08.29.13 Game Day Auburn vs. Washington State tab

AUGUST 29, 2013

AUBURN vs. WASHINGTON STATE

GAME DAY PAGE

3 PAGE

4 PAGE

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Q&A with The Daily Evergreen’s Michael-Shawn Dugar

Honoring the 1993 Tigers: “The Best Team on Radio”

The return of the hurry-up, nohuddle offense

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, August 29, 2013

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S PAGE 3 Editor vs. Editor: The Plainsman and The Daily Evergreen preview Saturday’s game

PAGE 6 Top Five Season Openers in AU History

PAGE 9 The State of the SEC: Week 1

PAGE 7 Gus Malzahn and the Return of the Hurry-Up, No Huddle Offense

PAGE 10 Senior Spotlight: Jay Prosch Freshman Focus: Carl Lawson

PAGE 8 Sideline Shots: Auburn’s Fall Practice

PAGE 11 Campus Corner

PAGE 4 Former quarterback Stan White on “The Best Team on Radio” PAGE 5 Plainsman Picks

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KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Q&A with Washington State’s The Daily Evergreen Michael-Shawn Dugar DESPORTS@DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

Michael-Shawn Dugar, sports editor for Washington State University’s The Daily Evergreen, answers six questions regarding this week’s matchup against the Cougars.

1. Like Auburn, Washington State finished 3–9 last year. But, unlike Auburn, Washington State had one conference win, a home overtime victory over your ranked in-state rival. How have you seen that win carry over into this year...with the team and with the fans?

Dugar: Our Apple Cup victory gave everyone the glimmer of hope we had been waiting for since Mike Leach was announced as head coach.

We hadn’t tasted victory in so long that once we did, we got our hunger back. That has definitely had an affect on the team, the fans and the entire Pullman community. If we lose that game, everyone is dreading the start of the next season.

Now, the anticipation and hype is incredible and Martin Stadium will be nothing less than electric for our home opener.

2. What is the general attitude toward head coach

Mike Leach? Is there hope that he can do big things at Washington State?

Dugar: A majority of the fans expected immediate results, but the reality is that this rebuilding process will take some time.

As a whole, we are optimistic. Mike Leach brought along a winning attitude and the fan base in Pullman has really adopted that mindset.

We knew coming in that Leach was a winner, and fans are confident that he will turn our program around.

3. How do you think the Cougars will fare in 2013?

Predict the record, some key games, etc.

Dugar: I feel like we can have a successful year and by that I mean we can make it to a bowl game. A 6–6 record should be fairly easy for our team to accomplish as long as we handle business at home and steal a game on the road, preferably against Washington in the Apple Cup. All of our home games are very winnable; our toughest test will likely come in our annual “home” we play in Seattle at Century Link Field.

Stanford is one of the best teams in the Pac-12 and our performance against them will really test how good we are.

4. Who are some Washington State players Auburn fans need to keep their eye on in this season opener?

Dugar: What’s great about the air raid offense is there’s no

one or two players the opposing team can focus on. The ball is evenly distributed amongst the entire receiving core and all of them are capable of having a breakout game.

Two of our more explosive young receivers are Gabe Marks and Dominique Williams. Both are excellent at running routes and superb at making difficult catches in traffic.

5. How do Cougar fans view Auburn and this matchup?

Dugar: Many Cougar fans see this game as a very important matchup as well as the perfect opportunity to showcase to the nation how good of a team we really are.

The SEC represents the elite when it comes to college football so we are excited to go down there and show the Tigers what the Pac-12 is all about.

6. Alright, prediction time. How do you see this one going down?

Dugar: It’ll be a tight one the whole way through. Both teams will likely show some rust in the opening quarters, but it won’t take too long for each team to get into their rhythm.

The second half will really be action packed after the teams get a chance to feel each other out.

I expect a decent amount of scoring from both teams; it’ll probably take at least 30 points to land a win in this one.

