Auburn University | Jordan-Hare Stadium

Named for Ralph “Shug” Jordan, Auburn’s all-time winningest football coach, and Clifford Leroy Hare, a member of Auburn’s first football team, Jordan-Hare Stadium has been home to the Auburn Tigers since 1939.

It seems like it’s been a long time since Auburn football was fun.

It hasn’t really, but the ache of 2008 was so strong that it feels like Auburn fans have been wandering the proverbial desert for 40 years.

New offensive coordinator Gus Malzhan is well on the road to changing that dynamic.

In his first two games with the Tigers, Malzhan has helped shred the team’s offensive record books, sent the scoreboard pinwheeling and put the Tigers at as solid a 2-0 as could have possibly been hoped for.

To say that Malzhan’s offense has so far exceeded expectations is like saying Kate Beckinsale is sort of pretty.

The evolution of that offense and the potential it brings to a Tiger team that has watched numerous seasons bog down with offensive inefficiency, adds a whole new dimension to fun at Jordan Hare Stadium.

How fun was Saturday night’s 49-24 demolition of Mississippi State?

It was mascot Aubie dancing with the band fun.

In the game’s final five minutes, fans were watching a play-by-play yardage total on the Jumbotron, urging the second team to gain a few more yards so Auburn could top 600 total on the night.

The Tigers didn’t quite get there, finishing with 589. Still, it was the second straight 500-plus yard outing for a Tiger offense that had difficulty gaining any yardage a year ago.  Through two games, the Tigers have amassed a school-record 1,145 yards.

Auburn didn’t break the 1,100 yard mark as a team until the fourth game of 2008.

Ben Tate and Onterrio McCalebb both topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight time. It’s the first time in school history two backs have gone over 100 yards in consecutive games.

Tate finished with 157 yards and didn’t play a single snap in the first quarter.  McCalebb added 115 on just 15 carries.  Both Tate and McCalebb averaged more than seven yards per attempt.

Tate finished 2008 with 664 yards, even after rushing for 117 in the season opener. The Tiger senior has racked up 272 already in 2009.

Kodi Burns ran for three touchdowns and passed for another on a well executed run fake that drew the entire Mississippi State defense in.

Auburn put up 49 points (and should have had more) against a Mississippi State team traditionally known for its defense.

Auburn scored more than 40 points only once in the last three seasons: a 55-20 win over New Mexico State in 2007.

The combined total of 86 points through two games is the best since Auburn put 63 on Ball State and followed that with 37 against Western Kentucky in 2005.

Auburn’s two-game total margin of victory, 49 points, is the widest of any two consecutive games since Auburn blasted Washington State 40-14 and then hammered Mississippi State 34-0 in 2006.

Last season’s well-chronicled 5-7 debacle aside, Auburn won a lot of games over the last few years. The Tigers posted nine wins in 2005, 11 in 2006 and nine more in 2007.

So many of those were gut wrenching, close ball games where the Tigers relied on their defense to hold the opposition at bay while the offense did just enough to win.  The record is littered with 23-17, 22-15, 17-3 type scores.

Former head coach Tommy Tuberville, despite a reputation as a riverboat gambler, grew increasingly conservative over the course of his 10-year Auburn tenure.

The 2009 edition of the Tigers under new head coach Gene Chizik seemingly has no such conservative bent.

Case in point: Mississippi State blocked a second quarter punt to take a 17-14 lead with just 4:44 remaining in the first half.

In previous seasons, the Tigers might have been content to play it safe, run out the clock and plan for the second half.

No longer. Auburn roared 80 yards in just five plays, burning a mere 1:36 off the clock to retake the lead. McCalebb covered the final 48 yards on a charge around left end.

When the defense held Mississippi State to one first down on its ensuing possession, the Auburn coaching staff judiciously used its timeouts to preserve the clock.

Auburn got the ball back at its own 22 with just 1:29 remaining.

Sit on the ball and protect the lead? No thanks.

Todd hit Darvin Adams for 21 yards on a third and eight.

