This Week in Sports | 12.6.14
A discussion of this week in Auburn sports.
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A discussion of this week in Auburn sports.
Ellis Johnson's tenure as Auburn defensive coordinator has come to an end, per a release from Auburn Sunday night. Johnson's replacement will be tasked with fixing a defense that allowed 30 points or more in the Tigers' final six SEC games this season. Auburn has a history of hiring former head coaches as defensive coordinator. Its last three, Johnson, Ted Roof and Brian Van Gorder, were a combined 9-65 at their most recent head coaching position. We as the sports staff of The Auburn Plainsman have compiled a list of potential replacements for Auburn's defensive coordinator. All but one of the names on our list is a former head coach who is currently without a job or could be without a job due to varying circumstances.\0x200B Will Muschamp (former Florida head coach, 28-22 overall record) Even though his stint at Florida was unsuccessful, Muschamp is definitely the main candidate for this position in the eyes of the fans. Muschamp began his coaching career as a linebacker's coach under Nick Saban at LSU, and was quickly promoted to defensive coordinator. In his second year as coordinator, LSU led the nation in scoring defense and total defense, and the Bayou Bengals won the BCS National Championship. He then followed Saban to the Miami Dolphins as his defensive coordinator for a season, but returned to the college game as Auburn's defensive coordinator. In his two seasons at Auburn, Muschamp's defenses were top 10 nationally in total defense and led the SEC. He was a fan favorite also, as his energy was contagious to players and fans. Muschamp then was hired as the defensive coordinator at Texas, where he became one of the hottest head coach prospects in the country. After three seasons, he was hired as the head coach at Florida. Muschamp would be a home run hire for Auburn. One of the main problems for Auburn's defense has been its lack of discipline, something that Muschamp's fiery personality will be able to solve. Also, he's a proven commodity as an SEC coordinator, with success at multiple programs. By: Andrew Monson | Sports Writer _______________________________________ Bo Pelini (Former Nebraska head coach, 67-27 overall record) In a stunning move by the Nebraska front office, head coach Bo Pelini was fired on Sunday after seven seasons with the team. Pelini leaves Nebraska with a 67-27 overall record and had won at least nine games every season. It was a move that angered players and fans of Nebraska but could be seen as a blessing for Auburn. When Pelini was hired as defensive coordinator for the Cornhuskers in 2003, he improved a defense that was ranked 55th nationally the year before to 11th and led the country in turnover margin. In 2004, he was a co-defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners team that went to the BCS National Championship game against the USC Trojans and was the sixth-ranked rushing defense and 11th-ranked scoring defense. Pelini earned the Nebraska job as a defensive coordinator came during his tenure with the LSU Tigers. For each of his three years as defensive coordinator LSU was ranked third in overall defense and even managed to win the 2008 BCS National Championship game with a 38-24 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes. By: Pierce Quinn | Sports Writer _______________________________________ Manny Diaz (Defensive coordinator, Louisiana Tech) Manny Diaz has 14 years of Division I coaching experience and has led his defenses to 12 bowl game appearances. As defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech this year, the Bulldogs have improved with a ranking of No. 29 in the nation in total defense this year, a year after they allowed an average of 408 yards per game. Diaz previously coached as defensive coordinator at Texas from 2011-2013, and during his first season he led the Longhorns to become the top defense in the Big 12, as they ranked No. 1 in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense. Diaz was also the defensive coordinator for Mississippi State in 2010, which ranked No. 22 in the nation in scoring defense. The Bulldogs allowed only 19.9 points per game in 2010, which showed when they lost only 19-14 to the 2010 Auburn national championship team. That team also ranked nationally as No. 15 in red-zone defense, No. 17 in nationally in rushing defense and No. 17 in tackles for loss, which was another major turnaround after Mississippi State finished No. 71 in scoring defense and No. 89 in tackles for loss the season before he arrived in Starkville, Mississippi. Although