Last team with the ball will probably be the one to pull it out. The Cougars will get the victory 34–28 in what is sure to be a goodie.

The ‘New Day’ will begin against Washington State Will Gaines SPORTS@THEPLAINSMAN.COM

It’s almost over.

The nightmare that was the 2012 football season is coming to an end.

A coach was fired and a new coach was hired, allegations were made and a new quarterback was named. Now it’s time for what fans really care about: actual football on the field.

The Washington State Cougars, led by coach Mike Leach, will come into JordanHare Stadium to take on Auburn this Saturday.

This is a good first game for the Tigers.

Leach’s air raid offense will be a good first

test in challenging defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson’s new 4-2-5 defense, but it should be a win for the Tigers.

An area of concern for the Tigers will be the secondary.

The dismissal of safety Demetruce McNeal and, Jonathan Jones’ injury, have forced the coaching staff to move two offensive players, former starting quarterback Kiehl Frazier and true freshman running back Johnathan “Rudy” Ford, to the secondary.

With depth being a concern in the secondary, it will be important that veterans Chris Davis, Jonathon Mincy and Jermaine Whitehead stay on the field as much as possible.

If this happens, the Tigers should be in good shape. An area of strength should be the matchup between Auburn’s defensive line and the Washington State offensive line.

Dee Ford’s injury will be a big loss for the Tigers, but the Cougars will be playing three

walk-ons or former walk-ons on the offensive line.

Even with Ford’s absence, the Tigers have a lot of veterans along the defensive line, and two young potential stars at defensive end in Carl Lawson and Elijah Daniel.

If the D-line can cause chaos in the Cougar’s backfield, the lack of depth in the Tiger’s secondary will not be as big an issue.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers have a 1,000-yard rusher in Tre Mason, and ADay offensive MVP Cameron Artis-Payne.

Last season, Washington State ranked 65th in rushing defense, giving up 163 yards per game. With a more experienced offensive line in 2013, led by junior center Reese Dismukes, the Tigers should have an advantage in the ground game.

With the excitement of a new season, and the need to rebound from last season, the Tigers should come out and strike early against

the Cougars and build an early lead.

But once the excitement of the beginning of the game wears off, some of the struggles with having a new coaching staff and system will appear for the Tigers, and the Cougars will begin to close the gap.

This could be a close game until the fourth quarter, but once the fourth quarter starts, then Auburn’s depth and Malzahn’s high tempo offense will begin to wear the Cougars down, and I think the Tigers will pull away to a 42–21 victory. It would be a solid victory that will have enough high points to give the Tigers confidence and enough struggles to give the coaches teaching points to make the team better.

When the Tigers leave the field Saturday, they will be 1–0.

The Malzahn era at Auburn will have officially begun, and the disaster that was the 2012 season will finally be over.

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Former quarterback White recalls ‘best team on radio’ Kyle Van Fechtmann SPORTS WRITER

Although he now spends his Saturdays on The Plains giving color commentary with Rod “The Voice of the Auburn Tigers” Bramblett, former Auburn quarterback Stan White first thrilled fans listening on the radio more than two decades ago.

White was the team captain and starting quarterback for the undefeated and untied 1993 Auburn football team, which will be honored on Saturday before the season opener against Washington State.

Although this team finished the season undefeated, they were not eligible for any SEC or national championship considerations.

The NCAA put the Tigers on probation before the season began after tapes released by former player Eric Ramsey detailed him

receiving cash payments from the football program.

White was going into his senior year and fourth consecutive season as starting quarterback for Auburn when the team was put on probation.

“We were a bit disappointed that we were having to speak, pay the price for what occurred three years prior to that year,” White said. “It was disappointing but we had an idea that some type of punishment was coming, we just didn’t know it was going to be that severe.”

The 1993 team also had to deal with adjusting to a new coaching staff under first-year coach Terry Bowden.

“After I learned what kind of philosophy we were going to go to, we were going to be a more spread out, open type, kind of like the offenses of today, I got excit-

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ed about it,” White said. “But obviously like most people, it was probably a little apprehensiveness at the very beginning because of the unknown.”