After a five-yard bullrush by Tate, Todd and Adams connected again for 28 yards.  A 20-yard Todd to Adams completion moved the ball to the Bulldog one with 21 seconds still remaining.

Burns plunged in from there for one of his three touchdowns on the night.

Instead of taking a 17-14 deficit and a basket of questions to the halftime locker room, the Tigers posted two scores in the final 4:44 and carried a truckload of confidence to the break.

The Bulldogs were never a factor after that.

Yes, it’s only Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State.  Tech may struggle this season as evidenced by the 32-7 thrashing administered by Navy on Saturday.

MSU may not win a single conference game and most observers peg the Bulldogs as the league’s worst team.

But the Auburn of the last five years didn’t beat the Louisiana Techs and Mississippi States as thoroughly as this Auburn team did.  Those Auburn teams won more than their share of games.

It’s too early to begin building the Gene Chizik pedestal. It’s not time to start minting the Gene Chizik coins.  Unless you live in Iowa, where that was already done, that is.

It is time to recognize that if nothing else, Chizik and his staff have found a way to make football at Auburn fun again.

Now it’s time to see if they can make the Tigers relevant.  The road to relevance starts with 2-0 West Virginia on Saturday.

Auburn freshman running back Onterio McCalebb has been named the Southeastern Conference Football Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

McCalebb rushed for 148 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown during Auburn’s season-opening 37-13 victory over Louisiana Tech last Saturday. He also added 49 yards on two kickoff returns, giving him an SEC-leading 197 all-purpose yards.

McCalebb became the first Auburn freshman to have a 100-yard rushing game in a season opener since Bo Jackson rushed for 123 yards against Wake Forest in 1982. McCalebb’s total was the highest ever for an Auburn freshman in a season opener, and the seventh highest total by an Auburn freshman in any game.

After totaling 40 yards on the ground during the first half in just six carries, McCalebb exploded for 108 yards on 16 rushes, including a 3-yard touchdown, in the second half. Five of his 22 carries, including four in the second half, went for at least 10 yards.

Auburn (1-0) will host Mississippi State (1-0) in the SEC opener for both schools this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by Fox Sports Net.

Today is the day that has been circled on so many of our calendars. When South Carolina and NC State kickoff tonight, the 2009 college football season will officially arrive.

Recent history says that it will be a wild ride for the next four months. Parity reigns supreme, as small market teams aren’t afraid of traditional powerhouses anymore. Everyone has a shot at glory.

Obviously, I’m an Auburn fan. But above that, I’m a college football fan.

A fan who has opinions and loves the sport as much as anyone. So I want to cover the national landscape on a broad scale, and the Auburn landscape on a closer, more specific scale.

Each Thursday, I’ll provide a list of five things for Auburn fans to watch for in the upcoming game. Things that I feel will determine the outcome. Then, I’ll provide a look at the top five storylines or games around the country that are worth any college football fan’s attention.

On Sundays, I’ll have a recap article talking about Saturday’s Auburn game, in addition to the other big time stories in college football. I would love for anyone reading this to check back and comment whenever possible.

Please comment, debate, and discuss what I say and what others say. That’s what makes this sport great. Keep it clean; keep it classy. But always share your opinion. Now to this weekend:

Things To Watch For: Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech

1. Know Your Opponent

Auburn fans need to understand the danger in this season opener. Louisiana Tech is a team that won eight games (including a bowl game) last year, including a victory in Starkville, and returns nine starters to an offense that averaged almost 200 rushing yards per game in 2008. They will not be intimidated walking into Jordan Hare Stadium.

I have no doubts that the coaches and players understand this. But I do worry about fans not understanding how good Louisiana Tech is. It’s a game Auburn should win.

But don’t think for a minute that it’s one you can show up to and win because of the name on the front of your jersey.

2. Auburn’s Running Game

Gus Malzahn insists he wants to run the ball. History backs that claim up. With running back being the most reliable position on offense, expect to see heavy doses of Ben Tate, Mario Fannin, and Onterio McCalebb.

