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(09/12/14 9:02pm)
After their running unit led the country in rushing yards last season, and after Tre Mason declared for the NFL Draft following his record-breaking season, many began to question how Auburn's 2014 rushing attack would be.
After two games, it looks like 'Running Back U' is back once again, thanks to Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Grant, the offensive line and head coach Gus Malzahn's offensive system.
Despite Artis-Payne having 22 more carries than Grant thus far, Malzahn said he will continue to stick to the plan of running both of them with the first team offense.
"We'll utilize both of those guys," Malzahn said after their 59-13 victory over San Jose State on Sept. 6. "We're not going to change that. We've got to have two of those guys getting carries."
Even though Artis-Payne is receiving a bulk of the carries, it does not seem to change Grant's attitude.
"At times, I thought I could have gotten more (carries), but as long as we win, I'm happy," Grant said after the opener against Arkansas.
Both Artis-Payne and Grant have different running styles, which helps throw off opposing defenses when they switch in and out.
Grant is known for his speed while Artis-Payne carries the perception of a bruiser out of the backfield.
According to Artis-Payne, both running backs want to get away from being viewed as a one-dimensional runner.
Through two games, it was shown that both of their running styles have become more complex.
Grant has displayed his ability to run through tackles since he bulked up in the offseason, and Artis-Payne has shown how he can accelerate and break free while in the open field.
"Corey's always been a strong guy in the weight room," Malzahn said. "Any time you run the ball downhill in spring and everything that goes with that, he's getting more comfortable and finishing runs, but he's a very strong young man."
Artis-Payne came into his senior campaign ready to prove the critics wrong and prove the Tigers' running game would be fine this year.
"Yeah, y'all saw me sitting on the bench last year," Artis-Payne said. "I read everything that everybody puts out, talking about how they don't know how the running game's going to be. I'm here to prove it's going to be all right."
Through the first two games their running game seems to be more than all right. The Tigers are already back to leading the SEC in rushing yards after just two games.
The Tigers also lead the conference in third-down conversions and red zone offense, which has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the running game.
Artis-Payne is also ranked eighth in the country in rushing yards with 289.
That is good for second in the SEC, and he is also tied for second in the nation in touchdowns with four.
"I'm willing to do whatever to help the team," Artis-Payne said. "I'm just getting more and more comfortable with my role in the offense."
With redshirt freshman Peyton Barber and true freshman Racean 'Roc' Thomas waiting in the wings, there's no shortage of depth in the backfield for the Tigers.
(09/12/14 9:20pm)
This week in sports, Auburn football has a bye week, but there are a lot of other Auburn sports that sports editor Eric Wallace and assistant sports editor Kyle Van Fechtmann discuss.
(09/10/14 2:15am)
Once the 2014 Auburn football schedule was released last year, fans underlined Kansas State as a road game to watch out for.
Then once the matchup was rescheduled to a Thursday night game, fans underlined and circled the game as the early exam for this year's team.
Next Thursday night's SEC vs. Big 12 clash on national television was sold out months ago and is expected to be the biggest crowd in Bill Snyder Family Stadium history.
According to offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, the Tigers are lucky that this year's team has had plenty of experience playing in front of large crowds in tough environments on the road.
"[That atmosphere] definitely effects you," Lashlee said. "Fortunately for us Nick (Marshall) has played and a lot of our guys have played, we don't have a young team. It's like going into any hostile SEC environment. All I've heard is that Manhattan is the toughest place to play in the Big 12. We know we've really got to be focused."
The Tigers have not had any false start penalties through their first two games. But Lashlee said that a game on the road in a hostile environment is when the offense must raise its attention to detail and awareness level.
"I think it will be a really good measuring stick to see where we're at because now we're on the road in a place where they sold out because you're the one they want to knock off," Lashlee said. "And boy they have a good football team. It's not the situation we were in last year."
Both the No. 5 team and No. 20 team in the country have bye weeks before they square off with one another.
Lashlee said having a bye week now is "huge."
Auburn's bye week last year came after their road loss to LSU. But according to Lashlee, that was the week last season where they made a lot of progress and started to get better each week.
"That's what we're preaching right now," Lashlee said. "This is the week we've got to win. We don't play anyone so we've got to win each day at practice and get much much better at the details and execution to where it not only helps next week but also helps with games down the road."
