callahan_7 - 48 points
• 7) WAREAGLE33 - 48 points
• 7) Gr8flKev - 48 points
• 7) RevPhilipp - 48 points

Polls

Auburn remained unranked in the two major polls (AP and Coaches). Here is a look at where Auburn ranks on some other polls:

• College Football News: 5
• Colley Matrix Top 40: 10
• Sagarin Top 50: 18
• Harris Interactive: 26
• AP: 27
• USA Today Coaches': 28
• Billingsley Top 50: 34

The highest any voter in the AP Poll ranked Auburn was 8th by Ray Ratto of the San Fransisco Chronicle.

Big OT Visits

Ed Christian was the big time offensive tackle who visited. He was previously committed to Florida State but has decommitted since visiting the Plains. He had not even talked to an Auburn coach until Wednesday when Curtis Luper got into contact with him. Christian will return for an official visit for the Kentucky game and could commit then.

Visitors

A few visitors will be on the Plains this weekend:

• A BIG TIME offensive lineman will likely make his first ever trip to the Plains. It has been asked to keep quiet until he visits as he is currently committed to another school. He has real interest in Auburn. An official visit is already in the works.
• Corey Grant will be back this weekend. The Alabama commitment visited Auburn last weekend as well.
• Vanderbilt commitment Davis Dudchock will be in attendance. His father played for Auburn.
• There will be mostly junior visitors this weekend. Some big names include LaMichael Fanning, Watt Dantzler and Spencer Region.
• There are no official visits planned this weekend.

Predictions

Lets get some predictions for this weekend's score. Also do not forget your Pick'Em!

Help Rod Smith

Former Auburn receiver Rod Smith's family's house burnt to the ground during the storms Sunday and Monday. Read more here.

2011 Recruits

ESPN.com has released their Watch List for the ESPNU 150 for 2011. The following are from the state of Georgia:

QB - Austin Brown - Mount Airy, GA

RB - Quan Bray - Hogansville, GA

RB - Isaiah Crowell - Columbus, GA

RB - Dominique Swope - Canton, GA

WR - Chris Conley - Dallas, GA

WR - Justin Scott - Camilla, GA

TE - Ira McCune - Powder Springs, GA

TE - Jay Rome - Valdosta, GA

OT - Watts Dantzler - Dalton, GA

OG - Tarik Cook - Stone Mountain, GA

OG - Lamont Hardy - Hampton, GA

OG - Thomas O'Reilly - Marietta, GA

DE - Sterling Bailey - Gainesville, GA

DE - Xzavier Dickson - Griffin, GA

DE - Ray Drew - Thomasville, GA

DE - C.J. Uzomah - Suwannee, GA

DT - Jonathan Battle - Americus, GA

DT - Gabe Wright - Columbus, GA

ILB - Shannon Brown - Adel, GA

ILB - James Vaughters - Tucker, GA

OLB - A.J. Johnson - Gainesville, GA

OLB - Marcus Mack - Atlanta, GA

CB - Tyler Hunter - Valdosta, GA

CB - Jarvarris Lewis - Albany, GA

S - Keenard Blackman - Mableton, GA

S - Brian Randolph - Marietta, GA

K - Will Monday - Flowery Branch, GA

ATH - Chris Sanders - Tucker, GA

Poll Question

If you clicked other, comment and write the school below.

News Wrap Up

• I've been informed Philip Lutzenkirchen has suffered an undisclosed injury.
• Gabe McKenzie has been working back at defensive end recently.
• The focus of practice this week has been tackling and special teams.
• A lot of fundamentals work is being done like taking good angles.
• We could begin to see more of Anthony Gulley in the coming weeks.
• Trainers say Mike McNeil is looking good but is likely weeks away from returning.
• Tracy Rocker has had a lot of praise for Jake Ricks this week.
• Josh Bynes is on track for 112 tackles this season. The last two seasons combined, he had 63.
• Shon Coleman could be wavering on his commitment. He says his parents are pushing him to check out Ole Miss more.
• Stay tuned in the next three days...that is all I will say...

Commitment Weekend Wrap Up

• Joel Bonomolo - limited action, 0 tackles
• Kenneth Carter - four tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles
• Shon Coleman - graded at 86% with three pancake blocks
• Jessel Curry - BYE
• Justin Delaine - seven tackles, two for a loss and a sack
• Antonio Goodwin - two catches for 26 yards, four rushes for 47 yards...on defense he recorded 6 tackles and an interception
• Jake Holland - continued to put up ridiculous numbers, season high 23 tackles, 12 solo and three for a loss...now has 73 tackles through four games
• D.J. Howard - six rushes for 112 yards and a touchdown
• Shaun Kitchens - four catches for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns...five tackles and two pass breakups on defense
• Demetruce McNeal - six rushes for 46 yards...seven tackles, two for loss on defense
• Jonathan Mincy - four tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups on defense...returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns on special teams
• LaDarius Owens - five tackles, two for loss and two sacks
• Cody Parkey - 1/1 on field goals (21 yards)...also kicked two kickoffs that went through the endzone in a 23-3 loss
• Jeremy Richardson - one catch for 7 yards...three tackles and a fumble recovery on defense...left the game early to get stitches in his hand...
• Chad Slade - four pancake blocks on offense, allowed no sacks...three tackles (2 for loss) on defense
• Jawara White - seven tackles, two for loss

AU Offers Punter, Decision Coming

Auburn has offered punter Steven Clark. He visited Auburn this weekend, picking up an offer and possibly ending his recruiting. Clark says he will decide between Auburn and Purdue in the next couple of weeks. I expect him in orange and blue next season.

