October 1, 2015
AUBURN vs. SAN JOSE STATE, 3:00 p.m.
The Auburn Plainsman
GAME DAY
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6
Senior Spotlight: Duke Williams
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Depth Charts
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Coach’s Corner: Gus Malzahn
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Thursday, October 1, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 4
PAGE 8
Defense: Signs of defensive improvement evident against Mississippi State
Quarterback: Performance against MSU earns White second start versus San Jose State
PAGE 6
PAGE 10-11 Plainsman Picks Games to watch in week five
Injury update: Two starters in question for San Jose State game
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Auburn IN THE As the 2015 NFL season kicks off, each Game Day tab will take a look at how the Auburn Tigers who are in the NFL fared the previous week. Several Tigers who entered the 2015 NFL Draft were selected, and some signed as undrafted free agents, but still made their team’s 53-man roster. Others have established themselves as veteran presences in the League.
Wikipedia commons via Jeffrey Beall
Jerraud Powers collected the 11th interception of his career in ARI’s win over SF.
Name (No.) Tre Mason (27) Neiko Thorpe (31) Cam Newton (1) Karlos Dansby (56) Cody Parkey (1) Jay Prosch (45) Josh Bynes (99) Nick Fairley (98) Greg Robinson (79) Dee Ford (30) Jerraud Powers (25) Sammie Coates (14) Angelo Blackson (95) Gabe Wright (90) Cameron Artis-Payne (44) Nick Marshall (41) Corey Grant (33) Robenson Therezie (27)
Team Pos. St. Louis Rams RB Oakland Raiders CB Carolina Panthers QB Cleveland Browns LB Philadelphia Eagles K Houston Texans FB Detroit Lions LB St. Louis Rams DT St. Louis Rams T Kansas City Chiefs DE Arizona Cardinals CB Pittsburgh Steelers WR Tennessee Titans DT Detroit Lions DT Carolina Panthers RB Jacksonville Jaguars CB Jacksonville Jaguars RB Atlanta Falcons S
Week 2 9 carries for 16 yards in loss to PIT Made 1st career start in win over CLE 20-31, 315 yards, 2 TDs in win over NO Led team with 9 tackles in loss to OAK Suffered season-ending groin injury Ran 3 times for 24 yards in win over TB 3 tackles in loss to DEN Didn’t record stats in loss to PIT Starting tackle for STL Recorded 1 tackle in loss to GB 11th career interception in win over SF Made NFL debut, didn’t record a catch Didn’t record stats in loss to IND Made NFL debut in loss to DEN Received 1st career carries, 3 for 6 yds No stats recorded in loss to NE 2 carries, 2 kicks returned in loss to NE Recorded 2 tackles in win over DAL
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Defense
Signs of defensive improvement evident against Mississippi State Evan McCullers
Assistant Sports editor
The outlook did not look good for the Auburn defense early in last Saturday’s game when, after a Sean White interception on the Tigers’ opening possession, Mississippi State drove 79 yards on 10 plays to take an early lead in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The defense’s prospects appeared bleaker after Mississippi State again drove 79 yards to take a 14-0 lead three possessions later. Despite the early struggles, the defense rallied in the seond half of the 17-9 loss, giving the offense opportunities to win the game. Coach Gus Malzahn said the defensive effort should have resulted in a victory for Auburn, which fell to 2-2 and 0-2 in the SEC. “Our defense gave the offense the ball in the second half numerous times when we needed to respond and didn’t or couldn’t,” Malzahn said in his postgame press conference. “But there’s a lot of good things that we can build
upon.” Coming into the Mississippi State game, the defense was reeling. The unit had given up an average of 478 yards per game over the Tigers’ last nine games against Power 5 teams and hadn’t held an SEC opponent under 400 yards of total offense since LSU had 280 against Auburn last October. Mississippi State didn’t appear to be the game that would turn things around, as quarterback Dak Prescott shredded the Auburn defense for 367 total yards and three touchdowns last year in Starkville. Nearly 20 minutes into the game, Auburn had already surrendered 186 yards and given up conversions on three of the Bulldogs’ four third-down plays. The Tigers buckled down in the remaining 40 minutes, surrendering only 140 yards and holding Mississippi State to one conversion on eight attempts on third down in the sec-
ond half. “I think we responded on a positive note,” said senior defensive back Jonathan Jones. “One of the keys throughout the week was our effort, and I felt like we had great effort going to the ball and making plays ... Overall we improved, especially coming out in the second half and making big stops.” Prescott completed 16 of his first 20 passes for 180 yards and the two scores, but the defense improved its coverage in the second half, allowing only 90 passing yards. “We pretty much ran the same things [in the first half] as we did in the second half,” Jones said. “Made a few adjustments, but like I said, at the end of the day, it was our effort and making plays on defense and taking pride.” Despite the defense forcing a turnover and four punts in the second half, the offense was unable to capitalize. “Our defense played good enough to win,” Malzahn said. “They fought. They did a good
job against a very good quarterback, one of the better players in the entire country with a good offense. Our kids played their guts out.” Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said the performance should give the defense confidence as Auburn moves on to San Jose State, but further improvements are needed as the Tigers head into the heart of their SEC schedule. “There’s no question it should give us some confidence,” Muschamp said. “We need to do the things we got to do to win the game. Let’s get the ball off them one more time. Let’s make another third-down stop. Let’s create more momentum for our football team.” While the defense improved against Mississippi State and hopes to continue to improve moving forward, Muschamp said wins and losses are the only things that matter. “We did make improvement from last game to this game, did not get the results,” Muschamp said. “That’s the bottom line ... You got to get the results.”