Lashlee said that a couple of things stand out to him when it comes to Kansas State's defense. The first aspect he pointed out is that when teams that have been performing well on offense come into Manhattan, they end up putting up significantly less points on the scoreboard than they did before that game. The second factor he said about their defense has a lot to do with the simple but sound way the Wildcats are coached.
"They're not out of position and they play as hard as any defense I've seen play on film since we've been here," Lashlee said. "They've got 11 guys who are completely crazy going for the football and that makes up for a lot of things. They want to make you drive the whole field. They really limit the explosive plays and make you earn everything you get."
Lashlee said that his offense has a big challenge ahead in a game that will answer his question, "How mature are our guys and how do we handle it?"
(09/07/14 7:01pm)
Plainsman sports editor Eric Wallace, assistant sports editor Kyle Van Fechtmann, and sports writer CJ Holmes wrap up the Auburn Tigers victory over San Jose State.
(09/06/14 6:19pm)
Ever since Auburn landed the nation's No. 1 junior college prospect in the spring, players and coaches have been raving about wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams, noting how he gives the hurry-up no huddle offense yet another weapon.
It did not take long for Williams to make a name for himself, as the sellout crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium erupted in a "Duuuuke" chant nine times throughout the 45-21 victory over Arkansas because of his stellar nine receptions for 154 yards with a touchdown performance.
Williams said he will always remember the fans chanting his nickname after his first reception in orange and blue.
"This would have to be the best feeling of my life," Williams said. "It just made me feel like they love me. When they chanted that, I caught the chills. My heart just started beating faster. I'm just like, 'there's no way 90,000 just chanted my name.' I ran to the sidelines and just had to take a seat, put a towel on my head and start thinking, 'It's really here. Everything I worked for.'''
Although the team expected Williams to be a playmaker, none of them could have predicted his amazing first half of SEC football, which included seven catches, one of them good for 62 yards and another being an 18-yard touchdown.
"I think everybody saw today he's got playmaking ability in the passing game," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "He attacks the ball, there's no doubt. We had a plan if they played us a certain way we'd attack them in the middle, and he executed."
Williams ran the no-huddle offense in junior college at Mississippi Gulf Coast, but he learned on the first drive against Arkansas that Malzahn's offense is much faster.
"I was looking left and right, like, 'I got to get to my position,' and by the time I got there, they had already snapped the ball," Williams said.
Williams said he has worked hard in order to keep up with Malzahn's fast-paced offense.
"I didn't change my game up or anything," Williams said. "I just got better, learned how to run routes better, got faster, stronger. Because in JUCO I didn't really have that much weight, but now I'm 233 with 4.3 speed. That just makes it hard for them to tackle me."
(08/31/14 2:37am)
Jeremy Johnson led the way for Auburn in the first half with 243 passing yards and two touchdowns, but the defense was the reason why the score was tied at half since the Arkansas rushing attack dominated the Tigers defense for 151 yards.
But the second half was a completely different story for Auburn's defensive unit as they shut down Arkansas while limiting them to only two rushing yards on eight attempts. The defense also only gave up 59 passing yards in the second half after giving up 116 in the first.
According to head coach Gus Malzahn, the key to that major turnaround was their ability to make the correct adjustments on defense.
"Ellis Johnson is one of the better defensive coordinators in college football," Malzahn said. "When you get good at something for a long time, it's easy to get the adjustments and settle down and then we started stopping the run. That was a huge factor in the second half. We got a lot of good stops and were able to get the ball back for our offense."
Auburn expected Arkansas to come in strong with a powerful running game since they do have two returning running backs, Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season. Collins ran for 75 yards and Williams ran for 35 yards in the first half.
"Arkansas came in with a really good game plan," senior defensive lineman Gabe Wright said. "Arkansas was doing some things that we didn't see on film. The coaches just had a plan at halftime and we quickly adjusted and got the job done."
Besides the defense responding to coach Johnson's halftime adjustments, a major part of the defense stopping the Razorbacks offense in the second half was because they were playing more physical.
"Most of that was about being more physical," Wright said. "I feel like we played well. I definitely feel confident after that second half. It's not just me. I know the defense feels confident. We knew the offense was going to continue to score in the second half."
The defense not only feels confident after their impressive showing in the second half, but according to Wright, now they know that they are capable of only allowing two rushing yards in a half to a team like Arkansas who has a great running game.
