Here's a video from late-night interviews Tuesday. It's got offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, quarterback Cam Newton, running back Mario Fannin and a lot of defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker, who quickly becoming the best player for video interviews. Enjoy.

Ryan Shoemaker got the news Tuesday that he’s been waiting three years to hear.

Shoemaker, a senior, beat out freshman Steven Clark for Auburn’s starting punting job, something he was informed of by coaches before practice.

“It’s been a long competition,” Shoemaker said. “This offseason I’ve really worked on being more consistent and I feel like it’s really paid off throughout this entire camp. I’m hitting the ball really well right now.”

Shoemaker started as a freshman in 2007 but was beaten out by Clinton Durst the past two years. Once Durst graduated, it wasn’t a given that Shoemaker would succeed him. Clark, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Kansas City, has a big leg and a bright future on the Plains, according to coaches.

“He’s one of the better freshmen I’ve ever seen coming into college,” Shoemaker said. “He did push me a little bit. That was good for both of us. I feel like he’s gotten a lot better as well.”

The competition went back and forth all August. Shoemaker showed a stronger leg, but Clark was better at hangtime and getting punts off quickly. But the Tigers didn’t want a split situation.

“We wanted to have all our guys in place,” head coach Gene Chizik said. “Ryan’s got experience.”

Shoemaker knows all Tuesday’s announcement meant was that he’d start against Arkansas State. The competition won’t stop.

Shoemaker's goals are to get a hangtime above 4.5 seconds and 38 or more yards on his punts.

"You don't have to kick a 55-yard punt every single punt," he said. "It's being consistent and kicking it solid and eliminating the bad punts, the shanks especially. It really has been, it's what I've been going off of from Day 1 is consistency.

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Here are some more notes from late interviews:

• “ATH” is how freshman Shaun Kitchens was described during the recruiting process, the abbreviation for athlete. The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder from College Park, Ga., projected at a number of possible positions in college, including receiver, tight end or linebacker. On Auburn’s first depth chart, he’s listed as an H-back. “I feel like that’s what is the most unique thing about me,” he said. “I can play a lot of different positions. I just love the learning experience, so it’s just fun.”

• Versatility is a key in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s system. On the two-deep, 15 players are listed at the five different skill positions. “This is a very diverse offense,” Kitchens said. “The offense is not going to go through one person. Everyone gets a chance to make plays.”

• Interesting exchange with Malzahn about WR Trovon Reed, who has been slowed by a bruised knee cap. Asked is Reed practiced Thursday, Malzahn kind of hesitated before saying, "Uhh ... yeah. He was able to practice." Asked if he thought Reed would play Saturday, Malzahn said, "Yes," but offered nothing else. That was how the interview ended. Awkwardly. So I'd gather it's probably not a stone-cold lock you'll see Reed on the field against Arkansas State.

• Fellow freshman wide receiver Antonio Goodwin wasn’t on the initial depth chart. “He’s a talented young man,” Malzahn said. “We’re just trying to decide whether he’s ready or not.”

• Malzahn noted that today's depth chart was not iron clad. More players could get in the game depending on situations and injuries.

• Malzahn has come across Arkansas State coordinator Hugh Freeze in his time. Freeze asked about the head coaching job at Shiloh Christian High in Arkansas after Malzahn the school in 2000. Both coaches finally hit it big in the college game, however. Malzahn latched on to Arkansas in 2006. Freeze went to Ole Miss in 2005, eventually serving as interim coach after Ed Orgeron was fired. "He's a very good football coach and he knows X's and O's and has been successful wherever he's been," Malzahn said. "I do know that he's got a spread mentality. He does like to throw the ball. He likes to use some different formations that we do, but I know he's good at executing."

• Malzahn expects all three running backs -- Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb and Michael Dyer -- to get carries Saturday. Fannin thinks they all bring different styles to the backfield. "O brings speed to the backfield and he can get around the corner," he said. "Mike is more versatile. He can get outside and stay inside, as well as me. So we bring a lot to the table, and that's a good thing. Having three of the same backs, you can't really be versatile at that position. But I feel as though our backfield is a good accomplishment for this team."

• Fannin sounded legitimately excited to finally get his shot at tailback, after years of playing receiver and H-back. "It's a good feeling, being able to suit up your senior season and being in a position that you really wanted to play since you got here," he said. "Now is the time to just show everybody that you can fulfill that position. A lot of people come through here, a lot of great players came through here and played that position, and it's just your time to show, not just your teammates but your Auburn family, that you can play it. So it's going to be a fun challenge and I can't wait to get started."

• Fannin on what this running game is capable of. "I feel we can be as good as we want to be," he said.

• Even Malzahn is curious to see how quarterback Cam Newton will fare Saturday. "Until you actually get to see somebody in the heat of the battle, there's some questions that we'll learn after the first few games after we get to know each other even better going through those times," he said. "And he's got a good handle of the offense, but I really expect him each week to get a better grip and a better grasp as we go."

• Newton, despite repeated media requests, said he hasn't tired of the attention. "That's what you sign up for," he said. "You never get tired for it. Coach Malzahn said the great players and great teams embrace the process and this is part of the process."

• We've had a lot of "Cam Newton: Leader of Men" quotes this August, but Fannin summed up pretty well why Newton has gained the team's respect so quickly. "Cam is a guy when he got here, he worked hard," Fannin said. "You can see him just coming up here on the weekends and practicing on the field by himself and doing extra routes when he didn't have to. And that's something that earns respect here. You look at a guy like that work hard and you can't do anything but respect him. After Friday, a day of pulling sleds or lifting squats and things like that, you see him out there in the afternoon by himself Saturday, so you can't do anything but respect him. Just his hard work alone just pretty much sealed the deal for us. And we understood where he was trying to go and we understood where we were trying to go."

