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(03/13/14 3:04am)
After four consecutive losing seasons, Tony Barbee's time at Auburn has come to an end.
Auburn director of athletics Jay Jacobs announced Barbee's dismissal less than two hours after the Tigers' 74-56 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.
"After careful evaluation of the last four years, I feel this is best for the program," Jacobs said in a statement. "I believe we should compete for championships in men's basketball. It's time for somebody else to have a turn. We need to find somebody to come in here and take what we have here now and put some more in and compete for SEC titles."
Barbee's firing came exactly four years to the day of former Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo's firing on March 12, 2010.
According to Charles Goldberg of AuburnTigers.com, Jacobs told Barbee of his decision Wednesday night so the head coach could tell his team before the players for the rest of Spring Break.
In his four years at Auburn, Barbee has compiled a total record of 49-75, with an SEC record of 18-54. His win percentage at Auburn after the four years stands at .395 percent, the worst winning percentage of any Auburn basketball coach since V.J. Edney was at the helm in the 1946 season.
Auburn struggled against SEC opponents, especially in the SEC Tournament, where Auburn was eliminated in the first-round all four years.
This year's team finished 14-16 overall, with a 6-13 SEC record after being eliminated by South Carolina. The team's six conference wins this year was Barbee's best conference record during his tenure at Auburn.
Twelve scholarship players transferred from Auburn during Barbee's tenure, including highly rated recruits Shaq Johnson and Jordan Price.
Auburn has also seen it's attendance at basketball games drop 6.9 percent to an all-time low average of 5,823 fans per game in Auburn Arena, which was opened during Barbee's first year.
"As I said last year, I hoped to see significant improvement this season. Unfortunately, the results fell short of my expectations," Jacobs said. "As Athletics Director, I expect more from our basketball program. That is why I believe it is time to move in a new direction."
(03/05/14 5:47pm)
When Dee Ford arrived on Auburn's campus in 2009 as an undersized defensive end, few may have seen someone who could become one of college football's most dominant defensive players by his senior year and a potential first-round draft pick.
Whether the experts saw it or not, it's happening.
NFLDraftScout.com has Ford listed as its No. 28 overall prospect in this year's NFL Draft, and its No. 3 defensive end.
So, who was one person who saw Ford being successful? Dee Ford himself.
"You set an ultimate goal, and that was my ultimate goal, to be at the top of my game and playing with the best," Ford said. "I want to be the best at what I do, and that was my mindset going in."
Ford accumulated 91 tackles and 20.5 sacks with one interception during his tenure on the Plains, including 31 tackles and 10.5 sacks last season.
The defensive end then moved on to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, where he won the MVP award in the South team's victory.
Ford was unable to participate in the NFL Combine after doctors refused to allow him to participate in the events because of a past back injury that sat Ford out for the majority of the 2011 season.
Being excluded from the NFL Combine came as a huge shock to Ford.
"I was absolutely surprised," Ford said. "It kind of knocked my training off because everything is timing with training."
While missing the Combine was a setback for Ford, he transferred his focus to Auburn's Pro Day, where he made up for lost time.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn was impressed with Ford's work ethic.
"He's done everything we've asked in the weight room, working out and conditioning, and he performed very well today," Malzahn said.
Ford impressed scouts from numerous teams, weighing in at 6-foot-2 and 244 pounds.
He either led or finished in the top three of all the drills performed by the 17 participants at Auburn's Pro Day.
After claiming he was better than South Carolina's Jadaveon Clowney and saying Clowney played "like a dog in a meat market," Ford knew he had to back up his words.
While Clowney performed 21 reps at the bench press drill, Ford blew away the widely projected No. 1 overall pick's mark with 29 reps.
When Ford was told that he had done 29 reps, while Clowney had only done 21, he downplayed the situation.
"It is what it is," Ford said with a laugh. "He still did great. I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot."
Ford had an impressive vertical jump, reaching 38 inches and finishing only 2.5 inches away from top-performer Chris Davis.
Ford also tied Davis for best result in the broad jump category, with each player jumping 10 feet, 4 inches.
Ford wrapped the day up with the 40-yard dash, clocking a time of 4.53.
"I'm very pleased," Ford said. "I put in a lot of work, and I'm so excited about the drills that I wasn't able to do before, where I was caught off guard, because those are things I can work on."
While Ford played defensive end in college, he might be used as an outside linebacker because of his speed.
"Everyone is looking at me at defensive end, but I'm dropping in space a lot in the 3-4, and outside linebacker looks good," Ford said. "Wherever I'm taken, I'm going to put all of my effort into it."
Regardless of where or when he goes, Ford knows the entire time what many people are just now recently finding out. His road is just beginning.
(03/04/14 11:32pm)
The Auburn Tigers held Pro Day Tuesday at the indoor football practice facilities, with scouts from numerous NFL teams in attendance.
Fifteen players from the 2013 team attended Pro Day, along with former Tigers Will Herring and Demetruce McNeal.
"Any time you have all 32 teams out here to watch our guys perform, that's a good thing," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "It's a good thing for the future. It's what our program expects."
Out of the 17 attendees, Greg Robinson, Tre Mason, Cody Parkey and Will Herring did not participate in drills.
Weighing in at 5-foot-9, 200 pounds, Chris Davis had the best score in the vertical jump, reaching a height of 40.5 inches. Blake Poole finished with the second highest jump at 38 inches, and Dee Ford reached 35 \0xBD inches.
In the broad jump category, Davis and Ford tied, each reaching 10 feet, 4 inches, while Blake Poole was able to reach 10 feet.
