Auburn’s 2001 season began with a promising 5-1 start, including an upset of No. 1 Florida. But just as soon as Tiger fans began dreaming of an SEC championship, Auburn slipped backwards, losing four of its last six games.
Included in that streak were three consecutive painful losses. First, the Tigers were beaten by hated rival Alabama, 31-7, in a CBS-televised game. The 24-point loss was Auburn’s largest in the series since the 1977 team fell 48-21. It also ended the Tigers’ 12-game home winning streak.
Despite the loss to the Crimson Tide, Auburn still had a shot to win the Southeastern Conference Western Division the next week by beating LSU. But Auburn couldn’t handle the Tigers on their home field and lost 27-14.
After nearly a month off, Auburn took on North Carolina in the Peach Bowl, and the result was all too similar. The Tar Heels led 16-0 after three quarters and hung on, 16-10.
Lost amid the euphoria over the Florida victory was the fact that Auburn was still a fairly young and inexperienced team. The Tigers raised the bar prematurely by beating the Gators, and when they came back down a notch as the season progressed, Auburn fans were disappointed.
So was fourth-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, who wasn’t pleased that his team didn’t seem to get better as the season progressed. After the Peach Bowl, Tuberville made the decision to cut loose offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and defensive coordinator John Lovett, both of whom had been with him for seven seasons, first at Ole Miss and then at Auburn.
Tuberville took his time finding replacements. His first hire came from the NFL. Bobby Petrino served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive coordinator in 2001.
"His background and his ability to develop quarterbacks will be a valuable resource to our program," Tuberville said. "He has a lot of experience as a coordinator and that along with his offensive philosophy and coaching style will make him a strong addition to our staff."
Petrino made moves in the spring to simplify Auburn’s offense.
"On offense, we’re going to be a run-oriented team that will use several different sets to throw the football," Tuberville said. "We’re going to spread the field and utilize our talent the best way we can."
Tuberville chose Gene Chizik to lead the defense. Chizik had worked the previous four seasons as Central Florida’s defensive coordinator. The system Chizik favors meshed with Tuberville’s philosophy perfectly.
QUARTERBACKS
Thanks to the kindness of the NCAA, the battle for the starting quarterback job between senior Daniel Cobb (6-4, 218) and sophomore Jason Campbell (6-4, 218) will go on another season.
That was assured in January, when the NCAA granted Cobb a sixth year of eligibility.
Cobb had petitioned the NCAA for a medical waiver of the five-years-to-play-four rule on the grounds that he missed his first two seasons because of injuries. Cobb originally signed with Georgia in 1997 but missed his first season because of a blood clot in his shoulder. He also missed his second season after undergoing surgery to alleviate the clotting.
Cobb left Georgia for Butler County (Kansas) Community College in 1999, then transferred to Auburn, where he was a backup in 2000.
Last season, Cobb shared the job with Campbell, but only after Campbell, then a red-shirt freshman, began the year as the starter.
Campbell, a Parade All-American in high school, lived up to his billing by leading Auburn to a win over Ball State in his first game and another over Ole Miss in his second. But in the season’s third game, Auburn and Campbell got roughed up by Syracuse and All-America defensive end Dwight Freeney.
Campbell seemed shaken by the experience, but kept his starting job despite sub-par efforts against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
Campbell was finally pulled from the lineup in the first quarter of the Florida game. Cobb came on and directed an upset of the nation’s top-ranked team, and it was nearly a month before Campbell returned to the field.
After Cobb had a bad game against Alabama, Campbell returned to the starting lineup for the Tigers’ SEC West showdown against LSU. Auburn lost, but Campbell remained the No. 1 quarterback for the Peach Bowl against North Carolina.
Campbell was knocked out of that game in the fourth quarter after being hit by the Tar Heels’ Dexter Reid. Cobb stepped in and directed the Tigers to a late touchdown.
For the season, Campbell started eight games and completed 89-of-142 passes (62.7 percent) for 1,117 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Cobb started four times and was 89-for-158 (56.3 percent) for 1,165 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Cobb carried the battle to the spring game last April, when he was chosen offensive MVP after completing 13-of-25 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Campbell hit 10-of-21 passes for 123 yards.
RUNNING BACKS
Here’s how strong Auburn is at tailback. Casinious Moore, who started five games a year ago and was the Tigers’ second-leading rusher, had to give up football in the spring because of recurring hamstring, knee and ankle problems. His contributions probably won’t be missed.
