2007 Auburn Tigers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University
during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. Head coach Tommy Tuberville
returned for his ninth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among SEC
head coaches in 2007. He was joined by returning offensive coordinator Al Borges
and returning defensive coordinator Will Muschamp
. Auburn played its eight-game home schedule at Jordan-Hare Stadium
, the ninth largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA in 2007, seating 87,451. Conference foe Vanderbilt
returned to the schedule while non-conference opponents South Florida
and Tennessee Tech played the Tigers for the first time. The Tigers finished the season ranked #14 in the Coaches Poll
and #15 in the AP Poll
.
Senior quarterback Brandon Cox
returned for his third and final season as a starter, finally healthy after being hampered the entire 2006 season
with injuries. Cox was joined in the backfield by a stable of talented backs including Brad Lester
, Ben Tate
and freshman Mario Fannin
.
Auburn returned one of the best defensive lines in the SEC, if not the country, anchored by senior nose tackle Josh Thompson (43 tackles), senior defensive end and sack-leader Quentin Groves
, and sophomore(RS) sensation Sen'Derrick Marks
, who moved to end from defensive tackle.
Prior to the season, a new $2.9 million, 30 feet (9.1 m), 74 feet (22.6 m) high-definition
(HD) Daktronics LED
video display was installed in the south end-zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium
. Auburn was the first SEC school to install an HD video display and the second in the NCAA (after Texas' Godzillatron
).
, released on August 3, 2007. Auburn's initial position in the AP poll was #18. Other preseason rankings for Auburn include:
# 11 – CBS SportsLine
# 12 – Rivals.com
# 12 – CollegeTOP25.com
# 14 – College Football News
# 16 – Sports Illustrated
# 16 – ESPN
# 16 – Sporting News
# 16 – NationalChamps.net
# 17 – Congrove
# 21 – Athlon Sports
# 23 – Lindy's Sports
Post-season, Auburn's schedule difficulty was ranked #23 by the NCAA and #35 by Jeff Sagarin. Seven teams from Auburn's regular season schedule qualified for post-season bowls, with four winning their respective bowl including Sugar Bowl
winner Georgia and BCS National Champion
LSU.
*Entering season
threw a three-yard touchdown
pass to tight end Gabe McKenzie with 2:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, then Antonio Coleman
returned a recovered fumble 34 yards 50 seconds later for another touchdown and Auburn defeated Kansas State in the season opener for both teams. The Tigers trailed 13–9 heading into the fourth quarter, as Auburn's running game was held to only 62 yards. Cox completed 17 passes in 30 attempts for 229 yards and the decisive touchdown pass. Freshman place-kicker Wes Byrum kicked field goals of 20, 39 and 31 yards in his college debut.
Auburn had won the only two previous meetings with Kansas State in 1978 and 1979, and continued that tradition with a tough win in the home opener against the Wildcats.
's South Florida Bulls, and it was a memorable night for the Bulls. Quarterback
Matt Grothe
threw a 14-yard touchdown
pass to receiver Jesse Hester in overtime to lead South Florida to a 26–23 upset win over Auburn. The Tigers committed five turnovers-three lost fumbles and two passes thrown for interceptions-as the Bulls won their first-ever game against a team from the Southeastern Conference
.
South Florida led 14–3 after the first quarter, but Auburn scored two touchdowns in the second quarter on a four-yard run by freshman tailback Mario Fannin and a three-yard pass reception by Gabe McKenzie to take a 17–14 halftime lead. South Florida place kicker Delbert Alvarado, who had missed four field goal attempts in the second half, kicked an 18-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game and force overtime.
season, and the Tigers pulled an upset again in 2007 over then #3 ranked Gators. With the win, Auburn increased their lead in the overall series (42–38–2) and Tommy Tuberville coached Auburn teams now hold a 3–0 record versus Florida when the Gators are ranked in the Top 5.
Wes Byrum's game-winning field goal as time expired was named the ESPN Game-Changing Performance of the Week.
, seeing his first game action since the 2006 Iron Bowl
victory over Alabama, scored two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards. Quarterback Brandon Cox
completed 14 of 17 passing attempts for 165 yards for the Tigers, who improved to 2–1 in conference play and 4–2 overall.
