Thursday Night LIVE

Welcome. We're watching Georgia Tech @ Miami ... and listening to Tiger Talk on radio affiliates throughout Alabama.

CURRENT SCORE (game is on ESPN HD)

MIAMI - 33


GEORGIA TECH - 17

Final


TIGER TALK TIDBITS

• Gene Chizik and Rod are eating steamed mussels and meat lover's pizza. Important stuff first.
  
  
• On this week's work: "I thought the focus was really high and I thought our football team (thanks, RK) practiced well this week."
  
  
• The MSU win: ``It was really good to see our football realy go up and go back down. You want to find out how they respond to negative circumstances."
  
  
• On his weird punt formation: ``It gets speed guys, on the snap, down the field for coverage. It's a coverage advantage. We just have to block it better. We worked on it hard this week."
  
  
• On the Meerkat Manor® business: ``It's strategically an advantage for our offense. We line up like we're going to run a play, then we see what the defense is running. Then we get ourselves into a better play."
  
  
• On the team's defensive backs: ``We're going through some growing pains. They're coming along. When you have a mixture of so many young guys on the defense, the continuity struggles a little bit. You've got your Dee Fords playing, your Daren Bates playing. Demond Washington is a new guy. The more experience they get, the better they'll be."
  
  
• On TBs and WRs: ``We're a work in progress. Right now, we're pleased with the direction we're headed. We've had some production there. We've got to have them do it 12 (games). Then after that -- the postseason as well."
  
  
• On the crowd at J-H: ``I'm urging our fans ... it's going to take all 87,000 and it's going to take us playing a great game on top of that. I'm challenging all our people to bring it to a new level Saturday night."
  
  
• On WVU: ``This is right up their alley -- a physical-type game. They've got confidence. They played Auburn last year."
  
  
• On assistants' recruiting areas: ``We've got most of our coaches in the state of Alabama. We have two in Birmingham (Thigpen and Taylor), Coach Luper kind of has Mobile and he splits that area with Jeff Grimes. Boulware has Montgomery and close to Auburn. (Phillip Lolley handles north Alabama.) The amount of hours they spend are insignificant. They just want to win. That's what recruiting is about."
  
  
• On Eltoro Freeman: ``Toro is, since we started practice, he's had a lot of ups and downs because of injury issues. It was great to see him wean himself into the game last week. We think little but little ... he can play more and more."
  
  
• On the defense and Chizik's role with the defense: ``It's really just going what we do every day and doing it better. We're not re-inventing the wheel. What I've learned over the years with all the great defenses I've been with, continuity is the key. Coach Roof and I consult on a lot of things. I hire great coaches. He's great at his trade. I have great people and we'll get better. I don't have to micro-manage anything. I have the big-picture look."
  
  
• On the freshman WRs: ``I'm really, really proud of those three guys. (Benton, Blake and Gulley) This is a work in progress with them. People think when receivers come in that their job is to catch the ball. That's it. That's not true. We run the ball, too. The wide receivers are responsible for blocking the (final) 95 yards. Those three are getting there. They're not there. You'll see them progress a little more week by week by week."
  
  
• Now it's dessert time for Gene and Rod. Sounds like they're getting some "light" chocolate mousse. Important news.
  
  
• On how Auburn fans are smart: ``I get a lot of great questions. I hear them a lot. The Auburn faithful -- they're very educated about football and they know the game."
  
  
• On injuries: ``Day by day on a lot of guys. I just ... you never know who's listening. You never want someone to know if someone is going to be out. It's not fair to the young man or their families."
  
  (NOTE: Chizik's position on Aairon Savage is that he's DAY-BY-DAY ... with a torn Achilles.)
  
  
• On Tim Hawthorne: ``We want Tim back as soon as we can get Tim back. He's worked really hard. He's done all the things we've asked. He's dying inside to play. He has a lot of urgency to get back."
  
  
• On the freshmen WRs AGAIN (please shoot me): ``Dontae is really going to be a very good football player. Our plan right now is to redshirt him. He's our "look team" (scout team) player of the week this week. He did a good job of playing Noel Devine. I told him at practice at how proud I was of him assuming a role ... that's a lot of dirty work. He plugged in there and did what we asked him to do."
  
  
• Kathy, not OUR Kathy, loves the offensive line: ``They appreciate that. You wanna talk about a dirty job? I don't believe in bad luck, but they haven't give up a sack. (Applause) The cool thing is, from my chair, is to watch them come together and play with chemistry. Why is that? There's a lot of ingredients to make that cake. They've delivered. They wear people down. You can really see a difference in the third quarter."
  
  
• Dan from Montgomery is a WVU grad, but he's an Auburn fan at heart. He wants Auburn fans to show class for WVU. Oh, wait. That wasn't a question. Dan doesn't want Noel Devine to beat that butt again: ``Great question. He's a great running back. He rushed for 200 yards last year, Rod, but that was last year. I feel really good in our plan. We've got a good grip on what we need to do to be successful."
  
  
• Dave from Opelika wants to know if FAH is durable: ``He's a tough young'un. Time will tell. I think he's very durable. There's nobody on our team who is tougher. He's been through a lot. Those two (FAH and Ben Tate) are in the mix. They'll always be in the mix."
  
  
• On recruits: "We have some great recruits coming this weekend. It's going to be very important for our crowd to bring their 'A' game - not just for this game, but for the future of Auburn. It's going to take everybody to win."
  
  
• "War Eagle."
  
  
• THAT'S A WRAP.