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AUBURN, Alabama -- Sophomore safety Erique Florence has earned more playing time lately, mostly against two-tight end sets and sometimes as part of Auburn's dime package when the Tigers need six defensive backs on the field. Florence is still looking to make a major impact. He's got three tackles and one tackle-for-loss on the season, although the tackle-for-loss did come last Saturday when he read a misdirection pitch to Jeff Scott perfectly and dropped the Ole Miss back behind the line of scrimmage.
"We've been trying to establish more of a role for him, he's got some very good physical trait," VanGorder said. "We've got to keep him on the field in practice and working on his game." Florence, a 6-1, 191-pounder who was highly recruited out of Valley High School, has battled nagging injuries and struggled to crack the playing rotation at safety behind Jermaine Whitehead and Demetruce McNeal.
"He's had some nicks and things that have really held him out of practice and really kept him from getting some of the work that he needs to get," defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. Robenson Therezie has earned a role against formations with two tight ends, but he's not likely to be put on an island outside soon. Therezie still struggles in space.
"He's probably our most physical corner, and we certainly want to take advantage of that," defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. "Against splits and those kinds of things, that's really where he still needs a lot of work, is out in the space area, to work on his game."
** Ole Miss gave Auburn problems early by using quarterback Bo Wallace in the running game, but the Rebels weren't having success with the zone-read. For the most part, Auburn shut that play down, but the Tigers have struggled with the quarterback run. Mississippi State used the draw, and Ole Miss got Bo Wallace in the clear with a belly to the outside. "That play wasn't productive for them as far as, opposed to, it was just a simple draw play and a simple belly play, that wasn't a zone read play that hit us," linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen said.
** Vanderbilt will likely line up in a lot of power sets with two backs, sometimes two tight ends, and the Commodores use a lot of motion that makes it tough for a team to call a lot of blitzes. "The big thing with Vandy is that they do a lot with personnel and formations, the Wildcat, some unbalanced work," VanGorder said. "So they really make you work in preparation for them."
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