Tuberville's Tigers expecting big things in 2003

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Posted 12:25PM on Saturday, August 16, 2003

AUBURN, ALABAMA - Auburn's players and coaches could barely contain their excitement last December. Forget Penn State in the Capital One Bowl, they were already looking forward to the 2003 season. With good reason. The Tigers, ranked No. 6 in The Associated Press preseason poll, have a loaded backfield, a stout defense and a veteran quarterback. It all adds up to this: They're talking titles on the Plains again after 13 years without winning the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers have won or shared three straight division crowns, but they're still stinging from the perceived lack of respect leading up to recent seasons. Now, they're the favorites. ``It's not a weird feeling,'' quarterback Jason Campbell said. ``The last couple of years we've been picked last in the West. We've been using that as a motivation, trying to move to the top. This year we're on the top. ``We know that we have the bull's eye. We know we can't sneak up on anybody this season. We know everybody's going to be coming at us full-speed.'' The Tigers have nobody to blame but themselves. They had a run of upsets and near-misses in the final six games in 2002, beating three teams ranked in the Top 10 when Auburn played them and only losing to then-No. 7 Georgia on Michael Johnson's fourth-and-15 touchdown pass with 1:25 left. Auburn allowed only 23 points and two touchdowns in wins over then Top-10 LSU, Alabama and, in the Capital One Bowl, Penn State. The Tigers will find out how legitimate the hype is in the opener Aug. 30 with No. 8 Southern California. ``The last four or five games last year were probably as good a football as I've seen played since I've been coaching,'' coach Tommy Tuberville said. ``And that's including the Miami teams I was a part of. ``We played consistently, we played very physical, we played hard-nosed, we ran the football, we threw it and we played good defense. And we played with a lot of confidence. That's what you have to have in this conference, you have to play with confidence.'' Tuberville was an assistant on three Miami Hurricane teams who won national championships with the kind of swagger that only comes with such supremacy. Auburn hasn't yet got the swagger or the supremacy. The Tigers are trying not to get swept up in the hype but aren't shying from it either. ``We're just trying to stay humble,'' All-SEC linebacker Karlos Dansby said. ``A lot of people are excited to see what's going to go down, to see if Auburn's going to step up to the challenge. And I believe we will. ``I believe this team can be great.'' He's not alone. The Sporting News declared Auburn its preseason No. 1 team, and the Tigers were nearly a 4-to-1 pick over Georgia for the SEC championship at the league's media days. Auburn finished 9-4 last season and returns eight starters on both offense and defense, plus tailbacks Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown and a defense led by linebackers Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas Dansby derives inspiration from Ohio State, which won the national title a year after losing five games. ``We feel that we have the opportunity to be something special,'' he said. A deep pool of tailbacks features Williams and Brown, who had seven combined 100-yard efforts and a 200-yard game apiece in injury-shortened seasons. Williams is the preseason All-SEC pick despite missing six games with a broken leg. Brown averaged 138.5 yards per game in his absence, missing the Alabama game with an ankle injury. Plus, there's Tre Smith and Brandon Jacobs in reserve. ``We're going to have fresh legs at the running back position in the fourth quarter, and in our 13th and 14th games,'' running backs coach Eddie Gran said. If Auburn is to win big, quarterback Jason Campbell will have to come through. He has started 14 games and completed 63 percent of his passes the past two years, but didn't have a single 200-yard effort last season. He also passed for just 78 yards against Penn State. Campbell opens the season as the starter for the first time and there is no game experience among his backups. ``That's going to be the key this year,'' Dansby said. ``I think Jason's ready for the challenge. You can see a big change in him right now. He's grown up. I think he's ready.'' The Tigers must replace tight end Robert Johnson, center Ben Nowland and leading receiver Marcel Willis. Three talented freshmen logged considerable playing time at receiver last season. Defensively, Dansby and Thomas are both preseason All-SEC picks. Seniors Spencer Johnson, DeMarco McNeil and Reggie Torbor anchor a defensive line that should have more depth than in recent years. The secondary loses All-SEC safety Travaris Robinson, who tied with Carlos Rogers with a team-high four interceptions, and cornerback Horace Willis. Safety Junior Rosegreen could shift to corner opposite Rogers. The Tigers' special teams gets a big shakeup with the departure of punter/placekicker Damon Duval, a four-year starter and the school's career leader in made field goals. Junior placekicker Philip Yost and redshirt freshman punter Michael Gibson were the frontrunners for the jobs. ``Our kicking game's going to be a thrill-a-minute early,'' Tuberville said.

Tuberville&#39;s Tigers expecting big things in 2003

Tuberville's Tigers expecting big things in 2003