Blake Field to transfer

[Ogre]

Auburn back QB Blake Field to transfer

By Collin Mickle
AUBURN — After four seasons, it came down to a numbers game for Auburn quarterback Blake Field.
Four quarterbacks, one starting job and just one year of eligibility remaining.

The numbers forced a decision, one Field — who spent most of the last three seasons as AU’s backup quarterback — had been reluctant to make.  Sunday night, he made his decision: He has asked Auburn for a release from his scholarship and will spend his senior season at another school.

Field, a Cairo, Ga., native who will be a fifth-year senior in 2008, will transfer to Division II powerhouse Valdosta State. The Blazers won the D-II national title last season.

Field did not publicly comment on the decision, which was announced Sunday night by his father, Warren Field, in an e-mail to the Opelika-Auburn News.  “After four years of hard work and dedication for just a chance to lead Auburn on Saturdays, Blake has moved on,” Warren Field wrote.  “He will continue to work for his chance, just not at Auburn.”

Field finished his Auburn career going 31-for-51 passing for 376 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. AU won his only career start, in 2005 against Football Championship Series school Western Kentucky, when Field threw for three touchdowns.  But he never really challenged senior Brandon Cox for the starter’s job.  In 2006, Auburn’s coaches seemed unwilling to put him into games. He played in just five games in ’06, though an injured Cox struggled in several blowout losses.

The rise of freshman Kodi Burns in 2007 was a blow to Field’s chances for playing time. In September, Burns was promoted over Field to the No. 2 quarterback spot, though Field regained the backup role in November.  Field finished the ‘07 season 6-for-11 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown, all during Auburn’s homecoming game against FBS school Tennessee Tech.  He also played on the punt and kickoff return teams in the season’s final eight games.

But the December arrival of new coordinator Tony Franklin brought more change for Field, who slipped to the No. 4 spot in the new depth chart.   After Burns ran for a touchdown and passed for another in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, head coach Tommy Tuberville announced Burns would enter spring practice as the starter.  Burns and reserve Neil Caudle will both be sophomores in 2008; junior-college transfer Chris Todd, a Franklin recruit, will also contend for the starting job in spring practice.

In his e-mail, Warren Field, a longtime Georgia high school football coach, blamed Tuberville for his son’s unexpected slide down the depth chart.  “For three seasons, he was kicked to the back of the line only to work his way back to the spot of ‘one snap away from running the team,’ and living his dream,” Warren Field wrote. “Being the backup never led him to think about heading somewhere else. He had great respect for Brandon Cox and was Brandon’s biggest supporter.  “He believed that in 2008 he would have his chance to lead Auburn. But, obviously Tommy Tuberville never intended to give him a chance.”

Tuberville was at a coaching convention in Anaheim, Calif., and unavailable for comment.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/content/gulfcoasteast/dea/sports.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2008-01-07-0004.html

[War Eagle!!!]

I would be pissed if my father publicily blames Tuberville. So is Tuberville supposed to just give the job to Field because he is a Senior? Even with the way Burns played in the bowl game? It's one thing to say he is dissappointed in not getting a chance to start for Auburn, it's another to blame the coach...that's sour grapes whining bullshit scape goat...

[Kaos]

Is it just me or does it seem like AU is getting a ton of bad press here in the middle of recruiting season?

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Is it just me or does it seem like AU is getting a ton of bad press here in the middle of recruiting season?

Yeah, but we'll have a new DC I'm sure pretty quickly, so we'll have a little "recovery" time before signing day.  Besides, until I start seeing names come OFF the verbal list, I'm not too worried about it.   

Besides, like I said in the thread over at AUN...  If Field was a better QB, he'd play.  He didn't get it done when it counted to earn his way on, and that's unfortunate for him.   As far as his dad, most will see him for what that is....a frustrated father not looking at facts and reason...