« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2008, 01:24:31 AM »
Damnit Indeed...
Auburn’s secondary needed something good to happen. It didn’t.
Monday, junior cornerback Aairon Savage went down a yelp of pain and was carted off the field with his left leg in an air cast. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said after practice he suffered a knee injury. It was uncertain how serious it was.
“They said he came down wrong, twisted it a little bit,” Tuberville said. “They said he had a little pain down there. You don’t want to speculate, good or bad.”
It was a difficult moment for sophomore Zac Etheridge, one of Savage’s close friend.
“It’s hard to see a guy who works that hard and has injury problems before go down,” Etheridge said. “Hopefully, we’ll get good news and he’ll be OK.”
Should Savage be out, an already thin Auburn secondary would be even thinner. Without Savage, only juniors Jerraud Powers and Walter McFadden would have significant experience at cornerback. Sophomore Ryan Williams played a small role last season, getting into seven games. With summer school ending Thursday, his academic situation is uncertain.
"We were going to have to play some young guys anyway," Tuberville said. "We can't afford to lose anybody, especially a guy with that experience."
Etheridge said he has seen hopeful signs from some of the freshmen at cornerback and safety.
“Christian has stepped up and Harry Adams has stepped up,” Etheridge said. “Neiko Thorpe is coming along. A lot of the young guys are still learning and making plays as the day goes on.”
Savage, who has started 14 games at safety the past two seasons, has been in on 79 tackles. He has one interception. He moved to cornerback in the spring.
Blackmon feeling good
Junior Tray Blackmon came to Auburn from LaGrange, Ga., as one of the nation’s more highly recruited linebackers. He’s been a good one, but off-field problems and nagging injuries have contributed to his not being great.
Blackmon said Monday all those things are behind him. He says he expects a breakout season.
“Oh, yeah. I feel a lot more confident, a lot smarter with the plays and stuff,” Blackmon said. “And I feel a lot healthier. The plan is just to stay healthy, continue to work hard and everything else will take care of itself.”
Carter making a big impression
Sophomore defensive end Antoine Carter was dominant player in the spring. And he’s dominant so far in the preseason. A year ago, he weighed some 220 pounds. Today, he weighs 255. He says he has retained his speed and quickness.
The difference from a year ago, he said, is striking.
“Coming out of high school was hard,” said Carter, from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale. “It’s all about pushing through, never giving up. You just have to keep striving. You have to want it. You have to get out there and get it.”
Sophomore left tackle Lee Ziemba spent last summer blocking Quentin Groves. He said Carter is a bigger challenge.
“He has more versatility,” Ziemba said. “He can do more than Groves can. Groves had all the speed. Carter doesn’t have necessarily that type of speed, but he has more moves. He can do more. He’s real good, a good pass rusher, real good. He’s going to make this team a lot better.”
http://www.auburnundercover.com/news/story.php?article=208This is really bad, we are lacking experience in the secondary...If he is permanently gone we will have huge holes in our secondary.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2008, 01:47:14 AM by AWK »
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