Adam Sparks / senior photographer
Will Muschamp watches his defense in Auburn’s loss to LSU on Sept. 19.
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Thursday, October 1, 2015
injury update
Two starters in question for San Jose State game Evan M cCullers
assistant sports editor
Heading into the third of four nonconference games in 2015, Auburn is battling injuries to several key players. Sophomore linebacker Tre’ Williams injured his left knee during the Tigers’ 17-9 loss to Mississippi State. Williams was unable to practice the day after the game, but defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said he expected Williams back at practice this week. “He’s going to be fine,” Muschamp said in his weekly meeting with the media on Sunday. “He did not practice tonight, but we expect him back Tuesday … We fully expect him back this week.” Williams injured his knee in the third quarter against Mississippi State. He did not return to the game, though he was seen walking around the sidelines with a brace late in the game. Williams recorded three tackles against the Bulldogs, including one for a loss. He has 19 total tackles in 2015 after recording 16 as a true freshman. Two offensive players were also less than 100 percent against Mississippi State.
Running back Roc Thomas suffered an injury in the fourth quarter of the loss. The sophomore, who has 25 carries for 104 yards this year, injured his leg, but Auburn coach Gus Malzahn believes Thomas will be fine. “I think he’ll be ready to go [against San Jose State],” Malzahn said. Senior Ricardo Louis, the Tigers’ leading receiver this season, did not see significant action against the Bulldogs due to “some minor issues,” according to Malzahn. “He was banged up,” Malzahn said. “He’s been banged up for a couple of weeks. Hopefully we can get him healthy where he can be a bigger role. Obviously he’s one of our impact players … We’re hoping that he’ll get healed up in a hurry.” Louis has 16 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in 2015. All three players will likely play against San Jose State as the Tigers attempt to stop their two-game skid. Even if they cannot play on Saturday, it will be important for them to be fully healthy going forward as Auburn enters the heart of its SEC schedule.
Adam sparks / senior photographer
Roc Thomas runs the ball in Auburn’s loss to LSU on Sept. 19.
Senior Spotlight
Williams a no-show on offense so far this year Evan McCullers
assistant sports editor
adam sparks / senior photographer
Duke Williams warms up before Auburn’s loss to LSU on Sept. 19.