The Commodores rotated back onto Auburn's schedule for the first meeting since 2003. After the victory, Auburn's all-time record against Vanderbilt is now 20–19–1. While the win marked the Tigers first lead in the series in 113 years, Auburn has not lost to the Commodores since 1955 when they met in the Gator Bowl
. Auburn wore all-white uniforms at home for this game and removed the traditional AU logo from their helmets to honor the 50th anniversary of the 1957 National Championship team. The win marked Tommy Tuberville's 100th career win.
Wes Byrum kicked the winning field goal
in the final minute of play as the 22nd-ranked Tigers defeated the Razorbacks 9–7. Byrum's three field goals accounted for all nine of Auburn's points as the Tigers won their fourth consecutive game and avenged a 27–10 loss to the Razorbacks in 2006 at Jordan-Hare Stadium
. The Tigers' defense limited Arkansas running back
Darren McFadden
to 43 yards rushing.
Auburn scored the first six points of the game, as Wes Byrum kicked 22- and 38-yard field goals in the first and fourth quarter, but the Razorbacks went ahead with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Casey Dick to Lucas Miller and a successful point after touchdown by Alex Tejada. Auburn returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 47 yard line. The go-ahead drive was highlighted by a 30-yard pass from senior quarterback
Brandon Cox
to wide receiver Robert Dunn. Byrum, who had missed field goal attempts in the third and fourth quarter, kicked the winning field goal with 21 seconds left in the game.
Auburn has scored only five wins in eighteen attempts at tough Tiger Stadium, the last coming in Tuberville's first year at Auburn (1999). The stakes were high, as this game was a key matchup for a berth in the SEC Championship Game
. The loss brings the series to 19–21–1 in favor of LSU. LSU went on to win the BCS National Championship game finishing #1 in the polls.
, who circled the field prior to the game in one of college football's most exciting traditions.
. The Tigers suffered a 20+ loss for the second straight year but Auburn still leads the series in Athens 18–10 and has won 10 of the last 13 matchups in Sanford Stadium. The second consecutive loss by the Tigers continued a trend in the series where each team would win two years in a row followed by two consecutive losses – this behavior dates back to 1999–2001 when Auburn won three straight. Georgia finished the season ranked #2 in the AP Poll
.
is considered one of the most bitter and intense in all of sports with 72 matchups over the years, this was only the ninth meeting at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium and the first meeting at JHS on Thanksgiving
weekend.
to face the ACC
's Clemson Tigers
, with both teams' defenses being ranked in the top 10. Auburn changed their offense for this game, moving to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread offense in eight practices. Auburn won the game in overtime with a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kodi Burns. The 23–20 victory in 2007 was the first Peach Bowl to require overtime and Auburn now has a 3–1 record in the bowl. This bowl appearance marked Auburn's eighth consecutive appearance; the second longest streak in school history behind the 9-year stretch from 1982–1990.
, the offensive coordinator for the Troy Trojans
, as Borges' replacement. With only 8 days of practice prior to the bowl, the new spread offense proved quite effective as Auburn posted 423 yards of offense (233 passing / 190 rushing), besting their season average in all offensive categories despite playing against the #6 defense in the nation.
Days following the Chick-fil-A Bowl, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp interviewed for and accepted the vacant defensive coordinator position with the Texas Longhorns. On January 17, 2008, Auburn named Pittsburgh
's Paul Rhoads
as the new defensive coordinator.
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
. Head coach Tommy Tuberville
Tommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
returned for his ninth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
head coaches in 2007. He was joined by returning offensive coordinator Al Borges
Al Borges
Alan Borges is an American college football coach and the offensive coordinator of the University of Michigan football team. Borges is known for quarterback development having mentored Cade McNown and Jason Campbell, both first round NFL draft picks...
and returning defensive coordinator Will Muschamp
Will Muschamp
William Larry "Will" Muschamp is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida. He is a native of Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the Georgia Bulldogs...
. Auburn played its eight-game home schedule at Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan–Hare Stadium is the playing venue for Auburn University's football team located on campus in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the University's winningest football coach, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn...