That’s because Auburn still has three excellent tailbacks in sophomore Carnell Williams (5-11, 200), sophomore Ronnie Brown (6-1, 222) and junior Chris Butler (5-11, 212).
Williams, the former Parade All-American, started his freshman season slowly in 2001 after suffering an ankle injury in Auburn’s opener against Ball State. Through the first six games, Williams’ best effort came against Vanderbilt, when he rushed for 56 yards and scored twice.
Things started to come together for Williams when the Tigers played Louisiana Tech in late October. He carried 16 times for 78 yards and scored a touchdown in that game. Williams blew up in Auburn’s next game, against Arkansas, when he carried 19 times for 177 yards. The next week, Williams rushed for 167 yards, setting a school record with 41 attempts, and finished with 238 all-purpose yards.
Williams’ momentum was derailed–as was Auburn’s–when he broke his left clavicle and was lost for the season against Alabama. Williams had already carried five times for 39 yards before going down. With Williams out of the lineup, Auburn lost to the Crimson Tide and the next week lost at LSU in a game that decided the SEC West championship. Auburn also lost the Peach Bowl match-up against North Carolina as Williams could only watch.
Williams finished the season with 615 yards on 120 carries. Williams was chosen a second-team freshman All-American by The Sporting News and easily made the SEC’s All-Freshman team.
Brandon Johnson (6-0, 233), a senior, played fullback and linebacker in 2001, sometimes in the same game. His biggest contribution as a fullback came against Mississippi State, when he rushed five times for 24 yards and caught a pass for 12 yards. Auburn coaches chose Johnson as their offensive player of the week after that game.
Johnson missed spring practice after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery, giving backups Michael Owens (6-0, 228) and Victor Horn (6-0, 226) a chance to get a lot of reps.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Auburn’s two leading receivers from last season are gone. Tim Carter, who caught a team-high 35 passes in 2001, used up his eligibility and was taken in the second round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants. And Deandre Green, who caught 32 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns, transferred to Division I-AA Murray State after two troubled years that culminated in Tuberville holding him out of the Peach Bowl because he missed a team meeting.
The departures of Carter and Green mean there is plenty of room for a freshman to make an impact, even though the Tigers return four players with varying degrees of experience behind them.
Senior Marcel Willis (6-1, 185) is the veteran of the group, having been a part of the rotation since 1999, when he was a freshman. A year ago, Willis was hampered by a strained foot, but he caught 14 passes for 142 yards in eight games. Willis has caught a pass in 20 of his last 21 games.
Both junior Jeris McIntyre (6-0, 210) and sophomore Joe Walkins (5-8, 180) made 12 catches a year ago, and neither scored a touchdown. McIntyre turned his dozen grabs into 187 yards, an average of 15.6 yards per catch. Walkins’ receptions accounted for 124 yards, a 10.3 average.
Sophomore Silas Daniels (6-0, 186) made eight catches for 85 yards and was the only one of the foursome to score in 2001. His first career touchdown came on a 16-yard pass from Cobb in the Louisiana Tech game. Daniels showed signs with his efforts against Arkansas (four catches for 45 yards) and North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl (three catches for 21 yards).
Tuberville was excited on national signing day after the Tigers corralled Devin Aromashodu (6-2, 185), Ben Obomanu (6-3, 185) and Montavis Pitts (6-1, 180).
The most decorated member of the class is Obomanu, a Parade All-American from Selma (Ala.) High School. A year ago, Obomanu caught 31 passes for 460 yards and nine touchdowns, and he also rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries. Obomanu was rated the fourth best receiver in the country by Rivals.com and the 11th best by PrepStar. SuperPrep ranked him the top player in Alabama in 2001.
Auburn is loaded with tight ends and apparently plans to take full advantage of them. In the Tigers’ first spring scrimmage, junior Robert Johnson (6-6, 270), senior Lorenzo Diamond (6-3, 258), and red-shirt freshman Cooper Wallace (6-3, 252) combined to catch 14 passes.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Auburn’s line needed a drastic retooling in the spring. Gone from 2001 are All-American Kendall Simmons and two other starters, Hart McGarry and Mike Pucillo. Simmons was taken in the first round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Senior Ben Nowland (6-3, 298), who has started 22 games the last three years, becomes the leader of the revamped line. He figures to be joined in the fall by guard Monreko Crittenden and tackles Ryan Broome and Mark Pera .
Nowland has been around a while, since the days of former Auburn coach Terry Bowden. Bowden’s 1998 team was racked by injuries at center, and Nowland found himself starting as a freshman. A broken foot forced him out of action after one start, and he didn’t play again, earning a medical hardship.