Dee Ford was motivated to beat South Carolina defensive end Jadaveon Clowney's combine number of 21 reps at the bench press, and he did so with 29.
"I'm so excited about the drills that I wasn't able to do before," Ford said. "Those are things I can work on. I'm looking forward to that, and I'm going to be better next time."
Former All-American fullback Jay Prosch also had a big day on the bench press, totaling 27 reps, with Craig Sanders and Eguae each getting pressing the weight 24 times.
With Tre Mason sitting out of the 40-yard dash, Blake Poole was the fastest runner at Pro Day by clocking an impressive 4.42-second 40-yard dash.
Chris Davis followed with a 4.51 time and Ford finished with a 4.53 dash.
Ford and Davis will be hoping that their draft stock improves. Ford is projected as a first-round pick, while Davis is most likely looking at being drafted in a middle round.
Blake Poole had a huge day after coming into Pro Day quietly. Poole earned a scholarship in the 2013 preseason after walking on to the team before the 2010 season.
"A few of them want to see my film," Poole said. "I didn't play a whole lot. It would just be a dream come true to maybe do a practice squad or something like."
Greg Robinson and Dee Ford are considered by almost every draft analyst to be first round picks, but Tre Mason is still on the bubble.
Big days for players like Chris Davis and Blake Poole may gain more attention from the scouts, and consistent results from Jay Prosch continued to impress those in attendance Tuesday.
(02/28/14 3:30pm)
Several schools in NCAA football, from Southern California to Alabama, lay claim to the title of "Tailback U."
After Signing Day 2014, Racean "Roc" Thomas will be looking to add his name to the list of great Auburn Tiger running backs such as Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams and Tre Mason, who have given Auburn a valid claim to the title.
While the competition at running back will be stiff on the Plains with Thomas battling Peyton Barber, Corey Grant, Cameron Artis-Payne and Johnathan Ford, the incoming freshman will look to utilize what can only be described as freakish talent.
"[Thomas] was the top running back on our guys' board," said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. "Our offensive staff identified him early. They recruited him extremely hard. He was very loyal to us. He could have gone anywhere, but he chose to not go anywhere and stay with us. We really feel like he has the ability to come in immediately and make a huge impact."
In his three years playing for the 6A Oxford Yellow Jackets, Thomas accumulated 5,515 total yards and 76 touchdowns.
In his senior year, Thomas led the Yellow Jackets to a 9-3 season, totaling 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns on the year.
Even though Auburn changed coaching staffs after a 3-9 season, Thomas committed to play on the Plains and never wavered in his decision.
"Everybody doubted me," Thomas told The Anniston Star last month. "Everybody was, 'Why are you choosing Auburn right now? They had a terrible season, a terrible staff.'
"But you know, it's good, because I can just rub it in everybody's face now. They went all the way to the championship."
Coach Ryan Herring took over for the Yellow Jackets in 2013 during Thomas' senior year, but an instant impression was set when he began the season.
"When (Thomas) had the football, he was the ultimate game-breaker," Herring said. "At any time he can break a run and either win the game or keep the game close and give you a chance to win it."
After such a dominating high school career, Thomas was ranked a 5-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the nation by Rivals.com, while Scout.com listed him as the No. 3 back.
Among some of his accolades, Thomas was named as a first-team all-state selection as a junior.
In 2013, Thomas was named the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, the Class 6A Back of the Year by the state's sportswriters and the state's Mr. Football.
"This is really just the beginning of it all," Thomas said. "This is a great award, but I want to win more.
"I want to win Heismans [Trophies]. Jameis Winston won it, so I'm hoping I'm next."
Thomas was also selected for both the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game.
One of Thomas's most valuable qualities is his breakaway speed. Clocking a 4.48 40-yard dash time, once Thomas sees open field ahead, defenders have a hard time catching him.
"He's almost like Bo Jackson how he could finish a run," Herring said. "You thought for sure he'd be caught, but he'd end up in front of someone who had a great angle on him."
While Thomas will battle a stable full of talented backs for the starting job on the Plains, his high school coach is already certain he can make it big.
"Athletically and potential-wise, he's a freak," Herring said. "If he dedicates himself, he can definitely play in the NFL."
(02/27/14 4:47am)
The Auburn Men's Rugby Club's season is off to a good start, including a last-second thriller against Alabama.
After defeating Troy in their preseason match by a large margin, the Tigers dropped their first match against Alabama, 36-17. Auburn rallied with a blowout victory over Ole Miss, defeating the Rebels, 55-10.
In its most recent match, Auburn faced Alabama in an attempt to exact revenge from the Tigers' first loss of the season. The Tigers also needed a victory to secure a position in the league tournament.
Both teams played very defensively, and the game came down to the final seconds with rookie Cameron Porter scoring on the last play to beat Alabama, 12-8.
Captain Sebastien Kamyab described the crazy ending as something comparable to the "Kick Six" play.
"At the very last second, we made a miracle play, almost like the Iron Bowl, and put up five points on the board to make it 12-8," Kamyab said.
Junior Patrick Klatte said he was sore after the game, but was definitely pleased with the outcome.
"It was 80 minutes of do-or-die, straight-up, hard-nosed, smash-mouth rugby, and we pulled out the win," Klatte said. "Knowing what could've happened, and knowing that we took another big step towards the [rugby league] Championship, made all the scrapes and bruises hurt a little less after the game."
The Tigers have been led in scoring by Ben Winiarczyk, who was selected as a 2013 SCRC All-Conference First Team member in the 2013 7's league.
Kamyab also gives credit where credit is due to the players in the shadows.