2011 Recruits

ESPN.com has released their Watch List for the ESPNU 150 for 2011. The following are from the state of Alabama:

QB - Stephen Rivers - Athens, AL

QB - Brandon Wells - Calera, AL

RB - Alonzo Harris - Gadsden, AL

RB - Trai Ragland - Madison, AL

WR - Sammie Coates - Leroy, AL

WR - Daryl Collins - Gadsden, AL

WR - Pat Milliner - Millbrook, AL

WR - Marvin Shinn - Prichard, AL (Bama commit)

WR - Darien Thomas - Theodore, AL

DE - LaMichael Fanning - Auburn, AL

DE - Jabrian Niles - Mobile, AL

DE - Kameron Wood - Birmingham, AL

LB - Brent Calloway - Russellville, AL (Bama commit)

LB - Dre-Shon McGaster - Foley, AL

LB - Carl Robinson - Theodore, AL

LB - Devaunte Sigler - Mobile, AL

CB - Eric Dixon - Mobile, AL

CB - Jacquese Kirk - Jasper, AL

S - Enrique Florence - Valley, AL

ATH - Ryan Watson - Decatur, AL

Three Injury Updates

Antoine Carter and Nosa Eguae should be healthy and see playing time this weekend against Ball State.

ALSO Spencer Pybus will be back

2010 Schedule

Has officially been released, not sure how long ago it was released but, FYI:

• 9/4/10 ARKANSAS STATE
• 9/11/10 @ Mississippi State
• 9/18/10 CLEMSON
• 9/25/10 SOUTH CAROLINA
• 10/2/10 LOUISIANA MONROE
• 10/9/10 @ Kentucky
• 10/16/10 ARKANSAS
• 10/23/10 LSU
• 10/30/10 @ Ole Miss
• 11/6/10 TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA
• 11/13/10 GEORGIA
• 11/26/10 @ Alabama

Future Opponents (Opponent in Bold and This Week's Game)

Ball State 17 @ Auburn this weekend

Army 24

Tennessee 13 vs. Ohio this weekend

Florida 23

Georgia 52 vs. Arizona State this weekend

Arkansas 41 @ Alabama this weekend

Louisville 27

Kentucky 31 vs. Florida this weekend

Louisiana-Lafayette 3

LSU 31 @ Miss State this weekend

Southeastern Louisiana 6

Ole Miss 52 @ S. Carolina Thursday

Furman 12 @ W. Carolina this weekend

Missouri 52

North Texas 7

Alabama 53 vs. Arkansas this weekend

Recruiting Wrap Up

• Auburn impressed just about every recruit who visited this weekend. The game and the fans were huge.
• Bradley Roby was unable to make the trip this weekend. He says he is firm to Vanderbilt at the moment but plans to visit Auburn.
• Dquan Menzie also could not make it this weekend but plans to visit before the season is over.
• Auburn Undercover is reporting that Auburn is the leader for Eric Mack. Even though he is committed to USC, I could see that changing in the near future.
• Michael Dyer seems ready to publicly commit to Auburn. He says he will make an announcement before one of his games at his school in the next couple of weeks.
• Vic Beasley says his mom was very impressed by Auburn and their coaches. He describes himself as a very soft verbal to Clemson and will take an official visit to Auburn. Other schools he is still considering include Tennessee and Florida State.
• Not a ton of feedback from Trovon Reed but he seemed impressed by the passing offense. He said Auburn looked like Florida on offense. It will be an Auburn-LSU battle for the number 6 receiver in the nation and he plans to take an official visit for the Iron Bowl.
• No word yet coming out on Jeffrey Whitaker or Mike Thornton. When something does, I will post it.

NCAA Ranks

• Rushing: Ben Tate 9th, Onterio McCalebb 32nd. Tate leads the SEC.
• Passing: Chris Todd 27th in passing yards/game with 241.67 and 22nd in total yards
• Receiving: Darvin Adams ranks 28th in the nation in total receiving yards
• Scoring: Wes Byrum ranks 18th in the nation is total scoring
• Tackling: Josh Bynes ranks 41st in total tackles with 9.33 per game. Craig Stevens is 60th with 8.67. Stevens is 23rd and Bynes is 35th in the nation in solo tackles/game.
• Pass defense: Neiko Thorpe is 34th in the nation is passes defended/game. Walter McFadden is 51st.
• Punting: Clint Durst ranks 54th in punting with 40.55 yards per kick.
• Total Rushing: Auburn still ranks 6th in the nation in total rushing despite a bad showing against WVU.
• Total Passing: Auburn ranks 30th in the nation.
• Total Offense: Auburn ranks 8th in the nation with 515 ypg and 11th in scoring offense.
• Only 8 teams have not thrown an interception this season. Auburn has only thrown one.
• Auburn ranks 11th in the nation in only allowing 2 sacks.
• Auburn and Alabama are tied for 7th in the nation in first downs per game.
• Auburn ranks 15th in third down percentage at 52.27%.
• Auburn ranks 21st in redzone efficiency at 92%. 16 teams are perfect on the season, one is at 95% and another 3 are at 93%.
• Total Rush Defense: Auburn comes in at a dreadful 82nd after the WVU game.
• Total Pass Defense: Auburn comes in at 51st in total pass defense.
• Total Defense: Auburn ranks 67th in the nation in total defense.
• Auburn comes in at 3rd in the nation in turnovers gained with 10. Only SMU (14) and Ohio (11) lead.
• Auburn is second in the nation in interceptions with 8, only behind SMU (11).
• Auburn is 38th in sacks with 2.33 per game.
• Auburn is 2nd in the nation in turnover margin.

