Daily Archive for September 16th, 2007

Some words from Nate

Published on September 16, 2007 in au football. 0 Comments

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We lost to USF. Whatever. We lost to Miss. State. Whatever. We know what we had leaving Jordan-Hare after K-state. This is not 04 again people. I don’t know about you guys; but, i don’t really care.

Why?

Because of Kodi Burns. aka the future. aka superman.

Watching that man play Saturday made me feel like how Cadillac did when he played. It seems like every play with cox under center I have butter flies in my stomach not wanting to watch. Butter flies no more. Loss or not, for the first time this year, I was truly, truly, excited to watch auburn play football. He made me realize why I love Auburn Football.

Somewhere along the line…somewhere after 04 season and now…I have and possibly we have become obsessed with only auburn winning. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; but, we have been spoiled. Thanks Auburn 04′, 05′ and 06′. But Kodi has made me a fan of the game again. I just cant wait to see the next play and see what he is going to do. The season is still not over yet. We have 9 more games to play!

We’re not going to win every game. We have a very young team. For me at least, (Kodi) seems to be the missing piece to this struggling offense. Burns’ athletic ability is necessary to take the pressure off the young O-line. Burns’ running ability slows down the rush, freezes the ends on reads and zone plays and therefore improves the inside running game (ends can’t crash down the line like they’ve been doing against Cox). The 28-yard TD run by Tate was a good example of this. I DID like Brandon coming back in down the stretch, but I didn’t like leaving him in 1st and goal from the 9 yard line. WTF? That would have been a great spot for Burns to spread the defense out of the gun, or run a few run/pass options off some play action out of the I formation. Instead we went one-dimensional again failed to score.

Still all is not lost folks. Auburn can still make it to Atlanta and you guys know it. Its college football…college football in the SEC! Screw the haters. We will bounce back from this like we always do. We just need to get 6 ya heard? The next four years will be the most exciting time to be an auburn tiger. Keep your heads up! We are auburn tigers and there isn’t anything that could make me not proud to be one. WAR DAMN EAGLE

-NATE

The Future is here

Published on September 16, 2007 in au football. 1 Comment


“Our intention was really to play him in spots – here and there – but he did such a nice job when he came in, we just decided to stay with him.” Al Borges, on playing Kodi Burns

You wanted it. You got it. Kodi Burns is the Auburn University quarterback.

Or is he?

“I don’t know,” head coach Tommy Tuberville said.

But you do.

Burns will be the guy. Brandon Cox, well, now, he’s the other guy.

That’s the way it was Saturday. And that’s the way it’ll be for the rest of this year.

Burns is the quarterback for this team. This two-loss team.

From No. 3 to No. 1 just like that on a team that went from 1-0 to 1-2 even quicker.

Since the Tigers’ season face-planted Saturday in a 19-14 loss to Mississippi State, so did Cox’s chance at finishing the season as the top signal-caller.

Burns is the quarterback. The Future is here.

Anyone else need sunglasses?

Like it or not, Auburn just gave a true freshman the keys to its offense and its season.

And he drove it pretty well … considering.

And now that Auburn has no chance of winning the SEC West and going to Atlanta, Burns will be behind the wheel a lot more.

Ready?

Listening to the student section Saturday, that’s an easy answer.

When No. 18 entered the game after Cox opened up with consecutive interceptions on the Tigers’ first two possessions, chants of “Kodi, Kodi, Kodi,” were flying around Jordan-Hare Stadium like Nova on a dinner run.

They love him. Burns. Not Cox.

And they will continue to. Especially now that Auburn’s 2007 season is in the past.

Remember, this is an 18-year-old playing quarterback in the SEC.

He gives Auburn a chance to be better. He gives them a chance to win. Not now. But later. Much later.

Remember, this is an 18-year-old playing quarterback in the SEC.

Burns needs time to develop. He needs time to mature. He needs time to learn all the plays.

“He will get a lot better,” Tuberville said of Burns.

Auburn can’t get much worse.

This just in: Mississippi State 19, Auburn 14.

“This is a team that will have a lot of ups and downs,” Tuberville said.

In case you missed it: Mississippi State 19, Auburn 14.

That’s why Burns will play. A lot. He has to. Next year’s right around the corner.

And even if the Tigers haven’t given up on Cox, which they didn’t Saturday when AU needed a touchdown, they won’t go to him as often.

And why should they? Two interceptions in two pass attempts.

Even Cox knew that wouldn’t cut it.

“I went ahead and accepted it,” Cox said of being benched.

Six interceptions, a fumble and only two touchdowns in his first three games. That’s not the swan song Cox wanted to be humming in his final season on the Plains.

Now, he’s relegated to singing Burns’ praise.

“I turned into a cheerleader,” Cox said. “Kodi did really well. I was on the sidelines doing everything I could to keep people going.”

He will be doing a lot of that this season, I’m afraid.

Like it or not, Cox’s time is almost up. It’s a shame. But this is football.

This is a game of “what have you done for me lately.” And, lately, Cox hasn’t done much. Burns has.

And that’s the way it is.

For the rest of this season and the next.

“We got to look forward,” Tuberville said. “We can’t look back and dwell on these losses. We know we can win some games.”

The Future is here, and now Auburn will be playing for it.