How successful that running game is will tell a lot in this game. It will take the pressure off Chris Todd and the defense. It will allow the offensive line to get back to what they have all admitted they prefer. If Auburn doesn’t run the ball more than they pass it, that’s not a good sign for the final score.

3. Who Plays at Linebacker

Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes will start and play a great deal. After that, the position of linebacker is mostly unknown. If Eltoro Freeman is healthy, he will start opposite Stevens. Behind those three, walk-on Wade Christopher and inexperienced players, like Adam Herring and Spencer Pybus, will all find the field if healthy. Freshmen Harris Gaston and Jonathan Evans might even get in the action.

Almost all of those players have been injured at some point this summer. And because of Chizik’s preference not to talk about injuries, we know very little about the status of quite a few of those guys.

Look for who plays and who doesn’t, and what that means for the next few weeks.

4. Injuries

Even at other positions, there’s a lot of questions to be answered about who is available to play at game speed. Be watching for who plays and who is not. And be praying that Auburn can make it through the first game without any severe injuries to starters.

5. An Attitude

Do Auburn’s players believe last year was a fluke caused by bad attitudes and conflict among coaches and philosophies?

How the team comes out of the tunnel and the way they play in the first quarter will answer a lot of questions that I have about the season.

This team, especially the defense, needs to play with a swagger; an attitude that they’re going to turn things around. I would imagine the returning players are going to be incredibly excited to get back on the field with a clean slate. Hopefully, that energy spills over to the newcomers and the fans, creating a great opening day atmosphere.

Things To Watch around the Country

1. Thursday Night Showdowns

The first night of college football provides two huge games for this early in the season. Both South Carolina and NC State would benefit greatly from a nationally televised win before heading into seasons where they’re both expected to improve.

Oregon and Boise State are both in the top 20. Oregon is the toughest test standing in the way of another 12-0 Boise State regular season. Oregon could make a huge splash by winning on the blue turf, a feat that is rarely accomplished.

2. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

How important is this game? Just look at Alabama and Clemson’s records after week one.

Virginia Tech is the only legitimate title contender from the ACC, and absolutely needs this one for their own goals and to provide some legitimacy to the top tier of their conference.

Alabama is out to put back-to-back, 10-win seasons for the first time in a long time. A loss in Week One would be a huge setback.

Will Virginia Tech be able to have any offensive success against what should be a dominant Alabama defense? Will Virginia Tech score on special teams and/or defense? Those are my keys.

3. Georgia @ Oklahoma State

A huge stage for the Cowboys in Stillwater. Are they a legitimate contender in the Big 12 south?

They get a chance to prove that they are against a Georgia team with talent. But they’re breaking in a lot of new key pieces, especially on offense. Can Georgia regain a defensive swagger and keep the score somewhat moderate with OK State? A shootout wouldn’t be good news for the Bulldogs.

4. Underdogs

There will be a team that completely overlooks their opponent and loses, causing a huge blow to their season. I have no idea who it will be. But watch the scores wherever you are on Saturday. Keep up with those games that are too close for comfort for their favorites. That’s where the greatness of college football lies.

5. Swing Games

There are a few games this weekend that will send the two teams in completely opposite directions. One team gets shot towards a great season, one falls miserably short of expectations.

A few games that fit in this category are Miami @ Florida State, South Carolina @ NC State, and possibly even BYU @ Oklahoma. All these teams need a big opening day win to get where they want to go. They will play in a physical, emotional way, making for some good television.

Like I said earlier, I hope you’ll check out this bi-weekly “blog.” Feel free to comment, second-guess, or ask a question. I hope you all are as excited as I am for this 2009 football season. It should be a great one! War Eagle!

September 5 2009

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October 31 2009. Jordan-O’Hare Stadium

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September 26 2009. Jordan-O’Hare Stadium

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October 17 2009. Jordan-O’Hare Stadium

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October 31 2009. Jordan-O’Hare Stadium

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November 27 2009. Jordan-O’Hare Stadium

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