AU-UT Time Set

The Auburn-Tennessee game will kickoff at 6:45 CST on ESPN.

Stevens

Craig Stevens has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He had eleven total tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in Auburn's 41-30 win.

REMINDER

A replay of the Auburn-West Virginia game will air on CSS beginning in five minutes...

Grant Visited

Corey Grant visited Auburn this weekend. He is currently committed to Alabama and is considered to be one of the fasted players in the southeast. He goes to Opelika High School. There was not a ton of feedback from him but he says he may still take an official visit to Auburn.

Rankings

Auburn failed to crack the top 25 rankings again this week after a big win over West Virginia. They came in at 28th in the AP Poll and 29th in the USA Today poll.

Dyer Decision Coming...

An official commitment from Michael Dyer will come within the next couple of weeks. I am fully expecting it to be to Auburn. Quotes from AuburnSports.com that tell me this:

"We (Auburn) came back and won"

"It's going to be hard to fill (Ben Tate)'s shoes but I'm going to try my best"

He also stated that Auburn fans should not worry about his decision. He is deciding between Auburn, Tennessee and Ole Miss.

BREAKING NEWS

Montez Billings has left the team and has left Auburn. Billings has been serving a four game suspension. He already has his degree and will "pursue other opportunities".

My Prediction(s)

And some terrible SEC score predictions by me :)

• West Virginia 28 @ Auburn 38
• Tennessee 12 @ Florida 48
• North Texas 17 @ Alabama 31
• Georgia 24 @ Arkansas 28
• Southeastern Louiana 7 @ Ole Miss 28
• Mississippi State 13 @ Vanderbilt 24
• Louisville 7 @ Kentucky 21
• Florida Atlantic 13 @ South Carolina 28
• Louisiana-Lafayette 10 @ LSU 38

REMINDER

A brand new Auburn Football: Every Day comes on in 17 minutes on CSS.

WVU Unofficial Visitors UPDATED 11:43 AM (A Bunch At The Bottom)

This list will continually be updated and moved back to the top every time I update it. NOTE: I am only going to list uncommitted prospects. Many commitments will also be on the Plains.

• Jeffrey Whitaker **** DT
• Michael Thornton **** DT
• Trovon Reed **** WR
• Michael Dyer ***** RB
• Dakota Mosley *** OL
• Victor Beasley *** LB (Clem Commit) (no longer an official visit)
• Eric Mack **** OL (USC Commit) (official visit)
• Steven Clark ** P (official visit)
• Dequan Menzie **** CB
• Willis Wright *** WR
• Tristan Hardin *** OL
• Spencer Region OL (2011)
• Jeremy Nicholson *** WR
• Bradley Roby *** WR (Vandy Commit)
• Gabe Wright DE (2011)
• Rodney Thomas (NR) DT
• Reese Dismukes OL (2011)
• Ken Adams *** DE
• Tevin Pullum (NR) ILB
• Catlin Alford *** OG (GT Commit)
• Dareon Mays *** ILB
• Jake Smith (NR) OG
• Jamaal Woodyard *** ATH

Pick'Em

Make your Pick'Em picks! Leave your AU-WVU score predictions on the comments section here!

Thompson Cuts Auburn

Rivals 250 defensive end Carlos Thompson has cut Auburn. His final four are Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Baylor and Vanderbilt. He is Quentin Groves' step-brother. He does not have an Auburn offer but previously named Auburn in his top four.

Practice Notes

• Drew Cole will miss this week with an injury.
• Tommy Trott is not expected to play this weekend.
• Tim Hawthorne has really been coming on the last 3-4 days and could be back soon.
• Aairon Savage was walking without a boot today.
• We will likely see more of Anthony Gulley this weekend.
• Fannin, Gulley or Washington will likely be punt returner.
• Mike Blanc is first team over Nick Fairley.
• Antoine Carter is close to returning but is not 100%.

A Look At The Weather

Check Out The New Locker Rooms

Click it.