, the ninth largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA in 2007, seating 87,451. Conference foe Vanderbilt
2007 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2007 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his sixth year as the Commodores' head coach. Members of the Southeastern Conference , the Commodores played their home games...
returned to the schedule while non-conference opponents South Florida
2007 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2007 University of South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida in the 2007 college football season. Their head coach was Jim Leavitt, and the USF Bulls will played all of their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL...
and Tennessee Tech played the Tigers for the first time. The Tigers finished the season ranked #14 in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
and #15 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
.
Pre-season
Brandon Cox
Brandon Cox , is a former American football quarterback, who played collegiately for Auburn University...
returned for his third and final season as a starter, finally healthy after being hampered the entire 2006 season
2006 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2006 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville served his eighth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among current SEC head coaches that year...
with injuries. Cox was joined in the backfield by a stable of talented backs including Brad Lester
Brad Lester
Brad Lester was an Canadian football running back who plays for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was born to Phillis Miller and Calvin Lester.-Early years:Brad Lester was born to Phillis Miller and Calvin Lester...
, Ben Tate
Ben Tate
Tate was drafted in the 2nd round in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Most projected Tate to be picked somewhere in the early to middle of the second round, and recognizing his value at pick 58, the Texans aggressively traded up to draft him...
and freshman Mario Fannin
Mario Fannin
Mario Fannin is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He grew up in Hampton, Georgia and was a four-star athlete at Lovejoy High School before being recruited to play football at...
.
Auburn returned one of the best defensive lines in the SEC, if not the country, anchored by senior nose tackle Josh Thompson (43 tackles), senior defensive end and sack-leader Quentin Groves
Quentin Groves
-Heart surgery:While undergoing medical tests at the NFL Combine, Groves was discovered to have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which results in him having a rapid heartbeat because of electrical impulses in the heart taking extra pathways...
, and sophomore(RS) sensation Sen'Derrick Marks
Sen'Derrick Marks
Sen'Derrick Marks is a defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn University...
, who moved to end from defensive tackle.
Prior to the season, a new $2.9 million, 30 feet (9.1 m), 74 feet (22.6 m) high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) Daktronics LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
video display was installed in the south end-zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan–Hare Stadium is the playing venue for Auburn University's football team located on campus in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the University's winningest football coach, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn...
. Auburn was the first SEC school to install an HD video display and the second in the NCAA (after Texas' Godzillatron
Godzillatron
"Godzillatron" or "Adzillatron" is the nickname given to the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin's Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The official name of the board has not yet been decided; it is simply referred to as the "Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Scoreboard" by the...
).
Rankings
Auburn was ranked #14 in the initial USA Today Coaches Poll, a component of the Bowl Championship SeriesBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, released on August 3, 2007. Auburn's initial position in the AP poll was #18. Other preseason rankings for Auburn include:
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Watchlists and honors
- Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
watchlist – King Dunlap - Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
watchlist – Quentin Groves - Chuck Bednarik AwardChuck Bednarik AwardThe Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
watchlist – Quentin Groves - Ted Hendricks AwardTed Hendricks AwardThe Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
watchlist – Quentin Groves - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
watchlist – Brandon Cox
Pre-season All-SEC Team
- Coaches First Team, Defense – Quentin Groves (DE)
- Media Days First Team, Defense – Quentin Groves (DE)
- Coaches Second Team, Defense – Jonathan Wilhite (CB)
- Media Days Second Team, Offense – King Dunlap (OL)
- Media Days Second Team, Defense – Jonathan Wilhite (CB)
- Coaches Third Team, Offense – King Dunlap, Brad Lester (RB)
- Coaches Third Team, Defense – Josh Thompson (NT), Eric Brock (S), Patrick Lee (CB)
Schedule
The 2007 Tigers schedule was ranked the 5th hardest in the country by Sports Illustrated and 6th hardest by ESPN. The road schedule with all four opponents finishing in the Top 25 in 2006 including the defending BCS champion Florida Gators, was ranked as the 2nd toughest.Post-season, Auburn's schedule difficulty was ranked #23 by the NCAA and #35 by Jeff Sagarin. Seven teams from Auburn's regular season schedule qualified for post-season bowls, with four winning their respective bowl including Sugar Bowl
2008 Sugar Bowl
The 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl Game was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the Bowl Championship Series for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was the 74th Sugar Bowl...
winner Georgia and BCS National Champion
2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the #1 and #2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007...
LSU.
