Monday, September 4, 2017
2 former Auburn defensive linemen join NFL practice squads
Released on Saturday when NFL teams reduced their 90-player rosters to meet the league regular-season limit of 53, former Auburn defensive linemen Angelo Blackson and Gabe Wright signed up for practice-squad duty on Monday.
Blackson, a defensive end who was waived by the Tennessee Titans, joined the New England Patriots, and Wright, a defensive tackle who was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles, joined the Miami Dolphins.
After joining the Titans in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Blackson had two similar seasons in Tennessee. As a rookie, he played 244 snaps with the Titans' defense (23 percent) and 113 plays on special teams. In 2016, he played 251 snaps with the Titans' defense (23 percent) and 103 plays on special teams.
But in 2015, Blackson produced 2.5 sacks and played the entire season. In 2016, he failed to record a sack and missed three games.
Miami becomes Wright's fourth NFL team since he entered the league as a fourth-round draft choice in 2015 - picked by the Detroit Lions 13 choices after the Titans took Blackson.
Wright played seven games for the Lions as a rookie. After being released by Detroit, Wright played five games in 2016 with the Cleveland Browns, who, like the Dolphins this year, signed Wright for the practice squad after he'd been let go at the end of the preseason.
Wright spent training camp with the Eagles this year and had four tackles and 1.5 sacks in Philadelphia's preseason finale on Thursday night.
Blackson and Wright join 11 other players with Alabama football roots who were signed for NFL practice squads on Sunday:
- Offensive tackle Blaine Clausell (Baker) with the Carolina Panthers.
- Wide receiver Gehrig Dieter (Alabama) with the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Guard Brandon Greene (Alabama) with the Chicago Bears.
- Linebacker Cassanova McKinzy (Woodlawn, Auburn) with the Los Angeles Rams.
- Safety Rolan Milligan (UAB) with the Lions.
- Quarterback Nick Mullens (Spain Park) with the San Francisco 49ers.
- Safety B.T. Sanders (Foley) with the Buffalo Bills.
- Guard Chad Slade (Moody, Auburn) with the Houston Texans.
- Wide receiver Justin Thomas (Prattville) with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Cornerback Marquez White (Northview) with the Dallas Cowboys.
- Safety Jermaine Whitehead (Auburn) with the Green Bay Packers.
There were two other NFL transactions on Monday involving players from Alabama high school and colleges. Quarterback Joe Webb (Wenonah, UAB) signed with the Bills, and wide receiver Josh Magee (Hoover, UAB, South Alabama) was released by the Atlanta Falcons with an injury settlement after being placed on injured reserve on Saturday.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM'S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2x6jb4q
Cody Parkey replaces a kicker who replaced a kicker who replaced him
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2gGvBZr
Nervous at 1st, Jamel Dean gains confidence in long-awaited Auburn debut
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2xJuagV
Auburn Football Review: Georgia Southern
from AuburnTigers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIa6ppkSPVo
How Roc Thomas, Auburn transfers fared in Week 1
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2eDSfBs
Tigers Throttle Georgia Southern! (Grading Auburn’s 41-7 win over Georgia Southern)
The Eagle Offense was smothered!
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
War Eagle everybody! It’s time now for the Acid Reign Report on Auburn’s season opening win over the Eagles. It was a bit of a shaky start for the new-look Auburn offense, but the defense resembled one of the best Pat Dye/Wayne Hall units back in the late 1980s. Once the Eagles fell behind by double digits in the second quarter, the game was essentially over. That offense would have no chance of producing enough points to matter.
What I saw from early second quarter onward was an offense that did pretty much what it wanted to, even with a pretty vanilla plan. I didn’t get to watch the first quarter till this morning. Wow, was there some rust early on! There was miscommunication with the receivers at times, but the real glaring issue was the left side of the offensive line. Georgia Southern was stunting, blitzing, and stemming, and the two new starters on that side of the ball were taken aback on several occasions.
Georgia Southern was able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback early, and Jarrett Stidham took a beating. This culminated in a blind side hit where Stidham had not even taken 3 steps, the ball popped out, and Georgia Southern cashed it for a scoop-and-score. I have to tip my hat to both Stidham and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. Stidham shook it off, and played pretty well from that point on. Lindsey was a lot more guarded on what he called, going left for the rest of the half.