Commitment Weekend Wrap Up

• Joel Bonomolo - three tackles (1 for loss), two QB hurries in limited action
• Kenneth Carter - four tackles (1 for loss) and three QB hurries
• Shon Coleman - no stats available but helped OBHS win 31-20
• Jessel Curry - six tackles and one pass breakup on defense...2 catches for 21 yards on offense
• Justin Delaine - four tackles, 2 for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a blocked punt in limited action for Linden
• Antonio Goodwin - no stats available but helped in a 25-0 win.
• Jake Holland - 20 tackles, 13 solos and 3 for a loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovered...those were really his numbers I swear...
• D.J. Howard - rushed for 196 yards on just nine carries (TD runs of 80 and 68 yards)
• Shaun Kitchens - four catches, 78 yards including a 38 yard TD...broke up 2 passes on defense
• Demetruce McNeal - seven tackles (2 for loss), returned a fumble for a touchdown...four catches for 78 yards, 44 yard rushing and two touchdowns
• Jonathan Mincy - seven tackles, 72 punt return yards and 46 yards on kickoff returns.
• LaDarius Owens - 2 tackles, a sack and two passes breakups
• Cody Parkey - 2/2 on extra points and two kickoffs that went over 70 yards (through the endzone).
• Jeremy Richardson - four catches, 49 yards and a touchdown. Also returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
• Chad Slade - eight pancake blocks on offense and two tackles, a tackle for loss and sack
• Jawara White - six tackles (2 for loss), and a crazy interception that bounced off of many people before he picked it...video available here.

Lemonier To Visit (Prob Not This Weekend)

Corey Lemonier will likely use one of his official visits to check out Auburn. A date has not yet been set. He also will likely take officials to Miami, Tennessee, Illinois and another school.

Lattimore Schedules Official

Marcus Lattimore has scheduled an official visit to Auburn for the Ole Miss game on Halloween. He also has added Florida State and Georgia to his favorite schools.

Vote For Jawara

Click here and vote for Auburn commitment Jawara White for the Fever Star Athlete of the Week.

Full Stat Wrap Up

• Chris Todd was 10/23 for 186 yards, 0 TDs and 0 INTs. Kodi Burns was 1/1 passing with a 13 yard TD pass to freshman Philip Lutzenkirchen.
• Ben Tate rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown which helped pull him up to seventh best rushing in the nation on the season. Onterio McCalebb rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown. Mario Fannin added 75 yards on the ground and Kodi Burns had 32 yards and 3 TDs.
• Darvin Adams was the leading receiver, catching 5 balls for 116 yards and a long of 30. All five came in the first half. Terrell Zachary snagged two balls for 41 yards.
• Auburn again struggled on special teams. Demond Washington returned 3 punts for 7 yards.
• Antonio Coleman and T'Sharvan Bell had picks, Coleman's going back 20 yards for a touchdown.
• The offense outgained MSU 589 to 287. McCalebb was the first freshman to run for over 100 yards in his first two games.
• With Gene Chizik on the coaching staff, Auburn has won 17 straight games.
• Chris Todd, Clint Durst and Antonio Coleman were captains.
• MSU did not complete a pass in the first quarter.
• Auburn raised their rushing total from 301 against La Tech to 390 against MSU.
• Lee Ziemba split out wide on one play at receiver. Malzahn says Ziemba is not currently a target in the offense if he is split out wide.
• It was the FIRST TIME in Auburn history they had 2 100 yard rushers and a 100 yard receiver.
• Auburn had five penalties for 40 yards and MSU had 10 for 89.
• Auburn was 6-13 on third down and 1-2 on fourth.
• Auburn could crack the polls this week with an impressive win. In the AP Poll, Kirk Herbstreit put Auburn at 17th.
• Tommy Trott has an unknown knee injury and is questionable for this weekend.

6 Game Ticket Packages Available

Auburn has six game ticket packages available now for the rest of the season for $300. These include Iron Bowl tickets. The packages are available through auburntigers.com and by calling the Auburn ticket office at 800-282-1957.

Coleman

Antonio Coleman has been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Kodi Burns was also honored as an outstanding performer by the SEC.

Night Game Trend Will Continue

The Ball State game will be televised live at 6 PM on FSN.

Malzahn

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was named the National Coordinator of the Week by Rivals.

Updates

• I will have a stat wrap up from last night's game later on tonight. I think we all know the score of the game so I do not feel that I need to report stuff like that. I try and get the information that you want to read and not waste time reporting what we all already know.
• Tommy Trott has a left knee injury. The facts are not out yet on what it is but I am trying to figure out.
• Chizik says the punt block from last night will be fixed for next week.
• Chizik says the defense is about two third-down stops away from being where we want to be.
• Chizik wants to make sure no one gets ahead of themselves and have too unrealistic of expectations for the rest of the season.

Henderson Out For The Year

Gene Chizik said today that Cameron Henderson will not play this season. He is on the team but has some "issues".

WVU

The West Virginia game will be on ESPN2 next weekend.

My Prediction

Okay okay I got a lot of crap last week because there were too many unknowns coming into that game. Now I feel good. My prediction for tomorrow is Auburn 31, Mississippi State 14.

Top 2011 QB To Visit

Jeff Driskel, who looks to be one of the top quarterbacks for 2011, will visit Auburn this weekend. He has an offer from the Tigers and has always been an Auburn fan. He wants to play both football and baseball in college.

Also, Auburn will have its first official visitor on the Plains next weekend. Punter Steven Clark from Kansas City will make the trip. He does not currently have an offer.

West Virginia Visitors

It has been confirmed that Michael Dyer and Dakota Mosley will be among the visitors for the West Virginia game in one week. The weeekend is expected to be a big weekend for Auburn recruiting. Their visits are unofficial visits.

Visitors

Auburn is expecting over 60 visitors this weekend. Among them are LaDarius Owens and Chad Slade.