"I don't even know if we've ever done that before," Wright said after the game talking about how they only allowed two rushing yards. "I think it shocked a lot of guys. It shocked us in a good way, meaning that now we know what we can do."
(08/28/14 4:30pm)
Since Nick Marshall's marijuana citation July 11, he has worked to regain his teammates' and coaches' trust, but sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson already trusts Marshall because of how he has been leading the team on and off the field.
"With the incident that happened, I called him right away," Johnson said. "He learned from his mistake and I know for a fact that he won't do it again."
Marshall and Johnson's close relationship remains unchanged despite both competing for the same position, according to Johnson.
"I talk to Nick all the time; we're good friends," Johnson said. "On and off the field we hang out with each other. I've got his back, he's got mine."
Johnson said Marshall is the one who always picks him up when he has a rough day.
Marshall also has worked with Johnson to help him improve his skills at quarterback in the offseason.
"When it comes to zone reads, he tells me how to do it and what to do with it," Johnson said. "He's vocal. He's the first one on the field every day."
Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has also noticed how close their relationship has developed.
"I have even teased them before about their bromance on Instagram," Lashlee said. "They are just good friends. They get along. They are good in meetings. They are good on the practice field."
Even though they both play the same position, that does not alter their relationship whatsoever, according to Lashlee.
"I have never one time thought one had ulterior motives over the other and I think that's been a huge plus for our team," Lashlee said. "They really do a good job of pulling for each other. And that's hard at quarterback because only one of them plays."
Although head coach Gus Malzahn hasn't announced Johnson as the starter against Arkansas, Johnson is ready if he does get his first SEC start in the opener against Arkansas. His work with Marshall will prepare him to lead Auburn's offense.
"If I'm called upon, I'll be ready," Johnson said. "I'm really not going to be nervous. I'll be very confident."
Despite Marshall not being
the starter in the season opener, Johnson knows Marshall is the starting quarterback. Johnson also made a prediction for Marshall's upcoming season.
"No doubt in my mind, I know he'll win (the Heisman trophy)," Johnson said. "He led us to the National Championship and we were 13 seconds away. This year he has gotten better at passing and running and better with the reads."
(08/26/14 11:11pm)
Last year's motto "It's a New Day" could not have been more true for Auburn football's bottom to top of the league miraculous 2013 season.
It is likely no season will ever come close to the excitement of the Prayer in Jordan-Hare and Kick Six on top of an SEC Championship finish.
Although this year's slogan of Auburn Fast will most likely become true because of head coach Gus Malzahn's now famous hurry-up no huddle offense, this year will be yet another 'New Day' for the senior class that has been through the worst, the mediocre and some of the best days of Auburn football.
Now it's their turn to decide what type of new day the 2014 Tigers will experience.
Looking back, every season for Auburn's seniors truly has been a new day.
They came in as freshmen in 2011, the year after a junior college transfer quarterback took the Plains by storm and led them to their first National Championship victory since 1957, and committed to play for Auburn, hungry for a Crystal Ball trophy of their own.
But the seniors decided to play for the Tigers knowing it would take time and plenty of hard work in order to get back to the top of the college football world.
Their freshman campaign was an above average 8-5 season that was capped off by a 43-24 Chick-fil-A Bowl victory.
Some would argue that was an average or even below average day for Auburn football, nonetheless it was a new day following the undefeated championship season.
Then expectations were up in the air for their sophomore season once a new offensive and defensive coordinator were brought in.
Nobody could have predicted what kind of day that 2013 season would be.
As we all know by now, that was the winless SEC season that gave birth to the slogan, "It's a New Day."
Nobody, and this time I mean nobody, could have predicted what kind of day their junior season would produce.
As we know now, that was the day one of their mentors who recruited them returned to become head coach, one player from their class broke Bo Jackson's all-time yards in a season record and another player from their class was drafted No. 2 overall.
Well, and a few other things happened in last year's new day.
Although some may not want to move past that 2013 movie-like brand new positive day of a season, according to coaches and players, the 2014 Tigers are now hungrier than ever and are striving each and every day to be "13 seconds better."
"We've got some leaders who have really stepped up," Malzahn said. "When you get that close [to winning it all] that has a way of motivating guys."
Despite the departure of Tre Mason and Greg Robinson, the 2011 recruiting class with the addition of Nick Marshall and Corey Grant are ready to lead the team for their senior year still searching for what they originally came for.