The bowl sanctions and coaching changes did not stop the veteran leaders from motivating the younger players to work hard to have a successful season.

“The circumstances around what occurred with the staff changed,” White said. “It was very important for my position and for other guys that have been through the battles, to really motivate the younger guys, and say, ‘Look, everything is going to be fine, we just go out there and keep working; we go out there and do the best we can; we still have a chance to have a special year.’”

This team did end up having a special year, to say the least.

Auburn opened up the season with wins at home against Ole Miss and Samford. After traveling to Baton Rouge as an underdog and blowing out LSU 34–10, they cracked the Top 25 rankings.

Then, they slowly kept climbing up the polls after victories against Southern Miss, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

Afterward, there was the matchup at home against No. 4 Florida.

“We were close to a twotouchdown underdog, and that was the game I think that most outside [people] had said this is when Auburn’s Cinderella season is about to fall,” White said.

“It was a shoot-it-out contest.

They go up 27–14 at half. We come out guns blazing, we outthrew them and everything and winded up winning the game. “ Auburn wasn’t deterred and when the final whistle blew, its perfect record was still intact.

“For us to be able to win that one 38–35, that was the game that put us on the map,” White said. “That game was one afterward where we were like okay, we keep working and we keep doing what we’re doing, we have

CONTRIBUTED BY LUKE INGLIS

TOP: The 1993 Auburn football team photo.

LEFT: Running back Stephen Davis shakes off a tackle.

RIGHT: Quarterback Stan White surveys the field.

a chance to win every game.”

The 1993 probation also included a television ban, giving the team the nickname “The Best Team on Radio.”

“When you’re winning you really don’t think about things you can’t control,” White said. “One of those was not being able to play on television. We just went about our business.

“We said, ‘We don’t care if we are on TV or not, we’ll just give people in the stands a little more satisfaction of being able to see it in person.’”

Despite none of their games being on television, the rest of the college football world kept hearing about the Auburn Tigers after they beat Arkansas and Georgia on the road.

Auburn was 10–0 and had one test left.

The Tigers had to go through their rival and defending national champions Alabama to finish off

their perfect season in the Iron Bowl at home.

Alabama jumped out to a 14–5 halftime lead. Then things got worse in the third quarter when Stan White got injured and was taken out of the game.

But sophomore quarterback Patrick Nix came off the bench and delivered, throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to Frank Sanders.

“That was a huge play,” White said. “When his time came, (Nix) took advantage of it.”

A 70-yard touchdown run by James Bostic in the fourth quarter secured a 22–14 win and an undefeated season.

“It was disappointing that I got injured and couldn’t finish it, but it didn’t matter to me, as long as we won the game,” White said.

“That was the biggest capping off of a special season, obviously one of the best seasons in Auburn’s history.”

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TOP FIVE OPENERS IN AUBURN HISTORY COMPILED BY JUSTIN FERGUSON / ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

No. 1: Auburn 42, Utah State 38 (2011) The majority of the 2011 season opener, Auburn’s first game after winning the BCS National Championship, was one to forget for the home fans—but its unbelievable ending brought back memories of the 2010 team.

With 3:38 left in the game, the Tigers were staring down a 10-point deficit to freshman quarterback phenom Chuckie Keeton and Utah State, a program that had not had a winning season since 1996.

But Barrett Trotter ignited a massive comeback, hitting tight end Phillip Lutzenkirchen with a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-possession game. After wide receiver Emory Blake recovered a wild onside kick, Trotter led another remarkable drive, which ended with a Michael Dyer game-winning touchdown run.

No. 2: Auburn 52, Arkansas State 26 (2010)

No. 3: Miami 20, Auburn 18 (1984)

No. 4: Auburn 24, Tennessee 21 (1961)

No. 5: Auburn 57, Wake Forest 0 (1969)

You know the story here. This was the first game of Auburn’s magical 2010 national championship run and the first start for a future Heisman Trophy winner. Cam Newton ran Gus Malzahn’s offense to perfection in this win over Arkansas State, accounting for 357 yards and five touchdowns.