The second half was a completely different story, on the offensive line. The slide-protection concept was used most of the time, and the pocket held up well. Both Prince Tega Wanogho and Mike Horton are big, strong and agile linemen, and both have huge upsides. It’s up to the coaches to get them in the right spots. The whole line did really well on run-blocking, too. When a variety of reserve running backs are having good days, the line is doing the job.
The issue that most worried me throughout the game was ball security. I saw numerous examples of ball-carriers and receivers not tucking that ball away securely. Officially, Auburn had 4 fumbles, and unofficially, I saw about 5 dropped passes. Five drops on 26 pass attempts will get you beat, in the SEC.
There were basically 2 plays where Georgia Southern’s offense gained 10 yards or more. The rest of the time, the offense went nowhere. I am going to have a hard time issuing a grade to the Auburn secondary, because the ball never really made it to them! Auburn’s front seven was a terror. There were plays when Georgia Southern was unable to stop all 4 Auburn defensive linemen from getting into the backfield. Auburn’s linebackers completely neutralized options. There was nowhere for the ball to go, that didn’t have sure-tackling blue shirt streaking up to make the play.
The past few seasons, the key to moving the ball on Auburn was to locate Carl Lawson, and either double team him, or run the play to the opposite side. When Lawson wasn’t in the game, Auburn was in serious trouble. At least from this first game, that is no longer possible. Auburn is loaded with linemen that can penetrate and disrupt, well into the bench. Guys like Byron Cowart and Nick Coe had big days, which was good to see.
I thought Auburn had a very good special teams day, even with a couple of missed field goals. The misses were from 46 and 53 yards, and I can’t be too upset about those. Even in the NFL, 45+ yards is basically a coin-flip, or worse odds. Auburn kicked mostly touchbacks, and had great coverage on the one kick and one punt that were returnable. Georgia Southern displayed obvious fear of punting the ball to Stephen Roberts. Instead, they sacrificed yardage by kicking it out of bounds multiple times.
Unit Grades, after the jump!
Defensive Line: A+. I could count off for a facemask penalty, and an offsides flag. I didn’t. The facemask looked inadvertent on Marlon Davidson. I will take one offsides penalty per game. That’s an effort penalty, I think. Auburn’s last Lombardi winner (Nick Fairley) was offsides here and there. Jeffrey Holland is in some good company, there! This is a deep and talented line that plays with a mean streak. This unit contributed 4 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 30 total tackles. That’s astounding. Typically, the line gets about 10 tackles.
Linebackers: A+. What a big day Tre’ Williams had! He led the team with 10 tackles, and was usually around the ball. Aside from Williams, the other linebackers were in good position, and did their jobs well. There really wasn’t as much of an opportunity for these guys, because the line was swallowing up runners so well. The linebackers contributed 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 17 total tackles.
Secondary: A+. Georgia Southern was only able to attempt 8 passes, and none covered more than 7 yards on 4 completions. Aside from that, the Auburn secondary was active making tackles near the line of scrimmage. Stephen Roberts led the way with 4 tackles, 2 of them for a loss. The secondary generated 17 total tackles. Daniel Thomas intercepted the Eagles’ last hail Mary attempt.
Punting: B. Ian Shannon only had to punt once in this one, and got off a nice 42-yarder with no return.
Punt Returns: B-. Stephen Roberts had only 1 return for 6 yards, while the Eagles punted 11 times. It’s not Roberts’ fault, though, as the Eagles kicked away from him repeatedly. I did count off for the one 61-yard Eagle punt. Roberts let that one get behind him. Fortunately, the ball didn’t roll much after it hit.
Kick Returns: A. There was only one returnable kick, and Javaris Davis popped it for 29 yards. With a little better blocking, he would have been gone.
Place Kicking: A. I counted off a little bit for the 2 misses, which is probably unfair. Daniel Carlson did nail one from 50 yards, and became the top scorer in Auburn history. Carlson had 7 touchbacks on 8 kickoffs. On the one ball that was returned, the coverage team dumped the return man at the 12.