Except now it's not for a Crystal Ball.
It's only fitting that this class experiences the new day for college football in their quest to become the first ones to hold up the new College Football Playoff trophy.
(08/27/14 4:30pm)
Auburn University's incoming freshman class came to The Plains as a top 10 recruiting class, and the freshmen offensive players have already helped prove in fall camp why they deserved those high recruit rankings, according to Auburn coaches.
"Overall, I'm very pleased with our freshmen class on the offensive side of the ball," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee on Aug. 17. "I feel like a lot of those guys are what we thought they were or maybe more."
Lashlee listed Myron Burton Jr., Chris Laye, Jakell Mitchell, Kamryn Pettway, Braden Smith, Roc Thomas, Stanton Truitt and Sean White as freshmen players who could make an impact in Auburn's offense.
Whether they play their freshman season will be determined as the year progresses.
"All of those guys we feel like have a chance to help us either now or in the future," Lashlee said.
One true freshman who Lashlee does expect to play right away is 6-foot-6-inch, 299-pound offensive lineman Smith, or as Lashlee likes to call him, "The Hulk."
"Braden is someone who physically is ready and could potentially help us this year," Lashlee said. "He's not starting now but he's going to be in our two deep, there is no secret there. He can really move and bend for a big guy."
When it comes to running backs, both Thomas and Pettway are competing for the third string running back position behind Corey Grant and Cameron Artis-Payne.
"We've given both those two new running backs a lot of carries," Lashlee said. "They've gotten better and better. You can't have enough running backs in this league."
Thomas has already started to live up to his five-star recruit ranking in fall practices but his role for this upcoming season is still up in the air, according to Lashlee.
"(Thomas) is an all-around back," Lashlee said. "Is he physically ready to carry it like Tre (Mason) did 30 times in a game? Well, no, but when Tre was a freshman he was not an every down guy and then you saw how he bulked up. He will be an every down back."
According to Lashlee and head coach Gus Malzahn, White has already jumped to the No. 3 quarterback because of how well he has been performing under center so far.
White had to learn the offense quicker than a normal freshman usually does since the other quarterbacks already have experience in the system.
"By now, at practice 20, it's starting to slow down for him, so that's been impressive," Lashlee said. "For a young guy learning a system, he can really anticipate a throw and make it happen. He can really extend the play and keep things alive."
White is another freshman who may need to wait for his turn if quarterbacks Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson, who are currently ahead of White on the depth chart, stay healthy.
"What I told him is you've got to continue to progress and continue to learn the offense and be ready when your number is called," Lashlee said. "Hopefully, in a perfect world, it's not until after this season, but he's got to prepare himself to be ready. You would not burn a redshirt on a young man just to put him in for a quarter to hand the ball off."
(08/22/14 1:17am)
Although fall camp has been a grind according to head coach Gus Malzahn, that work will ultimately help prepare the Tigers come Aug. 30 against Arkansas.
"Fall camp has been long but it's been good," Malzahn said. "But overall I've thought so far we've had a solid week of practice. Our attention has been really good."
This weekend Auburn is scheduled to have a "dress rehearsal" to finalize everything one week before kickoff.
What exactly does a dress rehearsal entail?
"Everything from personnel to situations," Malzahn said. "In fall camp we've covered every situation imaginable. We want to do it again just so it sticks with them throughout the season. Once the season gets here you're in a routine and your game plans are very specific."
Malzahn said the Tigers' depth chart will be released on Tuesday, Aug. 26
Other than getting everything fine-tuned before the season opener, Malzahn said that Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant have been splitting reps at first-team running back and also announced that he still does not have an update on Robenson Therezie's eligibility.
"(Artis-Payne and Grant) are veteran guys," Malzahn said. "They know every bit of our offense, which is very important. Our first game will be about a lot of adjustments and those guys are capable of doing that."
Also looking forward to that first game, Malzahn said he is not worried when it comes to Nick Marshall not starting.
"We'll run an offense regardless," Malzahn said. "If I would worry about anything like that we would have already done it. But we don't worry at all. We'll have a good plan and our guys will respond well."
The offensive line unit has especially responded well since All-SEC lineman Alex Kozan went down with a season-ending back injury.
"I think they've responded well," Malzahn said. "You get used to working beside certain people and we did have a couple changes obviously after Kozan went down. It's just a matter of reps now. There's nothing better than experience. I really feel like that group will gel."
