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'11 Auburn football vs '09 Auburn football
Posted on 6/21/11 at 8:57 pm
Posted on 6/21/11 at 8:57 pm
There's been a lot of speculation that Auburn will have a difficult season in '11 (which is very deserving since we lost Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, and the 20-something seniors we had). But folks are acting like Auburn has gone out and recruited JV Volleyball chicks to come play on the offensive line. Sure, we're young and inexperienced, but we are also very talented. That's what 2 straight top 5 classes get you. Plus we got the best offensive minded coach in college football as offensive coordinator.
Quarterbacks
2009 - We had Chris Todd as the starting quarterback, with Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle as the back-ups for the most part. Todd was the best obviously (like that was saying much), and Gus named him the starting quarterback. Him and his supreme athletic ability (sarcasm) threw for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns. How? Two words: Gus Malzahn.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: Barret Trotter is supposed to be the starting quarterback, as of now. He's more athletic, has a better arm, and more accuracy than Chris Todd. He's also got some pretty good wheels on him. He's been in the system for 3 years now and knows it like the back of his hand.
2011 = upgrade
Running Backs
2009 - In 2009, we had Ben Tate, Mario "fumbling" Fannin, and Onterio McCallebb at running back. Tate was solid, very solid. His career numbers speak for themself. Mario Fannin was still, well, Mario Fannin. He always fumbled. McCallebb was a 155 true freshman that wasn't ready to take a beating from the SEC yet. We were very successful with around 2,700 yards that season.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Michael Dyer, Onterio McCalleb, Tre Mason, and Anthony Morgan. Dyer is coming off a 1,000 yard season as a true freshman, O-Mac has gained close to 20 pounds and kept all of his speed, and Tre Mason will come in and gain immediate snaps.
2011 = push
Wide Receiver/Tight End
2009 - We had Darvin Adams (who almost lead the SEC in receiving), Terrell Zachery, Kodi Burns, Q. Carr, and Tommy Trott for the most part. Darvin was great, and so was Zachery. Kodi didn't get as many chances, so meh. Tommy Trott was God awful and I'm glad he finally graduated.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Emory Blake, DeAngelo Benton, Q. Carr, Trovon Reed, Phillip Lutz, plus all of the freshmen (mainly Sammie Coates). Lutz could be ALL-SEC, along with Emory who will take Darvin's spot this season. Trovon Reed adds a dimension of speed to the slot that we haven't had in a long time. There's also more quality depth.
2011 = upgrade
Offensive Line
2009 - Lee Ziemba, Byron Isom, Ryan Push, Mike Berry, and Andrew McCain. One badass line. Noone knew they would be as good as they would be going into the season, though. After the lousy 2008 season, everyone expected them to all be push-overs again. They weren't.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: The starters will consist of AJ Green and Brandon Moseley at the tackle spots for sure, with Reese Dismukes at center. The guard spots are up for grabs and don't be surprised if Christian Westerman and Eric Mack grab those spots before the season. Otherwise, it will possibly be John Sullen and Jared Cooper..
2011 = downgrade, but not as bad as everyone seems to think..
Defensive Line
2009 - The starters consisted of Antonio Coleman, Jamarkus Ricks, Mike Blanc, and Michael Goggans. Not a very good line.. Fairley was still adjusting to the defensive tackle position after coming in from JUCO, and we had hardly any depth at all.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: My faorite. This group will be flat out fast. Corey Lemonier and Nosa Equae will man the end spots, with Dee Ford and Craig Sanders coming off the bench for depth. Jeff Whitaker and Ken Carter will be the starting tackles, with Gabe Wright and probably Derrick Lykes coming in for a breather. The defensive ends are fast, and Craig Sanders is a workout freak. On passing downs, there will also be ends int he tackle spots to add even more speed to the field.
2011 = upgrade
Linebackers
2009 - Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens, and ... Will Herring and Wade Christopher? Yes. Herring had to start the Arkansas game. That should tell you how little depth we had at linebacker. Eltoro Freeman was an soph. from JUCO and couldn't grasp the playbook at all, so we had to play 2 walk-ons. Outside of Bynes and Stevens, pathetic..
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: Daren Bates, Eltoro Freeman (who now knows the playbook), and Jake Holland will man the linebacker spots. LaDarius Owens, Kris Frost, Jawara White, and Johnathan Evans will provide depth for those guys. Pretty young, but talented group of linebackers.
2011 = upgrade
Cornerbacks/Safeties
2009 - True Freshman Daren Bates, Zac Etheridge, Neiko Thorpe, and Walt McFadden were the starters. Daren Bates could hit, but not cover.. Zac could hit, but not cover.. Walt could cover, but not hit. And Neiko, GTFO, he couldn't do anything. We got torched over, and over, and over, and over again. We had no quality depth after those guys, and ... Yeah.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Neiko in his better suited position (safety), we have a hard hitting Demetruce McNeal (who can also cover, ask AJ Green) at the other safety position, Tsharvan Bell at corner, and the other corner position is up for grabs. Johnathan Rose, John Mincy, or Chris Davis could grab it. We have better depth for one, and a much faster and hard hitting secondary. Erique Florence is also one to watch at back-up safety.