When Auburn’s season began, expectations for wide receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams were just as the expectations for the team were — sky high. Nearly a month into the season, Williams has failed to live up to the hype. The LaPlace, Louisiana, native burst onto the scene in his first season on the Plains in 2014, catching 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns despite being injured late in the year. In the offseason, he received national attention and praise from experts. NFL draft expert Mel Kiper rated Williams the No. 1 receiver in the 2016 draft class, and he was voted to the All-SEC team at SEC Media Days. He was also placed on watch lists for the Walter Camp
and Maxwell awards, which are awarded to college football’s best player. In the preseason, Williams was suspended from practice because of a “discipline issue,” according to Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. The senior wide receiver missed five practices and a scrimmage but returned for the season opener against Louisville. Williams’ season has been unspectacular thus far, as he has only 11 catches for 130 yards, and his lone touchdown came late in a blowout loss to LSU. When asked about Williams’ lack of production, Malzahn was quick to take the blame off his receiver. Malzahn said Williams’ struggles are a result of opposing defenses keying on him. “There’s been some double coverage issues,” Malzahn said. “The other night
[versus Mississippi State], obviously there was a lot of focus [on Williams]. We were trying to get the ball to him early.” Malzahn also cast blame on himself and the offensive coaches, saying they need to do a better job of giving Williams and other receivers more opportunities. “He is one of the impact players, there’s no doubt,” Malzahn said. “We need to find a way to not only get the ball to him, but there’s three or four others that I really feel like we need to do a better job of getting the ball to also ... It’s nothing that Duke is doing wrong or that he needs to do better. That’s part of offensive systems ... We need to be a little more creative to get guys open.” Williams will have another opportunity to get his season on track this Saturday when Auburn hosts San Jose State.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
7
The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Quarterback: Sean White - 13 Jeremy Johnson - 6
Left Tackle: Shon Coleman - 72 Robert Leff - 70
Defensive End: DaVonte Lambert - 6 Byron Cowart - 9
Will Linebacker: Tre’ Williams - 30 OR Kris Frost - 17
Kicker: Daniel Carlson - 38 Ian Shannon - 43
Running Back: Peyton Barber - 25 Roc Thomas - 9
Left Guard: Alex Kozan - 63 Devonte Danzey - 53
Defensive Tackle: Dontavius Russell - 95 Devaroe Lawrence - 94
Sam linebacker: Justin Garrett - 26 JaViere Mitchell - 16
Punter: Kevin Phillips - 91 Ian Shannon - 43
Center: Austin Golson - 73 Xavier Dampeer - 52
Defensive Tackle: Montravius Adams - 1 Maurice Swain - 90
Field Corner: Jonathan Jones - 3 Carlton Davis - 18
Long Snapper: Ike Powell - 69 Zach Wade - 68
Right Guard: Braden Smith - 71 Will Adams - 74
Buck: Gimel President - 42 Raashed Kennion - 59
Field Safety: Johnathan Ford - 23 Tim Irvin - 22
Holder: Tyler Stovall - 29 Kevin Phillips - 91
Right Tackle: Avery Young - 56 Mike Horton - 64
Middle Linebacker: Tre’ Williams - 30 OR Cassanova McKinzy - 8
Boundary Safety: Tray Matthews - 28 Nick Ruffin - 19
Punt Returner: Marcus Davis - 80 Jason Smith - 4
Boundary Corner: Blake Countess - 24 Jeremiah Dinson - 20
Kick Returner: Johnathan Ford - 23 Kerryon Johnson - 21
H-Back: Chandler Cox - 27 OR Kamryn Pettway - 36 Tight End: Jalen Harris - 85 Chris Laye - 46 Wide Receiver: D’haquille Williams - 1 Ricardo Louis - 5 Marcus Davis - 80 Melvin Ray - 82 Jason Smith - 4
SAN JOSE STATE DEPTH CHART Quarterback: Joe Gray - 6 Kenny Potter - 5
Left Tackle: Wes Schweitzer - 72 Troy Kowalski - 79
Defensive End: Nick Oreglia - 90 Cedric Lousi - 96
Outside Linebacker: William Ossai - 29 Alex Manigo - 42
Kicker: Austin Lopez - 12 Bryce Crawford - 44
Running Back: Tyler Ervin - 7 Thomas Tucker - 3
Left Guard: Jeremiah Kolone - 62 Charles Nelson - 54
Defensive Tackle: Loni Fa - 93 Bryson Bridges - 59
Outside Linebacker: Christian Tago - 4 Epie Sona - 54
Punter: Michael Carrizosa - 17 Bryce Crawford - 44
Fullback: Shane Smith - 49 Chris Dadson - 41
Center: Keoni Taylor - 68 Nick Diaz - 50
Defensive Tackle: Tony Popovich - 98 Travis Miller - 63
Left Cornerback: Jimmy Pruitt - 8 Andre Chachere - 21
Long Snapper: Ryan DiSalvo - 46 Billy Freeman - 18
Tight End: Billy Freeman - 18 Josh Oliver - 89
Right Guard: Chris Gonzalez - 74 Doug Blacksill - 56
Defensive End: Isaiah Irving - 53 Eugene Taylor - 94
Free Safety: Maurice McKnight - 10 Jeremy Kelly - 9
Holder: Chris Kearney - 11 Michael Carrizosa - 17
Wide Receiver: Tyler Winston - 15 Tim Crawley - 2 Hansell Wilson - 87 Justin Holmes - 9
Right Tackle: Nate Velichko - 75 Evan Sarver - 77
Middle Linebacker: Frank Ginda - 5 Mark Amann - 44
Strong Safety: Vincente Miles Jr. - 26 Simon Connette - 28
Punt Returner: Tyler Ervin - 7 Tim Crawley - 2
Right Cornerback: Cleveland Wallace III - 6 Dominic Barnes - 24
Kick Returner: Tyler Ervin - 7 Tim Crawley - 2
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Quarterback
David Topper / Photographer
Sean White has earned another start after his solid performance against Mississippi State where he engineered several longer drives on offense, something the Auburn offense has been sorely lacking this season.