Notes

• Eltoro Freeman is looking less likely to play this weekend. Chizik says earlier this week he looked ready but may not be 100%.
• The team had a "situational" scrimmage at practice today, ending in a two minute drill.
• Trovon Reed says Auburn is still having a lasting impression on him after his big July visit in which 10 family members tagged along. I am feeling better about Reed.
• Anthony Wilson has picked up offers from Virginia Tech and Oklahoma lately.

Tom Lemming's Top 100

Prospects of note...Check out number 19:

2) Lache Seastrunk

3) Marcus Lattimore

11) Ronald Powell

15) Michael Dyer

19) Jeremy Richardson

28) Garrison Smith

32) Ahmad Dixon

41) Gabe King

58) Damien Robinson

73) James Stone

80) Trovon Reed

81) Corey Lemonier

Also, Shon Coleman was rated the number 25 OG/C, Shaun (Kowaski?) Kitchens was ranked the number 20 OLB, and Jake Holland is rated the number 20 ILB.

Two Things

• Let's hear your score predictions for this weekend's MSU game!
• Make sure to make your Pick'Em picks! I had forgotten until last night...

A Look At Mississippi State

• 1-0 on the season, defeated Jackson State 45-7 last week
• Head coach Dan Mullen enters his first season at Mississippi State after three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida.
• Last season went 4-8 overall (2-6 SEC) and finished T-4 in the West
• Auburn defeated MSU 3-2 last season in one of the ugliest games I have ever seen.
• Returning six of eleven offensive starters including the current SEC leading rusher Anthony Dixon.
• Returning five of eleven starters on defense including two linebackers.
• Offense was ranked 113th overall, 115th in scoring, 105th in rushing and 94th in passing.
• Defense was ranked 35th overall, 60th in scoring, 73rd in rushing and 17th in passing.
• MSU returns senior quarterback Tyson Lee who played in 11 games last season and passed for 1519 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Sophomore quarterback Chris Relf came in in key moments in the season opener, throwing for all three passing quarterbacks.
• The offensive star is Anthony Dixon. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry last season while rushing for 869 yards and 7 touchdowns. Dixon was suspended from the season opener this season.
• The defensive standouts are linebacker Jamar Chaney and K.J. Wright. Chaney led the team in tackles in 2007 before breaking his ankle in the opening game last season. He led the team in tackles last week with two solo and three assists.
• Watch out for true freshman Chad Bumphis who looks to be a large part of Mullen's spread. Bumphis caught two balls for 22 yards last week, both going for touchdowns.
• While State put up 45 yards in their first game, it was against Jackson State and it was the first time a team from the SWAC had ever played a team from the SEC. This is a team whose only wins last season were against S.E. Louisiana, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee and Arkansas.
• State signed a JUCO kicker and punter for this season but Sean Brauchle turned heads in their spring game with a 57 yard field goal. Brauchle was 1/3 on field goals last week, making from 25 and missing 37 and 38 yarders. Heath Hutchins had two punts with an average of 49 yards last week. After losing Derek Pegues to graduation, State could hurt in the return game. Leon Berry was the leading returner last week returning one kickoff 38 yards and one punt for -1 yard.
• Auburn leads in the all-time series, 54-25-3 (38-18-2 at home). From 2002-2006, Auburn averaged 38.4 PPG against State but average just 8.5 in the last two meetings.

Commitment Weekend Wrap Up

• Joel Bonomolo - recorded one tackle, only was in on 10 plays while helping hold opponent to 54 total yards in a 41-6 win.
• Kenneth Carter - six tackles (3 for loss) and two sacks in a 28-24 win.
• Shon Coleman - idle
• Jessel Curry - seven tackles, a fumble recovery and one rushing TD on offense in a 35-7 win.
• Justin Delaine - DNP, expected to be cleared to play tomorrow
• Antonio Goodwin - six catches for 95 yards...five tackles and four pass breakups on defense in a 40-33 win.
• Jake Holland - 14 tackles (3 for loss), 2 pass deflections, one forced fumble and two fumbles recovered in a 21-29 loss.
• D.J. Howard - rushed for 105 yards and 2 TDs in a 34-21 win.
• Shaun Kitchens - had five tackles and a pass deflection on defense and no catches on offense in a 6-38 loss.
• Demetruce McNeal - two tackles and a sack in a 6-38 loss.
• Jonathan Mincy - five tackles and a pass deflection in a 21-7 win
• LaDarius Owens - 13 tackles, 2 sacks in a 48-36 win.
• Cody Parkey - did not attempt a field goal, 1/2 on XPs (one was blocked) and his kickoffs averaged 73 yards in a 13-35 loss.
• Jeremy Richardson - caught seven passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns...8 tackles and an interception on defense in a 40-39 win...named ASWA Offensive Player of the Week
• Chad Slade - five pancake blocks, two tackles on defense (one for loss) in a 21-0 win.
• Jawara White - six tackles on defense...one rushing TD in a 20-31 loss

News Updates

• Eric Smith will play on Saturday. Eltoro Freeman might. Chizik said he really hoped Freeman will play.
• Curtis Luper says he hopes to redshirt Dontae Aycock.
• Tommy Thigpen complimented his safeties but says they need to do better tackling and says Bates should have had another pick and Etheridge missed an opportunity for one.
• Jay Boulware has come down hard on Mario Fannin and I would not expect to see him returning kicks this weekend.
• Curtis Luper says he wants to lower Onterio McCalebb's touches to about 15.
• Anthony Gulley, Emory Blake, Demond Washington, Quindarious Carr, Zac Etheridge and Walt McFadden are all being considered at punt returner.
• The offensive line appeared to be in shape on Saturday but Jeff Grimes says the linemen need to work on their conditioning.

