WAR EAGLE EXTRA

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Report: Dismissed running back Eric Smith was arrested for domestic violence on Feb. 22

Running back Eric Smith, who was dismissed from the Auburn football team Monday, was arrested for domestic violence following an incident on Feb. 22, according to a report by the Opelika-Auburn News.

Smith was arrested at 11:15 p.m. and charged with third-degree domestic violence, according to an Auburn police report obtained by the paper. It is a Class A misdemeanor.

The report said Smith was sober and did not resist arrest. He was booked at Lee County Detention Center and released the next day on a $500 bond.

It is Smith's second run-in with the law in Auburn. He was arrested for third-degree assault in August of 2009 after police said he knocked a fellow student unconscious during a fight outside an area hotel. The case was resolved when he was granted youthful offender status.

The 20-year-old Smith, who also served an academic suspension for the Outback Bowl at the end of the 2009 season, was dismissed from the team Monday for a violation of team rules.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Alli Smalley named first-team All-SEC

Auburn guard Alli Smalley earned first-team All-SEC honors from the conference Tuesday.

The senior, who was a second-team selection as a junior, averaged a team-best 12.1 points a game and shot 40.1 percent on 3-pointers this season.

She ranks ninth all-time in scoring at Auburn with 1,557 points and is the school's record-holder for career 3-pointers with 218.

She was the only Tigers player selected to the All-SEC teams.

Auburn (15-14) plays Mississippi State in the first round of the SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Tuesday links: Wrapping up the NFL Combine

Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was the last former Auburn player to do his drills at the NFL Combine on Monday. Here's a sampling of stories on how he fared (plus so Cam Newton stuff):

(Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.)

Chad Reuter of NFLDraftScout.com writes that Fairley and Alabama's Marcell Dareus cemented their status as elite players.

Wes Bunting of Rivals also came away impressed by what he saw in Fairley.

What exactly did Fairley do that was so impressive? Well, his workout numbers were good. He ran a 4.87-second time in the 40-yard dash, which is pretty good a guy his size. He moved well in drills too, showing strong footwork in linebacker and movement drills. Size might be something of a questions. Fairley measured in at 291 pounds, lighter than most tackles (Dareus, by comparison, is 319). I find it hard to believe that an NFL team couldn't get Fairley to whatever weight they want, however. Also, as someone mentioned in the comments section of a previous post, Fairley measured in at 6-foot-3 7/8, so it's not like he's that far off from his listed height at Auburn of 6-foot-5.

Watch the NFL.com guys talk about Fairley vs. Dareus here.

Some sites listed Fairley as one of the winners from the combine.

Others not so much. Sports Illustrated's Peter King, meanwhile, claims to have it on good authority from someone in the know that Fairley won't go No. 1 overall. (Points No. 4 and 5) Then again, this is the draft, so any information circulating right now might be misinformation.

Some interesting stuff on Newton by Peter King, who first reported the "entertainer and icon" line.

King also takes a shot at a mock draft. He has Newton going No. 4 to Cincinnati and Fairley going No. 8 to Tennessee (which would be interesting, considering that's where Tracy Rocker is). It should be noted that there are 59 days to the draft and everything figures to change by then.

Some think Buffalo might be blowing smoke about not wanting Newton at No. 3.

ESPN's John Clayton says Newton's potential is too good to pass up, although he thinks an ideal situation would involve him sitting and watching his first professional season.

ESPN's Bill Williamson takes a look at the defensive players Denver might consider at No. 2, with Fairley among them.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Auburn dismisses running back Eric Smith for undisclosed violation of team rules

Auburn H-back Eric Smith has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, a school spokesman confirmed tonight. No further details were available.

Smith, who would have been a senior, had a rocky career with the Tigers, marred by an arrest for third-degree assault in August of 2009 after he allegedly knocked a fellow student unconscious with a punch to the back of the head during a fight outside an area hotel.

