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(12/18/14 4:53am)
Bruce Pearl and the Tigers grabbed a much needed win Wednesday, Dec. 14.
With double-digit scoring nights from Cinmeon Bowers, KT Harrell, Jordon Granger and Antoine Mason; Auburn was able to end a three-game winning streak with an 80-62 win over the Winthrop Eagles out of the Big South.
Bowers posted his 6th double-double of the season and led all scorers, finishing with 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Harrell, the team's leading and most consistent scorer, had 14 points, while Mason added 13 and Granger had 10.
Overall, the Tigers shot 44.3 percent from the field, going seven of 19 from three. Three of those seven deep balls came from Harrell, two came from Mason with one from Malcolm Canada and one more from Alex Thompson, who made his return to Auburn Arena this Wednesday.
Auburn jumped out to a big lead, as they have many times this season. The Tigers led by as many as 14 in the first half, but, again, let that lead diminish before the half was over and led by only eight at the break.
Something else this Auburn team has struggled with recently is closing games out in the second half, and Winthrop made it close, cutting the lead down to two. But Auburn went on a 7-0 run from there and never looked back.
Newcomer Trayvon Reed made his home debut for the Tigers and had two points with eight rebounds in 12 minutes.
Defensively, Auburn created 11 turnovers and turned them into 15 points.
The win moves the Tigers to 4-5 overall.
Next up, Auburn will face Xavier Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Auburn Arena. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
(12/15/14 11:00pm)
Wide receiver Sammie Coates will forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft, he announced Monday.
Coates graduated Saturday, and stated if he still had classes left to complete, he would have stayed at Auburn to play another season for the Tigers. Instead, he'll head to the NFL with a degree in hand following Auburn's appearance in the Outback Bowl against Wisconsin.
"If I wouldn't have graduated, it wouldn't have even been a thought," Coates said.
Coates was a deep threat for the Tigers during his time on the Plains and racked up 717 yards on 30 grabs with four touchdowns this season.
Coates is 6'2 and 201 pounds and said he didn't go through any sort of evaluation process to determine his place in April's draft.
Coates' counterpart in the receiving department, Duke Williams, is yet to announce his future plans. Coates said his choice had nothing to do with Williams'.
"I was just worried about my own decision," Coates said.
Head coach Gus Malzahn wished Coates the best of luck in his departure.
"We don't need projections," Malzahn said. "We know he's one of the best receivers in college football."
Malzahn said he remembers first meeting Coates.
"I'm real proud," Malzahn said. "It seems like just yesterday that a real quiet, skinny kid from Leroy was up in our office."
Currently, Coates is rated as the No. 40 overall prospect in his class by NFLDraftScout.com, and is the seventh-rated wide receiver.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said both Coates and Williams could hear their names called possibly late in the first round, but more likely early or midway through the second round.
(12/14/14 11:42pm)
Shooting woes doomed the Auburn basketball team once again Sunday, as they fell to Clemson 72-61.
Overall, the Tigers were 21 of 54 from the field. They made seven threes, but they shot 24.
KT Harrell attempted seven of those long balls, sinking three of them. He finished with 16 points and was the Tigers' second-leading scorer.
A positive note for Bruce Pearl and Auburn was the resurgence of Cinmeon Bowers, who had his first double-double since opening the season with four straight. The center finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Tigers in scoring.
Antoine Mason saw his first action since the first game of the season and contributed 14 points coming off the bench.
The Tigers got out to a quick lead in the first half, but Clemson went on a few runs as Auburn went cold, and Clemson led by six at the half.
To start the second half, Tahj-Shamsid Deen got four the hard way, and cut the Clemson lead to 2.
Immediately after that, Clemson went on a 7-0 run and eventually took an 11-point lead.
Auburn cut the lead to as little as four, but didn't make the shots they needed in the final three minutes and Clemson pulled away again.
Aside from shooting, ball handling and turnovers also played a part in the loss.
The Tigers turned the ball over 18 times and Clemson converted those mishaps in to 19 points.
The loss is Auburn's 4th in 5 games, and drops the Tigers overall record to 3-5.