Offensive Line: B+. A few glaring errors lowered what was otherwise a pretty good effort. This line dominated Georgia Southern, as long as they knew who to block. Late in the game, even the second team line was having success.
Running Backs: A-. I counted off a bit for one fumble, although right tackle Darius James alertly fell on that loose ball. There were a handful of missed protections by some of the younger backs. I felt like all of the running backs ran well, and had good vision. We all knew that Kam Martin was fast, and a home run threat. I was pleasantly surprised by Martin’s ability between the tackles, when he had to step into the number one role. Hated seeing Kerryon Johnson’s injury. He was having a great game, to that point. For the game, Johnson averaged 8.5 yards per carry, and Kam Martin had 9.7. The worst of the various backs that carried the ball was 5.0 yards per carry, by Malik Miller. There wasn’t a bad average in the bunch. I was also impressed by the H-back blocking.
Receivers: B. I counted off mostly for drops, and a lost fumble. For the most part, I do think that the receivers did a decent job of blocking, and they tried to sell their routes, even though a lot of it was just the same 4 verticals stuff from last season. Auburn did run some mesh and crossing routes on 3rd down, and was very effective against a blitzing defense. I will look forward to this unit being back up to full strength, next week!
Quarterback: B+. In his first Auburn start, Jarrett Stidham did not do too badly. There were a couple of crucial turnovers. I didn’t count off much on the fumble, even though it gave the Eagles their only points. What I did count off for was a first-quarter attempt to force the ball past a well-placed defender. What was good was that those sorts of throws weren’t repeated in the game, unlike in the previous couple of seasons. After the fumble, Stidham regrouped and had a good day, scrambling and buying time, and making some nice throws. I also loved seeing Devin Adams get a chance to play, late.
I enjoyed seeing a comfortable Auburn win, Saturday. We saw a lot of potential in this veteran, deep team. A big road trip to Clemson awaits, this weekend. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers from this game, but we do have to remember that this was Georgia Southern. This was a 5-7 team from a year ago, and not in a Power-5 conference. I expected before the game that Auburn should handily win both battles in the trenches. Clemson will be a different animal, particularly on the defensive front. We can’t have assignment gaffes, this week.
I have to hand it to the Eagles, for sticking with their plan and toughing the game out. Some teams would have panicked and started trying to air it out. Georgia Southern stuck to their plan, and had a little late success. They got in a day of good work against probably the best defense they will see all year. There will be a lot more room to run on Sun Belt defenses.
And now, I hope everyone is enjoying a great Labor Day. Then it will be time to get back to work, and get ready for a colossal battle in Clemson next weekend. I can’t wait! It will be my first full college football day of the season, and I plan to soak it all up!
The post Tigers Throttle Georgia Southern! (Grading Auburn’s 41-7 win over Georgia Southern) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://bit.ly/2vZOsAG
Nick Coe 'changed the line of scrimmage' in Auburn debut
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2vYZMgI
Auburn Football: Every Day – Episode 1 (2017)
The first episode of the 2017 season of Auburn Football: Every Day goes home with linebackers Tre Williams and Deshaun Davis, features the walk-ons that received scholarships this offseason, and previews the 2017 season.