• Newton was asked about his former Florida teammate John Brantley, who will get the nod as the Gators' starting quarterback today. He had good things to say. "We were always looking at Tebow and looking at how he prepared for the game," Newton said. "It was nothing like a hatred thing. We were just waiting our turn, and unfortunately he got the chance, but I'm still in an excellent situation myself, so it worked out for the both of us."
  

• Newton wouldn't say whether he or Brantley had the upper hand to replace Tebow, but he was all about Brantley's upside. "I think John Brantley has a heck of an arm," Newton said. "The whole college nation will be hearing about John Brantley, because he's an excellent quarterback. He's an excellent person to be around. And he's an excellent leader."

• Newton's motor scooter gang is expanding, by the way. There were four parked in front of the athletic complex Tuesday. He called it "The Cammy Cam Bike Club."

• DT Jeffrey Whitaker was hesitant to say he could play at this level when camp first started in August. But he sounds confident he can contribute now, especially physically. "That’s what I was all about," Whitaker said. "I know if I can do anything, I can pass a lick, and I don’t mind contact. It was everything I thought it was going to be – and a little bit more. When you’ve got 600 pounds closing that double team, it’s not the same as high school anymore. The physical part? I’m a physical guy. Coach Rock is trying to teach you there are times you’re going to have to be physical, but there are a lot of times, we’re not trying to win the World’s Strongest Man Contest. You get off blocks and make plays."

• Whitaker was high on DT Zach Clayton, who is right ahead of him on the depth chart. "He is a beast," Whitaker said. "Boys against men. He’s slinging people, throwing people. I’m the type of the guy who is always asking questions, so I’m always asking Zach `what about this? What about this? Zach watch me when I’m out there.’ He’s been a big help to me. Him, Mike Blanc, Nick Fairley, everybody, have been a big help to a freshman."

• Whitaker doesn't anticipate a letdown against Arkansas State, even if Auburn is heavily favored (30 points, last I checked). "The last time they put on pads and we put on pads," he said. "It’s Arkansas State. Big up front. They know how to play some ball. They don’t mind hitting you in the mouth."

A few players stopped by for some interviews before practice. Here are the fine points:

• Zach Clayton, a newly minted starter at defensive tackle, said he's been as healthy as he's been on the Plains this August. He credits it to prehab, which might have been a word he made up on the spot. "It's not technically rehab because I'm not injured," he said. "It's doing things off the field like ankle exercises, just keeping up with that kind of stuff so the injuries don't sneak up and catch you off guard." He hopes it can help him avoid the nagging ankle injury that cost him most of last season.

• Safety Linebacker Daren Bates was officially named the starter at the right linebacker spot, although it was assumed he would get it after making the position switch in the winter. "I knew there was going to be competition out there," he said. "People want to play. When I stepped back I knew I had to keep it up and keep my job alive and hopefully I can have the starting job."

• He knows Arkansas State well. The Memphis-born Bates originally committed to the Red Wolves before an Auburn offer came along. "I got a couple friends on the team now," he said. "The coaches made it look real nice. They have facilities, for their type of division they have real nice facilities. The talent was nice and all that."

• Bates said he feels like a linebacker now. "Sometimes I still have safety tendencies," he said. "I think more practice and the more drills you do, I feel like I'm all right. ... That's why we practice. Practice you do the same things over and over. You just have to convert it to the game time. I don't think I'll go back and forth."

• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen said he feels more comfortable as a blocker this year, which will be important for Auburn, which doesn't have many tight ends his size on the roster. "If you'd have asked me that a year ago, I'd probably have said receiver," he said. "Now I'd say blocker. I'm a lot more comfortable with blocking. I do it a little more than receiving now. I know that's going to help me get into the league. That's what you have to do."

• Lutzenkirchen said things are different as he approaches his second year. "Last year, you prepared as if the starter goes down, you have to be ready," he said. "This year, I'm a lot more focused and into it and ready to go full speed the whole game."

• He thinks quarterback Cam Newton might have some nerves after how long he's had to wait to be in the spotlight. "I'm sure he's going to be nervous -- as we all probably are," Lutzenkirchen said. "It's not normal if you're not nervous coming into a game. He might be a little uncomfortable at first. Once he settles down and gets used to Jordan-Hare, I think he's going to do a good job."

• Quindarius Carr said he expects the coaches to go with one punt returner come Saturday and not rotate a group in. Carr, Darvin Adams and Trovon Reed are listed as possible starters at the position. Asked if he expects to be on the field, he simply said, "Yes."

• Bates on Auburn flying under the radar. "We don't have to fight for the attention but I just think we need to get to the championship," he said. "That's what we're working on, to get from good to great. That's really our intentions, just to get there."

Here's the full thing:

QB: 2 Cameron Newton (6-6/250/Jr./College Park, Ga.)
14 Barrett Trotter (6-2/211/So./Birmingham, Ala.)

RB: 27 Mario Fannin (5-11/228/Sr./Hampton, Ga.)
23 Onterio McCalebb (5-10/171/So./Fort Meade, Ga.)
5 Michael Dyer (5-9/215/Fr./Little Rock, Ark.)

HB: 32 Eric Smith (5-10/240/Jr./Seffner, Fla.)
4 Shaun Kitchens (6-3/217/Fr./College Park, Ga.)
1 Trovon Reed (6-0/181/Fr./Thibodaux, La.)