Television

This weekend's game will be televised live on the following:

• Fox Sports South
• Sun Sports
• Fox Sports Southwest
• Fox Sports Wisconsin
• Fox Sports Midwest
• Fox Sports Houston
• Fox Sports West
• and on delay on Fox Sports Arizona (5 PM PDT)

Bonomolo A 4 Star

Rivals has released their JUCO rankings and Joel Bonomolo is a four star. He is rated number 17 on the JUCO Top 50. Offensive lineman John Cullen comes in at a four star and ranked fifth, James Carmon at seventh and Wayne Dorsey at 12th.

Tuesday Practice

• Long practice (2 hrs 15 mins) in full pads tonight
• A main focus was speeding up the tempo on offense
• Another focus was not making mistakes on offense such as penalties and fumbles
• Malzahn says they are still trying to define Gabe McKenzie's role and expect him to grow as the season progresses.
• Malzahn says he is not sure how he will work Eric Smith into the gameplan this weekend. They are currently "moving him around" in the offense.
• Kodi Burns says he expects the Wildcat to grow on Saturday's performance and that it has great potential.

Chase Hughes

Has committed to Ole Miss. Not sure that he had a committable offer from Auburn...

E. Smith Back

Eric Smith will practice today and will dress out for Saturday's game against Mississippi State.

Pick'Em Leaders!

After weekend number one, the leaders are RevPhilipp, clan4auburn and RandyWatson with 13 points. Eighteen of you are tied for second with 12 points. 24 others and I are tied for third with 11 points. Three players pull up the rear with 0 points...hopefully you forgot to turn in your picks and you will remember this week!

Assistants On Extended Contracts

The Press Register has optained the contracts of every Auburn assistant coach. Gus Malzahn, Ted Roof and Trooper Taylor have signed three year contracts while every other coach has signed on for two years.

McCalebb

Onterio McCalebb has been named SEC Freshman of the Week. He rushed for 148 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown against La Tech. Mark Ingram (Bama) was Offensive Player of the Week and Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) was Defensive Player of the Week. Kicker Wes Byrum was also noted by the SEC for having an outstanding first week.

Former AU Assistant Passes

Charlie Waller, a former Auburn backfield coach under coach Shug Jordan in the 1950's, passed yesterday at the age of 87. The WWII veteran went on to coach in the NFL as an assistant and finally the head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1969 and 1970.

His resume includes coaching Decatur High School in Georgia during the 1940's, an assistant at Auburn, Clemson and Texas in the 1950's and 1960's before becoming an assistant for the Chargers in 1966, head coach in 1969 and assistant for the Redskins after that. He finished his career coaching in the USFL.

His celebration of life service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Niceville, Florida.

Owens Commits!

Auburn has picked up a commitment from the number three player in the state, LaDarius Owens! Owens was recently rated number 98 in the Rivals 100 until dropping out of the top 100 last week. LaDarius Owens is the number 3 player in the state of Alabama and the number 7 outside linebacker in the country.

Owens had offers from most colleges and chose the Tigers over Alabama, Tennessee and LSU, among others. Owens' uncle, James, was Auburn's first ever black scholarship player. He is Auburn's 16th commitment for 2010 and tops off an amazing linebacker class that includes Jake Holland, Jawara White and Jessel Curry.

Owens is a four star on Rivals and Scout, ranked the number 20 OLB by Scout. He is a four star and rated 80/100 by ESPN.com and in the ESPNU 150. He is rated the second best player in the state by the Birmingham News.

Owens reports a 2.8 GPA and a 20 on the ACT.

Injury Updates

• Eltoro Freeman is "really close" and I think he will likely play this weekend against Mississippi State. The linebacker wanted to play yesterday but the medical staff held him out. Chizik says not to worry that Freeman was not on the sideline.
• Nosa Equae will likely be out until the Ball State game.
• Chizik says Zach Clayton is close to returning from an undisclosed injury.
• Chizik says the punt return position is back wide open. Mario Fannin and Anthony Gulley combined for -6 yards.

Future Opponents (Opponent in Bold)

Jackson State 7

Mississippi State 45

Liberty 20

West Virginia 33

North Texas 20

Ball State 10

Western Kentucky 7

Tennessee 63

Missouri State 10

Arkansas 48

Kentucky 42

Miami (OH) 0

LSU 31

Washington 23

Ole Miss 44

Memphis 14

Presbyterian 21

Furman 45

Georgia 10

Oklahoma State 24

Alabama 34

Virginia Tech 24

Miss The Game?

Encore showing of the Auburn-Louisiana Tech at 5 PM CT on CSS or watch the game ANYTIME here.