Nowland was a backup in 1999 and then started 10 games in 2000 and another 12, counting the Peach Bowl, a year ago.
Broome, who was red-shirted in 2000 and logged special team duties last season, lived in Barbados until his senior season of high school, when he moved to Georgia. In 1999 he made a quick impact at Wheeler High School in Marietta, eventually getting ranked among the state’s top 50 high school players.
Pera (6-6, 312) started two games at right tackle in 2001. His longest stint of the season came against Ball State, when he graded out at 95 percent on 45 plays. Pera injured an ankle against Georgia and missed the Alabama game.
Other red-shirt freshmen who figure to get a chance to play are Taylor Bourgeois (6-5, 292) and Steven Ross (6-5, 272). Bourgeois (shoulder) and Ross (cracked fibula, strained knee) missed spring practice but should be back to full speed by the fall.
KICKERS
Senior Damon Duval (6-1, 187) is the top dual-threat kicker in the country. In 2001, he earned Walter Camp and America Football Coaches’ Association All-America honors as a kicker after making 16-of-26 field goals and 28-of-28 extra points. Duval hasn’t missed an extra point in his career (85-for-85).
He had his share of struggles early in his career, but Duval has become one of Auburn’s most reliable weapons. In 2001, he kicked the game-winning field goal in three straight games. The streak started against Vanderbilt when Duval kicked a 49-yarder with 2:58 to play in the Tigers’ 24-21 victory. A week later, Duval was a hero again when he kicked a 47-yarder to beat Mississippi State with 18 seconds to play. The stakes were considerably higher the next week. With 10 seconds left, Duval’s 44-yarder beat Florida, then ranked No. 1, 23-20.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Two starters are gone from last year’s starting unit, but a solid nucleus returns, led by junior nose guard DeMarco McNeil (6-2, 303), who had to sit out spring practice after off-season surgery on his right knee. He’s expected back at full strength in the fall.
Last season McNeil made 33 tackles, including four for loss and one sack. He also intercepted a pass. McNeil tied for second on the team with 13 quarterback hurries. In his spare time, McNeil writes blues songs. Perhaps spending spring practice on the sideline gave him fodder for some new material.
Joining McNeil up front are junior tackle Spencer Johnson (6-3, 281) and junior end Reggie Torbor (6-3, 235).
Johnson finished sixth on the team with 48 tackles in 2001. Four of those tackles were for loss and he was also credited with half a sack.
Torbor produced 30 tackles, five tackles for losses totaling 32 yards and led the team with 15 quarterback hurries. Torbor didn’t start a game after being voted the most improved defensive lineman after spring practice in 2001, but he played in all 12.
At the other end spot, sophomore Bret Eddins (6-5, 254) is the likely starter, with red-shirt freshman Jake Slaughter (6-2, 232) behind him.
LINEBACKERS
Tuberville has said that Auburn’s talent at linebacker is as good as he’s ever seen. That’s high praise, but Dontarrious Thomas , Karlos Dansby and Mark Brown have proven their worth and will do so again this season, when they form the backbone of Auburn’s defense.
Weak side linebacker Thomas (6-4, 223) had a monster year as a sophomore, breaking out with 122 tackles, twice as many as anyone else on the team. He also led the Tigers with nine tackles for loss and was credited with 1.5 sacks.
Thomas put together five double-digit tackle games during the regular season, with a high of 19 against Syracuse. He also made 17 against LSU and 15 against Georgia. Thomas was chosen the SEC Player of the Week after a 15-tackle performance against Vanderbilt that included a tackle for loss on the Commodores’ fake field goal attempt late in the game.
Dansby (6-5, 218), a junior who plays the strong side, finished third on the team in tackles with 59 and had eight tackles for loss. He led the Tigers with five interceptions. Dansby earned a starting job after the fourth game of the year, and he averaged 6.9 tackles and made all of his interceptions after that point.
Brown (6-1, 243), a senior, will start in the middle. He missed three games with a neck strain in 2001, but still finished fifth on the team in tackles with 55. He made up for lost time (after being held out against Arkansas, Louisiana Tech and Florida), with a career-high 13 tackles against Mississippi State. He also had a nine-tackle game against Syracuse and eight against Ole Miss.
The Auburn coaches are excited about Lemarcus Rowell (6-3, 217), a freshman who would have played last season were it not for a blunder by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Rowell was a highly decorated star at Opelika High School, were he was a Parade and USA Today All-American and rated the No. 5 linebacker in the country by Tom Lemming and SuperPrep.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Auburn’s secondary returns intact from a year ago. The Tigers have a nice blend of experience and youth.