How impressive was Newton’s first performance for the Tigers? After the game, Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said No. 2 was “the best player (Roberts) had ever seen live.”

Although Newton’s first career start for the Tigers flew under the national radar, many around the country were repeating Roberts by the season’s end.

This season-opening matchup between college football powerhouses was filled with bad blood.

When the No. 1 Tigers and the No. 10 Hurricanes met at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., it was a battle between two sides that had rightful claim to the 1983 national title. Despite having identical records, “The U” jumped Auburn in the final AP poll after defeating No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Unfortunately for Auburn, Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar had one of the best games of his career, and the defense that limited future Heisman winner Bo Jackson to less than 100 yards forced a late fumble to secure the narrow victory.

When it comes to comebacks, the Tigers have had some fantastic ones over the years against superior opponents.

One of their greatest came in the 1961 season opener, when Auburn fell behind 21–0 in Knoxville to rival Tennessee.

But dual-threat quarterback Bobby Hunt and a rejuvenated Tiger defense scored 24 unanswered points on the Volunteers, giving Auburn an improbable come-from-behind victory.

The win was a huge boost for the Tigers, who had lost two straight games against the Volunteers as they headed into ShieldsWatkins Field in late September.

The Tigers have had some memorable first game shutouts, but the one Ralph “Shug” Jordan’s squad put on the ACC’s Wake Forest featured the biggest margin of victory in Auburn season opener history.

The Demon Deacons were coming off a huge 22–21 victory over rival NC State, but future Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan and the Tiger offense demolished any momentum their visitors had coming into JordanHare Stadium. This 1969 offense would light up the scoreboard several more times that season, scoring 51 points on Mississippi State and 49 on rival Alabama.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

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The anticipated return of the hurry-up, no-huddle offense Jeff Moore SPORTS@ THEPLAINSMAN. COM

Auburn’s decision to select Gus Malzahn as the man to return the struggling football program to national prominence was met with mixed reactions around the college football world.

The majority of Auburn fans seemed to embrace the hire, remembering his time on The Plains as offensive coordinator, during which his hurry-up, no-huddle offense shattered school records and brought Auburn its first national championship in more than 50 years.

Malzahn’s detractors said the head coach is nothing more than a high school coach running a gimmicky offense that didn’t belong

among college football’s elite.

Call it what you want, but there is no denying the effectiveness of the hurry-up, no-huddle.

Malzahn combines relatively simple offensive schemes with multiple formations, pre-snap motion and most importantly, breakneck speed, to keep the opposing defense guessing and constantly offbalance.

At first glance, the hurry-up, nohuddle may appear to be a traditional spread offense with an emphasis on throwing the ball. In reality, Malzahn’s system focuses on developing a strong ground attack in order to open up play-action passes downfield. In fact, during all three years Malzahn was coordinator at Auburn, his offenses ran the ball more than 60 percent of the time.

So what separates the hurry-up, no-huddle offense from the countless versions of the spread found in college playbooks around the coun-

NO HUDDLE, NO PROBLEM Notable Division I Offenses Under Malzahn

•

2006 Arkansas Razorbacks

- No. 3 in rushing offense

•

2007 Tulsa Golden Hurricane

- No. 1 in total offense

- No. 3 in passing

- First team in NCAA history with 5,000-yard

passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers

•

2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane

- No. 1 in total offense

- No. 2 in scoring

•

2009 Auburn Tigers

- Improved from No. 110 to No. 17 in scoring

•

2010 Auburn Tigers

- No. 1 in scoring offense, total offense,

rushing offense, pass efficiency, first downs and

first down conversions

•

2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves

- No. 23 in total offense, No. 25 in scoring

try? Simply put — speed. Malzahn aims to wear down his opponent physically and mentally by running as many plays as possible, as fast as possible.