White earns a second start with performance against Mississippi State Sam Butler Sports Editor
For not having played in a meaningful game since high school, Sean White looked relatively poised in his start against Mississippi State. He had a firm command of the offense, he generally made the right reads, and for the most part, he didn't attempt to force any unnecessary throws into tight coverage. He even showed off his wheels on a few occasions, scrambling from heavy pressure to pick up a few modest gains on the ground instead of trying to make a miraculous play downfield. "I felt fine," White said after the game. "I wish we could've pulled out the win. I'm obviously disappointed, but I felt good playing for the first time. I felt comfortable." He did have a few freshman mistakes, which were to be expected. He missed a read on a zone-read handoff to Peyton Barber from the 1-yard line, choosing to hand it to Barber instead of keeping the ball and scoring. And on Auburn's first drive of the game, he rolled out to the right inside the 10-yard line, and fired a pass across his body toward the middle of the field — right to Will Redmond, who was wearing a white jersey. Although that is a play that a savvy quarterback wouldn't attempt, White knew he was trying to force it. "I made a bad read," White said. "But I'll correct it in film and
be better next week." Despite taking over for Jeremy Johnson in the thick of the season, White has the support of the locker room, which he insists is a tightly knit group of guys who aren't giving up on the season, even with a 2-2 record. “We did some things different, but most things were the same … run the football, get the ball to our receivers, just like it always is for almost any offense," said guard Alex Kozan. "I thought Sean played his butt off. Sean led us on some great drives. At the end of the day, we just have to finish those drives. I think we were down in the red zone four times and no touchdowns to show for it. That’s the game right there.” Auburn's game against San Jose State will be a good opportunity for White to acclimate to running the offense in a nonconference game. There aren't any berths in the SEC Championship Game on the line, and since Auburn has fallen out of the national rankings, the eyes of America will more than likely not be on the Plains Saturday afternoon. With coach Gus Malzahn announcing Tuesday that White will indeed start again, White can put all his energy into getting an Auburn offense that has been struggling the past few weeks into a steady rhythm. The Tigers have only scored 88 points this season, which is the second-fewest in the SEC, ahead of only Missouri's 83. Auburn has been plagued with a distinct lack of explosive
plays this year, one of Malzahn's trademarks. Since the quarterback play has suffered from inconsistency, opposing defenses are repeatedly not respecting the deep throws, choosing instead to play several yards off of Auburn's receivers, preventing any deep threats from materializing. But if White can develop a sort of consistency at the quarterback position, things could start to open up. Another largely overlooked aspect of Auburn’s struggles has been the play of the offensive line, whose success determines how the rest of the team will perform. In the first half of the Mississippi State game, the Bulldogs’ defensive line bullied the Tigers, constantly getting penetration into the backfield and disrupting any potential motion-oriented plays Auburn had drawn up before they could materialize. They also put pressure on White, who wasn’t quite able to adjust to SEC defenses that weren’t his own. In the second half, however, Auburn’s offensive line began to give the offense some breathing room. They began plowing holes through Mississippi State’s defense, clearing massive lanes for Barber, Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson to run free through. Against a San Jose State team that only gives up 94.5 passing yards per game, White has a tough test in front of him, but that test should give him confidence moving forward into the meat of the SEC schedule.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
9
The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
Coach’s Corner
Offensive struggles put Malzahn in unfamiliar territory E van M c C ullers
assistant sports editor
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has done many things as a coach. He’s coached a Heisman Trophy winner and two more finalists, been to two national championship games and overseen some of the most high-powered offenses in college football history. One thing he has yet to experience in college coaching, or in his 15 seasons as a high school coach in Arkansas, for that matter, is losing. More specifically, Malzahn has rarely overseen a struggling offense. Malzahn began in the high school ranks, where he developed his trademark “Hurry Up No Huddle” offense, racked up a 14436-1 record and won three state championships before jumping into collegiate coaching as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas.