Diaz may not be the biggest name on Auburn's short list of potential defensive coordinator candidates, he has had plenty of success turning around big programs that have had defensive struggles before he got there. By: Kyle Van Fechtmann | Assistant Sports Editor _______________________________________ Bill Clark (6-6 in 2014 season as head coach at UAB, 11-4 in 2013 season as head coach at Jacksonville State) The possibility of Auburn hiring UAB head coach Bill Clark to take charge of the Tigers' defense remains an option if concerns surrounding UAB football shut the program down. During his first year as head coach at UAB, Clark led the Blazers to a 6-6 season, and made his team eligible for bowl competition for the third time in school history. The Blazers are one of eight Conference USA teams to win at least six games in the 2014 season. Before that, he guided Jacksonville State to a record-setting 11-4 season as its head coach in 2013. It was the most victories for the Gamecocks since 1992. Prior to Jacksonville State, Clark was assistant head coach and the defensive coordinator at South Alabama. Clark was the high school football head coach for nine years at Prattville High School, where his last two teams won a pair of Class 6A State Championships. Depending on the future of UAB's football program or how long it takes for the school to give Clark a contract extension, Auburn could find the missing piece to its coaching staff in his 20 years of coaching experience. By: Derek Thompson | Sports Writer _______________________________________ Gene Chizik (38-38 as head coach) Gene Chizik's tenure as Auburn head coach was well documented. His questionable hiring was well documented too, but the firing of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson leaves a spot on the Auburn coaching staff. Before disregarding the former head coach, remember his success as a defensive coordinator for both Auburn (2002-2004) and Texas (2005-2006). As Auburn defensive coordinator, Chizik's defenses gave up an average of 15.13 points per game. In 2004, after major contributions to the undefeated season, Chizik was awarded the Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach. Everyone remembers the 2010 National Championship Chizik celebrated with the Tigers, but it should be noted that he also played a major role in Texas' 2005 National Championship win over USC. Chizik also coached three different winners of the Thorpe Award, an award given to the nations best defensive back; Carlos Rodger (AU), Michael Huff (UT), and Arron Ross (UT). However, Auburn fans are unlikely to forget Chizik's fall from dominance. In his last two seasons as Auburn's head coach, Chizik amassed an 11-14 record including a winless conference record in 2012. It also would be interesting to see how Auburn fans would react if the team signs on a defensive coordinator that still hasn't finished his head coach contract. The former head coach is currently bringing home $209, 457.84 a month, according to Auburn's payroll. Chizik may not be on many Auburn fan's wish list, but if worst comes to worst, at least there's another proven defense coordinator living in the Auburn city limits. By: Patrick Lucas | Sports Reporter
Although Auburn's offense put up 630 total yards and 44 points on the No. 1 team in the country, players and coaches believe that too many field goals in the red zone limited their chances of beating the Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium. "Obviously it was a disappointing game," head coach Gus Malzahn said. "I think the name of the game really was that when we got in the red zone, we had to kick field goals." Every time the Tigers' offense reached the red zone they ended up putting up points on the scoreboard, but five of those trips in the red zone resulted in three points rather than six. "We kicked five [field goals] and didn't score our touchdowns," Malzahn said. "We had enough yards to score a whole bunch of points and that was probably the name of the game." Auburn's first three scoring drives were all in the red zone, but were only good for nine points since all three were field goals from 24 yards or less from Daniel Carlson. Auburn's hero of the first half, Sammie Coates, thinks that those failed attempts to cross the end zone early on may have hurt them in the final score. Coates did reach the end zone twice though with a 34-yard touchdown and a 68-yard touchdown catch as he finished his night with 206 yards. "We got in the red zone a couple times and we got three points, but we needed touchdowns," Coates said. "That hurt us big time. But we never gave up. We just kept fighting the whole time."