TE/WR: 43 Philip Lutzenkirchen (6-4/258/So./Marietta, Ga.) -- OR--
18 Kodi Burns (6-2/207/Sr./Fort Smith, Ark.)
80 Emory Blake (6-1/192/So./Austin, Texas)

WR: 81 Terrell Zachery (6-1/210/Sr./Wadley, Ala.)
9 Quindarius Carr (6-1/186/Jr./Huntsville, Ala.)
3 DeAngelo Benton (6-2/201/So./Bastrop, La.)

WR: 89 Darvin Adams (6-3/185/Jr./Kennesaw, Ga.)
82 Jay Wisner (6-2/190/Sr./Bozeman, Mont.)
87 Derek Winter (6-0/208/Jr./Tampa, Fla.)

LT: 73 Lee Ziemba (6-8/319/Sr./Rogers, Ark.)
75 Brandon Mosley (6-6/299/Jr./Jefferson, Ga.)

LG: 66 Mike Berry (6-3/316/Sr./Antioch, Tenn.)
53 Bart Eddins (6-4/304/Sr./Montgomery, Ala.)

C: 50 Ryan Pugh (6-4/297/Sr./Hoover, Ala.)
63 Blake Burgess (6-2/278/RFr./Vestavia Hills, Ala.)

RG: 57 Byron Isom (6-3/291/Jr./Jonesboro, Ga.)
76 Jorrell Bostrom (6-3/322/Sr./Nampa, Idaho) --OR--
79 Jared Cooper (6-4/300/Jr./Brewton, Ala.)

RT: 77 A.J. Greene (6-5/291/Jr./Madison, Tenn.)
71 John Sullen (6-6/312/So./Auburn, Ala.)

LE: 45 Antoine Carter (6-4/256/Sr./Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
55 Corey Lemonier (6-4/227/Fr./Hialeah, Fla.)
95 Dee Ford (6-4/240/So./Odenville, Ala.)

DT: 98 Zach Clayton (6-3/296/Sr./Opelika, Ala.)
54 Jeffrey Whitaker (6-3/308/Fr./Warner Robins, Ga.)

DT: 90 Nick Fairley (6-5/298/Jr./Mobile, Ala.)
93 Mike Blanc (6-4/297/Sr./Pompano Beach, Fla.)

RE: 49 Michael Goggans (6-3/261/Sr./Alexander City, Ala.)
94 Nosa Eguae (6-2/258/RFr./Mansfield, Texas)
13 Craig Sanders (6-4/248/Fr./Clio, Ala.)

LLB: 46 Craig Stevens (6-4/229/Sr./Tallahassee, Fla.)
21 Eltoro Freeman (5-11/225/Jr./Alexander City, Ala.) --OR--
35 Jonathan Evans (5-11/230/So./Prichard, Ala.)

MLB: 17 Josh Bynes (6-2/235/Sr./Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.)
58 Harris Gaston (6-1/231/RFr./Bessemer, Ala.) --OR--
5 Jake Holland (6-0/231/Fr./Pelham, Ala.)

RLB: 25 Daren Bates (5-11/203/So./Memphis, Tenn.)
33 Jessel Curry (6-1/214/Fr./Buford, Ga.)
38 Jawara White (6-1/243/Fr./Troy, Ala.)

LC: 14 Demond Washington (5-9/182/Sr./Tallassee, Ala.)
22 T’Sharvan Bell (6-0/180/So./Kissimmee, Fla.)

S: 4 Zac Etheridge (6-0/213/Sr./Troy, Ala.)
16 Ikeem Means (6-0/204/So./Wetumpka, Ala.)

S: 2 Aairon Savage (5-11/200/Sr./Albany, Ga.)
26 Mike McNeil (6-2/208/Jr./Mobile, Ala.)

RC: 15 Neiko Thorpe (6-2/186/Jr./Tucker, Ga.)
3 Chris Davis (5-10/182/Fr./Birmingham, Ala.) --OR--
6 Jonathon Mincy (5-10/180/Fr./Decatur, Ga.)

PK: 18 Wes Byrum (6-2/216/Sr./Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
36 Cody Parkey (6-0/184/Fr./Jupiter, Fla.)

P: 17 Ryan Shoemaker (6-0/177/Sr./Birmingham, Ala.)
30 Steven Clark (6-5/232/Fr./Kansas City, Mo.)

DS: 61 Josh Harris (6-1/230/Jr./Carrollton, Ga.)
64 Forrest Hill (6-1/238/Fr./Morrow, Ga.)

H: 19 Neil Caudle (6-3/198/Sr./Hoover, Ala.)
15 Clint Moseley (6-3/223/RFr./Leroy, Ala.)

PR: 9 Quindarius Carr (6-1/186/Jr./Huntsville, Ala.) -- OR--
89 Darvin Adams (6-3/185/Jr./Kennesaw, Ga.) --OR--
1 Trovon Reed (6-0/181/Fr./Thibodaux, La.)

KR: 14 Demond Washington (5-9/182/Sr./Tallassee, Ala.) &
27 Mario Fannin (5-11/228/Sr./Hampton, Ga.)
23 Onterio McCalebb (5-10/171/So./Fort Meade, Ga.) &
15 Neiko Thorpe (6-2/186/Jr./Tucker, Ga.)

Some thoughts:

• Not a lot of surprises here. The exception is Clayton at one of the starting defensive tackle spots over Blanc. He's apparently been healthy all August and Gene Chizik said he's had one of the best pre-fall camps of anybody on the roster.

