Practice report, 8/24
Hey everyone. Let's get to business.
We'll start with video. Juicy stuff below.
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
We'll start with video. Juicy stuff below.
- Still no "solution" to the quarterback quandary. OC Tony Franklin said he's still evaluating, but reiterated his stance that both quarterbacks will play.
``They're both going to play," Franklin said. ``I think that's the most important thing. It will probably be more important who finishes the game rather than who starts the game.
TB Ben Tate said he now supports one quarterback over the other, but declined to identify his favorite.
- TB Tristan Davis was back at practice today. Coach Tommy Tuberville said Davis was "100 percent," though Tate said Davis was running with a limp.
- Tuberville sounded pretty down on DE Raven Gray, who hasn't emerged as a valuable option on the strong side. Tuberville said Gray "will have to get a lot better" to even play in the Monroe game, adding that Gray isn't in the two-deep right now.
- Who is on the two-deep? All indications are that Gabe McKenzie is Michael Goggans' backup on the strong side. McKenzie, as you probably know, has been playing defense less than a week. He was a tight end for four years before making the switch last week.
- Tuberville said No. 2 "X" receiver Montez Billings has injured a hamstring muscle and is "doubtful" for the Monroe game. So does that mean Mario Fannin is due for a de facto promotion? Not so fast. Tuberville said he's looking at Quindarius Carr and PPL in that slot.
- Don't panic, Fannin fans. I'm hearing more and more about Fannin playing a variety of positions against Monroe and beyond. He has taken practice snaps at TB, "X", "Z" and "H" ... so expect to see him plenty.
``I think everybody can pretty much see who should be the guy out there," Tate said. ``It doesn't really matter as long as our team wins the national championship. It doesn't matter who's back there throwing it.
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
7:07 PM
24 Comments:
Sophomore Mario Fannin said he is lining up at numerous positions, including tailback. ...
Uh huh. Looks like there may actually be something to the Fannin mystique.
If you're trying to paint me as a Fannin hater, you're mistaken.
I just said he didn't seem confident during those first two weeks. That was 10 days ago.
Nothing to do with you, Jay. Several have wondered if Fannin's duties were kind of off limits to the press. Maybe this time they will actually be right. Didn't happen that way last year. I know you're not a Fannin hater. But, like me, you want some proof from the pudding on what this cat can do.
Let me add one more with mythical flavor. An observer of whom will remain anonymous told me Friday that Tristan Davis actually has his own package that is somewhat like this deal Fannin may be emplyed with. Also, this observer said Tristan will be utilized more as a tailback in the late second and fourth quarters...whatever that means.
Run wild with it, boys. Just throwing something out there that's tender and juicy.
Ok, JGT. Can you put on your speculation hat and reply to us with "The QB" Tate is referring to?
Just wondering what your thoughts were.
It's Kodi. No doubt about it. Not sure that's a healthy response from Tate either.
I really don't know what Ben Tate is thinking. I don't talk with him very often.
I'm thinking Crudup nailed it on all acounts there. At first glance at the quote you got to think he's talking about burns. He's been on the team a year longer and wasn't Franklin's favorite pupil. You would think that might make Kodi more popular among teammates.
Ben Tate definately dropped the ball on that comment. What was his response when ya'll hit him with the follow up question?
That was the follow-up question.
True, Ron. And the players rallied around him last year when Cox had his mental and/or physical lapse. Burns wasn't ready then. Is he now?
I see a lot of them talking national championship all the sudden. Tall order there. They had it right the first two weeks talking about Atlanta. Sounds a little crimson to talk about national championships this early.
Jay,
Any indications if Todd has been well received by the team? After the comment by Tate (assuming he prefers Kodi), I wonder if there is some rub between Todd and the rest of the offense.
Why does everyone seem to think Ben Tate would prefer Kodi?
I think both quarterbacks are at least somewhat popular.
Ben Tate...I hope you have a better run in the NFL than most Auburn RBs have had recently.
A string of bad knees on bad teams.
yeah, the tate quote didn't sound any better listening to it than it did reading it. hopefully he's just talking just to talk. debbie downer could probably read into that there could be division amongst the natives if things get rough. luckily i'm not that guy. :)
That whole things scares me quite a bit. I'll tell you though, I think he's got Todd in mind. Don't know why I think that. I hope this was a fatigue thing and not a sign of things to come.
Crudup, I generally agree with you on most issues, but I don't on this: Why would you not have the goal of winning the NC? That what it's all about. Why write that off as impossible. I think one reason, and I really hate to say this, that Bama has so many ... they beleived they could. They were coached to believe they could.
Lo and behold, guess what happened ...
Jay G ... a question relating to a yet to be revealed theory ...
In your experience, if a coach or coaches are unsure of what a player might say, good or bad, would they discourage interviews with that player?
Auburn rarely limits access to individual players. Gabe McKenzie, true freshmen and the quarterbacks are recent exceptions.
We talked with Gabe on Sunday night.
I understand the quarterback situation. If there weren't limitations, we'd talk with at least one of them every single day. Once the season begins, I expect everyone to be available on Sundays and Tuesdays ... just like usual.
If RBs were to suddenly become unavailable for interviews, that would be a curious development.
Bama won NCs when there were no scholarships limitations and wreckless spending was not really monitored (exception '92). Think about all the Bear disciples that have been busted. Croom is the lone duck that you can think of right off the bat. Jackie Sherrill doesn't mind spilling the beans at all obviously.
Bama was also awarded NCs during seasons where they didn't have the best record and didn't even win their bowl game. Thank you BCS.
Bama, of course, also lost Stallings through actions leading up to the '92 season. Cheating.
That's beside the point and was not my point. I have known several players from the 70s through the 92 team. This is a quote "We were taught and coached to believe that no matter what the score was, no matter how much time was left, we were going to win the game. Period. We didn't set small goals. Our goal was to win every game. Because we were the University of Alabama, and we didn't lose." Former UA LB whose name I won't share.
That's not word for word, but pretty darn close. My point is ... you do what you think you can do. If you don't think you can, I can promise you ... you won't.
I always set my goals high: Achieve Prestige Level 10 on COD4.
I'm almost there. People have been telling me for a year that I couldn't do it. Now I'm on the verge.
See ... that's what I'm tellin' ya. And look at you now ... on the verge.
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