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 Grade 'A' Day QBs look sound for Tuberville's 'embarrassed' Tigers
Posted: Sunday April 25, 1999 12:55 AM
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Auburn's defense looks like it could be one of the nation's best -- again -- come fall. But that didn't help the Tigers last year as they limped their way to a 3-8 record. "This is an embarrassed football team," said coach Tommy Tuberville, hired to replace former coach Terry Bowden, who abruptly resigned in October. "These guys are embarrassed by last year, on how they couldn't finish a game off. I am a little disappointed in our running game, and we are still struggling at receiver." But the quarterback situation appeared sound at the Tigers' A-Day scrimmage Saturday. Gabe Gross played for the first team offense, or the blue squad, in the first half and was 11-for-16 with a touchdown pass, a touchdown run, an interception and 143 yards. In the second half, Gross moved to the white team, or the second team offense. There, he was 5-of-9 with 48 yards. He earned offensive MVP honors. Gross hit Reggie Worthy with a 21-yarder late in the first quarter to put the blue squad on the board. The white squad answered with 11:54 left in the first half with Tellie Embry's 3-yard run set up from an Adlai Trone interception. Gross also had a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:32 left in the quarter. A Robert Bironas field goal at the end of the quarter finished the day's scoring. "Not many of us have experience. We are just learning," said Worthy. "We made some huge improvements." Junior walk-on Alex Lincoln was named defensive MVP. He had seven tackles Saturday. Tuberville said he would have a chance to play this year. While Tuberville said he was proud of quarterbacks Gross and Ben Leard, he said it was too early to say which one will win the starting quarterback position. "Gabe threw the ball a lot sharper today than I have seen him throw it," he said. "It's going to be a good competition in two-a-days. We'll have to look at the film." Leard said he's confident with his performance and that of the offense. Defensive starters Marcus Washington, Jimmy Brumbaugh and Antwoine Nolan were held out of the scrimmage. "I think we have a lot to prove from last year," said sophomore tailback Michael Burks. "Our offense needs to work harder and come together as a unit." Tuberville believes he's already seen some of that coming together, as the Tigers struggle to overcome last year and look ahead. "The attitude and work ethic of the players has been outstanding," he said. "They're not giving up on us."
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