Despite putting up 44 points and 630 total yards of offense, that was not enough for Auburn to leave Tuscaloosa with a victory. "We're very capable of being a top team, but it just hasn't worked out for us this year," Nick Marshall said. "I'm proud of myself and the rest of my teammates and the coaches for putting us in the best position to win the game. That's all I can ask for." Marshall threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns against the No. 1 team in the country. After Auburn led by a score of 26-21 and 383-178 in total yards at halftime, Alabama's offense responded in the second half by reaching 541 total yards on their way to a 55-44 victory, which is the highest score in Iron Bowl history. The Tide's second half offense was led by wide receiver Amari Cooper, who had five receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter alone. The Heisman hopeful finished the game with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Roc Thomas fumbled a swing pass on the first offensive play of the game. This is the third time this season Auburn has opened the game with a turnover on their first possession. Alabama took over on the Auburn 35-yard line after the initial turnover and then completed the quick five-play scoring drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown from T.J. Yeldon. The Tigers defense continued their trend of committing penalties with two 15-yard penalties, a face mask and late hit, which set up a 17-yard touchdown catch by Cooper. That drive for the Tide was five plays good for 80 yards in less than two minutes, but 30 of those yards came from Auburn penalties. Auburn's next two long drives reached the red zone but the offense continued by scoring three points, with two consecutive 24-yard field goals from Carlson to make it 14-9. Then the Tigers found the end zone twice on similar plays, both being touchdown passes from Marshall to Sammie Coates on deep routes. The first one was a 34-yard touchdown pass to Coates after Jermaine Whitehead's interception gave Auburn field position on the Alabama 35-yard line. Marshall doubled the next completion to Coates with a 68-yard touchdown. After Yeldon scored another rushing touchdown to make it 21-23, the Tigers' offense responded again with Marshall to Coates, this one being a 41-yard pass to set up a Carlson field goal to close out the half. Coates has four receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns at the half. He finished the game with five catches for 206 yards and two scores. "We got in the red zone a couple times and we got three points, but we needed touchdowns," Coates said. "That hurt us big time." Auburn opened the second half on a positive note with an interception from Jonathan Jones, which set up the eventual five-yard touchdown catch from Quan Bray to give the Tigers the 33-21 lead. Then Cooper began to torch the Auburn secondary, starting with a wide-open 39-yard touchdown catch. After Auburn was denied a touchdown opportunity in the red zone for the fifth time of the night, they settled for another Carlson field goal to make it 36-27. Cooper responded on the next play with a 75-yard touchdown catch. Then the Tide began to roll after intercepting Marshall and scoring touchdowns on two consecutive drives, with an 11-yard Sims rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass to DeAndrew White to make it 48-36. After Derrick Henry's 25-yard rushing touchdown, Alabama went on a 34-3 scoring run since the middle of the third quarter. Corey Grant ended the game by scoring a five-yard rushing touchdown against his former team. With the 55-44 victory, Alabama will represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship next weekend and Auburn finished their 8-4 regular season and will wait to see which bowl game they are placed in.
After a turnover on the first possession of the game, Auburn's offense responded in a big way by outgaining Alabama 383-178 in yards on its way to a 26-21-halftime lead. After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Roc Thomas fumbled a swing pass on the first offensive play of the game. This is the third time this season Auburn has opened the game with a turnover on their first possession. Alabama took over on the Auburn 35-yard line after the initial turnover and then completed the quick five-play scoring drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown from T.J. Yeldon. Daniel Carlson's 20-yard field goal on the following drive made it 7-3 with 8:08 remaining in the first quarter. The Tigers defense continued their trend of committing penalties with two 15-yard penalties, a face mask and late hit, which set up a 17-yard touchdown catch from Amari Cooper. That drive for the Tide was five plays good for 80 yards in less than two minutes, but 30 of those yards came from Auburn penalties. Auburn's next two long drives reached the red zone but the offense continued by scoring three points, with two consecutive 24-yard field goals from Carlson to make it 14-9. Then the Tigers found the end zone twice on similar plays, both being touchdown passes from Nick Marshall to Sammie Coates on deep routes. The first one was a 34-yard touchdown pass to Coates after Jermaine Whitehead's interception gave Auburn field position on the Alabama 35-yard line. Then Marshall doubled the next completion to Coates with a 68-yard touchdown. After Yeldon scored another rushing touchdown to make it 21-23, the Tigers' offense responded again with Marshall to Coates, this one being a 41-yard pass to set up a Carlson field goal to close out the half. Coates has four receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns at the half.