Next up for Pearl and the Tigers is a matchup with Winthrop on Wednesday.
(12/14/14 5:08pm)
Auburn freshman football player Jakell Mitchell was shot and killed early Sunday morning Dec. 14 at Tiger Lodge apartment complex in Auburn.
Head coach Gus Malzahn and athletic director Jay Jacobs both released official statements on the incident.
"I'm devastated and saddened by the passing of Jakell Mitchell," Malzahn said. "My thoughts and prayers are with Jakell's family and friends, who are suffering through this senseless tragedy. I know the Auburn Family is hurting, especially our players and coaches and we are going to love and support them through this difficult time. We have lost a member of our family too young, too soon."
The statement from Jacobs echoed Malzahn's.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jakell Mitchell's family and those who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy," Jacobs said. "This is a very trying time for those close to Jakell, including the student-athletes, coaches, staff and Auburn Family. We will provide counseling and support and do everything we can to help them through the grieving process."
Since the news of the shooting broke, several fellow players, coaches and others involved with the athletic department have tweeted their condolences for Mitchell and his family.
(12/13/14 6:18pm)
Gus Malzahn went out and got his man.
As Malzahn introduced Will Muschamp as Auburn's new defensive coordinator Saturday, the head coach spoke repeatedly about how Muschamp is one of the best defensive coaches in the game.
"After I decided to make a change, my goal was to go out there and get the best defensive coordinator in the country," Malzahn said. "Also, I wanted a class guy."
Malzahn decided that Muschamp was both of those things, and immediately began making moves to bring him to the Plains.
"(Muschamp) was the first guy we contacted," Malzahn said. "He's the guy that I wanted, and we're blessed to have him here at Auburn."
Malzahn may be on to something when he says that Muschamp is on of the best in the business.
During his time at Florida , Mushcamp's defenses were consistently in the top 10 in the country, allowing only 19 points per game over the Muschamps tenure, per ESPN.
How Malzahn and Muschamp will work together remains to be seen, but as far as coaching styles go, the two definitely have something in common.
"I like his energy," Malzahn said. "I am an energy guy too."
Muschamp and Malzahn are both known around the college football world for their sideline intensity and Muschamp said he's excited to have the opportunity to work with a coach like Malzahn.
"I got to know (Malzahn) at the meetings we have down in Destin every year," Muschamp said. "I've got a lot of respect for him on the offensive side of the ball.
Prior to Muschamp's hiring, there were rumors about his defense struggling to co-exist with Malzahn's hurry-up offense, but Muschamp put those rumors to bed quickly.
"Last year at Auburn, they averaged 72 plays per game offensively," Muschamp said. "At the University of Florida we averaged 70. So there's a huge difference sometimes in perception and reality.
Muschamp added that it will be his defense's responsibility to set the offense up for success.
"It's our job to get off the field," Muschamp said. "It's our job to get the ball back to the offense. "
Leading up to Auburn's Outback Bowl appearance against Wisconsin, Muschamp will monitor practice and evaluate his new defense, but he won't coach in the game. That duty will be left to secondary coach Charlie Harbison.
"I'm going to come back for practice Monday through Thursday and just watch practice and monitor practice and get to know the players a little bit more," Muschamp said. (I'll) go and enjoy Christmas in Gainesville and Gus and I will make a decision from there according to how he wants to handle that."
(12/13/14 3:33am)
Former Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has agreed to become Auburn's defensive coordinator again.
The news was first broken by Phillip Marshall of 247 Sports.
Muschamp was being courted for the defensive coordinator position by several other schools, and reportedly interviewed this morning for the head coaching vacancy at Houston.
This will be Muschamp's third coaching job on the Plains. He served as a graduate assistant in the late 90s.
Other gigs for Muschamp have included, most recently, head coach at Florida, defensive coordinator at Texas as well as working under Alabama head coach Nick Saban while Saban was at LSU.
A press conference is expected at some point before the end of the weekend, according to Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated.