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Years at AU* |
Alma mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Tuberville Tommy Tuberville Thomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season... |
Head Coach | 8 | Southern Arkansas University Southern Arkansas University Southern Arkansas University is a public four-year institution located in Magnolia, the seat of Columbia County in Arkansas, United States, not far from the Louisiana state line.-Location:Southern Arkansas University is located in Magnolia, which, as of the census... (1976) |
| Al Borges Al Borges Alan Borges is an American college football coach and the offensive coordinator of the University of Michigan football team. Borges is known for quarterback development having mentored Cade McNown and Jason Campbell, both first round NFL draft picks... |
Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks | 3 | California State University, Chico California State University, Chico California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento... (1982) |
| Hugh Nall | Offensive line | 8 | University of Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... (1983) |
| Eddie Gran | Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... s, Special teams |
8 | California Lutheran California Lutheran University California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:... (1987) |
| Steve Ensminger | Tight end Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... s |
4 | Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name... (1982) |
| Greg Knox | Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... s, Recruiting Coordinator |
8 | Northeastern State Northeastern State University Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma... (1986), Northeastern Northeastern University, Boston Northeastern University , is a private, secular, coeducational research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has eight colleges and offers undergraduate majors in 65 departments... (1990) |
| Will Muschamp Will Muschamp William Larry "Will" Muschamp is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida. He is a native of Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the Georgia Bulldogs... |
Defensive Coordinator, Secondary | 1 | University of Georgia (1994), Auburn University (1996) |
| Don Dunn | Defensive tackles | 8 | East Tennessee State East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state... (1976), Union College Union College Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as... (1980) |
| Terry Price | Defensive ends | 8 | Texas A&M Texas A&M University Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school... (1992) |
| James Willis | Linebackers | 1 | Auburn University (2003) |
| Chase Carlisle | Undergraduate Assistant | 2 | Auburn University (2004–2008) |
Kansas State
Brandon CoxBrandon Cox
Brandon Cox , is a former American football quarterback, who played collegiately for Auburn University...
threw a three-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass to tight end Gabe McKenzie with 2:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, then Antonio Coleman
Antonio Coleman
Antonio Coleman is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He attended Auburn University. Coleman was named to the Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference football first team in 2008 and was considered one of the top outside linebacker prospects...
returned a recovered fumble 34 yards 50 seconds later for another touchdown and Auburn defeated Kansas State in the season opener for both teams. The Tigers trailed 13–9 heading into the fourth quarter, as Auburn's running game was held to only 62 yards. Cox completed 17 passes in 30 attempts for 229 yards and the decisive touchdown pass. Freshman place-kicker Wes Byrum kicked field goals of 20, 39 and 31 yards in his college debut.
Auburn had won the only two previous meetings with Kansas State in 1978 and 1979, and continued that tradition with a tough win in the home opener against the Wildcats.
- SEC Defensive Lineman Of The Week: Quentin Groves
South Florida
This was Auburn's first game against the Big EastBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
's South Florida Bulls, and it was a memorable night for the Bulls. Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Matt Grothe
Matt Grothe
Matt Grothe is a professional quarterback who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He has been with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He played college football at South Florida....
threw a 14-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass to receiver Jesse Hester in overtime to lead South Florida to a 26–23 upset win over Auburn. The Tigers committed five turnovers-three lost fumbles and two passes thrown for interceptions-as the Bulls won their first-ever game against a team from the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
South Florida led 14–3 after the first quarter, but Auburn scored two touchdowns in the second quarter on a four-yard run by freshman tailback Mario Fannin and a three-yard pass reception by Gabe McKenzie to take a 17–14 halftime lead. South Florida place kicker Delbert Alvarado, who had missed four field goal attempts in the second half, kicked an 18-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game and force overtime.
- Lou Groza Star of the Week: Wes Byrum
Mississippi State
In a game that would see the Tigers turn the ball over five times, and their starting quarterback benched in favor of a true freshman, Auburn fell to the Bulldogs despite outgaining them by 110 yards. Mississippi State last won at Auburn in 1999 as Auburn leads the series at home 25–5 and 56–22–2 overall.New Mexico State
The Aggies lost to the Tigers in the teams' only previous meeting in 1993.- SEC Special Teams Player Of The Week: Josh Hebert & Patrick Tatum
Florida
Auburn made its first trip to The Swamp since 2002. Auburn's defeat of Florida was the Gators' only loss in their 2006 BCS Championship2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
season, and the Tigers pulled an upset again in 2007 over then #3 ranked Gators. With the win, Auburn increased their lead in the overall series (42–38–2) and Tommy Tuberville coached Auburn teams now hold a 3–0 record versus Florida when the Gators are ranked in the Top 5.