Game Wrap Up

• There is nothing I can post here we all have not already seen
• I was very wrong on my prediction and very happy about that.
• Auburn scored 556 yards, the most since 2005.
• Gene Chizik goes to 6-19 in his career as a head coach.
• The eagle flight was possibly the longest in history...I personally thought it flew out of the stadium and came back but can not confirm that.
• Auburn had two 100 yard rushers, Onterio McCalebb (148) and Ben Tate (117).
• Terrell Zachery's 93 yard touchdown reception was the longest offense play in Auburn history.
• The 37-13 score was the largest margin of victory in an Auburn coach's debut since 1944.
• Daren Bates made an interception after letting on go through his hands just prior to it. Another freshman got La. Tech's only other turnover, a fumble recovery by Nick Fairley.
• Tate's rushing pushed him over 2,000 career rushing yards. He is the 13th Auburn back til reach the feat. He fumbled on the six yardline on one of his runs.
• Darvin Adams, Kodi Burns and Onterio McCalebb all also scored touchdowns on top of Zachery's.
• Wes Byrum was 3/3 on field goals with a long of 49 and 4/4 on extra points.
• Auburn faces Mississippi State next, who defeated Jackson State 45-7.

RUMOR: Owens Commits?

Rumors are swirling that four star linebacker LaDarius Owens has committed to Auburn. He would be Auburn's top commitment so far...Working on this...

Weagle Weagle...

Why are you reading this right now and not watching football? War Damn Eagle!! Let's have a fun Saturday afternoon...I will be back tomorrow for full wrap up and recovery...

Grimes To Adopt

Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes and his wife Sheri are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia.

Falcons Release Brock

The Atlanta Falcons released safety Eric Brock today.

REMINDER

ORANGE TOMORROW...

...or else...

Auburn Football: Everyday TV Listings

Athens WTZT-TV, Channel 11 Sun, 8 p.m.; Mon 6 p.m.
Auburn WLGA-TV 66 Sat. 9:30 a.m.
Birmingham ABC 33/40 Sat. 10:30 a.m.
Birmingham ABC Weather Now (33.2/40.2) Check local listings
Columbus, Ga. WRBL-TV, Channel 3 Sat. 5:30 a.m.
Columbus, Ga. WRBL-TV, Digital RTV Sat. 9 a.m.
Decatur WTZT-TV, Channel 11 Sun. 8 p.m.; Mon 6 p.m.
Dothan WTVY, Channel 4 Sat 10:30 a.m.
Huntsville Fox 54, WZDX-TV Fri. 11 p.m.
Huntsville My Network TV, WAMY 8 Sun 8:30 a.m.
Huntsville WTZT-TV, Channel 11 Sun. 8 p.m.; Mon 6 p.m.
Jacksonville WJXS-TV 24 Fri. 7:30 p.m.
Montgomery Fox 20, WCOV-TV Fri midnight
Montgomery Fox 20 Accuweather Fri. 7 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.
Sylacauga WIOL-TV 47 Fri. 3 p.m.
Southeast CSS (Comcast Sports Southeast) Fri. 3 p.m.
Southeast CST (Cox Sports Television) Fri. 6 p.m.
Online AuburnTigers.com All Access On Demand

Last Call

For Pick'Em. We have 85 people in the two groups combined. Join now before the season starts! I will start another group if necessary!

My Prediction

Auburn does not win this game, Jordan Hare Stadium does. Auburn wins in a close one, 27-24. Onterio McCalebb and Ben Tate have touchdown runs.

Sunday we will look back at how wrong I was :) Just an opinion....

Tailgating, Banners and New Arena (Click To Enlarge)

Auburn Football: Every Day Premiere

Auburn Football: Every Day, the "reality show" following Auburn football and giving an inside look at the Tigers, premieres tomorrow at 3 PM on CSS.

Notes

• Trooper Taylor says to expect to see DeAngelo Benton, Emory Blake, Travante Stallworth and Anthony Gulley all to see action.
• Tracy Rocker plans to rotate a ton of defensive linemen. We could see up to nine.
• Darvin Adams is not a sure thing to play Saturday. He has been hindered by an off and on ankle injury. More to come on this...
• During today's practice, Aubrey Phillips was at study hall.

A Look At SEC Quarterbacks

Courtesy of Chris Low of ESPN.com.

Some Stats To Look At

• Auburn is 89-25-2 in opening games. They are just one season-opening win behind Alabama for most all time in the SEC.
• Auburn head coaches are 16-8-1 in their head coaching debuts on the Plains.
• Auburn returns 100% of its total passing yardage from last season and over 80% of its rushing.
• Auburn has never lost to a current member of the WAC (14-0-1).
• Auburn is 51-13 (.797) at Jordan Hare Stadium since 2000 (15-3 in night games).
• Auburn has won 49 straight games when scoring 30 or more points.
• Louisiana Tech was 1-3 last season against teams that finished with a winning record.
• Since 1992, Auburn is 45-0 against non-conference opponents from non-BCS conferences with the average score of 39-12.

Quick Notes

• The team will head to LaGrange, GA on Friday night to get away from Auburn.
• Mike Slade will enter the game for the nickel. He will take Zac Etheridge's safety position and Etheridge will move to the nickel back.
• There are huge banners being installed today on the outside of the south end of the stadium. The five banners have five different players: Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, Carlos Rogers, Zeke Smith and Tracy Rocker.
• Some visitors for this weekend include commitment Cody Parkey, Emory Blake's father Jeff who was an NFL quarterback, and La Tech head coach Derek Dooley's father Vince, who played football and basketball for Auburn and was head coach at UGA.

