Nothing ground breaking but thought I would share.

Highly touted freshman tight end Landon Rice did not play in last Saturday’s game and has not been at practice for at least the past two days. He did not play in the season-opening 19-13 loss to Clemson last Saturday. Sources say he is “dealing with personal matters.”

Rice, 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds, was a 4-star recruit from Calhoun High School in Rome, Ga. He led his team to the AAA state championship was elected a team captain in the Under Armour All-America Game. He enrolled last January and received frequent praise through spring practice and preseason camp. He was expected to make an early impact.

Rice's status going forward is uncertain.

Barring any last-minute change, look for Auburn president Jay Gogue announce at next Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting that he will retire sometime next year. Instead of going the interim route, trustees hope to complete a search and have a replacement ready when Gogue steps down.

Gogue, an Auburn graduate, took over as president on July 16, 2007, moving from the University of Houston.

Freshman Auburn wide receiver Marquis McClain is expected to be redshirted this season. McClain, 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds from Crestview (Fla.) High School, had a good camp but did not get into the playing rotation.

-- All 11 of the defensive linemen who played for Auburn against Clemson graded well.

-- Auburn offensive coaches were “incredulous” when Kerryon Johnson’s catch at the 1-yard line against Clemson was overturned on replay. The officials on the field, who called it a catch, were from the ACC. The replay officials were from the SEC.

-- The performance of the offensive line in the first half against Clemson was a disappointment, but coaches were encouraged by the improvement in the second half. Right tackle Robert Leff gave up two sacks but was solid otherwise and blocked well in the running game in the second half. Guards Braden Smith and Alex Kozan weren’t bad but weren’t as good as might have been expected. Center Xavier Dampeer got mixed reviews in his first start. Left tackle Austin Golson, last season’s starting center, had a rough night.

-- The linebackers played just as well as it looked like they did. Deshaun Davis was very good and Darrell Williams wasn’t far behind. “When have we ever had linebackers play that well?” one insider wondered, offering a major salute to position coach Travis Williams.

-- Sean White was the best of the quarterbacks, but as even a chagrined coach Gus Malzahn said, the three-quarterback rotation was a problem for them all.

-- Quarterback John Franklin III should have kept the ball on the zone read at least twice against Clemson. He had an option to give or keep on all the zone read plays. None were pre-determined handoffs.

-- Auburn wide receivers had just one dropped pass, an encouraging development after the issues with dropped passes last season.

-- Redshirt freshman Darius Slayton “was fearless” in blocking on the perimeter.

-- Don’t be surprised, if circumstances call for it, if Daniel Carlson tries a 60-yard field goal at some point this season. “And don’t be surprised if he makes it.”

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From our own Ryan Black:

Sophomore post player Horace Spencer didn't take part in Auburn's open gym last Saturday prior to the Clemson game. Had it been a game, sources tell AuburnUndercover Spencer would have been cleared to play. But the team has opted to take it slow;y as he continues to recover from a June surgery to repair his meniscus. He is on pace to be ready when the Tigers open preseason practice.

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Auburn’s less-than-impressive out-of-conference baseball schedule isn’t the doing of second-year coach Butch Thompson. He inherited all but one series from previous coach Sunny Golloway.