"I'm excited to welcome Will back to Auburn as our new defensive coordinator," Malzahn said. "Will is one of the top defensive minds in college football who has great passion and energy for the game. He is a tremendous addition to our staff."
"My family, Carol, Jackson, Whit, and I are excited about coming back to Auburn and I look forward to working with Coach Malzahn to win championships," Muschamp said.
(12/12/14 9:09pm)
When Auburn's basketball takes the court Sunday against Clemson, the team will look a little different than they have early in the season.
Alex Thompson will return to play for the Tigers after taking a semester off of school for personal reasons. Under the basket, Trayvon Reed , a 7-foot-2 transfer, will be making his debut, and should be able to provide a much needed post presence.
Reed will be eligible to practice as early as Saturday.
"I'm very pleased that he has been able to get through this process," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Like myself, he is appreciative and thankful for the opportunity Auburn is going to give him for a second chance.
Pearl said the two additions should be able to make a difference quickly on the thin Auburn roster.
"What have we talked about since we got here? Just continue to get better," Pearl said. "Because of the injuries and being down to eight scholarship players, it made practices tough. I was limited as to how much contact we could have for fear of losing guys in practice."
As far as playing time for Reed, Pearl says he may not see the court right away.
"If he plays, he'll play off the bench," Pearl said. "There's no chance he'd ever start (against Clemson).
Reed will have only one practice and pre-game shoot around under his belt at tip Sunday, and Pearl said that may not be enough for significant playing time.
"You don't want to put those players in a position to fail," Pearl said. "He has to understand how to handle pressure. It would be a lot to ask, so I would not expect to him play a major role in the game Sunday.
Pearl also spoke on Reed's recruitment process.
"He came for several unofficial visits, " Pearl said. "He visited with a number of different people on campus. This was not a decision that I could make by myself.
The first-year head coach compared Reed's recruitment to Auburn to his own.
"The decision to bring me here was probably a decision that was made by a lot of people," Pearl said. "So it's important that I got that input (on Reed)."
"This was my decision," Pearl said. "If things don't work out, it's on me. I don't want to put it on anyone else."
(12/11/14 11:58pm)
Senior Auburn center Reese Dismukes has won the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's best center.
"This is a tremendous honor and accomplishment for Reese to be named the best center in all of college football," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "He has played a large roll in the success of our offense at Auburn, leading the way for an offense that was first in the Southeastern Conference in rushing the last two years."
Dismukes was a four year starter for the Tigers and will play his last game in an Auburn uniform against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.
"The number one thing I look for in a player is consistency, and there's no one more consistent day-in and day-out in practice and in games than Reese," said J.B. Grimes, Auburn offensive line coach. "He's taken nearly every snap in his four years and never had a bad game, let alone a bad play. I've coached a lot of really good centers in my career, and I've not had one like him.
In his four years, Dismukes played for two different head coaches and snapped the ball to six different starting quarterbacks.
(12/08/14 11:29pm)
Four Auburn players were named to the Associated Press' All-SEC Team Monday.
Running back Cameron Artis-Payne was named to the first team, as was center Reese Dismukes.
On the year, Artis-Payne led the SEC in rushing for 1,482 yards along with 11 touchdowns. Additionally, Artis-Payne had 12 catches for 129 yards.
Dismukes is a four-year starter at Auburn and has also just been named as a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the country's best center. Both Dismukes and Artis-Payne have accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl.
On the second team, Auburn is represented by wide receiver Sammie Coates and defensive back Jonathan Jones.
Coates finished the season second in receiving for the Tigers, with 717 yards on 30 catches and four touchdowns.
Jones had 34 tackles and six interceptions in 2014.
(12/07/14 10:34pm)
Following an 8-4 regular season, No. 19 Auburn will face off against No. 18 Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
The game will be played on New Year's Day at 11:00 a.m. and will air on ESPN2.
"We're very excited about the opportunity to play at the Outback Bowl in Tampa against a very good Wisconsin team," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. "Our players and coaches are looking forward to this opportunity. It should be a great week for our team and our fans."