Still Leading For Dyer, Decision Coming...

Michael Dyer stated that Auburn is still his clear favorite. He is planning on taking final trips to Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas and possibly Florida and then announcing. He says Auburn is "without a doubt" his top school. It seems as if Ole Miss might have moved into second place. After his game on Tuesday, he took a sign from an Auburn fan that said "Auburn was in Dyer need" and carried it around, also taking pictures with the Auburn fans. If this is true, however, do not forget that David Oku also played us and held a "Running Back U" sign at an Auburn basketball game.

Know A Signee: Demond Washington

• Number 32
• Three star, ranked the number 91 JUCO player on Rivals. Five star cornerback on Scout. Not rated by ESPN.com.
• Tallassee, Alabama (Tallassee High School) and Perkinston, Mississippi (MGCCC)
• Born: September 30, 1987
• Committed: 1/31/2009
• 2008 stats: had 55 tackles, three interceptions (returning all three for touchdowns) and returned five punts for touchdowns. 2007 stats: had 172 rushes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. Returned 2 punts for touchdowns. 2006 stats: was injured all senior season in high school. Had 27 total touchdowns as a junior.
• Helped lead MGCCC to a national championship as a freshman in 2007.
• Had offers from Auburn, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Southern Miss, Minnesota and UAB.
• Took official visits to Auburn, Minnesota and Ole Miss.
• Originally committed to Ole Miss 10/8/2008. Played with Auburn fellow signee Eltoro Freeman at MGCCC. He says the new staff was more impressive in his recruiting than the previous.
• Could have played on either side of the ball at Auburn. He is second string at cornerback currently.

Pick'Em Update!

There are now spreads on all games! Please update picks!

More Pick'Em!!!!

The last Pick'Em group filled up. If you want to play still, I created another group. Group named is AUBURN BY BEAVER 2. Click here, click Join A Group, group number 20590, password "beaver".

Know A Signee: Jamar Travis

• Number 74
• Four star, ranked the number 29 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals. Three star, ranked the number 32 defensive tackle by Scout. Rated 80/100 and the number 11 defensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com.
• Brewton, Alabama (W.S. Neal High School)
• Born: September 24, 1990
• Committed: 1/23/2009
• 2008 stats: 70 tackles with 14 for a loss and 7 sacks. Also forced five and recovered two fumbles. He also blocked two kicks. 2007 stats: 60 tackles with 20 for a loss and 4 sacks.
• Named to first team all state by the ASWA as a junior and was honorable mention as a senior. Named a PrepStar All-American. Ranked number 22 on the Birmingham News' Super Seniors list. Ranked the 11th best player in the state of Alabama by Rivals. Named to the Sper Southeast 120 by the Mobile Press Register.
• Had offers from Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Oregon, Southern Miss and UAB.
• Took official visits to Auburn, Memphis and Southern Miss.
• Committed soon after receiving his offer on his official visit. He had previously attempted to commit to the old staff but academic questions kept that from happening.
• Travis is likely to redshirt this season.

Early Look At Weather

A Few Notes

• Gus Malzahn says best case scenario is that Tyrik Rollison redshirts.
• Rollison will prepare each week as if he will play, however.
• Chris Todd says he is confident all of his receivers will be in the place they need to be on Saturday.
• Eltoro Freeman will be full speed Saturday.
• Practice was in shells today.
• Practice continues tomorrow at 4:30CT.

Saturday Is...

ALL AUBURN, ALL ORANGE

Lay out your orange outfits...

Depth Chart Released!

Sorry guys I have been in class! Here is a look at the depth chart...freshman Daren Bates will start...

• Pos. 1st, 2nd, 3rd
• QB- Todd, Caudle, Rollison
• RB - Tate, McCalebb
• HB - Fannin, Douglas, McKenzie
• TE - Trott, Lutzenkirchen, Wisner
• WR 1- Zachery, Burns
• WR 2- D. Adams, Benton/Blake
• LT - Ziemba, Cooper
• LG - Isom, Bostrom
• C - Pugh, Eddins
• RG - Berry, Sullen
• RT - McCain, Smith
• DE 1 - Goggans, Ford
• DE 2 - Coleman, Eguae
• DT 1 - Ricks, Clayton, Lykes
• DT 2 - Blanc, Fairley
• OLB 1 - Freeman, Herring, Christopher
• OLB 2 - Stevens, Evans
• MLB - Bynes, Gaston
• CB 1 - Thorpe, Washington
• CB 2 - McFadden, H. Adams
• S 1 - Etheridge, Slade, Hood
• S 2 - Bates, Cole, Bell
• PK - Byrum, Hull
• P - Durst, Shoemaker
• PR - Fannin, Gulley
• KR - Zachery and McCalebb

Eric Smith's Case Takes Another Turn

Running back Eric Smith is countering a third-degree assault charge by filing a harrassment charge against the "victim". Smith was arrested following a fight a week ago following a fight outside an Auburn hotel. Harrassment is a class C misdemeanor and is punishable by no more than three months in prison. Smith has not been practicing with the team since the incident.