(08/18/14 12:11am)
Auburn's incoming class came into the Plains as a top 10 recruiting class and the freshmen offensive players have already helped prove in fall camp why they deserved those high recruit rankings, according to Auburn coaches.
"Overall I'm very pleased with our freshmen class on the offensive side of the ball," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said on Aug. 17. "I feel like a lot of those guys are what we thought they were or maybe more."
Lashlee listed Myron Burton, Chris Laye, Jakell Mitchell, Kamryn Pettway, Braden Smith, Roc Thomas, Stanton Truitt and Sean White as freshmen players who could make an impact for Auburn's offense. Whether they play or not in their freshman season remains to be seen.
"All of those guys we feel like have a chance to help us either now or in the future," Lashlee said.
One true freshman who Lashlee does expect to play right away is 6'6'' 299 pound offensive lineman Smith. Or as Lashlee likes to call him, "The Hulk."
"Braden is someone who physically is ready and could potentially help us this year," Lashlee said. "He's not starting now but he's going to be in our two deep, there is no secret there. He can really move and bend for a big guy."
When it comes to running backs, both Thomas and Pettway are competing for that third string running back position behind Corey Grant and Cameron Artis-Payne.
"We've given both those two new running backs a lot of carries," Lashlee said. "They've gotten better and better. You can't have enough running backs in this league."
Thomas has already started to live up to his five-star recruit ranking in fall practices but his role for this upcoming season is still up in the air, according to Lashlee.
"(Thomas) is an all around back," Lashlee said. "Is he physically ready to carry it like Tre (Mason) did 30 times in a game? Well no but when Tre was a freshman he was not an every down guy and then you saw how he bulked up. He will be an every down back."
According to Lashlee and head coach Gus Malzahn, White has already jumped to the No. 3 quarterback because of how well he has been performing under center so far.
White had to learn the offense quicker than a normal freshman usually does since all the other quarterbacks already have experience in the system.
"By now at practice 20 it's starting to slow down for him so that's been impressive," Lashlee said. "For a young guy learning a system he can really anticipate a throw and make it happen. He can really extend the play and keep things alive."
But White is also another freshman who may need to wait for his turn if Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson stay healthy.
"What I told him is you've got to continue to progress and continue to learn the offense and be ready when your number is called," Lashlee said. "Hopefully in a perfect world it's not until after this season but he's got to prepare himself to be ready. You would not burn a redshirt on a young man just to put him in for a quarter to hand the ball off."
(08/17/14 4:29pm)
Since Nick Marshall's off the field incident on July 11 he has worked to regain his teammates and coaches trust and sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson already trusts Marshall because of how he has been leading the team on and off the field.
"With the incident that happened, I called him right away," Johnson said. "He learned from his mistake and I know for a fact that he won't do it again."
Even though Marshall and Johnson both compete at the same position, that does not change their close relationship at all, according to Johnson.
"I talk to Nick all the time, we're good friends," Johnson said. "On and off the field we hang out with each other. I've got his back, he's got mine."
Johnson said Marshall is the one who always picks him up when he has a rough day. Marshall also has worked with Johnson to help him improve his skills at quarterback.
"When it comes to zone reads, he tells me how to do it and what to do with it," Johnson said. "He's vocal. He's the first one on the field every day."
Although head coach Gus Malzahn hasn't announced Johnson as the starter against Arkansas, Johnson is ready if he does get his first SEC start in the opener against Arkansas and his work with Marshall will prepare him to lead Auburn's offense.
"If I'm called upon, I'll be ready," Johnson said. "I'm really not going to be nervous. I'll be very confident."
Despite Marshall not being the starter in the season opener, Johnson knows Marshall is the starting quarterback. Johnson also made a prediction for Marshall's upcoming season.
"No doubt in my mind, I know he'll win (the Heisman trophy)," Johnson said. "He led us to the National Championship and we were 13 seconds away. This year he has gotten better at passing and running and better with the reads."
(08/16/14 4:49am)
With only two weeks before the season opener, the offense is confident in Jeremy Johnson and Nick Marshall and both Johnson and Marshall are confident and ready to lead the team at quarterback.
Head coach Gus Malzahn has already announced that Marshall will not get the starting nod against Arkansas on Aug. 30. Since then Marshall has taken responsibility and put the work in to earn back the team's respect, according to senior tight end C.J. Uzomah.