• Weird group at HB. That's because the position is so versatile and different players are in different spots on the field.

• Carr and Wisner as the backup wide receivers is a mild surprise. Benton as a third-stringer isn't, considering his injury situation.
  

• Burgess is the backup center, but Berry can still slide over in a pinch.

• Initially listed as an "OR" situation, Chizik said Shoemaker is the starter.

• Some young defensive linemen should get on the field. Lemonier, Whitaker and Sanders are all on the two-deep.

• Etheridge and Savage won the starting safety jobs, although McNeil and Means should play.

• No real decisions at punt returner, where there is a three "OR" situation.

• There are 12 true freshman on the two-deep. Eight are on defense.

Gene Chizik has wrapped up his press conference. Here's what he said:

• Daren Bates is the starter at the RLB. "Whenever we can increase the speed of the defense, we'll do that. ... He learned everything at a pretty rapid pace. He's a physical football player. That's suited for him."

• H-back is an eclectic group. "They're all kind of different in their own right, but when they're in the game, they can be in different places. ... That's a position where you can get creative so you have different types of guys."

• Excited to have starters Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage back on the field. "We need those two captains back there to direct traffic."
  

• Arkansas State offense similar to Auburn's. Up tempo and fast.

• Difference from Year 1 to Year 2: "Just a comfort level, players and coaches."

• Can't put a tag on what will make the team better. Then he talked about consistency. Too many highs and lows last season. "Are we maintaining that high level as much as we were last year," he said.

• The consistency line applies to the offensive line too. "They're lumped into the same category as everybody else."

• The most important thing for Cam Newton. "Anybody can be good when it's good. We want to know how everybody responds when it's not, especially the quarterback."

• Quindarius Carr, aka "Q", has done some good things this August to grab a backup receiver spot. Has confidence to throw the ball to him.

• On Kirk Herbstreit's pick that Auburn will win the SEC West. "It's flattering. I don't think anybody's expectations are higher than ours. ... The bottom line is our expectation of ourselves is high."

• Chizik did not know that was coming. Herbstreit never talked to him.

• Four walk-ons on the two-deep."Every one of those guys are guys we identified who can upgrade our football team. All four of those guys have done everything we've asked them to do and earned that spot."

• First start for A.J. Greene at RT. "That can get exciting for us. ... He's going to have to go out there and prove he can do it on game day. We feel confident he's the best guy for the job."

• On the punting competition: Ryan Shoemaker will start.

• LaDarius Owens not on the depth chart. Still transitioning from DE to LB.

• Chizik doesn't expect DT Derrick Lykes to be back any time soon. Might have surgery. Will know today.

• DT Zach Clayton was one of the guys who had the best first part of practice. Chizik said he's been healthy the entire time, which helps.

• FB Ladarious Phillips (foot) will not be ready for the opener.

• Chizik thinks Arkansas State is tough. Took Iowa, Texas to the wire in recent years. Strong defense year-in and year-out. "Arkansas State is not going to come in here and be wowed by all thing."

• On playing a Thursday night game next week: "Right now, we're focused on this game. It'll be a fast turnaround, but we're not looking ahead to Game 2, Game 4, Game 6."

I wrote a story for today's newspaper about Cam Newton and his brother Cecil, who is a center for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here's how it starts.

AUBURN, Ala. — Butterflies upset Cam Newton’s stomach as he prepared to make his first high school start at quarterback.

It was 2003. Newton — who will make his debut as Auburn’s starter Saturday — got the starting nod as a freshman for Westlake High in its televised game against Mays that all of Atlanta would be watching.

Despite his nerves, Cam had a security blanket in his brother, Cecil Jr., the team’s senior center.

“It was just the kind of far-fetched thing you can only dream of as a parent,” their father, Cecil Sr. said. “It was unbelievable … until they botched the snap.”

The story has a special place in Newton family lore. It was first-and-goal. Cecil Jr., as he still does, snapped the ball hard. Cam, wide-eyed and inexperienced, wasn’t quite ready for it. The ball bounced away as the crowd groaned.

“We were getting looks like, ‘Man, you guys are brothers. How can you fumble the snap?’” Cam said. “‘You’re supposed to be snapping to each other while you’re asleep.’”

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I put together a video from tonight's interviews. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, defensive coordinator Ted Roof, defensive end Antoine Carter, linebacker Josh Bynes and quarterback Cam Newton. Enjoy.

Nearly two full days away from the field and colder weather brought a noticeable change to the tenor of Auburn’s football practice Sunday.

Although neither probably had as much of an effect as the sobering thought of the fast-approaching season opener against Arkansas State on Saturday.

“You get to the grind of the everyday practice and all the things that go with pre-fall camp,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. “And at some point it’s like there’s no end in sight, and now they’re finally seeing for the next 14, 15 weeks, we’ve got games. ...

“I think it changes mentally the whole outlook for those guys.”

It’s only six days until the No. 22 Tigers kick off the season at Jordan-Hare Stadium against the Red Wolves, ending an offseason of rising expectations in Year 2 of the Chizik regime, both externally and internally.

“It’s way more confident than we were last year,” linebacker Josh Bynes said. “We feel it, not just from media but we feel it within ourselves, that we don’t see anything less than an SEC championship year. And that’s the feeling from the get-go.”

“It’s put up or shut up,” quarterback Cam Newton said. “Go hard or go home. That’s words I live for before the game. If you’re not going to give your all, why are you out here?”