In his book “The Hurry-Up NoHuddle: An Offensive Philosophy,” Malzahn explains he wants to snap the ball within 5 seconds of it being spotted, not only to tire the defense, but also to create confusion and prevent them from making pre-snap adjustments and substitutions.

This pace is effective, and has led to open criticism from several highprofile coaches. Alabama coach Nick Saban has been one of the most outspoken on the issue. His highly successful defensive system relies on those pre-snap calls and situational substitutions that Malzahn’s offense works to undermine.

After developing and perfecting his innovative offensive system on his way to shredding records and

winning state championships as a high school coach in Arkansas, Malzahn spent a year as offensive coordinator at the University of Arkansas. Under Malzahn’s guidance, the Razorbacks won the SEC Western Division title.

The following year, after rumors of philosophical differences with Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt, Malzahn took the same position at the University of Tulsa. While there, he was reportedly allowed more control over the offense, and the results were nothing short of staggering.

After his immensely successful two-year stint at Tulsa, he was hired by new coach Gene Chizik to correct Auburn’s offensive woes in 2009. To say he succeeded in doing so would be a vast understatement.

Auburn entered the year coming off one of the worst offensive performances in school history. They finished the previous year ranked 104

in the nation in total offense. After only a year under Malzahn’s watch, they ended 2009 ranked 16. Such an enormous improvement speaks volumes about how effective this offense can be.

In 2010, Malzahn and his prized recruit Cam Newton confirmed its effectiveness.

They rode the hurry-up, no-huddle all the way to a national championship, breaking record after record on their way. They set nine offensive school records and finished in the Top 10 nationally in six offensive categories.

Now, after a one-year stop at Arkansas State, Malzahn is back at Auburn as head coach. He has a solid offensive line, an athletic quarterback in junior college transfer Nick Marshall and a stable full of talented running backs.

His hurry-up, no-huddle system is once again poised to turn a bad offense into a good one. Fast.

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Sideline shots from fall preseason practices

ANNA GRAFTON / PHOTO EDITOR

(L/R): Senior defensive end Nosa Eguae, junior running back Tre Mason and junior defensive back Robenson Therezie go through drills during Auburn’s fall camp earlier this month.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Auburn Plainsman

9

THE STATE OF THE SEC

The quest for eight straight begins this weekend

Justin Ferguson ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It has been said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Not to take anything away from Lao Tzu— name the last college football article you read that referenced an ancient Chinese philosopher—but you could modify that ageold proverb and apply it to the Southeastern Conference.

The journey of several thousand miles to the famous Rose Bowl begins with a single season opener.

As all 14 members of the SEC set their coordinates on the ultimate goal, holding up that crystal football at the end of the BCS National Championship game, they know that this first weekend of action could have a huge effect on their title hopes.

If you want to be the conference’s eighth consecutive national champion, you have to take care of business on Week One. So, from the preseason contenders to the schools looking to reverse their fortunes from last season, let’s take a look at the opening matchups for Auburn’s 13 SEC neighbors.

THE CONTENDERS Although this is not a pleasing sight to fans here in Auburn, the list of contenders begins with the two-time defending national champions, No. 1 Alabama.

The Tide open 2013 in the same location they opened 2012, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.

But instead of Denard Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines, Alabama will take on Logan Thomas and the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday night.

The Hokies had to rally last season to finish 7–6, and former Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is not a name that is putting a lot of confidence in fans around Blacksburg.

Even with highly rated NFL prospect Thomas at quarterback, VT’s Spring Game this year featured fewer than 400 yards of combined offense and only three offensive touchdowns. In a recent scrimmage, the Hokies reportedly finished with negative yardage on the ground.

There is a reason the Tide is favored by more points than they were in last season’s opener against Michigan.

Even though the defending champions will get a lot of attention on Saturday, the bigger matchup of the evening will be at No. 8 Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, which wel-

comes No. 5 Georgia.

