Quarterback Kodi Burns capped Auburn’s 2007 season on New Year’s Eve by scoring the winning touchdown in overtime against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Burns figured things would be even better in 2008 as he continued to grow in offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s spread attack, but he could not have been more mistaken. Franklin decided Chris Todd better suited his offense, so Burns mostly sat while Todd faltered, the spread struggled and Franklin lost his job in early October.
“It’s definitely been the craziest year for me,”
Burns said. “I know a lot of our guys have never seen anything like this. I know I haven’t. There have been a lot of ups and downs and changes this year, and we’re still trying to find our identity.”
The Tigers (5-5, 2-4 SEC) host Georgia (8-2, 5-2) this Saturday.
Auburn’s spiraling this season in the SEC has strengthened the adage that teams are only as good as their quarterbacks.
Defending national champ LSU already has three losses, largely because first-year starter Jarrett Lee has thrown a whopping six interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns. Tennessee is on the verge of its worst season ever because of shoddy play by Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens, the latter of whom threw two costly interceptions in last week’s 13-7 loss to Wyoming.
“An experienced quarterback normally is not going to make game-changing mistakes,”
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said, “and it’s obvious that the teams that have had transitions at quarterback are having those problems. We’ve had ours.“
“You have to win on defense if your quarterback is not experienced, and that’s what has cost us this year. We haven’t been able to run the ball, nor have we been able to play consistent defense.”
Alabama (John Parker Wilson), Florida (Tim Tebow) and Georgia (Matthew Stafford) began this season as the SEC’s only three teams with significant experience at quarterback. Those are currently the three league teams in the BCS top 10.
“It’s proved that out this year, at least to this point,”
Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Believe me, I’m thankful we’ve got Matthew right now as beat up as our offensive line has been. It takes a veteran, full-grown man to step in there and make the kinds of throws that he’s been making.”
Burns has some work to do before attaining such adoration. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound sophomore from Fort Smith, Ark., was used last season as a change of pace from starter Brandon Cox, who had the better arm but was not a running threat.
Since becoming the starter following Franklin’s firing, Burns has tried to be more two-dimensional. He has rushed 72 times for 377 yards (5.2-yard average) and five touchdowns, with 158 yards and two scores coming in last week’s 37-20 win over UT-Martin.
His 758 passing yards and .548 completion percentage, however, have been overshadowed by his seven interceptions and one touchdown.
“I think Kodi can be an excellent SEC quarterback,”
Tuberville said. “He’s got a lot to learn. He’s raw, and he’s a lot like Jason Campbell. Jason has got a little bit more height, but Kodi’s got a lot more quickness and speed to run the football. Jason handled a little more each year, as Brandon Cox did, and we’ll do the same thing with Kodi.”
Auburn operated out of the shotgun when Franklin called the plays, but Burns has been mostly under center. He is accompanied by a two-back set, which is another departure from Franklin’s scheme.
As bad as this season has been — Auburn’s 5-5 record is its worst through 10 games since Tuberville’s debut in 1999 — the Tigers still have the opportunity to pull a surprise against Georgia or Alabama (Nov. 29). Of course, that would likely mean enhanced quarterback play.
“Everybody feels the urgency of these last two games,”
Burns said. “You really don’t have to say anything. You don’t need a pregame speech or a halftime speech to get up for these games. These are the games everybody looks forward to.”
“I feel like I’ve been getting a better feel for the game these last two weeks, and hopefully we can put it all together for Georgia. In the end, I think this will all make us stronger in the long run.”
Dogs’ Jones honored
Georgia freshman center Ben Jones was named Monday as SEC offensive lineman of the week after helping the Bulldogs amass 520 yards and 9.1 yards per play in Saturday’s 42-38 win at Kentucky.