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There was plenty of other ground to cover from tonight. Let's get to the bullet points:

• One more quote on how different Sunday compared to the rest of August, courtesy of DE Antoine Carter: "It’s like the clouds moving out of the way and the sun coming out to shine."

• Oh, and Auburn enters the Arkansas State game as about 30-point favorites. Not that the blog condones gambling.

• Freshman wide receiver Trovon Reed didn't practice Sunday, instead doing conditioning drills on the side because of a bruised knee cap. He injured himself last week diving for a pass. It's a different knee injury than the one that kept him out of practice earlier this month. He hopes to be ready Saturday. “I’m not going to rush anything, because I was taught if you rush, bad stuff happens,” Reed said. “And I go by that motto. So I’m not going to rush it and I’m going to know my role.”

• If he can’t go, Reed has different goals. “I’ll cheer my team on,” he said. “I’ll be the biggest cheerleader on the sideline.”

• Chizik had great things to say about sophomore cornerback T'Sharvan Bell, who has built off his two-interception performance in the Outback Bowl. "Top option at nickel, top option at both sides," Chizik said. "He's right on the brink. The way he's played so far in the first month, he can very well, you might as well pencil him in and say he's a starter as well. He's played as good as anybody out there in the secondary."

• Defensive coordinator Ted Roof seconded that motion, saying Bell has improved most on being consistent. "He’s become a dependable football player, and I couldn’t say that about him this time last year," he said. "To his credit, he’s just kept his mouth shut and gone to work."

• The coaches were brutally honest with Bell last year that he wasn't physical enough. That aided his transformation. "I took it personally," he said. "I didn't want anybody thinking I was soft out on the field. It was a personal thing. They say: Don't take anything personally. Them telling me that I'm not being a physical football player -- I took it personally." And now? "They don't tell me that anymore," he said.

• There's been a lot of cross-training at the safety spots between strong and free. "We'd like them to be interchangeable parts," Chizik said. Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage have enough experience to play either. Mike Mcneil has worked mostly at free. Ikeem Means has been mostly at strong.

• Chizik estimated that 10 to 20 freshmen could play right away, although he didn't want to get locked into a number. “It’s going to be important that we get these guys in the game, whether we have the lead or not,” he said. “It’s hard as a coach right now to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get my guy in in the middle of the second quarter,’ but you’ve got to force yourself to do that. That’s where you’ve just got to bite the bullet and let all the young guys play regardless of where you’re at.”

• No decision yet on a starting punter between Ryan Shoemaker and Steven Clark. "Hopefully early in the week," Chizik said. "I don't know how early it is. That's my druthers, but again, both of them are really doing a nice job, so it's a nice competition."
  

• The Wildcat job appears up for grabs too. Incumbent Kodi Burns said he’s worked there, but he’s also helped out “the young guy,” a reference to Reed. Burns said he still throws every day. "I haven't stopped doing what I've done since I've been here," he said. "You never know what's going to happen in a game."

• Burns is working at the "5" receiver spot, a slot position. It's an eclectic group, with him, Emory Blake, Philip Lutzenkirchen and others. "It's a very versatile spot," Burns said. "How I fit in there is exactly how you said -- Emory is a little guy and Lutz is a bigger guy and I'm somewhere in the middle. I feel like I'm pretty versatile. I can play slot and I can go outside and have a new role this year. I feel like I'll be on the field a lot."

• Some fans might be concerned about Newton driving a moped around campus. Chizik thinks his starting quarterback drives responsibly. "I'm going to hope that he's very cautious when he proceeds on that moped, which I'm sure he is," he said. "We trust him. He's got to drive carefully."

• Burns was asked about Newton's moped. "I know what that deal is," he said. "Scootin' Newton? I've seen him a little bit." Asked if he ever wanted one himself, Burns poked a little fun at Newton with his answer. "Back in the day … when I was in fifth grade," he joked. "I just walk. No umbrella when it rains. Man stuff."

I was covering a high school football game tonight, but while I was out, news broke that Tony Barbee's beleaguered men's basketball team might be getting some immediate help.

Guard Varez Ward finalized his long-rumored transfer from Texas and is enrolled in classes at Auburn, according to AuburnUndercover.com and Inside the Auburn Tigers.

Although transfers usually have to sit out a year, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Ward hopes to be granted a waiver by the NCAA. He played at Jefferson Davis High in Montgomery and is moving to be near his mother, who has a heart condition.

Ward averaged 4.2 points in 32 games for Texas his freshman season in 2008-09, although he averaged 9.8 points in four postseason games. He suffered a knee injury after only three games last season.

Auburn can use the help. Guard Frankie Sullivan and forward Ty Armstrong, two projected starters, are expected to miss the season after suffering ACL injuries this summer.

Auburn offensive linemen Lee Ziemba and Ryan Pugh have been named to the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award. The award is limited to down linemen on offense or defense and linebackers.

Ziemba, who is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, is a consensus first-team All-SEC preseason pick this year. He's started every game since arriving at Auburn in 2007, a streak of 38 starts. If he starts every game this year, he'll break the school record for consecutive starts of 49 held by Will Herring.

Pugh, who was also named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, has 31 career starts, including 25 straight at center. he was a second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press last year after leading the Tigers with 70 knockdown blocks.

Both players helped Auburn set team single-season records in 2009 for points (433), total offense (5,613yards) and passing touchdowns (25).