The Bulldogs have seen some championship hopes derail early in years past, and they will not be able to look ahead to next week’s colossal East battle against South Carolina.

No one has a tougher pair of opening games than Georgia, but if Mark Richt’s squad can live up to the hype, it will be on the fast track to the divisional title.

After a long summer of “Johnny Football” news, No. 6 Texas A&M will finally be back on the field in a competitive football game.

The autograph accusations, courtside NBA seats and rival school frat parties are now secondary for defending Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who has an easier test than other SEC quarterbacks in his opening game.

With Alabama coming to College Station in two weeks, Manziel and the rest of the Ag gies’ hig hpowered offense will get a chance to tune their game on Saturday against smaller Texas school Rice.

The college football season will kick off on the home field of No. 7 South Carolina, who hosts a border war of sorts with ACC opponent North Carolina on Thursday night.

Steve Spurrier’s team has a lot of hype behind it, largely thanks to one-man demolition crew known as Jadeveon Clowney. The last time the star defensive end took the field in a competitive game, he shocked the world with one of the biggest hits in recent years.

Clowney’s arrival at South Carolina three seasons ago has elevated the play of the entire program, which is now listed as a national title contender. There is the constant danger of looking ahead to that trip to Georgia next week, so the Gamecocks will have to play well in order to sink UNC. No. 10 Florida is back in the race for the SEC title after last season’s Sugar Bowl appearance. Former Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will have a talented

defense at his disposal, but the offense lacks the number of playmakers people are used to seeing down in Gainesville.

The Gators travel to restore an in-state rivalry with Miami next week, so look for them to take care of business against a mid-level Toledo team on Saturday.

It may be odd to see No. 13 LSU listed at the bottom of the contenders list, but this season’s team just does not have the buzz around it like it has had in years past.

But Les Miles and his Tigers will have a chance to prove their worth from Week One as they face No. 20 TCU in this year’s Cowboys Classic.

The neutral site game in Dallas will give fans an opportunity to see LSU’s reloaded defense and new coordinator Cam Came r o n’s o f fense against a stingy Horned Frogs squad.

THE DARK HORSES After mostly solid 2012 seasons, these unranked teams are focused on getting to a bigger bowl and making their way to the top of the conference. These schools are not contenders, but they have not yet hit the reset button on their programs.

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt each capped off last season with a bowl win, and will open the conference season on Thursday night in Nashville.

These cross-divisional rivals played out a thrilling contest last season, which Vanderbilt won 27–26 on a last-minute touchdown pass.

With both receiving preseason poll votes, the Rebels and the Commodores are two under-the-radar teams that would love to get a nationally televised victory on Thursday.

Before rival LSU takes on TCU in Dallas, Mississippi State will have a Texas throwdown with a Big XII opponent of their own on Saturday afternoon.

Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs will be looking to move past the memories of 2012’s late col-

lapse by upsetting No. 14 Oklahoma State at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The Bulldogs got off to a dream start last season, but a tough end to their schedule led to five losses in their final six games. Instead of weaker opponents to start the 2013 campaign, Mississippi State will kick off with their toughest non-SEC game in years.

Finally, Missouri did not have the most pleasant of debut seasons in the SEC. The Tigers failed to get any momentum going last season, and victories over hapless Kentucky and Tennessee were not the most prized possessions in 2013.

With head coach Gary Pinkel now firmly on the hot seat in Columbia, Mizzou starts this season with four relatively easy nonconference opponents, the first being FCS school Murray State.

THE NEW ERAS Auburn is not the only unranked team in the SEC that is starting a new era this weekend.

No, in this conference, mediocre seasons are simply not tolerated, and a new staff can be brought on in an instant.

Tennessee is now under the leadership of former Cincinnati coach Butch Jones, who has had five winning seasons in his six years as a head coach.

This Volunteers squad is not as talented as many fans are used to seeing, but this Saturday’s game against FCS school Austin Peay should be an easy victory.