"We've had a lot of guys stepping up to the plate and working hard," Kamyab said. "Just because some haven't scored doesn't mean they haven't contributed to the team."
Senior Michael Pietkiewicz said he thinks the win against Alabama had to do with one outside factor: facial hair.
"The last time we played Alabama, the equation was not balanced because they had a player with a mustache," Pietkiewicz said. "In the three-week span [between games against Alabama] our fearless leader, Sebastien Kamyab, grew a mustache that was vastly superior to their mustache, and the outcome was an Auburn victory."
The Tigers face struggling Mississippi State this weekend in Starkville, in a game that the Tigers are heavy favorites in.
"We're pretty confident going against Miss State," Kamyab said. "They don't have a win yet, and they've gotten kind of run over."
The Tigers follow the Mississippi State road trip by heading to Florida to face the Gators.
The Tigers host their final game of the regular season at home against LSU.
(02/26/14 12:20am)
The Auburn baseball team captured its fourth win of the season after an early explosion of runs put the Tigers out of reach of Alabama A&M, 7-3.
After a disappointing 3-4 start, the Tigers wasted no time in getting on the board against the Hornets, getting six hits and scoring five runs.
Freshman Anfernee Grier was pleased with the quick start.
"We got to play our game like we wanted to for the rest of the game," said Grier. "(The win) was really big and it takes a lot of pressure off of us."
A former standout from T.R. Miller High School in Brewton and pitcher for Team USA's U-18 team, freshman pitcher Kevin Davis, got the win in his first start of his career after giving up only two hits and two runs.
In the fourth inning, Auburn distanced themselves with a pair of RBI doubles by Ebert and freshman Anfernee Grier to give the Tigers a 7-2 lead.
While the Tigers would get 11 hits and seven runs through four, they would go hitless for the remainder of the game.
The lackluster finish would usually be a concern, but Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway wasn't too upset, because the early offensive explosion.
"You gotta keep your foot on the gas and we have to learn from the game, but I'm not going to be hard on our guys for that because they jumped out to a big lead and took pressure off of our pitcher," Golloway said. "I said in the pregame that we needed some hits and our guys came out and got those for us."
Redshirt sophomore Justin Camp took the mound in the fourth, keeping Alabama A&M without scoring until he was replaced by junior Robby Clements in the seventh inning.
Junior Jacob Milliman took the mound for the Tigers to start the eighth inning, but after giving up a sacrifice run to the Hornets was pulled for senior Wade who finished the inning without giving up a run.
Alabama A&M scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning, reducing the deficit to 7-3.
To close the game, the Tigers sent junior Trey Cochran-Gill to the mound, where Cochran-Gill struck out the side to clinch the win for the Tigers.
Golloway was thrilled with Cochran-Gill's performance, and pointed out that Cochran-Gill had proven the naysayers wrong.
"(They say) he can't strike anyone out as a closer, but you look at what he did tonight and I don't care who is at the plate, he threw some really tough pitches," Golloway said.
The Tigers continued to be aggressive on the base paths, with two stolen bases by senior Dan Glevenyak and senior Ryan Tella on five attempts. The Tigers had stolen 14 bases in the first seven games, a number which took last year's team 22 games to earn.
The Tigers next face Presbyterian at Plainsman Park on Friday at 6 p.m.
(03/01/14 4:49am)
Several schools in NCAA football, from Southern California to Alabama, lay claim to the title of "Tailback U."
After Signing Day 2014, Racean "Roc" Thomas will be looking to add his name to the list of great Auburn Tiger running backs that has given Auburn a valid claim to the title like his predecessors Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams and Tre Mason.
While the competition at running back will be stiff on the Plains with Thomas battling Peyton Barber, Corey Grant, Cameron Artis-Payne and Johnathan Ford, the incoming freshman will look to utilize what can only be described as freakish talent.
"[Thomas] was the top running back on our guys' board," said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. "Our offense staff identified him early, [and] they recruited him extremely hard. He was very loyal to us. He could have gone anywhere, but he chose to not go anywhere and stay with us. We really feel like he has the ability to come in immediately and make a huge impact."
In his three years playing for the 6A Oxford Yellow Jackets, Thomas accumulated 5,515 total yards and 76 touchdowns.
In his senior year, Thomas led the Yellow Jackets to a 93 season, totaling 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns on the year.
Even though Auburn changed coaching staffs after a 3-9 season, Thomas committed to play on the Plains and never wavered in his decision.
"Everybody doubted me," Thomas told The Anniston Star last month. "Everybody was, 'Why are you choosing Auburn right now? They had a terrible season, a terrible staff.'
"But you know, it's good, because I can just rub it in everybody's face now. They went all the way to the championship."
Coach Ryan Herring took over for the Yellow Jackets in 2013 during Thomas' senior year, but an instant impression was set when he began the season.
"When (Thomas) had the football, he was the ultimate game-breaker," Herring said. "At any time he can break a run and either win the game or keep the game close and give you a chance to win it."
After such a dominating high school career, Thomas was ranked a five-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the nation by Rivals.com, while Scout.com listed him as the No. 3 back.
Among some of his accolades, Thomas was named as a first-team all-state selection as a junior. In 2013, Thomas was named the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, the Class 6A Back of the Year by the ASWA and the state's Mr. Football.
"This is really just the beginning of it all," Thomas said. "This is a great award, but I want to win more. I want to win Heismans. Jameis Winston won it, so I'm hoping I'm next."
Thomas was also selected for both the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the 2014 Under Armour All-American game.
Analysts who have watched Thomas' lateral movement and breakaway speed call back to the days of Bo Jackson. He also has a mixture of ability to remain on his feet and break a tackle like recent Heisman finalist Tre Mason.