Auburn's offense took control after a sloppy first quarter to win 31-7 over Samford on Senior Night. "I'm really happy for our seniors," head coach Gus Malzahn said. "This senior class is a very special group. They've been phenomenal for our program, not just as players but as individuals." Senior Cameron Artis-Payne led the way for the offense, where he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown in his last game playing in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Artis-Payne also became only the fifth Auburn player to rush for at least 1,400 yards in a season, joining the company of Bo Jackson, Rudi Johnson, Tre Mason and Cam Newton. "It was the last time playing in Jordan-Hare so it was really emotional," Artis-Payne said. "I wasn't apart of their recruiting class and when I got here they treated me like family. The Auburn Family is really not something we just say, it's real. I appreciate and love all (the seniors) just like they're my brothers, so it's hard to see this thing coming to an end." Auburn's offense picked up where they left off with their struggles last game against Georgia, with only 33 yards of total offense in the first quarter. Samford took advantage of Auburn's penalties and lack of offense on their way to taking the 7-0 lead. This was the fourth consecutive game Auburn had at least seven penalties. Samford got on the board first after a 15-yard pass interference penalty set up a seven-yard touchdown pass on the following play. The offense and defense picked it up in the second quarter with 176 yards of total offense, while the defense held Samford's offense to only three yards for the rest of the half after their lone touchdown. Auburn's first scoring drive was three plays for 73 yards, which included a 49-yard pass from Nick Marshall to Sammie Coates and a 23-yard touchdown run by Quan Bray. Bray is the first ever Auburn player to have a receiving, rushing and return touchdown in one season. The Tigers' last offensive drive of the half was good for 68 yards in five plays, capped off by a Cameron Artis-Payne seven-yard touchdown run. Another senior opened up the second half with a touchdown as Corey Grant scored on a 13-yard reception to make it 24-7 with 8:36 left in the third quarter. After Kris Frost's first career interception, Roc Thomas scored a one-yard touchdown to make it 31-7 and then Jonathon Mincy sealed the victory with an interception with 6:10 remaining on his Senior Night. "Everything has really flown by," Mincy said. "All I can take with me now is my memories and things I'll never forget from playing on this team." The seniors are looking forward to creating another memory while playing in their last Iron Bowl this Saturday, Nov. 29, at 6:45 p.m. in Tuscaloosa. "We know it's going to be a hard-fought battle, it's the Iron Bowl," Bray said.
Despite a sloppy start, Auburn leads Samford 17-7 at the half. Samford took advantage of Auburn's penalties and lack of offense on their way to taking the 7-0 lead. Auburn's offense picked up where they left off with their struggles last game against Georgia, with only 33 yards of total offense in the first quarter. But the offense picked it up in the second quarter with 176 yards of total offense. The Tigers won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball but opened up the game with a three-and-out. Auburn's first four drives included three punts and a Nick Marshall interception on an attempted deep ball pass to Sammie Coates. Samford got on the board first after a 15-yard pass interference penalty, committed by Jonathon Mincy, set up a seven-yard touchdown pass on the following play. Auburn's offense woke up on the following three-play, 73-yard drive, which included a 49-yard pass to Coates and a 23-yard touchdown run by Quan Bray. Bray is the first ever Auburn player to have a receiving, rushing and return touchdown in one season. The defense then continued that momentum on the next drive after a Montravius Adams sack on third down forced a Samford three-and-out. Auburn then took the 10-7 lead on the following drive after a 29-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson. The Tigers' last offensive drive of the half was good for 68 yards in five plays, capped off by a Cameron Artis-Payne seven-yard touchdown run.
Auburn men's basketball improved to 2-1 on the season following their 105-80 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns Friday night in the Auburn Arena. It was the first time Auburn basketball has scored at least 100 points since 2003. "I thought we had really good contributions all the way around," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "This is our third game in eight days. That's a lot but we're used to playing that way." KT Harrell led all scorers with 24 points but reigning SEC Player of the Week Cinmeon Bowers posted his third double-double in his third career game for Auburn, with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Bowers is the first Auburn player since 2009 to have three straight double doubles. Auburn is now 5-0 all-time at home against Louisiana and Bruce Pearl also goes to 5-0 in career coaching appearances against the Ragin' Cajuns. After being tied at 10 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Auburn took control of the lead and did not look back as they ended the half with Bowers hitting a three-pointer as time expired to make it 45-38. Harrell led all scorers at half with 15 points. This was also his third straight game of scoring at least 20 points. Auburn continued that momentum in the second half and ran away with it with their sharp shooting (64 percent) on their way to the victory. The Tigers made their final 11 shots to close the game out. Tahj Shamsid-Deen struggled in the Tigers' first two games this season, bounced back in the second half of this one, finishing with 21 points and five 3-pointers. "My coaches and teammates have been encouraging me to not worry and keep shooting," Shamsid-Deen said. "In the second half it started to drop." Malcolm Canada chipped in a career-high 10 points and six assists while Jordon Granger finished with a career-high 14 points. "That's the best we've played so far," Pearl said. "We had several guys have career nights tonight." Auburn goes back on the road this Monday, Nov. 24, to compete in the MGM Grand Event against Tulsa on ESPNU.