North of Knoxville, the Wildcats of Kentucky have replaced Joker Phillips with former Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

The new-look Wildcats will have the opportunity on Saturday to get some revenge in Nashville, but not on Vanderbilt.

After last season’s shocking overtime loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kentucky will get its chance to start the Stoops Era on a positive note.

Kentucky’s opponents on Saturday will be coached by none other than the former head coach of Arkansas, Bobby Petrino. The days of Petrino’s spread attack are gone in Fayetteville as former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema’s powerful, pro-rushing attack moves in.

The Razorbacks have an intriguing matchup on Saturday afternoon when they face UL-Lafayette, who gave then-Top 10 Florida a scare last year. Arkansas fell last season to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ rivals, UL-Monroe.

10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, August 29, 2013

FRESHMAN FOCUS

Five-star defensive end Lawson set to make an early impact Eric Wallace SPORTS WRITER

On the heels of a prolific high school career, top freshman defensive end Carl Lawson brings elite pass rushing ability to an Auburn defense that finished 74th nationally in sacks in 2012.

The 6-2, 258-pound Lawson, rated the No. 1 overall defensivew end and No. 4 player overall in the 2013 recruiting class by Rivals, has already impressed his new teammates with his physicality and speed.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him be successful and it’s going to be quick,” said senior defensive end Dee Ford. “Usually on defense you have to make physical changes before you can play and this guy is ready to play.”

New defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has praised the quick transition Lawson and fellow newcomer Elijah Daniel had made to Division I competition.

“They’re maybe two of our best pass rushers,” Johnson said during fall camp. “I think they’re coming along well enough that we’re going to be able to play those guys sometimes, and hopefully early.”

Lawson is expected to improve Auburn’s edge pass rush, an area the Tigers struggled to find consistency in during the 2012 season.

“Those guys have shown a good sense of rushing the passer, smoking off the ball,” said senior defensive lineman Angelo Blackson.

“Those guys are young, but we need them to compete this year.”

A native of Alpharetta, Ga., Lawson excelled at Milton High School where he tallied 42 sacks and 75 tackles for a loss in his final two seasons. Lawson was selected to the Under Armour All-American team after his senior season.

This summer, ESPN recognized Lawson by naming him to their preseason freshman All-American team.

He is Auburn’s first player to receive that preseason honor since junior Reese Dismukes and former player Erique Floarence were named to the CBSSports.com team in 2011.

With Ford out for the season opener, newcomers Lawson and Daniel could see a lot more playing time against Washington State.

“Those guys are talented,” said senior end Nosa Eguae. “Those guys came in with college bodies.”

While the athleticism Lawson brings to the field may be obvious, but teammates say the intangibles Lawson plays with are what set him apart.

“He just has one way of playing and that’s it,” Ford said. “He has one motor.”

By donning the No. 55 jersey, Lawson will be reminding Auburn fans of the freshman success of another well-known No. 55: AllPro linebacker and former Auburn player Takeo Spikes.

ANNA GRAFTON / PHOTO EDITOR

Lawson signs items for excited Tiger fans during Fan Day earlier this month at Auburn Arena.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Versatile fullback Prosch leads the way for offense Taylor Jones SPORTS WRITER

To say Jay Prosch’s collegiate experience has been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement.

The senior fullback from Mobile had an impressive high school career at UMSWright, leading the Bulldogs to a 4A state championship in 2008 as an iron-man athlete.

Recruited as a two-star athlete at middlelinebacker, Prosch committed to the University of Illinois as a fullback.

As a true freshman, Prosch played in all 13 games for the Fighting Illini, starting seven. He made a name for himself at Illinois, blocking for Illinois single-season rushing leader Mikel Leshoure.

As a sophomore, Prosch played in 12 games and started five, only missing the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl due to injury.

Prosch accumulated several awards, being named 1st-team All-American by Pro Football Weekly, sharing Illinois’ Outstanding Special Teams Player award and was

FILE PHOTO

Prosch scans the field for a lead block during last year’s game against Mississippi State.

named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Tragically, Prosch’s mother was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, which according to the National Brain Tumor Society is “the most common and deadliest of malignant primary brain tumors in adults.”