One of Thomas's most valuable qualities is his breakaway speed. Clocking a 4.48 40-yard dash time, once Thomas sees open field ahead, defenders have a hard time catching him.
"He's almost like Bo Jackson how he could finish a run," said Herring. "You thought for sure he'd be caught, but he'd end up in front of someone who had a great angle on him.
Along with Thomas's obvious physical skills, he brings a special brand of silent leadership according to Coach Herring.
"He had a lot of silent leadership during the games on Friday night, which is what I like." said Herring. "I thought he did a great job being a leader by his actions and not just by his words."
While Thomas will battle a stable full of talented backs for the starting job on the plains, his high school coach is already certain that he can make it big.
"Athletically and potential-wise, he's a freak," said Herring. "If he dedicates himself he can definitely play in the NFL."
(02/23/14 12:30am)
The Auburn softball team continued its dominance at home with a 13-3 Wilson/Demarini Classic victory over Jacksonville State in five innings Saturday.
The Tigers' (12-1-1) bats continued to produce with three homeruns and a pair of 5-RBI outings for both Branndi Melero and Jade Rhodes.
McKenzie Kilpatrick and Melero each hit their fourth homerun of the year, and Rhodes blasted her first of the season.
Hilary Mavrovat earned her first complete game and her first win in Saturday's rout.
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Melero blasting a three-run homerun in the first. Not to be outdone, Kilpatrick followed Melero's at-bat with a solo shot to make the score 5-0.
After a Jacksonville State run, Rhodes distanced the Tigers with a three-run homerun in the third to give the Tigers an 8-1 lead.
Melero continued her hot start to the season by following her first-inning homerun with a double that scored two runners and brought the Auburn lead to 10-1.
After Jade Rhodes hit a 2-RBI single, Jacksonville State put two more runs on the board, however, it was not enough as Mavromat closed the game.
The Tigers will wrap up the Wilson/DeMarini classic tomorrow with a game against Purdue at 11:30 a.m. at Jane B. Moore Field.
(02/15/14 3:46am)
The Auburn softball team continued its recent success with blowout victories over Marshall and Loyola in the first day of the Tiger Invitational.
The Tigers defeated Marshall 19-5 after an explosive hitting game shut the Thundering Herd down from the get-go.
Auburn opened the scoring in the first inning with Branndi Melero hitting a grand slam to put the Tigers ahead 4-0.
After an Emily Carosone RBI and run scored on a Marshall error, Marshall finally got on the board with Shaelynn Braxton getting an RBI and scoring.
Morgan Estell answered for the Tigers with a double that scored two runs, putting the Tigers up 8-3 at the end of the third.
Auburn's bats absolutely exploded in the fourth inning, with 11 runs scored on six hits including a Morgan Estell double that scored three and a McKenzie Kilpatrick double that brought in two more Auburn runners.
Going into the final inning of play, Auburn lead Marshall 19-3. Marshall was able to hit a solo homerun and score one more batter, but the Tigers had sealed the game long before with a final of 19-5.
Auburn softball finished the day with another blowout victory, defeating Loyola-Chicago 11-2 in the double-header finale.
The Tigers bats continue to be on fire, with two run shots by both Morgan Estell and Austyn West to open the game and give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Loyola got on the board with an Auburn error in the second, but Branndi Melero widened the gap with a double that scored two runs, making it a 6-1 Tiger lead.
Loyola hit an RBI double in the third inning, cutting the deficit to four runs.
The Tigers responded with Kelsey Bogaards hitting an RBI double.
After Auburn loaded the bases in the third, Loyola walked two batters in to bring the score to 9-2.
Kasey Cooper finished the game with a 2 RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
The win brings the Tigers to an impressive 6-1-1 record, with a 2-0 record to start the Tiger Invitational.
Tomorrow, the Tigers face Nebraska-Omaha at 3:30 p.m. and Western Illinois at 5:30 p.m. at Jane B. Moore field.
(02/10/14 10:58pm)
Auburn softball program hit a grand slam in 2013 when it hired Clint Myers.
Now it is time for the work to begin on the field.
Myers left Arizona State for the Plains, after eight years of turning the Sun Devils into a national powerhouse.
Myers led Arizona State to the university's first national title and conference title in softball in 2008, and followed with another national and conference championship run in 2011.
He took the Sun Devils to the Women's College World Series in seven of his eight years, while appearing in the NCAA Tournament all eight years.
Myers has enjoyed his stay since arriving in Auburn.
"The people are awesome and the opportunities we've had here as a family has been phenomenal," he said. "The support we're getting from the administration has been great."
While Myers is happy with life on campus, he is also excited about playing in the SEC.
The SEC has eight teams in the Top 25 preseason rankings, including No. 1 Tennessee, No. 3 Florida and No. 6 Alabama.
"(The SEC is) a great conference to play softball in," said Myers. "During conference (play), it's an opportunity to get ready for the postseason because every week it's a postseason opponent."
The success Myers has obtained has come from years of as he called it, "controlling the controllables."
"Good pitching, defense and timely hitting is a great key to success," he said. "Going out there each day, learning and getting better every time we step out on the field to a point where we're playing our best softball in the postseason."
Myers hired his son Corey Myers as an assistant coach, while bringing on his other son Casey Myers as a volunteer assistant.
Corey Myers previously worked as a coach for the Birmingham Thunderbolts, a travel softball team.
When asked what the deciding factor was in determining the move to Auburn, Myers immediately responded that it was about "the opportunity to coach with my sons."
For someone who values family so much, Myers should fit right into a university that prides itself on being the Auburn Family.