This will be the fourth time Auburn has played Wisconsin. In 2003, the teams faced each other in the Music City Bowl, with Auburn winning 28-14. 3 years later they met again in the Capital One Bowl and Wisconsin took the game 24-10.
"We are thrilled to accept an invitation to play in the Outback Bowl against an outstanding Wisconsin team," Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs said. "This will be a great match-up for our team and a terrific bowl trip for the Auburn family. I look forward to joining all of our fans in Tampa for a great week.
(12/06/14 5:28am)
It was all KT Harrell in Auburn Arena Friday, and that wasn't enough to give Auburn the win.
In a 58-54 loss to Coastal Carolina, the senior guard finished with nearly half of Auburn's points, putting up 25.
On the night, Harrell was 8-15 shooting, including seven threes on eight attempts.
"A guy like KT, he knows that every night he's got to carry us," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "He gets so much attention, and yet every night he does."
The seven threes were a career high for Harrell, but after the game, he was focused at getting better as a team.
"It hurts," Harrell said. "This one hurts just like the last one, but we're going to continue to get better."
The Tigers jumped out to a quick lead, leading by 14 just eight minutes into the game. But some poor ball handling and ugly turnovers allowed Coastal Carolina to hang around, and the Auburn lead was just four at halftime.
In the second half, Coastal Carolina continued to hang around, and ended up stealing the game late after the Tigers went cold.
Auburn didn't score a point in the final 1:21 of the game.
Coastal Carolina led the game for only 2:54.
Overall, the Tigers shot 17-50 and 11 of 28 from three, shooting only 28 percent in the second half.
Forward Cinmeon Bowers continued his recent funk, scoring just one point and grabbing five rebounds. This comes after Bowers started the season off with four straight double-doubles.
"This is three games in a row now that Cinmeon has played poorly," Pearl said. "If I had the answer for it or if he had the answer for it we would have fixed it by now. He was better at the beginning than I thought he would be and I didn't think it was possible for him to be so inconsistent."
(12/06/14 5:00pm)
For Auburn fans, 2014 as a whole could be seen as a disappointment. Going from being 13 seconds away from a national championship to an 8-4 record isn't exactly what fans hoped for.
There are several reasons why the football team didn't perform as expected, but there were also plenty of pleasant surprises.
In my opinion, one of the biggest disappointments on this team was the defensive line. Losing Carl Lawson and Dee Ford was a huge preseason blow, but this was a veteran group that simply didn't perform consistently throughout the season.
On the offense, running back Cameron Artis-Payne was the surprise of the year. Filling the shoes of Heisman finalist Tre Mason, Artis-Payne led the SEC in rushing while getting the bulk of the carries for the Tigers. Not so productive was senior running back Corey Grant, to no fault of his own. As the season went on, Grant saw less time on the field, and it felt as though the coaching staff was holstering a weapon.
Junior wide receiver Duke Williams was hyped by fans and coaches all summer, and he certainly lived up to expectations. All season long, Williams gave opposing secondary groups fits while making seemingly impossible catches game in and game out. Another surprise in this group of receivers was senior Quan Bray, who undoubtedly had his best season not only receiving wise, but returning kicks as well.
One receiver who may not have lived up to expectations was Sammie Coates. I hate to say that, because Coates just had the game of his life against the No. 1 team in the country at their house, but still, Coates didn't quite have the season people were expecting. He was plagued by an injury and had several drops.
(12/03/14 10:37pm)
Auburn's play on the basketball court has been a tad inconsistent this season, according to head coach Bruce Pearl.
Three days after putting up 105 points at home against Louisiana Lafayette, the Tigers couldn't buy a basket against Tulsa in Las Vegas, managing 35 points in the loss.
Part of the inconsistency of scoring has been the absence of the nation's leading returning scorer Antoine Mason.
"We've played 80 percent of our season without him," Pearl said. "80 percent is a significant number. We've played four games without him and one with him. So any time you get guys back, it does change your chemistry and locations. His learning curve is going to be affected. It's not so much where to be as far as our plays are concerned, but probably more on the defensive side where he had a lot of room to grow."
Pearl also said Mason is a different type of player and should be at full health to be the best player he can be.
