Freshman running back Mike Dyer seems like a humble guy. Auburn coach Gene Chizik is trying to keep him that way.

Chizik said during today's SEC teleconference that he talks to all his players about staying humble, especially the freshmen.

"You hope that within each guy you recruit there's a certain level of humbleness to them to start with," he said. "But I think when they come in and they see the lay of the land with the older guys, and early on they're trying to kind of find their role, I think they are humbled to a certain extent anyways."

Dyer, who joined Auburn as a five-star recruit ESPN had as the No. 1 back in the country, has had immediate success, running for 143 yards in two games. Chizik, like he did after Onterio McCalebb's fast start last year, has tried to slow play the freshman, choosing any praise wisely when speaking to the media.

"You've just got to keep them on the right path and keep talking to them about staying focused on your job, what it is that you're supposed to do to help us win and things of that nature," Chizik said.

"We try to talk to our guys all the time about outside distractions and reading this and reading that and all the evils that come with that, just trying to stay focused on the task at hand."

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Gamecocks freshman running back Marcus Lattimore's style reminds him of Emmitt Smith.

Chizik, predictably, didn't come up with a comparison for Dyer.

"Michael's unique in his own way," he said. "There's nobody off the the top of my head that I can say that I can compare him to or say he reminds me of right now."

Some other quick hitters from a mostly redundant teleconference:

• Chizik still won't come out and say LT Lee Ziemba's right knee is fine, even though the senior has said it himself. I'm sure he's got Clemson fooled on this one.

• Plenty of praise for Clemson and QB Kyle Parker. "This will be our biggest challenge to date."

• Asked what he's learned about his team after two games, Chizik had this response: "I see a team that I think is going to fight and battle down to the end, regardless of circumstances. ... I think it's a scrappy team. I like the fact that they're willing to keep fighting."