Myers is already working on getting the team publicity.
"We'd like to see the students get involved with the program here," Myers said. "We're going to do everything we can to ensure that the student populous and the community, along with the faculty and staff, really takes this team to heart.
"They're great kids working extremely hard to be the best they can be."
(02/09/14 11:20pm)
After dropping their first game of the day, a close loss against Notre Dame, the Auburn Tigers softball team responded by defeating Tennessee Tech on Sunday.
The Tigers were able to pick up the Plainsman Invite title after defeating the Golden Eagles behind a barrage of home runs.
Against Notre Dame, Auburn jumped out to an early lead on solo home runs from sophomores Austyn West and Emily Carosone after the third inning. But, The Irish came back with a solo homer of their own from Emilee Koerner in the fourth and then evened it up with a Koerner RBI double in the sixth.
No more runs were scored through the seventh, and the game was sent to extras. Notre Dame was able to advance Carly Piccinich from second on a fielder's choice and then a wild pitch from Auburn's Lexi Davis to take the one-run lead.
In Auburn's half of the eight, sophomore Tiffany Howard reached third base. However, the Tigers couldn't get her home before the final out.
In the second game against Tennessee Tech, the Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the second when catcher McKenzie Kilpatrick hit a double that brought Branndi Melero in from second base. Shortstop Kelsey Bogaards then hit a sacrifice fly, with Kilpatrick scoring and bringing the score to 2-0.
Tennessee Tech cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth, but the Tigers were quick to respond with sophomore Emily Carasone scoring a run with a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 3-1.
Freshman Casey Cooper hit her first career home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Kilpatrick followed with a home run of her own to bring the score to 5-1. Kilpatrick's home run was her third in five games.
Tennessee Tech answered in the sixth with a home run and an RBI double, but the Tigers distanced themselves in the bottom of the sixth after Morgan Estell hit a solo shot to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead. Melero finished the Golden Eagles off with a two-run blast to make the score 8-3, and the Tigers ended the game with an 8-4 victory.
The win gives the Tigers a 4-1-1 record and shows promise with Auburn hitting four homeruns against Tennessee Tech.
Auburn hosts the Tiger Invitational next weekend, with games against Marshall, Loyola, Nebraska-Omaha, Western Illinois and Winthrop.
The Tigers start play against Marshall on Friday at 5:30 P.M. at Jane B. Moore Field.
(01/31/14 8:41pm)
Today, Jan. 31, the Desmonte Leonard trial was postponed from April 15 to June 3, in the courtroom of Judge Jacob Walker.
Lee County District Attorney Robbie Treese, prosecution, informed Judge Walker in the Leonard case's final pre-trail hearing that the prosecution would likely not be ready to proceed with the trial on its original date.
After a briefing with the defense, all parties agreed early June would be a more suitable time.
Leonard is accused of killing DeMario Pitts and former Auburn football players Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian and shooting then-Auburn football player Eric Mack, former football players Xavier Moss and John Q. Robertson at a party at the apartment complex, formerly known as University Heights, on Longleaf Drive in June 2012.
The prosecution informed Judge Walker that the case would likely take at least three weeks to complete.
(01/21/14 9:01pm)
In the wake of Tre Mason's announcement that he would forego his senior year at Auburn to declare for the NFL Draft, many questions have emerged about the future of the Tigers' running game.
In Mason's announcement, he showed full faith that his successors would be able to carry his success on the ground into the next season.
"Those guys are ready," Mason said. "I see a lot of talent in those guys and they're very hard workers."
While losing a gifted back like Mason leaves a hole in the Auburn depth chart, the Tigers have a stable of running backs that look able to do the job.
Both Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are senior backs who will look to take the lead position.
Payne came to Auburn last year out of Allan Hancock Community College in California. In the 2013 season, Payne split carries with Mason throughout the first part of the season, but saw Mason gain the majority of the carries as the season went on.
Payne, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound back, had 610 yards and six touchdowns last season on 91 carries.
While Payne is seen as a power back, Opelika native Corey Grant is well known for being a speedster.
Grant became involved in the Tigers backfield after transferring from Alabama before the 2012 season. Grant is known for his big-play tendencies, and had a breakout game in Auburn's opener against Washington State, having a 75-yard touchdown run and 146 yards on nine carries.
Grant finished with 647 yards and six touchdowns on 66 carries in 2013.
Johnathon "Rudy" Ford will try to get his name in the mix at running back after moving to defense to aid a thin secondary this past season.
Ford will have to overcome redshirt-freshman Peyton Barber, who played alongside Carl Lawson at Alpharetta High School (Ga.). Barber was originally committed to play for the Ole Miss Rebels, but flipped his commitment after being persuaded by the Auburn recruiters and Lawson.
Barber has impressed fellow teammates with his work in practice, especially Tre Mason.
"[Barber] is probably, skill wise, the best out of all of us," Mason said. "That guy is good. He's very consistent when he's scrimmaging."
Arguably the most intriguing possibility is Auburn commitment Racean "Roc" Thomas. Thomas, a five-star recruit out of Oxford High School, is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 2 running back prospect and the No. 12 overall prospect in the nation.
Thomas has an incredible blend of rushing skills, with lightning-quick lateral movement, great power and tackle-breaking skills and freakish breakaway speed.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back will look to be the next breakout back for Auburn, and will look to be active in his first season on The Plains.
In order to do so, he'll have to beat out a whole stable of talented backs.
While Mason is tough to lose, it's comforting knowing that Auburn has no depth issues at running back.
(12/06/13 4:34pm)
Auburn is not the only SEC team who has had a miracle season.