Smith, who was suspended for one game for the incident, was later granted youthful offender status. He served an academic suspension for the Outback Bowl following the 2009 season but returned to be a key member of the Tigers' 2010 national championship team.

Although he had only one carry and caught 5 passes for 49 yards, he was also one of the team's top blockers, playing in all 14 games and staring five.

Smith finished his career with 182 rushing yards and one touchdown in addition to 25 receptions for 278 yards and another score.

Although he was never a big ballcarrier, Smith's departure further diminishes Auburn's backfield numbers. Mike Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are the only returning scholarship running backs. They'll be joined by incoming freshman Tre Mason this summer. Rising junior Anthony Morgan might also be at tailback.

Auburn might also consider keeping 290-pound redshirt freshman Ladarious Phillips in the backfield. The Tigers experimented with him at defensive tackle before the bowl game.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Varnadore named SEC Pitcher of the Week

Auburn's Derek Varnadore was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after a 13-strikeout, two-hit shutout of Radford on Sunday.

The right-hander, who transferred from Chattahoochee Valley Community College, allowed only four baserunners against Radford, none of which advanced past second. His 13 strikeouts were the most by a Tigers pitcher since Chris Bootcheck struck out 15 against West Virginia in 1999.

Varnadore is 2-0 in two starts this year, allowing five hits, three walks and no runs. He's struck out 17 in 16 innings.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Monday links: Looking back at the 'Cam-bine'

Another day of NFL combine links, courtesy of whoever wrote something informational from Indianapolis that I could link to. Without further adieu:

(Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.)

It was Cam Newton's day to perform at the combine and the former Auburn quarterback had mixed reviews.

The good: his workout numbers. Newton ran an unofficial 4.58-second 40-yard dash (officially counted as a 4.59), third fastest among quarterbacks. He had a 35-inch vertical jump (third) and a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump (tied for first). As Tigers fans well know, he's a physical beast.

But Newton's throwing day wasn't as good as his training session for the media in San Diego earlier this month. He completed 11 of his 21 throws, overthrowing a few. Even Newton said he was a little frustrated.

But onlookers didn't think it was all bad. ESPN's John Clayton wrote that Newton's powerful arm is just what NFL teams are looking for.

What did Cam think of his day? Here's video of him talking about it. And if you're into watching the actual drills he did, click here.

Cam's quarterback coach, George Whitfield, says the quarterback has room to improve.

Nick Fairley arrived and had his turn at the microphone. CBS's Pete Prisco brushes off all the "dirty player" talk and says Fairley is the best player in the draft.

Fairley wants to prove he's more like Ndamukong Suh than Albert Haynesworth.

A full note about Fairley's day in front of the media by Pro Football Weekly (scroll down). Fairley was adamant that he doesn't take plays off.

Some stuff on Fairley in the middle of this Don Banks article from Sports Illustrated. A shoulder injury to his AC joint suffered against Georgia prevented Fairley from bench pressing this weekend. We'll see if he does it at Auburn's Pro Day on March 8. I'd assume he would have to. (Oregon State's Stephen Paea, by the way, repped 225 a combine-record 49 times. Sweet fancy Moses that's a lot.)

Thought it was interesting that Fairley measured up at 6-foot-3, 291 pounds. He was listed as 6-5 and over 300 at Auburn.

Fairley is getting a lot of comparisons to Alabama tackle Marcell Dareus.

The day's big workout winner for Auburn? Running back Mario Fannin, who clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, second best of the running backs and fourth-best for the weekend so far (defensive backs have yet to run). His time was .05 seconds faster than Ben Tate last year. Fannin, who measured in at 5-10, 231 pounds, also had a 37.5-inch vertical jump. Will it be enough to get Fannin drafted? I'm still skeptical. His fumbling problems are an issue that won't go away. But NFL teams love speed, so this figures to at the very least increase his chances of signing a free agent deal somewhere if he goes undrafted.

Did not see a lot out there on Darvin Adams, but SI still listed him as one of the rising receivers. Adams didn't have a great 40 time (mid-4.5s) but did catch the ball well, which is where he'll make his money at the next level.