from WarBlogle.com http://bit.ly/2eVXMQG
AL.com All-Access: Alabama's legit; time to find out about Auburn
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2wAJRqN
Gameday Tweets: Auburn 41, Georgia Southern 7
GAMEDAY BAAAABBBBBAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!! #auburn #wareagle #BeatGSU
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Days to kickoff: 0. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/f0rm4ufcAM
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Your SEC game winners: Mizzou, NC St, Fla, S. Miss, Miss St, UGA, Ole Miss, Vandy, Alabama, LSU, UCLA, Tenn, Auburn. http://bit.ly/2wByQFM
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Happy 5th Birthday to @BabyBlogle2. You’re 1-4 against Alabama, but that gets better this year. #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/7ji9Un8Oud
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
“hey girl hey” http://bit.ly/2wByRJQ
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
No, you brought 4 hats to campus because you couldn’t decide which one to wear. #auburn #wareagle
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
They stole our eagle flight, they ride in $2 school buses, they used to be The Culture. Georgia Southern is STRANGE. http://bit.ly/2vFsDez http://pic.twitter.com/NFH1HO9kbh
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Auburn's tailgating scene right now. http://pic.twitter.com/OhubBphkhX
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
REMINDER: there will be a FG net in the North end zone and a DJ in front of the students literally playing the same BOOMtron music as usual.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
I feel like the world is just now learning what those that know @colecubelic have always known: he doesn’t like much and barely likes you.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Weather report: hotter than than I want it to be. #auburn #wareagle
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
You will lose. http://bit.ly/2wByUp0
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Missouri shot even, and might give up 100 in every game the rest of the year. (h/t @ascottpvb) http://bit.ly/2vFsFTJ
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Auburn has a shiny new toy. It’s time to see it in action. GEORGIA SOUTHERN PREVIEW: http://bit.ly/2wByWx8 #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/kaCoMf7Klc
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
I’ve been watching this tailgate watch the tennis US Open for the last two hours and I am just as appalled as I was at the start. #auburn
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
126 straight. 2000-present. #auburn #wareagle (@ Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium) http://bit.ly/2wBdkAE http://pic.twitter.com/E4jREAJ2Uj
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Get on it. Einstein will be threading the game, trying to look smart. http://bit.ly/2wByXBc
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Shiny new poles. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/tV4ehl17ma
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
RIP @colecubelic’s mentions.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Sean White, Kam Pettway, and Kyle Davis did offseason things that they are no longer in trouble for, but missing a game was part of it.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Malzahn suspends for things not big enough to make the news. Saban tells you his non-suspensions are sufficient for newsworthy issues. http://bit.ly/2wByY8e
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
The eagle flight ain’t real unless you see the dead mice on the field afterwards. #auburn #wareagle
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Good mic man. Much energy. #auburn #wareagle
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
I’d call it a sellout, and whatever the new student ticket policy is worked. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/9bllRXjCwg
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
Your quarterback. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/bngDktUxW4
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 2, 2017
O still figuring some things out. Too many turnovers.
D is giving up nothing.
Yet 24-7. So it’s fine for now.#auburn #wareagle— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
The DJ is in the press box and none have you been able to tell a difference, so say you’re sorry for just wanting to be mad about something.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
It really is. Lit, that is. Join. http://bit.ly/2vFcKVm
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
//looks up “sure-handed” in the dictionary http://pic.twitter.com/md5650LatA
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
RAGE WAS JUST PLAYED IN JORDAN-HARE. I REPEAT, RAGE WAS JUST PLAYED IN JORDAN-HARE. #auburn #wareagle
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
Auburn was without a starting RB, lost their other starting RB, had a top WR out, ran 90% of the time, gained 535 yds, and gave up 78. 41-7.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
Ifs and buts, but without those 3 turnovers, Georgia Southern is shutout and we’re looking at something like 59-0. #auburn http://bit.ly/2vED3Lj
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
Every tree but the main two. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/7xD0rofv0D
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
A proper rolling for Week 1. #auburn #wareagle http://pic.twitter.com/iK9lmzlueB
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
Offensive rust and a defense of might.
War Damn Eagle and goodnight.#bedtimepoetry #auburn #wareagle— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) September 3, 2017
from WarBlogle.com http://bit.ly/2vED2XL
Labor Day Link sAUsage: Lots of Defense
September 4, 2017
Hey, we didn’t blow OUR 34-point lead over the weekend. Yeah, we weren’t facing the hot-tub-sittin’ Josh Rosen, but Texas A&M has gone through the entire scope of their usual seasons under Kevin Sumlin in a single game.
You see L, A&M.
— Mark P (@TheAuburner) September 4, 2017
We’ll still run into the Aggies in College Station (right where we like them) later in the year, but that’s a looooooong way off. We’ve got bigger fish to fry this coming weekend. It’s official CLEMSON GAME WEEK.
Still, there’s a ton left to unpack from the opener against Georgia Southern. Mainly, the defense and a historic performance on the Plains.