Because of the diagnosis, Prosch transferred to Auburn to be closer to his ailing

mother. Because of the circumstances, the NCAA waived the typical one-year sit-out period for Prosch, allowing him to play immediately.

In 2012, Prosch carried the ball 12 times for 38 yards and two touchdowns, while accumulating five receptions for 19 yards while primarily acting as a blocker.

This year, Prosch is hoping to have a more active role in the offense.

“Last year I ran routes and blocked the secondary,” Prosch said. “Now it’s kind of the same thing as last year, except it might be a double [work load].”

As Jay enters his senior season on The Plains, he has a loaded backfield to work with, including running backs Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne, along with new quarterback Nick Marshall.

In 2012, Prosch was ranked No. 8 on Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List,” which ranks the “10 craziest athletes in college football.”

At 6-foot-1, 255 pounds, Prosch took the record for power-cleans from former Tigers Jay Ratliff and Ronnie Brown when he successful did two power-clean reps at 380 lbs.

This strength will most certainly be useful when Prosch is blocking, carrying and catching the ball.

Prosch will likely be one of the more vocal Tigers this year, as head coach Malzahn selected him to represent Auburn at SEC Media Days.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

11

The Auburn Plainsman

CAMPUS CORNER

An agenda for making the most of your game day experience Derek Herscovici CAMPUS WRITER

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate a fall Saturday in Auburn, but nothing compares to a home football game, especially when it’s the first one of the season.

This Saturday, Aug. 31, marks the beginning of the Tigers’ 2013 season, a day Auburn fans have been anticipating since the end of the last one.

“School’s back in session,” said senior Giancarlo Rivera. “That’s how I know when it’s time for football, when classes start again.”

Rarely is there a larger outpouring of Auburn spirit and pride, as our small town welcomes back thousands of alumni and fans in time to begin the pre-game festivities.

“It’s a madhouse,” Rivera said.

“The town triples, if not quadruples in size. It’s packed, it’s hard

to move if you’re already on campus, but there’s nothing like it anywhere.”

With campus nearly filled to the brim with fans decked in orange and blue on every square inch of grass, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to plan your own Saturday ahead of schedule to make sure you miss the best parts that a game on the plains has to offer.

“I’d definitely start with a good tailgate,” said senior Tony Perry.

“Always start with a nice breakfast, any sort of homestyle cooking. Then work your way up; maybe play a little game of cornhole.

Then you have to go down to Toomer’s and get some of the lemonade. It’s always a game day must.”

No trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium for game day would be complete without the Tiger Walk, the football team’s traditional pre-game

rally march down Donahue Drive and into the locker rooms.

“Before the game starts and during halftime it’s like hanging out with all your friends, just having a really good day,” said junior Grace Jolly. “I went to my first football game freshman year, and I’ve pretty much gone to every single home football game and one away game.”

Minutes before the game starts, when the team is set to explode out of the tunnel and fans are already packed into Jordan-Hare, one of Auburn’s most iconic traditions takes flight.

“Other than the game itself, I don’t think anything comes close to the eagle flying around, it’s second to none,” Perry said.

“It gives me chills, like it legitimately gives me chills. Every single time,” Jolly said.

“The eagle soaring is something that doesn’t happen anywhere else,

FILE PHOTO

The pre-game eagle flight at Jordan-Hare is a must-see on Auburn game days.

it’s something that’ll change you,” Rivera said. “And when the football players come out of the smoke, there’s nothing more exciting than that. It’s the football game starting.”

Despite the loss of the Toomer’s Oaks, there will still be spots down-

Friday, October 4

town to celebrate an Auburn victory.

The City of Auburn has installed wires around the intersection of College and Magnolia, ensuring that there is still a spot to end your game day on The Plains by rolling Toomer’s Corner.

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