Auburn's rookie defensive linemen gain experience, stand ready to help down the

[Saniflush]

Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times
There have been lots of Internet postings here since Auburn beat Ole Miss on Saturday. all before you had a chance to fire up your, ummm, work computer. A few of them: Video highlights of the game, a Cam Newton video, last night's notebook and the game story.
Here's Monday's newspaper story on the Tigers...

AUBURN -- Auburn rookie Jeff Whitaker says he now understands what defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was talking about when fall practice began. 

"Coach Rocker always told us we play for November," Whitaker said. "November is here." 

With Auburn unbeaten and now No. 2 in the BCS, Whitaker and his fellow freshman defensive linemen have received a crash course in college football since August and find themselves in the hunt for the SEC title, and maybe more. 

They've been given occasional opportunities to show their stuff in conference games and helped finish off a 51-31 win over Ole Miss on Saturday. That group figures to spell the regulars and see even more playing time in Saturday's homecoming game against Chattanooga before the November stakes jump against rivals Georgia and Alabama. 

Whitaker, Corey Lemonier, Craig Sanders and Kenneth Carter will be there at least to help Auburn's veteran defensive linemen in what figure to be the biggest games of the year. 

"This is what we play for. This is where the grind of football comes," Whitaker said. "It's cold. People are banged up now, so they just want to run the ball at you. But Coach Rock told us from the get-to: We play in November. Right now, I feel comfortable, confident." 

Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley leads the SEC in tackles for a loss. Fellow veterans Antoine Carter, Mike Blanc and Zach Clayton are grouped farther down the tackle chart. They're joined by veteran Michael Goggans and a youngster in redshirt freshman Nosa Eguae. 

But most of those players will be gone next year and that's why the young defensive linemen weren't redshirted this season. They're the likely starters in 2011. 

"You've got to learn 'this' and 'learn' that quick. We have to grow up," Whitaker said. "Next year, you're in the fire. We need to start learning as much as we can now. I know we're going to be all right." 

Clayton, a senior, has welcomed the help. 
"That's huge that they come into the game and there's not a huge lapse in talent. They give us a break. It's an extreme help," Clayton said.

Clayton was redshirted as a freshman. Not these freshmen. 

"They're getting playing time so they've had to mature at a pretty rapid rate, and that's helped them a whole bunch," Clayton said. 

Whitaker said his playing time as a freshman "builds your confidence." 

"It was like, 'OK, we're coming into the game, just got to do what we've got to do.' We've just got to get pressure." 

Lemonier and Whitaker were prized recruits who were thrown into the college game without hesitation.

"Everything was moving fast. I didn't know what to do," said Lemonier, who leads the rookies with 10 tackles. "But now everything has slowed down where technique has started to kick in. Since two-a-days, everything has slowed down and that has helped me."

Two-a-days are long gone. It's November. 

"I really don't know why, but it has been a special ride, and it's going to continue to be a special ride," Whitaker said. "A lot of people are surprised of this outcome. Here we are 9-0."