Sophomore Carlos Rogers (6-1, 184) locked one cornerback spot down as a freshman in 2001. He came to Auburn with more maturity than most rookies after a postgraduate year at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy.
The year at Hargrave did Rogers good–he stepped in the Tigers’ lineup and started 10 games. He finished with 58 tackles, fourth on the team, and he led Auburn with 12 pass breakups.
Seniors Roderick Hood (5-10, 193) and Rashaud Walker (5-10, 202) will hold down the other cornerback spot. In 2001, Walker made five tackles and broke up nine passes, including five against LSU.
Hood started 10 games and made 29 tackles.
Sophomore Donnay Young (6-0, 199) and senior Travaris Robinson (5-10, 193) will handle the free safety job. Last season Young played in all 12 games and started four times. He totaled 23 tackles on the season, 14 of them coming in the last two regular-season games against Alabama (six) and LSU (eight).
Robinson played in 11 games in the secondary and on special teams. He acounted for 27 tackles.
Sophomore Junior Rosegreen (6-0, 187) will man the strong safety position. Rosegreen made 24 tackles last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Auburn gets a lot of mileage out of its special teams players. There’s double-duty Duval, of course, and also Hood, who returns punts and kicks.
Last season, Hood returned 18 kickoffs for 323 yards, an average of 17.9 yards per return. He was more impressive as a punt returner, bringing back 15 for 154 yards. That 10.3 yards per return average ranked fifth in the SEC and 48th in the country. Hood is a former walk-on.
Receiver Joe Walkins was even better returning punts. His average of 11.1 yards per return was third in the conference and 30th nationally.
Junior Jeremy Wells (6-1, 240) will handle the long-snapper duties and junior Justin Fetsko (5-8, 160) is the holder.
RECRUITING CLASS
Auburn went after linemen on both sides of the ball and wide receivers, and the emphasis paid big dividends. The Tigers also came up with a bonus or two at other positions.
Quarterback Brandon Cox (6-3, 190) was chosen Alabama’s Mr. Football in 2001 after completing 233-of-329 passes for 2,887 yards and 27 touchdowns at Hewitt-Trussville High School. Cox was rated one of the top 10 pro-style quarterbacks in the nation by Rivals.com and also appeared on ESPN.com’s list of the top 20 quarterbacks. He was chosen an All-American by PrepStar, SuperPrep and Max Emfinger.
LSU and Florida also were in the running for the services of Cox, who settled on Auburn after Florida coach Steve Spurrier left for the NFL.
Auburn’s offensive line group included Troy Reddick (6-6, 310) of Albany, Ga., Marcus McNeill (6-7, 315) and Jonathan Palmer (6-5, 311)–teammates at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga.–and Tim Duckworth (6-4, 292) of Taylorsville, Miss.
Auburn also racked up on the defensive side of the ball. Tuberville and his staff were pleased to sign lineman T.J. Jackson (6-1, 280) of Opelika, Ala. and linebackers Tyrone Martin (6-1, 212) of Alexander City and Kevin Sears (6-4, 220) of Russellville.
Martin had a monster senior season at Benjamin Russell High School, finishing with 200 tackles, 26 sacks and four fumble recoveries. After committing to Auburn early, he had to withstand late overtures from Florida and Nebraska.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
Auburn’s look has changed this season as Tuberville replaced his offensive and defensive coordinators. In a league as tough as the SEC, you either move ahead or get left behind. Tuberville didn’t like the prospects of the latter option, thus his decision to change coordinators.
Some things won’t change in 2002. Campbell and Cobb will still battle for the starting quarterback job. Duval will be the best two-way kicker in the country. The linebackers and secondary will be strong.
Tuberville will be looking for help on both lines from a strong class of incoming freshmen. Also look for a freshman wide receiver or two to make an impact.
Can the Tigers improve on their 7-5 record of a year ago? They will have to brace up to do it. They start the season with a trek to Los Angeles to play Southern Cal. As Alabama learned when it opened the 2000 season at UCLA, traveling that far for the first game of the year is tough.
Auburn gets breathers in its next two games against Division I-AA Western Carolina and Vanderbilt, but then it’s Mississippi State (away), Syracuse, Arkansas, Florida (away), LSU and Ole Miss (away) the next six weeks.
If Auburn can pull four wins out of that murderous stretch of games, the Tigers can be in the hunt for the SEC West championship. The division is so tough that one slip-up could mean the difference between first place and fifth place.