Here's a rundown of which Auburn's players on watch lists:

• Pugh: Rimington, Lombardi, CLASS Award
• Ziemba: Outland, Lombardi
• Mario Fannin: Doak Walker
• Darvin Adams: Biletnikoff
• Josh Bynes: Butkus, Bednarik
• Craig Stevens: Butkus, Nagurski
• Demond Washington: Paul Hornung
• Wes Byrum: Lou Groza

Here's a new video I put together from tonight's interviews. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, backup quarterback Barrett Trotter, center Ryan Pugh and, as a finale, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor. Enjoy.

You know the news by now: Barrett Trotter is Auburn's backup quarterback, A.J. Greene the starting right tackle. Here's what folks had to say about both after practice tonight, plus a few more notes after that.

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• Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn gave the impression that Trotter wasn't that far back of Cam Newton for the starting gig last spring. "He was in the mix until the very end when we named Cam the starter,” he said. "He came back in fall camp and has not missed a lick. We feel very good about him. We know what we’re going to get. He’s a tough guy. Throws the ball with great touch. Understands protections. Very solid quarterback.”

• Trotter missed last year after tearing his ACL in the spring of 2009 but said he's come back better than he thought he would. "I thought when I got out there in the spring, I thought it was going to hinder me and I'd be thinking about it," he said. "But really, when you've been playing football since fourth grade, when you get on the field, it's just football and back to doing what you know how to do. So it's been no transition."

• Despite entering his third year at Auburn, Trotter has not played in a game. “You want to get in every game you can and I haven’t been able to yet,” he said. “It’s definitely something I’ve been looking for.”

• Malzahn, especially, had good things to say about Trotter: "Barrett’s a competitor. Last year was very good for him. He stood on the sidelines. He got to see the game and see our offense from a different standpoint, working our board and seeing how things go on the sideline. I know that’s really helped him. Our players have a lot of respect for him."

• Auburn did not designate a backup between Neil Caudle and Clint Moseley. “I’ve said this all along, we’ve got four guys that can move the football and know our offense,” Malzahn said. “Quarterback is one of our deepest positions, and that’s a very good thing.”

• Caudle, a fifth-year senior, said he had a sense that Trotter had moved ahead of him. Caudle is still in line to be the starting holder, though. "Anyway I can get on the field to help the team is good with me," he said. "Whether that's doing whatever, whether it's holding, whether it's doing certain plays, I'm excited to do whatever I can do."

• Now for Greene, who came out of nowhere to win the right tackle job. (Props to Jay G. Tate of the HABOTN for the photo at the top.) How much of a long shot was he? Well, he came to Auburn as a defensive lineman. He had played in only three games in three years. And he was one of the few veterans who did not have his own page in the media guide. “I wouldn’t say a long shot,” offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. “Maybe a dark horse. ... What happens with offensive linemen … those guys, they just kind of come on at different times in their careers. You can't give up on a lineman too soon. You never know when the light's going to turn on for that kid."

• Grimes said he noticed Greene make a leap this summer, when the 6-foot-5, 291-pound junior committed himself in the weight room. It carried over to the field, and the rest of the coaches began to think he had a shot at the right tackle job a few weeks ago, when he started taking first-team reps. "He’s really flipped the switch,” Malzahn said. “He’s a different person.”

• Greene took his promotion humbly. “I know not a lot of people expected me to win the starting spot, but I just used that as motivation and pushed myself even harder,” he said. “It does make me feel proud, knowing how hard I worked, but I have to remind myself that I still have a lot of room for improvement.”

• Right guard Byron Isom doesn't think it will take long for Greene to mesh with the four returning starters. "He pretty much had a good grasp of the offense from the tackle perspective, which is pretty much the same on both sides," he said. "So I think he's going to fit in well."

• Sullen, who has dealt with an undisclosed injury recently, will continue to work at different spots along the line. He’ll enter the season as the No. 2 right tackle and right guard. “I just told him that we’re still going to need him,” Grimes said. “He’s a young guy who’s really come on. ... He’s a guy that could play either spot and that makes his role even more valuable to the team.”

• Things don't sound as good for junior college transfer Roszell Gayden, another right tackle candidate who has been slowed by a knee injury. "There's no question that he's been held back," Grimes said. "We're still hopeful that he'll be able to get better and get to the point where he can do more."

• Here's the official offensive line two-deep, per Grimes:

• LT -- Lee Ziemba, Brandon Mosley
• LG -- Mike Berry, Bart Eddins
• C -- Ryan Pugh, Blake Burgess
• RG -- Isom, Sullen
• RT -- Green, Sullen, Chad Slade (Slade will stay with the varsity group)
  

• Pugh was named to the watch list for the Rimington Award, given annually to the nation's top center. "It means a lot to me personally," he said. "But first and foremost, it's all about wins and losses for a team, because if the team succeeds more, the awards tend to go more to players on those teams. ... But I am very honored to be named to the watch list."

• Freshman wide receiver Trovon Reed (knee) did not practice Thursday, although wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor expects him to be ready for the opener. “I tell him, I’ve going to get Seabiscuit to the track,” Taylor said. “I’m not going to leave him in the trailer. I'm going to make sure he’ll be able to run the race. It’s probably more so me than him. He wanted to go today. For me, I’m going to trust the trainers and the doctors. If they tell me give him a break, I’m going to give him a break." (Note: this seems to fly in the face of the "can't make the club in the tub" mantra Trooper has held all along.)

• Case in point: DeAngelo Benton, who has missed three weeks with a broken bone in his hand. "They’re calling him 'Fresh Legs,’" Taylor said. "I was calling him Haynesworth because he held out for so long, missing practice." (That's a reference to Redskins tackle Albert Haynesworth, who held out for part of the summer.)