"I think the other thing too is that Antoine's game is based on explosiveness and power," Pearl said. "It's not just based on finesse and skill. He needs to be closer to 90 percent or 100 percent to be effective, whereas if it were a finesse player or skill player, he could get away without that explosiveness because it has never been a part of his game. For Antoine, that is his game. If he's back, but not explosive, he's not as effective. At least getting him back will get him closer to that learning curve of being explosive and able to contribute."
Senior guard KC Ross-Miller said whenever Mason returns, he should be able to immediately begin making an impact again.
"Obviously, he was someone who could score when we were struggling against Tulsa," Ross-Miller said. "On defense, he was a bigger guy, an extra body and his experience as well. He is a big part offensively and defensively in our schemes."
Driving to the basket has been an issue plaguing the Tigers, as well as early foul troubles, which the Tigers can't afford because of their thin roster.
"When you have KT [Harrell] on one end and Antoine [Mason] on the other end of the floor, it obviously opens the middle lanes up for your point guards and your bigs to make plays," Pearl said. "I still think if you have Tahj [Shamsid-Deen] on one end and KT on the other, you still have to guard him. I think the issue out in Vegas was foul trouble. The issue was when KT picked up two fouls against Tulsa in the first 70 seconds of the game. All of a sudden, you are looking at no [Matthew] Atewe, no Mason, no KT and we're in trouble and a little bit of panic set in."
Though Pearl has talked about the lack of depth this year, he pointed out that several guys stepped up and made plays during the team's time in Vegas.
"KC Ross-Miller has played more minutes with some success," Pearl said. "Malcolm Canada played very well in Vegas. He was solid and he got more minutes by virtue of Antoine not being there and some of the foul trouble. TJ Lang, who we would have not anticipated being in the rotation, has been in the rotation for the last four games. Again, just having his ability to stretch the defense a little bit has caused his learning curves to improve. What if we didn't have that body? The next body is Cole Stockton, who is another walk-on."
(11/30/14 10:35pm)
According to the website Football Scoop and Phillip Marshall of 247 Sports, Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has been fired.
The firing comes one day after Auburn suffered a double-digit loss to Alabama, finishing the season 8-4 one year after going all the way to the BCS National Championship game.
Malzahn said that he felt it was time for the program to move in a different direction.
"At this time I felt it was best for our program to make a change with our defensive coordinator," Malzahn said. "Ellis is a true professional and I would like to thank him for his contributions at Auburn."
Johnson said that he knows why Malzahn felt he had to make the move.
"This is part of the business and I totally understand," Johnson said. "I did think we were good in several areas, but overall it wasn't good enough. I'm disappointed for our players, but this is a results business. I want to thank Coach Malzahn and Auburn for the opportunity the last two years."
(11/30/14 7:33pm)
Auburn has dropped to 20th is this week's AP poll. Additionally, the Tigers fell to No. 21 in the Amway Coaches poll.
(11/29/14 5:30pm)
Anything can happen in a rivalry.
That's the mantra that Auburn fans, and even the team itself are holding to heading into Tuscaloosa.
"We went through some tough times," said head coach Gus Malzahn said. "But this is the Iron Bowl. We've got a lot of character on this team and I expect our guys to be ready to play and I know they're excited to play."
In the three Iron Bowls Malzahn has coached in, just about anything and everything has happened.
In 2009, Alabama scored a last minute touchdown to squeak past Auburn on their way to a national championship. In 2010, Cam Newton and Auburn did the exact same thing in Tuscaloosa. And of course, no Auburn fan will ever forget last year's Kick Six.
Malzahn said those memories are in the past, and the team is fully focused on Saturday.
"I know it doesn't distract us," Malzahn said. "It's a new year. This is a new team just like (Alabama) is a new team. There are players who have overlapped that played in it, but this is a new year and a new game."
One of those overlapping players is quarterback Nick Marshall, who will play his last regular-season game for the Tigers in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
"He was a big part of leading us to the national championship, and it would have been extremely hard to get there without him," Malzahn said. "He has been very good for us. He's one of the best to ever come through here."