Up today: Fairley and the defensive linemen take the field for drills.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Auburn women's hoops the sixth seed in SEC tournament, will play Mississippi State

The SEC women's tournament field is set. Auburn is the sixth seed and will play 11th-seeded Mississippi State on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

The Tigers (15-14, 8-8 SEC) wrapped their regular season up with a 76-62 loss to Kentucky on Sunday.

They split the season series with the Bulldogs, winning 45-41 in Starkville and losing 57-45 in Auburn. The winner plays No. 3 Vanderbilt on Friday, also at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Here's the full schedule:

Thursday: #9 Arkansas vs. #8 Florida, FSN, 1:00 p.m. ET
Thursday: #10 Alabama vs. #7 LSU, FSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
Thursday: #12 Ole Miss vs. #5 South Carolina, FSN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Thursday: #11 Mississippi State vs. #6 Auburn, FSN, 10:00 p.m. ET
Friday: Winner Game 1 vs. #1 Tennessee, FSN, 1:00 p.m. ET
Friday: Winner Game 2 vs. #2 Kentucky, FSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
Friday: Winner Game 3 vs. #4 Georgia, FSN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday: Winner Game 4 vs. #3 Vanderbilt, FSN, 10:00 p.m. ET
Saturday: Game 9, ESPNU, 4:00 p.m. ET
Saturday: Game 10, ESPNU, 6:30 p.m. ET
Sunday: (SEC Championship Game), Game 11, ESPN2, 5:30 p.m. ET

Sunday links: Auburn players at the NFL Combine

The blog isn't in Indianapolis, but we like to scour the Internet for stories from folks who are. Here's a sampling of stuff about Auburn's players.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

This big show Saturday was Cam Newton, who went through interviews with the media and a few teams. As it is every time Newton talks, everything he said was under the microscope. He clarified his "icon" statement from earlier this month.

Watch video of Newton's opening statement at the podium here. (Honestly, sounded kind of wooden. He's better when he's not reading from a piece of paper.)

Cam takes his turn asking some questions to Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Watch Steve Mariucci, Brian Billick and choir boy Michael Irvin talk about character issues and how it affects how teams approach players in the draft here.

While the quarterback charmed quite a few folks, the praise wasn't universal.

The Carolina Panthers have said they might consider Newton with the No. 1 overall pick. Here's a Panthers beat writer's story on Newton by friend of the blog, Joe Person.

A question about attempting a quarterback sneak instead of just taking a knee at the end of the BCS title game reportedly flustered him.

Defensive tackle Nick Fairley had some travel complications that prevented him from getting there for interviews Saturday.

Alabama's Marcell Dareus, a fellow defensive tackle, said he respects Fairley's game, despite the rivalry between the schools.

Here's another article by Person about the history of defensive tackles going No. 1 in the draft and how it's a risky proposition.

Offensive lineman Lee Ziemba finished up his combine Saturday. Had a tough time finding stuff on how Ziemba fared. Only numbers I saw were on the HABOTN. Ziemba ran a 5.47-second time in the 40-yard dash and had a 7-foot, 11-inch broad jump. The leaders among offensive linemen were 4.97 seconds in the 40 (Nate Solder, Colorado) and 9 feet, 6 inches for the broad jump (Jarriel King, South Carolina).

Wide receiver Darvin Adams spoke to reporters Friday, when he said he thinks Auburn supported his decision to turn pro. Adams said he turned pro because he had two good seasons, won a national championship and has to take care of his family.

Not sure if you can spot Mario Fannin in this video, but it's pretty funny. Gorilla suit gags never fail to entertain.

Big workout opportunity for Newton, Adams and Fannin today, when quarterbacks, receivers and running backs go through drills. Fairley and the defensive linemen take the field Monday.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Late Arkansas dunk sinks Auburn in final seconds for second time this week

AUBURN, Ala. — In erasing a 13-point second-half deficit against Arkansas, Auburn did everything right defensively, contesting shots, stepping into passing lanes and converting turnovers into points.