• Trooper did have some positive things to say about Benton, saying the receiver had no setbacks at all. He even went to the ground on one play on his wrist and bounced back up no problem.
  

• But Trooper also kind of issued a challenge to Benton to prove his worth. "What he’s got to do is work his way on some special teams," Taylor said. "If he can do that, he’ll get on that field and be able to help us. If he doesn’t, he’ll redshirt and stay home. His value to the football team will be as a backup wide receiver and as a special teams guy."

• He went on: "I’m not carrying a guy just to eat and back up a guy up," he said. "He’s not getting on that plane with me to back somebody up. We’re not held hostage anymore. Last year, we couldn’t get 70 on a trip. This year, we’re having a hard time figuring out which 70 we want to take. That makes a big difference on this football team."

• Trooper has a different feeling heading into this season. "Feeling like a guy who had just gotten Christmas presents seeing if the toys were going to work," he said. "Now that I’ve had these guys for awhile, I already know which ones work and which ones don’t. It’s more of a confident deal now, rather than, 'I wonder.’ It’s just confidence."

• Defensive coordinator Ted Roof (yes, despite what this post would imply, Auburn does have a defense), said he expects Eltoro Freeman to play this year, despite another injury setback in August. "He's done a good job and picked up," Roof said. "He's approaching the game in a much more detailed and focused manner and as a result is playing better. Being much more accountable. Still got a ways to go but I'm pleased with how far he's come."

• Freeman can play weak-side linebacker or strong side. "They're interchangeable," Roof said.
  

• Similarly, T'Sharvan Bell sounds like the No. 1 backup at both cornerback spots. "He's done a great job so far," Roof said. "He's improved a lot, he's become more physical. He's had a good camp and I've been real pleased with him. He understands the game and therefore gives us some flexibility and versatility where we can put him."

• There's still an ongoing competition for the fourth cornerback spot, presumably between freshmen Jonathon Mincy and Chris Davis.

• Roof seemed pleased with the progress of Harris Gaston as well. "For the first time I felt he really cut it loose (Saturday)," Roof said. "He cut it loose. As a result that increased contact speed and that was a good thing. Now with him, he basically missed last season when he got hurt. He was redshirting and he didn't have spring practice because he was still injured. It's kind of like starting back over for Harris. He's done some good things but he has to keep coming on because I look at him like I look at a freshman. Those guys have to keep coming and provide us some depth so we don't get to a point like we did last year."

• Ideally, Roof would like to have at least one backup to play in a game at every position, so 22 total. "I don't know if we're ready to do that or not right now," he said. "Last year, I would have said we would loved to have played 16 or 14. I think we're getting better but games dictate that. I know this to be true is that in order to have fresh guys in the fourth quarter, you've got to sub guys early. You can't put backups in the game once things have been decided one way or the other. You can't be afraid to put them in and let them play. When you do that there's going to be some growing pains."

This was our last viewing period of the year most likely. Auburn closes practices during the season, so anything else we see will have to be during games. So we made sure to note whatever we could today. Let's get to it:

• WR Trovon Reed was a non-participant today, watching from the sideline as the team stretched. He wasn't dressed out. Not sure if this is a recurrence of the knee injury that kept him out of a few practices earlier this year.

• Among the injured and non-participating: OT Roszell Gayden, OL Eric Mack, FB Ladarious Phillips. Phillips still had the boot on today but didn't have crutches.

• LB Eltoro Freeman (turf toe) and WR DeAngelo Benton (hand) were both out there. Freeman's limp didn't seem as noticeable today. Benton had his right wrist heavily taped.

• WR Antonio Goodwin was also back on the field.

• Cam Newton and Barrett Trotter were the only two quarterbacks doing throwing drills before practice. Neil Caudle and Clint Moseley were holding for the kickers.

• OL John Sullen was back in a blue jersey but didn't appear to be doing much again.

• This was the second-team offensive line today, from left to right: Brandon Mosley, Jared Cooper, Mike Berry, Jorrell Bostrom and Chad Slade. Berry worked as the second-team center while Bart Eddins got some reps at left guard, but Berry, of course, will start at left guard.

• No sign of safety Mike Slade. We forgot to ask Gene Chizik about him earlier because there was so much other news going on, but it looks like reports of his departure are true.

• Anthony Morgan still in a blue, offensive jersey.

• Jay Boulware was working the special teams group hard. They worked on some onside kicks like the Alabama game where the kicker tapped it and recovered it himself.

• Boulware, as usual, also had the best outburst of the day, sensing that some guys had taken their sweet time in the trainer's room before coming out. The following sentences have been cleaned up to get a rated PG rating for the blog. "You're not going to win a championship in the trainer's room!" he yelled. "You win it between the white lines! We're a week out, guys!"

Two of Auburn's position battles came to an end today, when Gene Chizik said A.J. Greene will start at right tackle and Barrett Trotter will be the backup quarterback.

Trotter, a redshirt sophomore, beat out senior Neil Caudle and redshirt freshman Clint Moseley.

"That doesn't mean that our other quarterbacks can't take snaps and win for us but those are the decisions we kind of cleared up today," Chizik said, who did not designate a third or fourth quarterback.

Trotter, who missed last year because an ACL tear the previous spring, built off of a solid spring game, during which he threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

"He's been very consistent," Chizik said. "He throws a really accurate ball. Great grasp of the offense. He's been very consistent when it comes to doing the things we feel like need to be done to win if you're playing the quarterback spot. All of them have competed really, really well and really, really closely. Obviously if something happens to the starter you've got to go with the next guy and that's where we're at."