Just one season after going 5-7 overall and 2-6 in their first season of SEC play, the Missouri Tigers are 11-1 and seeking their first SEC Championship.
"I think what (Auburn's players) did is they probably did the same thing we did," said linebacker Donovan Bonner. "After a tough season, you grab a group of guys and you set goals.
Seniors get together and set goals about how you want the team to do and where you want the team to go. They trusted in our coaching staff and they got back to work," he said.
Led by head coach Gary Pinkel in his 13th year, Missouri has only lost one game, a heartbreaker in double-over- time to South Carolina.
Missouri has avenged losses from last year against Georgia, Vanderbilt, Florida and Tennessee.
The Tigers have won nine of their 11 games by at least two touchdowns, including a 31-point victory over Kentucky.
Missouri has a potent offense, with quarterback James Franklin having several tall options to throw the ball to.
While missing four games due to injury, including Mizzou's only loss, Franklin has had an impressive final season in Columbia.
"It's pretty exciting to me to be able to be at this point and be able to come back this season and to have some success," Franklin said earlier this week.
"I'm just really thankful for it. "I'm glad that I did go through the things that I did, and it's helped me out a lot with my perspective and perception on some things.
Franklin has thrown the ball for 1,952 yards, 16 touch- downs and only four interceptions this season.
On the ground, Missouri comes in at No. 17 in the nation in rushing yards, accumulating 2,843 yards behind the dual ground attack of Franklin and running back Henry Josey.
Josey has a had a solid year for Missouri, rushing the ball 153 times for 951 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has nine completions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
One of Missouri's most dangerous offensive weapons is their utilization of two tall wide receivers.
"(Our receivers) were doubted a little bit, but whenever you have a quarterback and a hefty offensive line, you can do tremendous things," said receiver LaDamian Washington.
Washington is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior, and has so far caught the ball 44 times for 824 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Complementing Washington is sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham.
Coming in at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Green-Beckham's size makes it incredibly difficult for opponents to keep the ball from. Green-Beckham has 49 receptions for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Scoring hasn't been an issue for Missouri this year, with the Tigers winning nine of their games by at least 14 points.
The only two close games that Missouri has played this year was in their loss to South Carolina, and to a thrilling 28- 21 victory against Texas A&M at Faurot Field.
The Tigers are currently tied for 13th in scoring with Boise State, with 465 points scored this season.
Defensively, the Tigers main threat is senior defensive end Michael Sam. Sam was awarded the team MVP recently, and leads the SEC with 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.
Sam will tie the Missouri single-season sacks record with one more sack, with Aldon Smith's total sacks coming to 19 in 2009.
Missouri will likely try to pick on Auburn's smaller defensive backs, while Auburn's running game will stick to the plan and gash Missouri's defense as it has done all year.
While Missouri is ranked No. 40 in passing yards, Auburn comes in No. 105 with an average of 172.8 yards per game.
In rushing, however, Auburn is No. 5 nationally, averaging 318.3 yards a game, while Missouri is No. 17.
(11/18/13 2:09am)
The Week 13 BCS Standings have Auburn moving up one spot to #6 after Stanford dropped to #9. Stanford dropped after losing to USC on the road.
Alabama remains atop the standings, with undefeated Florida State coming in at #2. Ohio State and Baylor follow at third and fourth, respectively. Both the Buckeyes and the Bears also have an undefeated record.
Alabama will almost assuredly go into the Iron Bowl undefeated, after their matchup with D1-FCS Chattanooga next week.
Florida State and Ohio State will also likely win next week, with the Seminoles facing Idaho and the Buckeyes taking on Indiana.
Baylor will face a test in Stillwater against the 10th ranked Oklahoma St. Cowboys next Saturday, in a game that will threaten the Bears perfect season.
Oregon is the only one-loss team ahead of Auburn in the BCS rankings. The sixth ranked Ducks will face the 6-4 Arizona Wildcats in Tuscon.
Auburn has a bye in week 14, and will face the #1 ranked Crimson Tide in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, November 30.
The AP Poll also has Auburn ranked at sixth, while the AP Coaches Poll has Auburn at seventh.
(11/09/13 5:46am)
The Auburn Tigers basketball team started the 2013-14 season with a dominating performance against Nicholls State.
The small but vocal crowd, including Auburn superstars Jason Dufner, Marquis Daniels and Lee Ziemba, was pleased with several big plays, including alley-oops and several intense blocks.
Newcomer KT Harrell led the Tigers in scoring with 21 points in his first regular season game with the Tigers. Harrell sat last season out after transferring to Auburn from Virginia.
While Harrell set the scoring tone, he says his priorities aren't on individual scoring.
"I don't come into the game thinking, 'Let me get this amount of points.'" said Harrell. "In the flow of the game I try to be aggressive and find my shot, and I try to get my teammates open for shots."
Senior guard Chris Denson was also in double-figures for the Tigers, putting up 20 points.
Auburn Head Coach Tony Barbee was pleased with his two leading scorers.
"I liked what I saw out of KT because when you have two guys like him and Chris Denson, it's hard to focus on one because the other will get you."
Auburn won the tipoff and Harrell quickly drained a three, giving the Tigers a lead they would never let go of.
Auburn used a high-pressure defense to force the Colonels into mistakes, including a 10-second violation and forcing 14 turnovers.
The Tigers defense totaled seven blocks and five steals, with senior center Asauhn Dixon-Tatum leading the way with four blocks.
Coach Barbee was happy with the defensive effort that the Tigers put forward tonight.