But when the Tigers needed one last defensive stop, like earlier this week against Alabama, they couldn't get it.

Arkansas forward Delvon Johnson got open after Auburn failed to make a defensive switch, receiving a pass from Julysses Nobles under the hoop and dunking it with 5 seconds remaining to lift the Razorbacks (18-10, 7-7 SEC) to a 57-55 win at the Auburn Arena on Saturday.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Auburn guard Josh Wallace got a good look at a long 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt at the final horn, but it was too strong, hitting the backboard and rim before bouncing away as the Tigers (9-19, 2-12 SEC) lost in the final seconds for the second time this week.

They lost a heartbreaker at Alabama on Wednesday 51-49 on a tip-in by JaMychal Green with .3 seconds left.

"It's draining," Wallace said. "You want to win. And to come so close and fight so hard, it hurts."

The Tigers did their best to get SEC win No. 3, charging back after being down by 13 early in the second half. Auburn scored seven straight, starting with a 3-pointer by Earnest Ross with 3:49 to play. A Rob Chubb layup cut the lead to two before Kenny Gabriel got open for a layup with 28.1 seconds left to tie the game at 55.

Arkansas held for the final shot, finding an opening when Auburn guard Chris Denson got caught behind Johnson in the post after Gabriel called for a switch after being screened. The feed from Nobles was precise and Johnson had an easy two-handed jam.

"We executed our tails off defensively down the stretch, except for the very last play," Auburn coach Tony Barbee said. "We broke down. ... I told the guys that even though that play happened, we lost this game a long time ago because of the way we started."

The Tigers continued to struggle offensively, finishing with their second-lowest first-half point total this season.

They shot 26 percent in the first half and went into the locker room down 27-20 only by the good fortune of a goaltending call against Arkansas as the clock expired on a Wallace 3-pointer that didn't appear to have a chance at going in. Wallace finished with 9 points and 5 assists.

Auburn missed easy looks all afternoon. Chubb air-balled a hook shot from three feet away. Ross, who finished with 11, missed an uncontested layup after a steal. Gabriel led the team with 13 points but took 16 shots to do so.

"Have we seen that before? Is that something new?" Barbee asked rhetorically. "We have seen it all year long. Offensively, we are what we are."

Still, the Tigers hung close because of effort. They had nine steals, forced 17 turnovers that they converted into into 19 points and matched their SEC-high with five blocks.

Although Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke, who finished with a game-high 17 points, hit several shots to keep it at bay, Auburn stuck close and gave themselves a chance.

"There is no quit in this team," Barbee said. "That is what we have to be about as our foundation. We are coming at you and if we lose it is because we ran out of time, not because we gave up. Our team has done that all year long. I am proud of them for that."

Auburn's Ward working, waiting on his chance

Auburn and Arkansas play this afternoon, but I wrote about somebody who won't even be dressing up for the game -- point guard Varez Ward, a transfer from Texas. Here's how the story starts:

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn guard Varez Ward has perfected the waiting game.

His college debut was delayed a year for prep school. His first chance to shine was delayed because of a bad attitude. And his opportunity to start has been delayed by a quad tear and transfer from Texas to Auburn, where he won’t be eligible to play until next season.

But patience is exactly what is needed by the Tigers (9-18, 2-11 SEC), who continue to play out the stretch today against Arkansas (17-10, 6-7) at the Auburn Arena starting at 1:47 p.m.

“It’s hard to sit there and watch because I know I can be out there helping out my teammates get wins,” Ward said. “I think I’ll be able to come in and compete.”

With Ward, 6-foot-6 Clemson transfer Noel Johnson and injured guard Frankie Sullivan all joining the rotation next season, there appears to be brighter days on the horizon for Auburn, which needs to win one of its final three league games to avoid its worst conference mark since going 2-16 in 1988-89.

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.