"He's been tremendous," Uzomah said. "I think aside from Reese (Dismukes) who has been a four-year starter in this league and a huge leader on our team, I think that Nick is right next to him."
Marshall also has become much more vocal this fall and it has shown during practice and after practices.
"After practice we needed an extra pace period, which is the worst thing," Uzomah said. "And he said, 'yeah, we need another pace period, let's do two.' That just shows his drive and willingness to win."
Marshall knows how important those pace periods are to their hurry-up no huddle offense.
"The pace is what our edge is," Uzomah said. "That's what we thrive on. I think as far as a leadership standpoint, (Marshall) is back to where we want him to be."
Marshall has also been taking advantage of the free time before classes begin by getting extra reps in with the receivers and other quarterbacks outside of practices.
"He texts everyone," Uzomah said. "He has a group message where he'll text the receivers letting us know that we need to get out there and throw."
Johnson has also grown into more of a leadership role before his sophomore season.
"(Johnson) knows that we trust him," Uzomah said. "He knows where we're going to be. We know that he's going to put the ball where it needs to be. His connection with receivers has boosted his confidence tremendously."
Marshall isn't the only quarterback who has been speaking up at fall practices.
"If we drop a ball Jeremy will get on us to do it again and run the same play," Uzomah said. "He wants to make sure that we're clicking."
Although Johnson has become more vocal this year, Uzomah is even more impressed with his skills and abilities at quarterback.
"I think he could start anywhere else in the SEC," Uzomah said. "That's no disrespect to any other SEC team, that's just how we feel about him. We have all the confidence in the world in him."
(05/12/14 12:47am)
Despite holding a five run lead through the first five innings, Auburn baseball lost 6-5 in extra innings on Sunday to drop the series at Kentucky.
The Tigers are now 10-17 in the SEC with only one conference series remaining against LSU at home next weekend.
Kentucky loaded up the bases in the bottom of the first but Keegan Thompson kept them from scoring with an inning-ending groundout.
Auburn responded by loading the bases in the top of the second but they capitalized off of it when Thompson hit an RBI single to bring home Damek Tomscha for Auburn's first run. Dan Glevenyak hit an RBI to score Ryan Tella and then Anfernee Grier kept the inning alive with a two-out two-RBI single to make it 4-0.
The score remained 4-0 in Auburn's favor until the top of the fourth when Glevenyak hit a two-out RBI double to score Tella.
Kentucky's first hit off of Thompson came in the bottom of the fourth but that infield single was all they would get until the bottom of the sixth when Thompson allowed a double and hit a batter, which ended his day on the mound and brought in Jay Wade from the bullpen.
With no outs and the bases loaded Wade walked the next batter to bring in Kentucky's first run. Trey Cochran-Gill then came in to pitch and Kentucky scored off of an Auburn error then brought in two more runs to make it 5-4 following a two-RBI double.
After Kentucky loaded up the bases again with no outs, Tella came in from centerfield to pitch in his first career SEC appearance in the bottom of the seventh. Tella delivered by striking out the side to keep Auburn's lead and keep all three Kentucky runners stranded on base.
But in the bottom of the eighth Kentucky tied it when Austin Cousino hit a solo home run. Tella escaped the eighth though with another strikeout.
Auburn showed some offense in the top of the ninth but they could not manufacture a run after loading up the bases.
Tella pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extras.
Auburn went down in order in the top of the 10th and Kentucky hit a walk-off single in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.
(05/07/14 2:40am)
After being swept by Mississippi State this past weekend, Auburn baseball bounced back with a 9-1 victory over Bethune-Cookman to improve to 26-22 on the season.
Daniel Koger got the win for Auburn while improving his record to 2-0 this year.
Bethune-Cookman took the 1-0 lead in the top of the third with an RBI single but Auburn's bats responded in the rest of the game.
Auburn took the lead in the bottom of the fourth starting with an RBI single by Jordan Ebert and then a two-out RBI triple from Keegan Thompson to make it 2-1.
Anfernee Grier and Damon Haecker continued the two-out rally with back-to-back RBI singles. Ebert hit another RBI single later in the inning to increase their lead to 5-1.
In the bottom of the fifth Dan Glevenyak hit a two-out two-RBI single to make it 7-1.
Auburn continued their scoring trend in the bottom of the sixth when Ebert hit a bases-loaded two-RBI double to keep Auburn's lead at 9-1.