Wes Byrum's game-winning field goal as time expired was named the ESPN Game-Changing Performance of the Week.
- SEC Defensive Player of the Week: Jerraud PowersJerraud PowersJerraud Powers is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft after declaring following his junior year...
- SEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Wes Byrum
- Lou Groza Star of the Week: Wes Byrum
Vanderbilt
The Tigers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game and led 28–0 at halftime while coasting to an easy 35–7 victory over the visiting Commodores. Sophomore running back Ben Tate led the Tigers with 96 rushing yards, while Brad LesterBrad Lester
Brad Lester was an Canadian football running back who plays for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was born to Phillis Miller and Calvin Lester.-Early years:Brad Lester was born to Phillis Miller and Calvin Lester...
, seeing his first game action since the 2006 Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
victory over Alabama, scored two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards. Quarterback Brandon Cox
Brandon Cox
Brandon Cox , is a former American football quarterback, who played collegiately for Auburn University...
completed 14 of 17 passing attempts for 165 yards for the Tigers, who improved to 2–1 in conference play and 4–2 overall.
The Commodores rotated back onto Auburn's schedule for the first meeting since 2003. After the victory, Auburn's all-time record against Vanderbilt is now 20–19–1. While the win marked the Tigers first lead in the series in 113 years, Auburn has not lost to the Commodores since 1955 when they met in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
. Auburn wore all-white uniforms at home for this game and removed the traditional AU logo from their helmets to honor the 50th anniversary of the 1957 National Championship team. The win marked Tommy Tuberville's 100th career win.
Arkansas
For the second time in three weeks, freshman kickerPlacekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Wes Byrum kicked the winning field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
in the final minute of play as the 22nd-ranked Tigers defeated the Razorbacks 9–7. Byrum's three field goals accounted for all nine of Auburn's points as the Tigers won their fourth consecutive game and avenged a 27–10 loss to the Razorbacks in 2006 at Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan–Hare Stadium is the playing venue for Auburn University's football team located on campus in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the University's winningest football coach, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn...
. The Tigers' defense limited Arkansas running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
to 43 yards rushing.
Auburn scored the first six points of the game, as Wes Byrum kicked 22- and 38-yard field goals in the first and fourth quarter, but the Razorbacks went ahead with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Casey Dick to Lucas Miller and a successful point after touchdown by Alex Tejada. Auburn returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 47 yard line. The go-ahead drive was highlighted by a 30-yard pass from senior quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Brandon Cox
Brandon Cox
Brandon Cox , is a former American football quarterback, who played collegiately for Auburn University...
to wide receiver Robert Dunn. Byrum, who had missed field goal attempts in the third and fourth quarter, kicked the winning field goal with 21 seconds left in the game.
- SEC Defensive Player of the Week: Tray Blackmon
- Lou Groza Star of the Week: Wes Byrum
LSU
In a game that went back and forth between both teams, LSU quarterback Matt Flynn completed a touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd at the last second to give LSU a 30–24 win.Auburn has scored only five wins in eighteen attempts at tough Tiger Stadium, the last coming in Tuberville's first year at Auburn (1999). The stakes were high, as this game was a key matchup for a berth in the SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
. The loss brings the series to 19–21–1 in favor of LSU. LSU went on to win the BCS National Championship game finishing #1 in the polls.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss has only beaten the Tigers in Auburn twice, in 1999 and in 2003; Auburn leads the series 24–8 after the 17–3 victory.- SEC Defensive Lineman Of The Week: Antonio Coleman
Tennessee Tech
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles traveled to Auburn to meet the home-standing Tigers for the first time. Tech was greeted by Auburn's own golden eagle, Nova – War Eagle VIIWar Eagle
War Eagle is the battle cry of fans for the Auburn Tigers football team, and all other athletics teams of Auburn University, and for all intents and purposes, for Auburn University in general. It is also the title of the university fight song...