"There is room for improvement, but our press was effective at times. We got a little fatigued and they scored some baskets off of it." said Barbee. "There's not much to complain about when you hold a team to 33%, but there's room for improvement."
Nicholls State, who finished with an overall record of 9-21 last season in the Southland Conference, had a hard time hitting shots against the high-pressure defense that the Tigers played. The Colonels finished the game hitting only 19 of 56 field goals (33.9%), while only making six of their 24 attempted three-pointers (25%).
The Tigers made 22 of their 46 field goal attempts (47.8%), while hitting only four of their fifteen three-pointers (26.7%).
Freshman point guard Tahj Shamsid-Deen was the first Auburn freshman point guard to start a season opener since Quantez Robertson in the 2005-06 season. Shamsid-Deen scored five points with four assists and a steal.
Shamsid-Deen's counterpart, junior Malcolm Canada, scored seven points with one assist and two steals.
Along with Harrell, Canada and Deen, Coach Barbee played fellow newcomers Dion Wade and Benas Griciunas in the opener.
One aspect that Barbee was unhappy about was the Tigers free throw shooting, after the Tigers hit 28 of their 41 free throws.
"It's not where it should have been." Barbee said. "When we're in practice we're a 90% free throw shooting team, so from where my expectations are we should be a 75-80% free throw shooting team."
The Tigers' second test comes against Northwestern St. on Friday, November 15, in Auburn Arena at 7 p.m.
(11/08/13 5:35pm)
In today's world of sports, there are many strategies teams use to disrupt their opponent's momentum.
Whether it is freezing the kicker before a game-changing field goal or calling a timeout in a basketball game when the opponent has a hot shooting hand, these strategies can be key in the outcome of a game.
There is one strategy, however, that has no place in sports: faking an injury.
Faking injuries, or "flopping," has been prevalent in sports since the creation of organized sports.
Whether it be Cristiano Ronaldo faking tears and acting like his leg had been removed at the hip, or Mario Chalmers pretending he's broken every bone in his body after receiving a reach-in foul, the flop has become a plague in sports.
Flopping is such a problem that it has damaged the perception of entire sports. As a soccer player in high school, I was often the target of jokes about how soccer players were "soft" or "not playing a real sport."
This is unfortunate, because nothing could be further from the truth. Soccer requires strength, endurance and physicality.
However, the common perception of the sport is it is played by athletes who cannot handle any physical contact.
While some will say the main reason for this is that soccer is a non-contact sport, I dare to say flopping is undoubtedly the reason behind this misconception.
During the Auburn-Texas A&M game, there were several instances where an Aggie player who seemed fine would suddenly drop to the turf after glancing to the sideline. This received a good deal of negative attention, especially from Auburn fans who claimed the Aggies were faking injuries in an attempt to halt Auburn's momentum.
Two weeks later, the roles were reversed. Near the end of the third quarter, Arkansas was in Auburn's redzone.
Auburn linebacker Anthony Swain was seen standing in the endzone unfazed. After glancing to the sideline, he dropped to the turf, seemingly in agony.
As a die-hard Auburn fan for 23 years, I am disgusted. Obviously, things are much better for the Tigers this year than last year.
However, if we are resorting to cheap gimmicks such as faking an injury, we have a major problem.
In SEC country, fans are almost as loyal to their conference as their team, and in a conference known for tough and physical play, flopping is a concept that goes against everything the SEC stands for.
We, as Auburn fans, should be deeply embarrassed of what happened Saturday.
Our coaches and players who were involved in the flopping play should not only be embarrassed, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Not only did the flop make Auburn fans sound like hypocrites for complaining about Texas A&M, but the play subjected Auburn to mockery across the country.
While head coach Gus Malzahn denied the injury was faked, and claimed coaches don't tell their players to fake injuries, it's hard to believe Swain's "injury" was anything less than a cheap ploy to slow down Arkansas.
After the worst season in Auburn football history, Auburn is finally regaining some of its lost national respect.
However, if we do not make it clear that we as the Auburn fan base expect more, we will not earn any respect, nor do we deserve it.
(11/07/13 5:43pm)
Auburn head coach Tony Barbee has one thing in mind, winning.
When asked what he expects out of Friday night, Barbee replied without hesitation.
"A win. Anything beyond that doesn't matter." Barbee said. "It's go time now."
The Tigers have grown together over a long season that includes playing in an exhibition tournament in the Bahamas.
The Tigers defeated the Real Deal Shockers, a Bahamian professional team, 99-63 to open their trip. Auburn closed out the tournament by defeating the Bahamas All-Stars 88-60.
Freshman point guard Tahj Shamsid-Deen was pleased with the team chemistry.
"The chemistry was really good out there, and we brought it back for our two preseason games," Shamsid-Deen said.
The Tigers also scheduled two exhibition games in Auburn before the regular season.
Auburn defeated Victory University 109-67, with five Tigers scoring more than ten points. Senior Chris Denson led the Tigers in scoring, with 21 points.
The Tigers were led by KT Harrell and Chris Denson in its 88-60 win against Paine College. Harrell led the Tigers with 25 points, and Denson had 24 points.
Coach Barbee was pleased with the rebounding in the first game, but said that the Tigers could have grabbed some more boards in the second game. The Tigers out-rebounded Victory 51 to 33, and narrowly out-rebounded Paine College 39-36.
"It's not the rebounding, it's the things you have to do before you rebound, like blocking out," Barbee said,
The Tigers are excited about the point guard position, with junior Malcolm Canada and Tahj Shamsid-Deen forming what Barbee called a "two-headed monster."
Coach Barbee said while the two are both individually gifted, they have a great friendship that helps their on-court relationship.
