Auburn -3

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Ugh, one other thing for you to consider... Auburn played 12 straight games this season with no Bye. LSU was the 3rd game, Arkansas was 6th, and Florida was 7th. We've been hampered by injury the whole season between Brandon Cox's knee and Kenny Irons' toe, knee, and shoulder (maybe the ankle also?) we lost a lot of offensive production. I would look to the Washington state game if you want to see what Auburn is going to be like fully healthy. And yes, Auburn's offense has been weak this season, but in our biggest games, our defense has more than made up for that. The defense held LSU to 3 points and Florida to 17. In the Florida game, we scored 27 points and not one of them was an offensive touchdown. We had 4 field goals from our incredible PK, one touchdown, a well placed punt put us in position to score on a safety, a blocked punt on special teams for a touchdown, and a fumble return for a touchdown put Auburn in the lead. In fact, if you count the safety as a special teams score, our special teams alone scored 21 points. And that might be nothing against any other team, but that was against Florida. Don't count Auburn out for their lack of offense, keep them in for their incredible defense and special teams.

 

 

This is how we get beat..

When their Defense and special teams can outscore most Offenses.

 

Sounds like OUR Defense last season.

 

 

After Callahan's pep talk the other day I'd expect our defense to come out with a little fire in their bellies. I've got a feeling also with all the younger guys getting press over the last few practices we're going to see a few of them in the game next month. Especially in our secondary. I'm beginning to think we are going to see one of the best defensive performances we've seen from the blackshirts this season.

 

Well I hope you are right because we are going to need them to be playing their best game to beat Auburn.

[RandWDE]

I like your confidence. Not sure I agree with your reasoning. Yes Courtney Taylor is the one proven wide receiver, he's had a down year due to minor injury and mostly other teams giving him more attention. Rod Smith has been improving constantly all year and I wouldn't be surprised to see a big game out of him. Also, our passing game involves the TEs a whole lot(2 talented redshirt freshmen after the starter broke his ankle). The RBs are in on the passing game as well. Brad Lester and Kenny Irons usually get the screen passes. Carl Stewart can line up at the slot or run the wheel out of the backfield.

 

Is it possible Nebraska blows out Auburn? Yes, its possible. Likely? I hope not.

 

Our weakness on defense I believe is run defense. Small, fast team seems to get run over at times. Secondary seems to show up at majority of the games. On obvious passing down have two DEs (Groves and Gunn) that can come off the edge in a hurry.

 

Our punt return is just about aweful. Kick return on the other hand is usually pretty good. Hopefully can help us on field position. Place kicker is usually pretty acurate and has range up to about 55 yards. Punter has won games with changing field position when the offense hasn't been able to get it done.

 

I plan on being at the game. Hope its a good one. Good luck to y'all and safe traveling to anyone going out that way.

 

Go Big Red & War Damn Eagle

[tattooedhusker]

well sure you get a Go Big Red & War Damn Eagle WELCOME!!

 

hope you all stick around, even after the bowl. You guys are awesome, knowledgable, and classy as they come!

[Hawkeyehusker]

Welcome to the board RandWDE! It should be a good game. Here is my analyst of Nebraska.

 

On offense we are extremely balanced. Our running game has gone from an abject weakness last season (96 yards a game) to a genuine strength this year( 175 yards per game). We have 4 running backs that are all very good, Jackson (5.3 ypc), Glenn (5.2 ypc), Wilson (4.5 ypc) and Lucky 5.5 ypc). Jackson has been getting the lions share of the carries lately and is at 951 yards rushing for the season. Three of the backs are banged up though, Jackson (broke hand), Lucky (back), Glenn (foot). At least three of them should be ready by game time. Like Auburn, our running backs catch the ball a lot as well. RB's Lucky and Jackson are our 3rd and 4th leading receivers. Our other two top receivers are Purify and Nunn. Purify is going to play on Sundays. He's a game breaker capable of scoring on almost any reception. By the time he leaves Nebraska he very well may be considered one of the best receivers we have ever had. Our QB Zac Taylor is a senior playing his last game. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm but is is very accurate and efficient. Zac has a QB efficiency rating of 149 with a TD to interception ratio of 25 - 7. We have also scored 26 TD's on the ground. So far this season on offense we have rolled up 5574 total yards, 3291 in the air and 2283 on the ground. Our combined 3rd and 4th down conversion rate is 48%. 99 out of 206. We do very well in the red zone scoring 86% of the time. Usually always a TD. In the red zone we have only gone for a field goal 4 times making it 3 times. Overall we have only gone for a field goal 7 times this season making 5 of them, the longest being 40 yards. Callahan likes to run trick plays. Expect to see a few. Our punting game has been a mixed bag this year but over the last few games we have gotten very good at dropping it inside the five yard line. Our rushing defense can be very good at times. Our secondary can be taken advantage of. It's our weakness on defense. But I think we will see some of our younger players get in the game on defense. We have a number of younger guys that Coz may let in the game if he doesn't consider your passing game a strength. If our opponents have an efficient QB plus a go to reciever we can get burned. On defense I think Coz will try to shut down your running game and force you to beat us in the air. We tried that with the sooners and held them to only 42 yards on the ground on 28 carries but we shot ourselves in the foot turning the ball over 4 times.

