News of the day, 4/2

Hey everyone. It's late. Let's get to business.

**PROGRAMMING NOTE**
My blog will be moving to the Advertiser's website this week. I'm planning to "simulcast" the blog here and at its new location for a little while. I'd suggest you register over there. I'll do what I can to preserve anonymous commenting, though, because that's how we roll at the HABOTN.

This is my main page over there. There are good things and bad things about the new site. The good news is that we can change things as we come across the stuff that doesn't work well.

Private messages work much better. Also, we've added RSS capabilities. Several of you have been asking about that.

You can create profiles and other silly time-wasting stuff. I'm actually somewhat enthusiastic about it and I'm generally not the type to get enthusiastic about such stuff.

See you there. Or here for a bit.

**END PROGRAMMING NOTE**

Thanks to all the HOTTIES for making this the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

Here are some basic trend-type stats from Auburn's final spring scrimmage held Wednesday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Total plays: 98
Rushes: 49 (at least five run plays were supposed to be passes)
Passes: 49

PASSING
Burns -- 12-15, 213, 2 TD, 0 int
Todd -- 11-18, 144, 0 TD, 0 int
Caudle -- 8-13, 117, 0 TD, 1 int
Furr -- 2-3, 59, 1 TD, 0 int

RUSHING
T. Davis -- 2-75, 1 TD
B. Tate -- 6-22, 1 TD
Lester -- 8-19, 1 TD
Burns -- 1-39
Furr -- 6-19
Todd -- 3-(-9)
Caudle -- 2-(-17)

RECEIVING (selected players)
Slaughter -- 6-87
Swinton -- 4-35, 1 TD
Zachery -- 3-91, 1 TD
R. Smith -- 3-91
Q. Carr -- 2-44, 1 TD
Trott -- 2-28

Well, this was Kodi Burns' night. He looked great again after what I thought was a B/B+ performance at A-Day. Tonight was an A/A+. He was 12-of-15 for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed his first 10 passes consecutively. He also ran for what should have been a touchdown had quarterbacks not been playing the equivalent of flag football in the open field.

Still, here's what OC Tony Franklin said when asked if the depth chart (ie Burns and Chris Todd being listed as co-leaders) would be changing: ``It wouldn't have mattered if one of them at went 25-of-25 and the other was 0-of-25. It's a body of work," Franklin said. ``That body of work will continue over the summer."

Todd wasn't bad. I'd rate it a B night for him after what I thought was a B+ performance at A-Day. He still isn't throwing downfield with authority. He was 11-of-18 for 144. He didn't make any memorable throws. His biggest gainer was a 63-yarder to Rod Smith that began as a 5-yard out route.

QB DeRon Furr, the 18-year-old, lined up at wideout tonight. He dropped the only ball thrown to him. I was really surprised to see that personnel adjustment, you know, but it makes sense. It's obvious that he has the attitude and size to play college ball. Furr cannot compete with Burns and Todd at quarterback right now, so perhaps wideout will be an avenue for playing time. I do not think this is a long-term switch or anything. Furr said he basically welcomes any ideas about getting playing time early in his career. He seemed OK with it.

Everyone's favorite injured tailback, Tristan Davis, was up to his old tricks again. He broke off a 69-yard run early in the scrimmage that elicited Beatles-like fainting in the stands. OK. So that's an overstatement. Davis still has that acceleration -- even if he was pulling away from S Jonathan Vickers -- that could make him a notable component this fall.

The offense unveiled a new-to-me set for short-yardage situations. It features the quarterback under center, a fullback offset, a tailback directly behind the quarterback and Big Snacks Berry offset like the 1985 Chicago Bears used to run with The Fridge. TB Brad Lester scored from that formation. Maybe it works. The team's short-yardage stuff at A-Day was awful. The offense was tougher tonight.

For those of you who catalog minute details, reserve OT Lee Tilley has left the team for good. The redshirt junior never played in a game. Things ... didn't really work out.

I referenced the short pass from Todd to Rod Smith earlier. Smith broke a pair of tackles and was behind the defense until those defenders ran him down. After the scrimmage, Smith was hearing it from the other wideouts. His best friend, James Swinton, was whispering "4.7" to Smith as a reference to his alleged time in the 40-yard dash. It was funny to watch them clown on each other. Speed isn't really Smith's claim to fame anyway. Consistency got him a scholarship.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University