Although two consecutive losses put their national title hopes out the window, the seniors are ready to put that behind them and finish their last season on a high note. "The thing about Auburn is we're going to have high expectations and that's just the way it's going to go," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "You're disappointed when you don't reach some of your goals. That's part of it." The tight-knit group of 20 seniors, who will be honored on Pat Dye Field before playing in their last home game for Senior Day, have been through some of the highest of highs and lowest of lows in Auburn football. The majority of the seniors officially committed to Auburn weeks after the 2010 BCS National Championship victory in hopes of winning a crystal ball of their own while playing for the Tigers. After one of the worst seasons in Auburn football history, the 3-9 2012 season, it looked as if that goal would be completely out of reach. But the group responded with the biggest turnaround in college football history on its way to becoming 2013 SEC Champions, while taking down rivals Georgia and Alabama in back-to-back dramatic, unforgettable fashions. Although they came up 13 seconds short last year and a few games short of that goal this season, the seniors said they are ready to lead the team and bounce back for these final two regular season games. "The mindset of our team is to finish 2-0," said quarterback Nick Marshall. "Everyone is still together. We don't have anyone pointing fingers at each other." Malzahn said anytime a team is beat convincingly, such as the 34-7 loss to Georgia, it is important for the coach to solve the issues he needs to solve as a coach and move forward. "We have to be big boys," Malzahn said. "We've got to learn from it and bounce back." According to the coaches, since this group of seniors has seen it all during their time on the Plains, they will be the ones expected to lead the team to a turnaround in the last two games. "Obviously, you look at your seniors and your pivotal positions," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. "I think we've got plenty of guys (who can lead). From Reese (Dismukes) to Nick (Marshall) to C.J. (Uzomah) to even Quan (Bray) at times. (Cameron Artis-Payne) and Corey (Grant) don't say much, but their play speaks for themselves and the way they carry themselves. You look to all of those older guys who have been there. This is a group that has won 19 games in less than two years, so they know how to win. It's just as a collective whole group, they've got to bounce back." Uzomah said the team's recent struggles are solely the responsibility of the seniors. "The majority of this falls on the seniors," Uzomah said. "It's up to us to raise our level and raise everyone else's." Uzomah said their last game together in Jordan-Hare Stadium will be an emotional time for all of the seniors, but they are looking forward to getting the job done against the Samford Bulldogs. "I wouldn't change my four-year experience here for anything," Uzomah said. "There definitely has been some downs and lows. But there's been highs with last season and even this season. The bond that the seniors and underclassmen have, we are a family. That kind of bond is going to last a lifetime."
In a game like the 34-7 blowout loss at Georgia, where the Bulldogs ran for 289 yards on the Tigers, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said it is hard to find positives on the defensive side because the glaring mistakes overshadow any good plays made by the defense. "It's been sort of like trying to run in quicksand," Johnson said. "We've been doing things as hard as we can do them and as well as we can do them. But every game, if there's 75 snaps, there's about 55-60 really good looking snaps, but it's those other 15 that are killing us." Johnson said the defense played a lot more physical in the Georgia game than against the Aggies, but its mistakes are what really kept them from being able to dig themselves out of the hole. Those mistakes create explosive plays and make it easier for opposing offenses to put up points on the scoreboard, which Texas A&M and Georgia did not have a problem doing these past two games. According to head coach Gus Malzahn, the difference between those two losses is that the defense responded to second half adjustments in the Texas A&M game but did not against the Bulldogs. According to Johnson, the mistakes on Auburn's defense include miscommunication, overrunning the football resulting in missed tackles, busted assignments and even the continuing struggle to force pressure on the quarterback. "It wasn't the physicality of it, or the nature of their performance, it was a lot of little mistakes [that add up]," Johnson said. When asked if the defensive struggles are more of a coaching or talent issue, Johnson took ownership and said that it starts with coaching. "We're going to always think it's coaching, because if you don't then you don't have any solutions," Johnson said. "When you have that issue as a coach, you always take that upon yourself. I either have to teach it better, we've got to rep it more frequently, we're doing too much, or somehow he's not understanding it." Johnson said if it gets to the point where a player simply cannot perform, then he's got to make a change but the first most important thing is to make sure he is coaching and teaching it correctly. According to Johnson, this week's game against Samford is a game the starters and rotators need to play well in. "When I'm standing here next Sunday, we better be a better football team than we are today, or we're not going to be ready to play Alabama," Johnson said. Johnson said he obviously hears criticism from outsiders, but as someone who has been coaching for 40 years, he is used to that and cannot let it affect him. "I've got an old buddy who said one day that all Southern men think they know how to win a NASCAR race and coach football," Johnson said. "I've been coaching for 40 years, I've coached at a lot of different places and it's just part of the business. If it bothered me, I wouldn't still be coaching for 40 years. I can understand some of it. We're frustrated, players are frustrated and obviously fans are frustrated."