, who circled the field prior to the game in one of college football's most exciting traditions.
Georgia
AU traveled to Georgia for the 111th meeting of the Deep South's Oldest RivalryDeep South's Oldest Rivalry
The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played by the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University and the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia...
. The Tigers suffered a 20+ loss for the second straight year but Auburn still leads the series in Athens 18–10 and has won 10 of the last 13 matchups in Sanford Stadium. The second consecutive loss by the Tigers continued a trend in the series where each team would win two years in a row followed by two consecutive losses – this behavior dates back to 1999–2001 when Auburn won three straight. Georgia finished the season ranked #2 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
.
Alabama
Auburn won the game 17–10, bringing the current winning streak to 6 (the longest in school history). Though this in-state rivalry known as the Iron BowlIron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
is considered one of the most bitter and intense in all of sports with 72 matchups over the years, this was only the ninth meeting at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium and the first meeting at JHS on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend.
- SEC Defensive Lineman Of The Week: Josh Thompson
Depth chart
Starters and backups.Post-season
Auburn's 8-win regular season qualified a post-season bowl and the Tigers were selected by the Chick-fil-A BowlChick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
to face the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
's Clemson Tigers
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, with both teams' defenses being ranked in the top 10. Auburn changed their offense for this game, moving to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread offense in eight practices. Auburn won the game in overtime with a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kodi Burns. The 23–20 victory in 2007 was the first Peach Bowl to require overtime and Auburn now has a 3–1 record in the bowl. This bowl appearance marked Auburn's eighth consecutive appearance; the second longest streak in school history behind the 9-year stretch from 1982–1990.
Freshman All-Americans
| Sporting News | Rivals.com | Scout.com | CollegeFootballNews.com | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Team | Lee Ziemba Lee Ziemba Lee Ziemba is an American football offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He started at left tackle for Auburn University.-High school career:... (OL) Ryan Shoemaker (P) |
Lee Ziemba (OL) Ryan Shoemaker (P) |
Lee Ziemba (OL) | Lee Ziemba (OL) |
| Second Team | Zac Etheridge (S) | Zac Etheridge (S) | Wes Byrum (K) | Ryan Pugh (OL) Ryan Shoemaker (P) |
| Honorable Mention | Wes Byrum (K) Craig Stevens (LB) |
Ryan Pugh (OL) Chaz Ramsey (OL) Zac Etheridge (S) |
Chaz Ramsey (OL) |
Conference awards
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-SEC Team- First Team – Pat Sims (DT)
- Second Team – Quentin Groves (DE), Ryan Shoemaker (P), Patrick Lee (CB)
- Coaches' All-SEC
- First Team – Quentin Groves (DE)
- Second Team – Ryan Shoemaker (P)
- Coaches' All-SEC Freshman Team – Ryan Pugh (OL), Chaz Ramsey (OL), Lee Ziemba (OL), Antoine Carter (DE), Zac Etheridge (S), Ryan Shoemaker (P)
Coaching changes
Following the close of the regular season, head coach Tommy Tuberville was offered a two-year contract extension that was verbally accepted on December 4, 2007. One week later, offensive coordinator Al Borges announced his resignation following a meeting late the previous week with Tuberville. On December 12, Auburn announced Tony FranklinTony Franklin (coach)
Tony Franklin is an American college football coach, currently serving as the offensive coordinator for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs of Western Athletic Conference....
, the offensive coordinator for the Troy Trojans
Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans were a Major League Baseball team in the National League for four seasons from 1879 to 1882. Their home games were played at Putnam Grounds , Haymakers' Grounds , and Troy Ball Clubs Grounds , all in the upstate New York city of Troy. Overall, the franchise won 131 games and lost...
, as Borges' replacement. With only 8 days of practice prior to the bowl, the new spread offense proved quite effective as Auburn posted 423 yards of offense (233 passing / 190 rushing), besting their season average in all offensive categories despite playing against the #6 defense in the nation.
Days following the Chick-fil-A Bowl, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp interviewed for and accepted the vacant defensive coordinator position with the Texas Longhorns. On January 17, 2008, Auburn named Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
's Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads is an American college football head coach at Iowa State University. Rhoads was formerly the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Auburn University football team before then-head coach Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign at the 2008 season's end...
as the new defensive coordinator.