"The best thing about it is that these two guys love each other." Barbee said. "They know they need each other and they push each other in practice, but they're best friends."
The Tigers will look to utilize the benefits of having two point guards that can score.
Chris Denson is happy playing alongside two scoring point guards.
"We have Tahj and Malcolm and they facilitate the ball very well and make the game easier for scorers like K.T. (Harrell) and me," Denson said.
While it seems there would be a lot of pressure for Tahj Shamsid-Deen to come in as a freshman point guard, he claims the pressure doesn't really affect him.
"I don't really feel any pressure." Shamsid-Deen said. "I know where Coach Barbee wants me, and I know that whatever he's asking that I'm capable of doing it."
While Shamsid-Deen is only a freshman, he will be expected to perform at a high level at point guard.
Shamsid-Deen said Coach Barbee expects certain things from him.
"I want him to be the floor general, be vocal and be a true point guard," Barbee said.
Barbee is excited about the duo's scoring capability and offensive skills.
"It's the ability to shoot the three-pointer from Tahj, with Malcolm slashing, driving and creating while having the ability to knock down that shot to keep you honest."
The Tigers open up its regular season against Nicholls State. The Colonels are coming off of a 9-21 season last year, going 8-10 in the Southland Conference.
Nicholls State faced two SEC opponents last season, losing 65-80 to Vanderbilt and losing 54-74 to Missouri.
The Tigers and Colonels tip-off at 7 P.M. Friday, Nov. 8 at the Auburn Arena.
(11/04/13 2:25am)
The Auburn Tigers have moved up to No. 9 in the week 11 BCS Standings after defeating Arkansas 35-17.
The Tigers are ranked 7th in the AP Poll and 10th in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.
Alabama remains No. 1 in the BCS, and Florida State jumped Oregon for the No. 2 spot after beating rival Miami 41-14.
Auburn jumped No. 10 Oklahoma who did not move a spot since last week's poll.
The Tigers also jumped previously ranked No. 7 Miami, who fell to No. 13 after its loss to Florida State.
The Tigers will look to move up in the polls next weekend with a win in Knoxville against Tennessee, and could be helped by several match-ups that will play out on Saturday.
The biggest game of the weekend will feature undefeated #3 Oregon against one-loss #5 Stanford in Palo Alto, CA. The Tigers will almost certainly jump Stanford in the case of an Oregon win, and will have a chance to jump the undefeated Ducks if Stanford pulls off a huge home victory.
Another intriguing matchup, which gives Auburn a chance to move up a spot, features one-loss No. 6 Baylor facing one-loss No. 10 Oklahoma.
Along with Alabama, Florida State, Baylor and Oregon, Ohio State is also still undefeated.
The other one-loss teams that are ahead of Auburn are Stanford, Clemson and Missouri.
(09/20/13 4:34pm)
There are many unique traditions in college football. From Auburn's rolling Toomer's Corner to Wisconsin's "Jump Around" and Les Miles having his pre-game meal of grass, each tradition is unique and beloved by it's fans.
However, there is one tradition, that is unlike any other tradition in today's sports world. It is an infamously hilarious tradition, one that was started by someone who still has not revealed his true identity, but goes by the name "deepblue" on Autigers.com.
I'm referring, of course, to the tradition of telling LSU fans that they smell like corn dogs.
It all started, when "deepblue" made a lengthy and poetic post on Autigers.com several years ago. The post started with:
"LSU fans smell just like corn dogs. Yes, it is often said, but so, so true. LSU fans do smell like corn dogs. I would never tell them that to their face though. This is something better said at internet distances. Even now, I am afraid. I am afraid that they'll know I said it. I'll walk past an LSU fan someday, and he'll see that look in my eye that gives it away. That look that says, "gee, what is that smell? Is it corn dogs?" The next thing you know, I'll have flat tires on my car."
The post is quite lengthy, and ranges from pointers on how to handle children around LSU fans, to safety tips while in Baton Rouge.
" I think this may be why a lot of fans get beaten up by LSU fans. If you attend a game in Baton Rouge, try to avoid telling them that they smell like corn dogs. Say something else instead. Like, "Wow, LSU sure does have a great team this year. This is going to be a great SEC game." While the post is satirical, it caught fire. The tradition spread from Auburn to other SEC schools, and then to the entire NCAA.
If searched for on Youtube, countless videos connecting LSU and corn dogs will be found, created by numerous fan-bases.
Clinton Durst, a former Auburn punter who played for the Tigers from 2008-2009 is a firm believer that the myth is true.
Originally from Destin, FL, Durst grew up a Florida State fan before coming to the Plains, and did not hear about the LSU connection to corn dogs until a team meeting with former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville.
"It was a team meeting with Coach Tuberville. He was trying to lighten up the mood a little bit and he referred to them as 'corn dogs'." Durst said while laughing.
Some of the newcomers on the team were confused as to what Tuberville meant, but Durst claims that when they asked, he simply responded "You'll figure it out once you get there."
Sure enough, Durst says that the visitors locker room proved the myth as fact.
"In the visitors locker room, it smells like a million rotten corndogs." Durst said.
"It smells like they threw a thousand (corndogs) in the locker room and let them mold for a year."
Former Auburn long-snapper Josh Harris who played for the Tigers from 2008-2012 and is now the long-snapper for the Atlanta Falcons also corroborates Durst's story.
"When you step on campus (in Baton Rouge) it really smells like corndogs, almost like you're at a fair." Harris said.
Whether you're a believer or not of the LSU corndog myth, there is no denying that "deepblue" started arguably the most hilarious tradition in college football.