South Carolina volleyball (15-12, 5-8 SEC) has now lost nine of its last 11 matches after Auburn (12-15, 4-10 SEC) won on the road in five sets.
Auburn women's basketball opened up their regular season with a 71-54 victory over Troy in the first game of the doubleheader at Auburn Arena with the men's team playing University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 9 p.m. "We knew that if we handled Troy's pressure that we could push in transition and get some easy shots and baskets," Williams-Flournoy said. "A few times we didn't handle the pressure as well as we should've, and that was usually just lazy passes." Auburn jumped out to the early 5-0 lead in the first two minutes after turning four Troy turnovers into scoring possessions. The Tigers held the lead for the majority of the first half until Troy went on their own 5-0 run to tie it at 22-22 with 6:33 remaining. But Auburn ended the first half on a positive note with a 12-0 run to make it 43-29 at halftime. Troy ended Auburn's consecutive scoring run by opening the second half with a made three-pointer. But the defense kept the lead secure for Auburn as they continued to force Troy turnovers. This was the 16th game the Tigers have had at least 15 steals under head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. "Going against a team that was pushing the ball up the floor and taking quick shots, we had to get back and get matched a lot quicker," Williams-Flournoy said. Tra'Cee Tanner led all scorers with 16 points and also had 10 rebounds on her way to her fourth career double-double. "I feel like we definitely followed our game plan tonight," Tanner said. "Us limiting them getting free layups and keeping them off the boards really helped us a lot." Auburn's next game is at home vs. Grambling State this Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.
The last time the Auburn Tigers traveled to Athens, Georgia, was when they were knocked out of the top-25 after losing 45-7 to the Bulldogs in 2011.
After a heartbreaking 41-38 loss on Nov. 8 to Texas A&M, the defense knows they have a lot of work to do and knows what they need to improve on heading into their last three regular season games. According to defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, the main areas that need to be fixed are limiting mistakes, creating a more effective pass rush, tackling better and simply communicating better in order to cancel out missed assignments and explosive plays. Johnson said that his players' great drive and motivation to become a better defensive unit is definitely still there. "Guys are playing with great effort," Johnson said. "I know it's important to them. They're trying hard and they're practicing hard. We are just making some mistakes sometimes that are uncharacteristic. Mistakes really put us in a hole." Mistakes definitely put the Tigers in a hole against the Aggies, as Auburn tried their best to dig out of the 35-17 hole they created for themselves in the first half. Johnson said that they are still searching for the answer to those mistakes that keep reoccurring. "When we find the answer to [those mistakes], we have to coach better, play a little harder, coach smarter, something," Johnson said. "But we've got to eliminate those six or eight plays a game where we just don't make them earn it." Some of those explosive plays are a result of defenders missing tackles. For example, Auburn missed 11 tackles after contact, which resulted in 114 yards of offense for the Aggies after missed tackles. "If you eliminate half of that, it gets you off the field quicker, gets the offense the ball back quicker, helps field position and everything," Johnson said. "Players understand it. We harp on explosive plays. We have worked extremely hard to try to fix [tackling]. We've got to coach it better I guess." Explosive plays can also be a result of miscommunication, which senior defensive back Jonathon Mincy said is the biggest problem when it comes to mistakes made in the secondary. But Mincy and Johnson said that it helps that Jermaine Whitehead is back in the lineup at safety, since he has the most experience in the secondary, which already showed in his first game back when he had an interception against Texas A&M. "It helps extremely well to have somebody back there who knows the checks and is able to communicate well with everyone else on the defense," Mincy said. Other than Whitehead's experience playing a big factor in helping the communication on defense, Johnson said he also gives the defense more depth. "(Whitehead) was a little rusty but we got him back and definitely wanted to get the opportunity to play him and get him back in the lineup," Johnson said. "I'm really proud of what he did over the last three or four weeks. He did everything that was asked of him. He helps us in a lot of ways." Despite Auburn losing their second game of the season and getting knocked out of one of the four coveted College Football Playoff spots, Johnson said that the team is still hopeful and confident for the rest of the season. "If there are any individuals that have gotten frustrated and lost confidence, I don't know of it," Johnson said. "We've just got to be more consistent."