2011 = upgrade
Kicker
2009 - Wes Byrum
2011 - Cody Parkey
2011 = downgrade
Punter
2009 - So bad I can't remember.
2011 - Big 6'5 230 pound Steven Clark.
2011 = upgrade
Special Teams
2009 - Meh, not great at all.
2011 - Great recruiting, hard hitters, and more people like Craig Sanders (Erique Florence and Robenson Therezie).
2011 = upgrade
I think Auburn will finish either 8-5, or 9-4 in 2011. We will still lose to 'Bama, Arky, and LSU for sure, though.. In 2012 and 2013, Auburn will be a team to watch.
Quarterbacks
2009 - We had Chris Todd as the starting quarterback, with Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle as the back-ups for the most part. Todd was the best obviously (like that was saying much), and Gus named him the starting quarterback. Him and his supreme athletic ability (sarcasm) threw for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns. How? Two words: Gus Malzahn.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: Barret Trotter is supposed to be the starting quarterback, as of now. He's more athletic, has a better arm, and more accuracy than Chris Todd. He's also got some pretty good wheels on him. He's been in the system for 3 years now and knows it like the back of his hand.
2011 = upgrade
Running Backs
2009 - In 2009, we had Ben Tate, Mario "fumbling" Fannin, and Onterio McCallebb at running back. Tate was solid, very solid. His career numbers speak for themself. Mario Fannin was still, well, Mario Fannin. He always fumbled. McCallebb was a 155 true freshman that wasn't ready to take a beating from the SEC yet. We were very successful with around 2,700 yards that season.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Michael Dyer, Onterio McCalleb, Tre Mason, and Anthony Morgan. Dyer is coming off a 1,000 yard season as a true freshman, O-Mac has gained close to 20 pounds and kept all of his speed, and Tre Mason will come in and gain immediate snaps.
2011 = push
Wide Receiver/Tight End
2009 - We had Darvin Adams (who almost lead the SEC in receiving), Terrell Zachery, Kodi Burns, Q. Carr, and Tommy Trott for the most part. Darvin was great, and so was Zachery. Kodi didn't get as many chances, so meh. Tommy Trott was God awful and I'm glad he finally graduated.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Emory Blake, DeAngelo Benton, Q. Carr, Trovon Reed, Phillip Lutz, plus all of the freshmen (mainly Sammie Coates). Lutz could be ALL-SEC, along with Emory who will take Darvin's spot this season. Trovon Reed adds a dimension of speed to the slot that we haven't had in a long time. There's also more quality depth.
2011 = upgrade
Offensive Line
2009 - Lee Ziemba, Byron Isom, Ryan Push, Mike Berry, and Andrew McCain. One badass line. Noone knew they would be as good as they would be going into the season, though. After the lousy 2008 season, everyone expected them to all be push-overs again. They weren't.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: The starters will consist of AJ Green and Brandon Moseley at the tackle spots for sure, with Reese Dismukes at center. The guard spots are up for grabs and don't be surprised if Christian Westerman and Eric Mack grab those spots before the season. Otherwise, it will possibly be John Sullen and Jared Cooper..
2011 = downgrade, but not as bad as everyone seems to think..
Defensive Line
2009 - The starters consisted of Antonio Coleman, Jamarkus Ricks, Mike Blanc, and Michael Goggans. Not a very good line.. Fairley was still adjusting to the defensive tackle position after coming in from JUCO, and we had hardly any depth at all.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: My faorite. This group will be flat out fast. Corey Lemonier and Nosa Equae will man the end spots, with Dee Ford and Craig Sanders coming off the bench for depth. Jeff Whitaker and Ken Carter will be the starting tackles, with Gabe Wright and probably Derrick Lykes coming in for a breather. The defensive ends are fast, and Craig Sanders is a workout freak. On passing downs, there will also be ends int he tackle spots to add even more speed to the field.
2011 = upgrade
Linebackers
2009 - Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens, and ... Will Herring and Wade Christopher? Yes. Herring had to start the Arkansas game. That should tell you how little depth we had at linebacker. Eltoro Freeman was an soph. from JUCO and couldn't grasp the playbook at all, so we had to play 2 walk-ons. Outside of Bynes and Stevens, pathetic..
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: Daren Bates, Eltoro Freeman (who now knows the playbook), and Jake Holland will man the linebacker spots. LaDarius Owens, Kris Frost, Jawara White, and Johnathan Evans will provide depth for those guys. Pretty young, but talented group of linebackers.
2011 = upgrade
Cornerbacks/Safeties
2009 - True Freshman Daren Bates, Zac Etheridge, Neiko Thorpe, and Walt McFadden were the starters. Daren Bates could hit, but not cover.. Zac could hit, but not cover.. Walt could cover, but not hit. And Neiko, GTFO, he couldn't do anything. We got torched over, and over, and over, and over again. We had no quality depth after those guys, and ... Yeah.