 

It should be a good game. I wish I was going..

[RandWDE]

Plays to look for, other than your normal running and passing plays.

 

We fake the reverse to the wide receiver a whole lot. Usually enough to set it up for the actual reverse later in the game.

 

Playaction to the TE is usually a given. Against South Carolina I think we ran the same playaction to the right, TE out in the flats to the left 3 or 4 times.

 

Also a RB pass is usually mixed in somewhere. Used it to get a 2-pt conversion against Bama.

 

Cox seems to be most accurate on the short passes to the WRs. Across the middle or a little 5-7 yard curl route. No many deep routes are called. Probably because our O-line has been subpar on pass protection and not allowing Cox, who isn't very mobile, time to check his reads.

 

Kenny Irons, despite his injuries has done pretty good this year. He sat out 2 games and has 821 yards, 4 TDs, 4.7 ypc, 174 carries.

 

Brad Lester has been a very good back to complement Irons. 510 yards, 9 TDs, 4.9 ypc, 104 carries.

 

Might even get to see Ben Tate, a very promising looking freshman from Maryland. 7.4 ypc on 50 carries with 3 TDs.

 

On short yardage 3rd and 4th downs, Carl Stewart usually get the carry up the middle.

 

3rd down conversion = 41% If we get in 3rd and over 7 yards it gets tough for us.

4th down conversion = 79% on 14 tries. Tommy likes to go for it a lot on 4th and short.

Red zone scoring = 86% with 23 TDs out of 42 attempts.

 

If need be, because of the score or momentum appearing to change, there are a few trick plays or risks Tubs takes. Tommy has been nicknamed "the Riverboat Gambler." Granted he does not show it as much as in the past, but every once in a while he'll go for it in a situation it is least expected. Example would be the Washington State game. They just scored and held us to an apparent 3 and out on somewhere around our own 18. Fake punt with a run up the middle, good for 42 yards.

 

The few Nebraska games I have seen, I was impressed with Purify. I'm sure you're not surprised with that. At first I just noticed his name, then I noticed his play. I'm excited to see him in person.

 

We have dropped off significantly at WR this year, but that is what happens when you lose 3 guys that were over 1,000 yards a piece.

 

Hope both teams show up and we have one heck of a game. I don't want to be disappointed after driving and then waking up that early New Year's Day.

['76 Tiger]

You're getting straight talk from the Auburn fans on your board. You should try to run up the gut. If you can do so, you will have the whip hand. If not, you'll have a very tough game.

 

Our offense was so beat up all year that we have no idea what your defense will encounter. We could be tough to stop, or we could stop ourselves. Our defense will probably be stout.

 

Tuberville tends to get conservative if he has a lead. We won't blow you out unless your wheels come off like ours did against Wisconsin a year ago.

 

Here's looking forward to what will probably be a good defensive game.

 

War Eagle.

[AUalum_04]

After the long lay-off I'm just excited to have our team healthy for a change....a lot of fans contributed our 2 losses to injury , and after being witness to the LSU game (quite possibly the hardest hitting game I've ever been to in my life), you have to wonder a bit.....I'm anxious to see how the Tigers will respond to the rest....

 

I know we have an undersized Defense, but don't underestimate the ferocity of a Tiger team that went 10-2, and beat the 2 best teams in our Conference....I don't think you luck into beating your 2 best opponents...now whether we play like we did against Florida and LSU is the question....If Brandon Cox becomes the efficient passer that he is capable of being(loves to throw the slant and crossing route), and Kenny Irons pounds the ball like a potential Heisman candidate (which he was at the beginning of the season), I think we will be fine...I just can't see our Defense giving up a ton of points....maybe that's just me though???

 

GBR & WDE

[WarTeddy]

I'm not sure which Auburn team will show up. We have not played a complete game since the Wash St game. We have a butt load of talent on both sides of the ball. It's how our coaches prepare the team for this one that will make all the difference. This Nebraska team is hungry and needs to get that Identity back. I am not so sure Nebraska has more at stake than us in this one. Might give Nebraska the edge as far as who wants this one. I've seen Nebraska play in a few games this year. They are just a few plays away from being a way better team.

 

If I had money on this game I would go with Nebraska. They just have too much riding on this one. I hope Auburn wins. But I think Nebraska wants and needs this one more. Will be a great game either way. I know some Auburn fans will question me. But heck we were supposed to beat a lowly team in Georgia at home too. LOL

 

 

WARRRRRR EAGLE!!!!!!

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Your right...............we do have a lot riding on this game. If we lose this game we go 9-5 on the season and that doesn't look very good!!!! Granted the last two games were the Big XII Championship and the Cotton Bowl, but still................