“You don’t get tired of doing the right things, the right way." @AuburnFootball DC Kevin Steele. http://bit.ly/2eyaBQy
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) September 4, 2017
Auburn defense sticking to simple approach for rematch at defending national champion Clemson #WarEagle http://bit.ly/2iX0I3F http://pic.twitter.com/LUSeLn3EBk
— SEC Country Auburn (@SECCountryAU) September 4, 2017
Tre' Williams makes "extra-effort" plays in Auburn season openerhttp://bit.ly/2iX0IAH http://pic.twitter.com/QDw4Xwl9J1
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) September 4, 2017
.@MGMAdvertiser BLOG (w/VIDEO): Kevin Steele on Auburn’s historic defensive effort: “It started and ended up front” -http://bit.ly/2iW2KRV http://pic.twitter.com/pf3rtnSdxp
— Matthew Stevens (@matthewcstevens) September 4, 2017
Flat out, the defense was incredible. 78 total yards on the night, and aside from the one 25-yard run by the Eagles, a staggering 0.96 yards per play allowed. Just nuts.
Couple of other things to unpack from the win — first of all, we got to see that Stidham likes to throw to a couple of guys in particular, including Will Hastings.
"When I was younger, I watched CFB every Saturday....'Man, it's cool to be them.' Now, I have the opportunity to be one." WR @WillHastings7 http://pic.twitter.com/k73Tv4HPjG
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) September 3, 2017
Daniel Carlson became Auburn’s all-time leading scorer in the victory as well, despite missing a couple of early long field goals. Hopefully that just takes the pressure off of him to be perfect moving forward and he can stick 20-30 field goals in Ed Orgeron’s face.
DYK | With that last FG, @DanielCarlson38 became the all-time leading scorer in Auburn history with 3️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ points! #WarEagle | #OurTime http://pic.twitter.com/AVWsi3KvBH
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 3, 2017
And finally, if you want to relive the victory and the aftermath, check out the Auburn Football Review as the Tigers improved to 1-0 on the year!
Go inside the locker room and hear from @CoachGusMalzahn after yesterday's win on the Auburn Football Review
— WarEagle Productions (@AuburnVideo) September 3, 2017
http://bit.ly/2iX0KbN
Huge, huge game coming up this weekend. It’s one of three barnburners around the country Saturday night that the entire nation will be watching. Much more coming this week with Auburn and Clemson.
Until then, War Eagle.
from College and Magnolia http://bit.ly/2exYSBv
Former Auburn backs lead NFL's preseason rushers
from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2vY7PKH
'It's about us' - Auburn defense prepares for next challenge after dominant performance
from Auburn Football news http://bit.ly/2ewQbqR
Football. 'It's about us' - Auburn defense prepares for next challenge after dominant performance
from Auburn Tigers News http://bit.ly/2ewQbqR
Auburn Dominating Performance a Sight for Orange and Blue Eyes
The much anticipated debut of Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham was not all that fans had hoped it would be, yet he did a good job in leading the Tigers in a 41-7 defeat of Georgia Southern.
The sophomore’s 20 month layoff from playing football was apparent at times as he made a couple of errant throws, one of which resulted in an interception. Also apparent though was his raw talent and field generalship.
After rushing for a 14-yard score in the second quarter, he threw two second half touchdowns. The first came in the third quarter when Ryan Davis caught a 19 yarder and the second came when his favorite target, Will Hastings caught another 19 yard score in the fourth quarter. Stidham became the first quarterback to throw and run for a TD in his Auburn debut since Cam Newton did it against Arkansas State in 2010.
On the other side of the ball Jeff Holland made a statement that he’s ready to fill Carl Lawson’s shoes. The junior was constantly in pursuit of the quarterback and finished the night with three sacks. He and the entire Auburn defense gave the most dominating performance since Pat Dye roamed the sidelines in the late 80’s. The Eagles were 0 for 15 on 3rd down conversions.
In addition, kicker Daniel Carlson passed Wes Byrum to become Auburn’s all-time leading scorer with 365 points. Overall the game was a welcomed sight for Orange and Blue eyes.
Checkout the game highlights in the below video.
The post Auburn Dominating Performance a Sight for Orange and Blue Eyes appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://bit.ly/2iWmQLU
Sunday, September 3, 2017
W. Volleyball. Tigers Outlast NC State in Puerto Rico, 3-2
from Auburn Tigers News http://bit.ly/2eU1FW2