This week, plainsman sports editor Eric Wallace and assistant sports editor Kyle Van Fechtmann review and preview everything Auburn sports.
At the beginning of the season, Auburn ran a running back by committee, but now it is clear that Cameron Artis-Payne has not only separated himself as the No. 1 back on the team, but also has emerged at the No. 1 spot for most rushing yards in the SEC. Artis-Payne's 969 yards through eight games are good for first in the SEC and 17th in the country. Although he has separated himself as the go-to running back in the Tigers' hurry-up, no huddle offense, players and coaches agree that Artis-Payne has always been a talented back who they expected to have a breakout senior season. "We knew at the beginning [of the season], we thought he'd be an 1,000-yard back in this league, we really did," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. "We didn't know what level [he would be at] and there's still some things to be seen, but what he has done is he just has great determination." According to wide receiver Sammie Coates, he has noticed characteristics of Artis-Payne's running game that have helped him become the current leading rusher in the SEC. "When he's out there, he watches the defense," Coates said. "He knows what he's got to do to run the ball. He does a great job of letting the game come to him. CAP has always been a good running back and he's going to keep doing a great job." According to Lashlee, Artis-Payne is the type of player who does not boast about his accomplishments; he simply lets his play do the talking for him. "(Artis-Payne) has a very quiet strength of drive," Lashlee said. "He's very driven to prove himself and he doesn't have to say anything. He comes to work every day. He's a pro before he's a pro. He's the same young man every single day." Lashlee said because of the way Artis-Payne prepares, studies film and practices, he has created a consistent daily routine, and that consistency off the field has led to him putting up consistent numbers on the field, averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry. Artis-Payne said even though he has been named the No. 1 running back on Auburn's depth chart, he has continued to work hard to become more comfortable as an emerging leader on offense. "Even though you get named the starter, you're still not going to be as comfortable six, seven games into the season," Artis-Payne said. "I think me and the offensive line are just starting to hit that stride. I think we're just getting more comfortable and seeing things better." Lashlee said this year's running back situation is similar to last year's since Artis-Payne separated himself as the No. 1 back, and Tre Mason stepped up as the No. 1 back on his way to becoming a Heisman finalist last year. "I think the way Tre got hot late had nothing negative to do with the way Cameron or Corey (Grant) were playing," Lashlee said. "They both still had a lot of good runs and good plays. Tre just became kind of that go-to guy." Last year, Mason had 753 yards after eight games and Artis-Payne has 969 yards through the first eight games this season. "(Artis-Payne) is as steady and consistent and reliable as anybody we have and probably about as reliable as anyone in the country," Lashlee said. "He just keeps plugging and coming at you. When we start to wear people down, he really can turn up those yards late and gets better as the game goes on." Artis-Payne's ability to get better as the game goes on was proven during the 35-31 win at Ole Miss, where he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. "We figured out some things seeing what they were doing up front and seeing the mismatches we had," Artis-Payne said. "We figured we could exploit that in the second half. We know that if it's a close game in the fourth quarter, we're going to find a way to win and we pride ourselves on that."
Nick Marshall looked to his go-to number one target last season, Sammie Coates, in crucial situations in the Saturday, Nov. 1 35-31 road victory at No. 4 Ole Miss. "(Sammie) had a great night tonight," Marshall said. "He was in due time for one. He put his trust in me and I put my trust in him and I was able to give him a couple of deep shots tonight." Coates led Auburn's deep receiving core with five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in the matchup against the Rebels. "Our receiving core is unbelievably good," Coates said. "We've got so much talent and we keep making plays for our quarterback." According to Coates, he is now playing at 100 percent and knew that his breakout game would come this season. "You just have to wait on your time," Coates said. "You miss some, you catch some, you can't win them all though. When you get a chance to make a play, you make a play." Marshall and Coates finally connected on the deep ball route they have missed on a couple of time earlier in the season. This one was completed for a 57-yard touchdown pass to tie the score up at 14 in the second quarter. "[That touchdown pass to Sammie] gave me a lot of momentum," Marshall said. "I was just able to make a great throw and he was able to make a great play." Coates played a large role in Marshall's impressive stat line, which was 15-for-22 with 254 yards and two passing touchdowns, as well as 50 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Besides Coates' deep ball touchdown catch, he made another clutch play while making a catch on a jump ball on a third down conversion. Coates credits that third down conversion catch to everyone but himself. "You win the game on third downs," Coates said. "Our running backs block and run the ball hard. Our o-line blocks their butts off on third down. Any time you get your o-line blocking for your quarterback and your wide receivers, you can't help but to make plays for them." Marcus Davis, who also had a touchdown reception from Marshall against Ole Miss, was not shocked by Coates' performance. "I see that from Sammie all the time in practice, so it wasn't a surprise to me," Davis said. "I was just happy he was able to lift up the team tonight." Coates said the main reason why Auburn thrives while playing in close games is because of their ability to stay together and fighting until the end. "We don't have any quit," Coates said. "That's one thing Malzahn preaches to us: fighting until the end. That's what we did. We just kept fighting and we found a way to win."