Justin Camp replaced Koger in the seventh inning and he escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Then Robby Clements started off the top of the eighth pitching before Ryan Tella got his first career collegiate pitching appearance. Tella was able to get out of the inning and keep their lead at 9-1.
Trey Cochran-Gill came on in the ninth to clinch the Auburn victory.
Auburn will look to keep this momentum going into their road trip at Lexington in a SEC series against Kentucky this weekend.
(05/04/14 1:47am)
Auburn baseball's offensive struggles continued in game two's 3-0 loss to No. 23 Mississippi State as the Bulldogs held the Tigers to four hits and kept them from scoring to extend Auburn's scoreless streak to 23 consecutive innings.
Auburn has lost five of their last six SEC series and they only have two SEC series remaining with a road trip to play No. 25 Kentucky next weekend and then No. 8 LSU at home the following weekend.
All of Mississippi State's runs came in the top of the third and that was too much for Keegan Thompson, who picked up his third loss on the mound this season.
The Bulldogs scored their three runs with only two hits in that inning. The first one was an RBI single and the other was an RBI double.
Thompson kept Mississippi State from scoring the rest of his outing before Trey Cochran-Gill pitched two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth. But Auburn's bats were struggling and they continued to leave runners on base.
In the bottom of the eighth Auburn went down in order with only six pitches.
With two runners on and two outs, Anfernee Grier kept the bottom of the ninth alive by hitting a single to load up the bases for Auburn. But that was all they would put together as the game ended with a groundout to keep all three runners stranded.
Auburn will look to avoid the series sweep during game three at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Plainsman Park.
(05/03/14 2:24am)
After winning the series at No. 24 Arkansas last weekend, Auburn baseball dropped game one of their home series losing 3-0 to No. 23 Mississippi State.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings as Dillon Ortman pitched 1-2-3 second and third innings.
In the bottom of the third Damon Haecker hit a hard ball to third that could have scored Jordan Ebert from second but Mississippi State's third baseman made a great play at third base to end the inning and prevent the RBI single.
Mississippi State struck first in the top of the fourth when C.T. Bradford led off with a solo home run. But after the homer Ortman was able to get the next three Bulldog batters out.
Auburn got runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the fourth but the inning ended when they tried to double steal and Blake Austin got thrown out at home.
Mississippi State hit another solo homer to take the 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
Auburn left two more runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth.
Ortman pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.
In the top of the eighth the Bulldogs hit an RBI double to take a 3-0 lead and that was it for Ortman as Justin Camp replaced him and managed to escape the inning.
Auburn went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
The Bulldogs got their first two batters on in the ninth and then Daniel Koger came in. But then they loaded the bases and with no outs Reid Carter escaped the bases loaded jam to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth Auburn got two runners on with no outs but they could not manage to bring a run home, which clinched Mississippi State's victory.
Auburn will look to bounce back tomorrow in game two tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Plainsman Park.
(04/27/14 4:11am)
After losing game one of today's doubleheader on a bases-loaded walk-off single in extra innings, Auburn bounced back in the later game with a 7-2 victory to take the series win over No. 24 Arkansas.
This is Auburn's fifth-straight series victory over Arkansas.
This is also Auburn's first SEC series win since they won two out of three on the road against Tennessee four weekends ago. The Tigers are now 9-12 in the SEC and 24-20 overall before they return to The Plains for next weekend's home series against No. 20 Mississippi State.
GAME ONE:
Arkansas struck first with a double from Eric Fisher, who eventually scored, to make it 1-0. The Razorbacks added their second run in the bottom of the third with a bases-loaded RBI single.
Auburn's first run came in the top of the fourth when Blake Logan hit an RBI single to score Damek Tomscha and make it 2-1.
Auburn then took the lead in the top of the sixth as Arkansas made an error in the field that ended up hurting them. The error was following a bunt single by Tomscha when their third baseman threw the ball away and Jordan Ebert scored from second to tie it up. Damon Haecker also moved to third because of the error and ended up scoring after Blake Austin hit a sacrifice fly RBI.
Keegan Thompson pitched seven complete innings with six strikeouts while allowing two runs and seven hits. Jay Wade relieved Thompson in the eighth inning while Auburn still held the 3-2 lead.
Arkansas tied it in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single.
