After winter workouts, summer practices and fall camp, game week is finally here and it's now time for the football team to take everything they have learned this offseason and condense it down and start preparing for their week one opponent Washington State.
"It's game week and I think everybody is excited that it's game week, but at the same time as many young and new guys as we are playing for the first time, from a coaching standpoint, I'm glad for every second we have between now and then to try and keep covering everything as much as we can," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said on Sunday.
Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson thinks that game week has not set in on the players just yet, but it will hit them soon enough.
"I think the players are to a point where they aren't bored, but they are repetitious," Johnson said. "I think this extra day really helped us. When they come in on Tuesday they will realize just how close it is and get tuned in."
Junior wide receiver Quan Bray echoed Lashlee and Johnson's statements that they need to continue to improve this week.
"It's been looking pretty good," Bray said. "It wasn't too good today, but we have Tuesday to come out, refocus and do better."
For the seniors, it's their last first game of their Auburn careers and they are excited to get things started and reap the rewards of their hard work this offseason.
"We've been preparing for this since January, and it's finally here," senior defensive end Craig Sanders said.
Coaches are also getting extra work in with the team to make sure they are prepared when game time comes around on Saturday.
"Sunday practices in the past have been like 12 periods, but today we came out and had a 20 period practice," Sanders said.
The team will take Monday off, and then will return to the practice field on Tuesday to continue preparation for game one against Washington State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jordan Hare Stadium.
"The Guys are really locked in, and we'll have tomorrow off and then we'll come back to work on Tuesday," Sanders said.
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