Players shouldn't be prey for guard dogs
What happened to Jerraud Powers last weekend is one of the most mystifying things I've ever seen at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn's starting cornerback was bitten by a dog on the field. After successfully guarding Alabama wideout DJ Hall on a long pass attempt, Powers celebrated by mimicking the officials' sign for an incomplete pass along the south end zone boundary.
A dog positioned next to the goal post interpreted Powers' celebration as a threat. The dog bit into Powers' left hand, causing fairly severe bleeding and the need for a heavy bandage.
Powers joked with teammates later by saying the field may be named Jerraud Powers Stadium after the situation is re-examined. It was the sophomore's typically humorous way of expressing his dissatisfaction about what happened.
I don't understand why multiple dogs are on the field during games. I don't understand why a dog isn't muzzled if he's a threat to bite people at random.
Most of all, I don't understand why there isn't more public disgust about this.
HE'LL STILL BE RICH
Quentin Groves' senior season wasn't the stuff of legend. Far from it.The defensive end finished 10th on the team in tackles (35), though seven of those were for a loss. He only had three sacks. He missed time with dislocated toes. He lost his starting job.
The defensive end finished 10th on the team in tackles (35), though seven of those were for a loss. He only had three sacks. He missed time with dislocated toes. He lost his starting job.
Still, the struggles probably won't hurt his professional prospects. Assuming the toe problem is fully rectified well before the NFL Combine, Groves is one of those players who could emerge as a scout's dream. He's quick, strong, can jump and has enough speed to play a few different positions.
He'll test well. He'll catch the eye of several teams.
If Groves applies himself in later seasons, he could become a star.
ROUGHING IT
My alma mater, Kentucky, was locked in a tight game with Tennessee last weekend when we arrived in Lot X a few hours before kickoff.
Rather than hear about the Wildcats' imminent meltdown second-hand, I wandered over to a nearby tailgate fortification. It was amazing. The host was huddled up to a small trailer holding three flat-screen TVs, each showing a different game.
We watched UK on the big screen, Georgia-Georgia Tech on a 27-inch unit and the Notre Dame-Stanford game on a 21-inch unit.
I've seen tailgate televisions before, but seeing three going at once was just plain awesome.
Aside from the RV we saw in 2004 that had seven beer taps along its right side -- all loaded and ready to fire -- the three-TV tailgate was the coolest thing I've seen in Auburn.
QB OF THE FUTURE
The Tigers may have a fairly serious dilemma at quarterback next season.
Junior Blake Field is the team's backup right now, so it seems reasonable that he'll at least have a shot as the starting job in 2008. Kodi Burns also is a serious option.
Yet Kodi Burns has been a point of contention with me lately.
I frequently argue with Huntsville Times scribe Phillip Marshall about various players -- he's a perfect sparring partner -- and we can't find a middle ground on the freshman from Arkansas.
Marshall thinks Kodi Burns will emerge next season once he has time to understand the system and adjust to college ball.
Auburn's search for a quarterback isn't over. I'm not convinced a long-term option is on the roster right now.
FILLING A NEED
Speaking of recruiting, the Tigers are paying close attention to their situation at strong-side linebacker. Craig Stevens is there at the moment.
Is he the future? It's rare that I hear much about Stevens from coaches -- good or bad. Aren't strong-side guys supposed to be game-changing sluggers with the ability to worry a team with one epic collision? That's not Stevens.
The missing part may be in Gadsden. Jerrell Harris, a linebacker for Gadsden City High, is the state's top defensive prospect. He has the kind of power and speed that the Tigers need on the strong side.
Harris currently is considering offers from the usual suspects and Southern Cal. Auburn is doing what it can to keep its name fresh in Harris' mind.
Could he be the team's most important target?
WHAT'S UP WITH AL?
I've received several e-mails from readers wondering about offensive coordinator Al Borges' status for 2008.
I don't have an answer.
Head coach Tommy Tuberville said earlier in the week that he didn't expect to make any staff changes, though he figured an assistant or two might find a high-profile job at another school.
That was surprising to me. Auburn's offense has been floundering lately, and it's reasonable to hold Borges accountable for the failures. I expected Tuberville to say something about assessing things once the season ends, but he came right out and said he won't make changes.
When Tuberville said two weeks ago that Auburn's offense was "adequate," I guess he was serious.
MAKING A CASE
Regular readers know that despite his snazzy last name, I haven't been a big fan of tailback Ben Tate.
It's time to revisit that decision.
Tate was the better back this year. He's not as fast as Brad Lester. He's not as quick through the hole. Tate also can't be considered a home-run threat because he can't really break away from defensive backs.
Yet he gives Auburn the power and brawn it needs between the tackles. The sophomore was clearly the bigger problem for Alabama's defense last week. He runs with such a violent attitude that teams struggle to get Tate to the ground.
He should have been used more often.
A HOT TOPIC
Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has become a trendy name for mid-level teams to consider as a head-coach candidate.
His name surfaced briefly in connection with the Ole Miss job that went to Houston Nutt. He'll be considered at Southern Miss as well.
There is no doubt that Muschamp will be a head coach soon.
He has the skill, the temperament and presence to command a program with authority. Muschamp just doesn't have the widespread name recognition yet, and he doesn't want to take a job just because it's available.
My guess is Auburn gets him for one more year.
SLOW GOING
How long does it take?
Tuberville and athletic director Jay Jacobs spent much of this week talking about the coach's ideas for improving the program. He wants some stuff that Auburn may or may not provide, though the timing seems a little off.
Sure, Tuberville deserves credit for beating Alabama every year since 2001. He also has a great record against Top 10 teams. The problem is that this Auburn team wasn't among his best. Now is an awkward time to ask for perks and added value.
Oh, Tuberville will get most of what he wants one way or another. He's driven like that. He knows most fans adore him, particularly now that they all can rag their Alabama friends for a while, and Tuberville will parlay that into some goodies.
What gets me is that Tuberville could have gained the same concessions had he come out weeks ago saying that he'd be Auburn's coach in 2008 and beyond. He wasted some goodwill along the way.
STREAKING
You know all about the sixth win against Alabama.
That's a major achievement for a program that bases a great deal of its self-worth on how it performs against the Crimson Tide.
Tuberville came to Auburn vowing to take command of the Iron Bowl series. He's certainly done that. The next step is applying that fervor toward lower-profile opponents.
If he gets that down, the Tigers could be in the national championship hunt for the next two years.
[More at www.montgomeryadvertiser.com]
|