As for the rest of the seniors, they know their season isn't over and they still have a chance to bolster the already giant legacy they'll leave behind on the Plains.
"It's still to be written," said senior defensive lineman Gabe Wright. "This 2014 year still isn't over yet, but I'm sure our legacy will live on with the Auburn Family."
Wright also touched on how this class has seen Auburn football at its worst and its best, and how that has helped his class grow as players and as people.
"Through ups and downs, adversity is what makes a man," Wright said. "I think the adversity our class faced will define us as Auburn men and carry us on through life."
As far as Alabama is concerned, linebacker Kris Frost said the Tigers will be fully prepared come Saturday.
"Everybody takes it up a notch when it's Bama week," Frost said. "We're going to be ready when it comes time. Our attitudes are already right about it and everybody is focused about beating Bama."
Emotions will certainly be running high against the Tide, but Malzahn and the team are focused on the challenges they are about to face.
"Offensively, they are one of the best teams in the country," Malzahn said. "Defensively it is pretty much the same as every year. They have talented players at every position."
Alabama is the No.1 team in the country. The Tide have been on warpath since their loss at Ole Miss.
But anything can happen in a rivalry, especially one like the Iron Bowl.
"It's Auburn and Alabama," Malzahn said. "It's 365 days a year."
(11/25/14 8:00pm)
"Iron Bowl week is finally here," said Gus Malzahn, opening up his final media appearance prior to Saturday's Iron Bowl matchup with No. 1 Alabama.
Malzahn spoke a lot about how talented of a team the Crimson Tide are, on both sides of the ball.
"They've got one of the better offenses in all of college football," Malzahn said. "Blake Sims, I think, has had an outstanding year. He's very efficient with the ball, protects the ball, and he's got the ability to hurt with legs too."
Malzahn also talked about Alabama's best offensive weapon.
"Amari Cooper is one of the better playmakers in college football, if not the best playmaker," Malzahn said. "He's a special player, and add too that a very good running game, so they present a lot of challenges."
Scouting for someone like Cooper, Malzahn said, has been a challenge.
"You can put a jersey on somebody with the same number," Mazahn said. "But to simulate one of the best players in college football is probably not realistic."
Defensively, Malzahn said, the team knows what it's up against, and how much a challenge it is.
"It's pretty much the same as every year," Malzahn said. "Very talented players at every position."
As far as Auburn goes, Malzahn gave updates on injuries penalties that have been plaguing the Tigers in recent weeks.
Defensive end Davonte Lambert will miss the Iron Bowl and the rest of the season, as he had surgery today. Senior DT Jeff Whitaker will miss the game as well, but "everyone else, we're expecting to play," meaning wide receiver Duke Williams will most likely play in his first Iron Bowl come Saturday. "I don't know if he's 100 percent, but we're expecting him to play," Malzahn said.
As far as the penalties, Malzahn said he takes some of the responsibility on the mental mistakes.
"We haven't been disciplined enough, that's where it really starts," Malzahn said. "The penalties, it starts with me."
(11/25/14 6:14am)
It was the Colorado game all over again.
After a fast start going 7-of-11 shooting, Auburn managed less than 40 points, falling to Tulsa 53-35 in the MGM Grand Main Event.
It was a miserable night shooting for the Tigers, going just 15 of 48 for a percentage of 31.
KT Harrell, Auburn's leading scorer on the season, was cold all night, scoring just two points.
The Tigers led 16-12 with 11:58 to go in the first half, but quickly lost that lead and never got it back. Tulsa had a 10-0 run in the first half, and led 28-21 at halftime.
From there, it was all Tulsa the rest of the way.
Auburn shot just six of 22 in the second half, including going one of 11 from the three point line. The Tigers also turned the ball over 23 times in the game, which translated in to 21 Tulsa points.
The lone bright spot for the Tigers was Cinmeon Bowers, who posted his fourth-straight double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
The loss comes just three days after Auburn posted 105 points against Louisiana Lafayette, and drops
(02/24/15 2:17pm)
The 11th Annual Celebrity Home Run Derby took place at Plainsman Park Friday, benefiting the Hudson Family Foundation, which supports children and families in need throughout Alabama and Georgia.