No. 3 Auburn's College Football Playoff hopes are alive after their 35-31-shootout victory at No. 4 Ole Miss. "I talked to the team before the game and basically I told them that this is a playoff game for us," senior linebacker Kris Frost said. "Going into this game, it was the biggest game of the season for us so far. We know that every game just gets bigger and bigger from here on out and we just have to take care of what we need to take care of." After their quick touchdown opening drive, Auburn could not continue its momentum for the majority of the first half as their 10 penalties for 105 yards proved to be costly for the Tigers. Auburn came out strong ready to play as soon as they elected to receive the ball to start the game, as they completed a 73-yard drive in less than three minutes. After Nick Marshall's two-yard touchdown run capped off the opening drive, Auburn's offense began to slow down for the rest of the half, completing three punts and an interception. After Auburn's defense forced a three-and-out on Ole Miss' first offensive drive, the Rebels bounced back for the rest of the first quarter. Their next drive was good for 11 plays and 92 yards as Ole Miss tied it up at 7 following a four-yard touchdown run from I'Tavius Mathers. Ole Miss took the 14-7 lead after Bo Wallace had a career-high 59-yard rushing attempt and then completed the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Laquon Treadwell. After Marshall's 57-yard touchdown pass to Sammie Coates, Ole Miss ended the first half by taking the 17-14 lead after a 47-yard field goal. Auburn picked up where they left off in the first half, since the first play of the second half was a late hit 15-yard penalty against them. But the defense responded by forcing a turnover on downs when Ole Miss failed to convert on 4th-and-1. Ole Miss' defense retaliated by forcing an Auburn three-and-out and then increased their lead to 24-14 after Bo Wallace's 50-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram. Auburn's offense then responded with a crucial 3rd-and-11 conversion from Marshall's 41-yard completion to D'haquille Williams. Marshall capped off the drive himself with another two-yard touchdown run to come within three of the Rebels. After forcing another punt, Auburn's offense put together an 11 play, 96-yard touchdown drive, which ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Marshall to Marcus Davis to put Auburn on top 28-24 at the end of the third quarter. Marshall's stat line for the game was 15-for-22 with 254 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, as well as 50 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The shootout continued in the fourth quarter as Ole Miss began with a seven play, 75-yard drive resulting in a three-yard touchdown run from Wallace. Auburn continued the scoring back-and-forth trend on the following drive with a nine play, 75-yard drive, which was finished by Cameron Artis-Payne's six-yard touchdown run. Artis-Payne rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on the night. Ole Miss drove the length of the field again on their next drive but Derrick Moncrief forced a Bo Wallace fumble in the red zone to give Auburn the ball back. Ole Miss then forced an Auburn punt and Auburn committed its third late hit penalty of the game after the punt return. Ole Miss then scored on what was originally ruled a touchdown from Treadwell, but after further review it was ruled a fumble that Auburn's Cassanova McKinzy recovered in the end zone, to ultimately clinch the road test victory. "I knew when the play ended it wasn't a touchdown," McKinzy said. "It was just a good play for our team, and we came through in the end." Frost was the one who forced that fumble to seal the Auburn win. "Treadwell is a very fast and physical guy so when my teammates held him up, I felt the ball was loose and I made a play," Frost said. "I enjoy playing on the road. This was such a great atmosphere and it definitely felt like a playoff game." Auburn returns home next Saturday to face off against Texas A&M at 2:30 CT in Jordan-Hare Stadium.