Malzahn’s offenses were near the top of college football statistically at Arkansas and Tulsa, but he made a name for himself nationally during his time at Auburn, where he was the coordinator of the 2010 offense that set nine school records. After going 9-3 and winning the Sun Belt championship in his one season as the head coach at Arkansas State, Malzahn returned to the Plains and orchestrated the biggest one-year turnaround in college football history in 2013, when Auburn became only the second school in college football history to exceed 7,000 total yards in a season. Auburn again found offensive success in 2014, but it has yet to find its rhythm this season. The Tigers have stumbled to a 2-2 record, including two ugly SEC losses that have plummeted Auburn to the bottom of the SEC West. The offense has nine turnovers in four games and recorded one of the worst of-
fensive outputs of Malzahn’s tenure against LSU, when it gained only 260 yards. Auburn failed to score an offensive touchdown against Mississippi State, the first time Malzahn has been held scoreless since the 2011 Iron Bowl. “We take great pride in scoring points around here and playing well on offense, and we haven’t done that yet,” Malzahn said at his weekly press conference. “There was times when we’ve done some good things, but we haven’t been consistent.” The struggling offense is one reason the Tigers have tumbled from their position near the top of preseason polls and are likely eliminated from the College Football Playoff only a month into the season. “It’s frustrating,” Malzahn said. “Our expectations are to be very good on offense, and I still feel like we’ll do that. We just need to do it soon.” One of the many offensive problems is
the lack of explosive plays this season. The Tigers have only eight offensive plays of more than 20 yards, something Malzahn said must improve if the offense hopes to produce better results. “We haven’t had the explosive plays that we’ve had in the past,” Malzahn said. “And that’s what we need to do as coaches is figure out a way to manufacture those things with our guys … We’ve not been in rhythm, and we’ve got to figure out a way to do that.” Partly as a result of offensive struggles previously foreign to Malzahn, he finds himself in an unfamiliar position, needing to turn his team around to avoid his first losing season as a head coach. “We’ve got some inexperienced guys,” Malzahn said. “We’ve got a chance to grow. That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to take this thing one game at a time. We’re going to get better, I promise you that.”
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
PLAINSMAN PICKS Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
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Thursday, October 1, 2015
Sports Editor (13-6)
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11
The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day
College football games to watch in week five Opinion
Nathan Deal Sports writer
No. 13 Alabama at No. 8 Georgia, 2:30 p.m., CBS In what could be the biggest SEC game of the season, the Crimson Tide invade Athens looking to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in SEC play. Georgia has been thoroughly dominant this season, thanks to a smothering defense and the legs of running back Nick Chubb. After years of missed opportunities, this Georgia team is hungry for an SEC championship, and beating the reigning conference champions would be a monumental step toward that goal. Alabama enters this game as underdog, its first regular season game as an underdog since 2008. In that game, Alabama jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead against Georgia in Athens on a night that signaled the beginning of a dynasty.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 12 Clemson, 7 p.m., ABC ESPN’s College GameDay is in town for a game that could prove to be a major factor in the College Football Playoff picture. The Fighting Irish have overcome season-ending injuries to starting quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston, as the new backfield of quarterback DeShone Kizer and running back C.J. Prosise have led Notre Dame to wins over ACC foes Virginia and Georgia Tech. Clemson, which was off last week, has Heisman contender Deshaun Watson under center and a home field advantage in these teams’ first meeting since 1979. No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 25 Florida, 6 p.m., ESPN The Rebels invaded Bryant-Denny Stadium and left with a win two weeks ago, and now they get an opportunity to take over “The Swamp” as well. Florida is in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2013 after a 4-0 start. The Ga-
tors, led by first-year coach Jim McElwain, have been living on the edge this year. Florida’s SEC wins, which came against Kentucky and Tennessee, have come by a combined score of 42-36. The Gators’ chances at an upset depend on whether an inconsistent offense can make plays against the Rebels’ dominant defense. No. 21 Mississippi State at No. 14 Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network Last season, Texas A&M started the season with a dominant win over a ranked team, beat some lesser opponents and beat Arkansas by a touchdown in overtime. That early-season momentum went by the wayside when the Aggies faced Mississippi State and fell behind 48-17 in a 17-point loss. This season, Texas A&M has followed the same winning formula as last season’s early success, but now comes the tricky part: exacting revenge on the Bulldogs. Mississippi State remains alive and well in the SEC West race after a 17-9 win at
Auburn, but the Bulldogs need to improve the rushing attack to win in College Station. Mississippi State has just 99 rushing yards combined in two SEC games this year. No. 23 West Virginia at No. 15 Oklahoma, 11 a.m., FOX Sports 1 Dana Holgorsen’s program is known for its high-scoring offense, and the Mountaineers have been explosive on offense this season. But what makes West Virginia a darkhorse contender in the Big 12 is its defense, which leads the nation in points allowed per game with 7.7. That defense could be relied on heavily against Oklahoma’s high-powered offense, led by first-year starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. West Virginia is 0-3 all-time against the Sooners on the road, losing by an average score of 38-10. The Mountaineers are also winless against Oklahoma since joining the Big 12 in 2012. Nathan can be reached at Sports@ThePlainsman.com.
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