The event, put on by Auburn baseball legend Tim Hudson, was won by fellow former Auburn baseball great Gabe Gross.
Gross hit seven out of the park in the first round, putting him in a playoff with former Tiger and SEC Player of the Year Hunter Morris. In the playoff, Gross hit only one, but Morris wasn't able to send one over the wall, giving Gross his second derby victory.
Other participants included former All-SEC catcher Ryan Jenkins, All-SEC outfielder Trent Mummey, Wes Helms, Auburn hitting coach Greg Norton, American League All-Star Josh Donaldson, and Hudson.
Mummey hit four homeruns to come in third place, Donaldson had two and Norton had one. Hudson, Jenkins and Helms all were unable to put one in the parking lot.
Donaldson said it was an honor for him to get to participate.
"Auburn obviously holds a special place in my heart," Donaldson said. "To be able to come back here and help Huddy and this foundation, anything I can do to help him, I'll do it."
Donaldson said that Hudson is one of the best people he's met in baseball career.
"He's accomplished so much in baseball," Donaldson said. "He's done a lot of great things to reperesent Auburn and his last name. That kind of stuff doesn't get made up about you. He's earned that."
Hudson addressed the crowed prior to the event to show his appreciation.
"I want to thank you for coming out and supporting our foundation," Hudson said. "Every year, this home run derby gets a little bigger and little better. Our foundation is something that's really special to Kim and I, we've been able to help a lot of families. We can't do it without people like you coming out and supporting us."
(11/22/14 8:30pm)
Before I move on, let me say I am in no way calling for the firing of Ellis Johnson. Gus Malzahn has expressed his confidence in him, and likely will not fire him come season's end.
Lately, though, there's been a clear problem on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers, and it seems to be getting worse with each passing week. Again, I'm not calling for the firing of Johnson.
That is, unless Gus Malzahn is 100 percent certain he can bring Will Muschamp back to the Plains.
Muschamp is a top-notch defensive coordinator with an Auburn background. Bringing him back to Jordan-Hare Stadium would be a logical and exciting move for Malzahn's staff.
In his two years here, Muschamp led an aggressive defense, the likes of which haven't been seen since he left in 2007.
Auburn defense has been on a steady decline since the end of the Tuberville era. Even in 2010, in the middle of national-championship run, the defense was lacking.
Similar to that 2010 team, these first two Ellis Johnson squads have had to be saved by the offense many times. Eventually though, the offense won't be able to bail them out. That time never came for the 2010 team, but it should be noted that team also had arguably the greatest college quarterbacks of all time in the backfield.
For Auburn, that time in 2014 came against Georgia, when the offense was only able to find the end zone once the whole four quarters.
If the offense was bad, the defense was even worse, stretching out their arms in last-ditch efforts as Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb rumbled up and down the field with ease all night long.
Conveniently, Muschamp was fired the next morning. Things spiraled from there. Fans poured out their desires to can Johnson all over Twitter, and Alabama Media Group's Kevin Scarbinsky wrote Auburn should hand Muschamp a blank check.
I was hesitant to join the masses, but then a friend made a great point. He said if Auburn goes to Nick Saban's house and posts 30 or more points and loses, Malzahn may begin to question whether he can win with Johnson in control of the defense.
Malzahn doesn't like to lose. Everyone knows that, including Ellis Johnson. But the Georgia loss can't be blamed entirely on Johnson's defense. The offense didn't bail them out, as they have so many times before.
But the loss to then unranked Texas A&M was in large part on the shoulders of the defense. So too would have been a loss to South Carolina, but the offense stepped up in that game.
But if you ask me, the offense shouldn't have to bail out the defense. If you want to win games in the SEC, you've got to play two-way football.
This Iron Bowl doesn't have as much on the line as 2013's, but there is something at stake.
If Malzahn and the offense put the Tigers in a position to win, but are thwarted by their own defense, Will Muschamp just may get a call from a 334 number come Sunday.