Terrance Dedrick came on the mound for Auburn for the last 1.2 innings and he was charged with the loss as he allowed four hits, including the walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th.
GAME TWO:
Auburn's offense came together in the last game of the series as they scored seven runs, tying their season-high run total for an SEC game this season.
All seven of Auburn's runs came in the first four innings, which gave Michael O'Neal plenty of run support to work with.
O'Neal picked up his third win of the season while pitching eight complete innings on seven hits and two runs allowed.
Auburn scored early in the top of the first when Haecker scored from third after Tomscha stole second and the catcher's throw escaped from the second baseman.
Austin's two-out two-run homer made it 3-0 in the top of the third.
Then Auburn put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth when the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs and Logan hit an RBI single to start it off. A wild pitch scored Ryan Tella and then Tomscha hit a two-out two-RBI single to make it 7-0.
Arkansas responded in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out two-RBI double to make it 7-2, but that score would remain the same as Auburn would clinch the series victory.
(04/26/14 2:48am)
Dillon Ortman picked up his eighth win of the season in a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Arkansas in Fayetteville on Friday night.
(04/24/14 7:31pm)
For 214 college football players, their lives are forever changed on NFL draft day when their name is called.
Last April, Onterio McCalebb's life changed in a different way after he wasn't drafted.
McCalebb was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as a defensive back, even though he had no prior experience at that position.
"Some nights I cried because it was like I was starting all over again," McCalebb said. "All my life I played running back, so it was like I went back to playing little league football."
McCalebb had to adjust to his new position from the ground back up in a matter of weeks while hoping his name would not be the next cut before preseason ended.
Coming into training camp, each team is allowed 90 players on their roster. The Bengals had to cut their roster down to the final 53 players, plus the seven-man practice squad after the last preseason game.
"I'm just thinking every day wondering if they're going to keep me," McCalebb said. "During the whole process when they were cutting guys, I was just seeing people drop like flies. I had best friends on the team and I come in the next day and they're gone."
But McCalebb did fall back on his friends when looking to get advice from former Auburn teammates, such as defensive back T'Sharvan Bell.
"I called him and was like, 'I'm going to need your help because I don't know what I'm doing out there,'" McCalebb said. "After the whole process of practicing and stuff like that, it's really stressful, so you need someone like that who has played the position before."
When the Bengals signed McCalebb, he found out about a former NFL cornerback, Ken Riley, who happened to also live in Polk County, Fla.
Riley also switched from playing offense in college as a quarterback at Florida A&M University to playing defense once he got to the NFL.
Riley ended up becoming the all-time interceptions leader in Bengals history and is fifth all-time in NFL history with 65 career interceptions.
"You're not going to make the transition if you still think you're an offensive player," Riley told Bengals.com. "If you're still thinking about being a running back or receiver, you're going to have problems. You have to get your mind right and focus on defense."
McCalebb turned to Riley for advice about transitioning to a new position in the NFL.
"We met every morning and we trained, and he showed me some pointers with back pedaling," McCalebb said. "When I first started I thought I was going to tear both of my ACLs because I'm not used to running backwards, but when I got used to, it I told myself I can guard anybody."
McCalebb had to not only make the difficult adjustment of turning into a defensive player, but also impress the coaching staff. Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier took McCalebb under his wing.
"Coach Carrier, he helped me out a lot," McCalebb said. "He took his time to do one-on-one with me and he helped me break it down to a T."
From trying to outrace trains in high school, to catching a squirrel with his hands in college, to running an official 4.34-40 yard dash at the 2013 NFL combine, McCalebb has always been fast and the coaches took notice of that.
"A thing we weren't necessarily sure about with Onterio was, 'Does he have the quickness to be a corner?'" Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told Cincinnati.com. "After watching him in practices, I don't have any doubt about that."
McCalebb has used his speed to his advantage when guarding top NFL receivers in practice.
"I guard A.J. Green and all those guys; I can guard anyone because of my speed," McCalebb said. "I'm not worried about the speed part though; you've got to worry about technique and what to do when the ball is thrown."
After spending the entire 2013 season on the practice squad, McCalebb now considers himself a defensive player and is looking forward to what is in store for him this upcoming season.
"I love football so much so it feels like I've been off for a long time now," McCalebb said. "I told (Carrier) I can't wait to get back because somebody on the team is going to hate me because somebody is not going to be playing and I'm going to be playing."