2011 - Fast forward to 2011: We have Neiko in his better suited position (safety), we have a hard hitting Demetruce McNeal (who can also cover, ask AJ Green) at the other safety position, Tsharvan Bell at corner, and the other corner position is up for grabs. Johnathan Rose, John Mincy, or Chris Davis could grab it. We have better depth for one, and a much faster and hard hitting secondary. Erique Florence is also one to watch at back-up safety.
2011 = upgrade
Kicker
2009 - Wes Byrum
2011 - Cody Parkey
2011 = downgrade
Punter
2009 - So bad I can't remember.
2011 - Big 6'5 230 pound Steven Clark.
2011 = upgrade
Special Teams
2009 - Meh, not great at all.
2011 - Great recruiting, hard hitters, and more people like Craig Sanders (Erique Florence and Robenson Therezie).
2011 = upgrade
I think Auburn will finish either 8-5, or 9-4 in 2011. We will still lose to 'Bama, Arky, and LSU for sure, though.. In 2012 and 2013, Auburn will be a team to watch.
21
Posted on 6/21/11 at 8:58 pm to TTsTowel
tl; dr
Posted on 6/21/11 at 8:59 pm to TTsTowel
Lot of SEC teams have recruited well over the last two years. Splitting hairs when it comes to the top ten teams. So you aren't really in a different place talent wise than most teams in the conference except for the fact that other teams have more experience and talent. So the 2009 discussions regarding records is valid.
ETA: Wilson could change my outlook, but it's a fair assessment at this point.
ETA: Wilson could change my outlook, but it's a fair assessment at this point.
This post was edited on 6/21/11 at 9:00 pm
Posted on 6/21/11 at 8:59 pm to dkreller
Then go back to the OT.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:00 pm to TTsTowel
im really anxious to see how they do without cam, cause honestly i have never seem more of a one man team, i know dyer is still good but honestly without cam last year it would have been totally different, hes a once in a decade player
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:01 pm to TTsTowel
ok
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:02 pm to TTsTowel
Nice write-up, but where do you come up with the fact that Trotter has "more accuracy" than Todd?
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:03 pm to TBama93k
quote:
im really anxious to see how they do without cam, cause honestly i have never seem more of a one man team, i know dyer is still good but honestly without cam last year it would have been totally different, hes a once in a decade player
Hard to disagree with this assessment.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:04 pm to brodieneedsanol
quote:
Trotter has "more accuracy" than Todd?
Todd had a noodle arm for starters, and Trotter has much more accuracy IMO.. There isn't any way to describe it right now, so I guess we won't see it until he takes the field ..
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:06 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Todd had a noodle arm for starters, and Trotter has much more accuracy IMO.. There isn't any way to describe it right now, so I guess we won't see it until he takes the field ..
So your opinion is about as valid as the counter.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:07 pm to Tiger Authority
Ask any Auburn fan that's seen Trotter and Todd. It's not even really close.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:08 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Ask any Auburn fan that's seen Trotter and Todd. It's not even really close.
Are Auburn fans the only posters that have seen these players and can field an opinion?
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:09 pm to Tiger Authority
No, but we have seen them a hell of a lot more than any other fanbase, I mean we are Auburn fans and we do care who our QB is. I sure as heck don't go study any QBs from any other teams like LSU or Vandy.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:11 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
No, but we have seen them a hell of a lot more than any other fanbase, I mean we are Auburn fans and we do care who our QB is. I sure as heck don't go study any QBs from any other teams like LSU or Vandy.
Just noting the inherent bias.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:12 pm to Tiger Authority
Todd was coming off shoulder surgery before the 09 season, so he wasn't as accurate as Trotter is now especially on the deep ball. If you watched the A day game which I saw a couple plays of Trotter placed it perfectly a couple times. And in 09 I remember Todd fricked a lot of those throws up.
This post was edited on 6/21/11 at 9:13 pm
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:14 pm to Tiger Authority
Are you disagreeing with me, or what?
If so, that's like telling me Tommy Trott has better hands that Phillip Lutz. It just is not true.
If so, that's like telling me Tommy Trott has better hands that Phillip Lutz. It just is not true.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:15 pm to blzr
quote:
Todd was coming off shoulder surgery before the 09 season, so he wasn't as accurate as Trotter is now especially on the deep ball. If you watched the A day game which I saw a couple plays of Trotter placed it perfectly a couple times. And in 09 I remember Todd fricked a lot of those throws up.
Regardless, Todd was productive in Gus' offense in 2009 and I expect Trotter to be productive. But you lose the two best players on your team and maybe the two best offensive and defensive players in the country last season, and it will point to a significant dropoff. I don't think predictions of 6-7 wins is ridiculous. Certainly, AU could win more, but I just don't think the team is better than many other teams in the league.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:16 pm to blzr
To much for my older arse to read. I say around 8 wins.....
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:16 pm to TTsTowel
Why did you waste your time with this?
7-5.
7-5.
Posted on 6/21/11 at 9:16 pm to TBama93k
Seriously the one man team argument?
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