Greene, a junior, battled John Sullen and Brandon Mosley for the starting job this August. He's truly a longshot to have won the job, having played in only three games in his career. In Auburn's media guide, he's one of the few veteran players who doesn't have his own page.

Greene was recruited as a defensive lineman but made his move after moving to the offensive line two years ago. He worked at right tackle all spring.

"I don't think there's any question that he's one of the most improved on our team," Chizik said of Greene. "It just appears to me that it meant a lot to him to try to win that job and he did."

Sullen, who has dealt with an undisclosed injury lately, will continue to work at different spots along the line.

Chizik said that the punting competition between senior Ryan Shoemaker and freshman Steven Clark will continue for the next few days.

Chizik also weighed in on the FWAA's decision to strip Southern California of the 2004 national title but not award it to anyone else, including the undefeated Auburn team.

"No. 1, we can't control what decisions are made," he said. "We certainly respect the decision of those individuals who made it. But that was a great team and a great year for us and it always will be here at Auburn. And I was blessed to be a part of that."

The Auburn men's basketball team hasn't released its schedule yet, but the SEC gave everyone part of the puzzle. Here's the Tigers' full SEC schedule, taken from the SEC's main website:

• Jan. 8: LSU at Auburn, 5 p.m., FSN
• Jan. 11: Auburn at Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPNU
• Jan. 16: Auburn at Mississippi State, 1 p.m., FSN, ESPN3.com
• Jan. 20: Florida at Auburn, 6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2, ESPN3.com
• Jan. 22: Alabama at Auburn, 5 p.m., CSS, ESPN3.com
• Jan. 25: Auburn at Arkansas, 8 p.m., ESPNU
• Jan. 29: Auburn at South Carolina, 12:30 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 3: Tennessee at Auburn, 8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 5: Auburn at Georgia, 12:30 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 12: Mississippi State at Auburn, 7 p.m., FSN, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 16: Auburn at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 19: Vanderbilt at Auburn, 3 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 23: Auburn at Alabama, 7 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• Feb. 26: Arkansas at Auburn, 12:30 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• March 2: Ole Miss at Auburn, 7 p.m., SEC Network, ESPN3.com
• March 5: Auburn at LSU, 6 p.m., FSN, ESPN3.com

What other games do we know about? A few.

• It looks like the Tigers might open the new Auburn Arena on Nov. 12 against UNC-Asheville, at least according to the Bulldogs' online schedule. Tipoff is TBA.

• Auburn plays Rutgers in the SEC/Big East Invitational in Pittsburgh on Dec. 11.

• The Tigers will also host a tournament in Auburn from Nov. 19-21 that includes games against Middle Tennessee, Campbell and Samford. This is courtesy of the Campbell website.

• Auburn hosts Georgia Southern on Dec. 29.

I had a brief chat this afternoon with Tim Griffin, the 2010 FWAA president, who talked a little bit more about the decision process for stripping USC of the 2004 national title and not awarding it to anyone else, Auburn included.

Griffin said there was a teleconference 10 days ago on which a good number of living past presidents of the FWAA and other board members discussed what to do about the 2004 title. He estimated there were 20 people total involved.

The group later sent their votes to FWAA executive director Steve Richardson before today's announcement. Griffin, who was just one vote, did not know how the final tally ended up.

Here's what he had to say:

(How would describe the decision?)

"This would be the equivalent of the NCAA in basketball with something being vacated. I guess that's what we're doing with this."

(Did the discussion center on stripping the title from USC or what to do with it afterward?)

"It was probably about half and half. We've awarded a championship since 1954, it would be 56 years, and it's a situation where there were some traditionalists that were on the board who thought we did need to make some kind of a determination as far as a national championship team. But the first big question was whether we were going to take the step of stripping a school of its championship. That took probably 30-35 minutes. We all had a chance to come forward and make our declarations and everything. Then we decided what we were going to do as far as awarding the championship to another team. ... It was a situation where we did decide to leave it vacant."

(What was the crux of the discussion for deciding not to award it to another team?)

"It was interesting that there was some discussion for Auburn, obviously, because they had gone through the Southeastern Conference championship and were the only other major team from a BCS conference that ended up undefeated. So yeah, they were on there. But surprisingly enough, Also Utah and Oklahoma got some talk as well, so it wasn't just Auburn, the decision. There was some serious thought that went in to perhaps giving it to more than one team, one team or then just none. And that's kind of where we got bogged down with none."

(Does it feel empty not having a champion declared for that season?)

"It all depends on your thing. I thought, this is just my own decision, and I'm just one of 20 who had a voice in this, but my thought was that it was just important that we make a stand to kind of say that we felt what went on was wrong as far as what went on with USC. Obviously they had a player who in time has gone out, turned out to be paid some improper benefits probably. So I thought it was important that we strip the championship from USC. It got to be so difficult. Obviously Auburn had a lot of support. They were undefeated at the time. What would you have said if they had played Oklahoma? We really don't know how that would have played out. What would have happened if they would have played Utah? We don't know how that would have played out. And I think in the end, that is what kind of led me to vote to not give the championship out.

"I can't speak for some others. There were some very forceful discussions on the board of people who thought that Auburn deserved the national championship. Several veteran SEC reporters stated their points rather forcefully. In the end, they didn't have enough votes to balance out some of the other people involved."

(Was this a difficult measure to take?)

"Obviously, when you look at it, it was a tough decision for us to strip the championship, first of all. This was the first time this has happened in 56 years. But also to, it was difficult for some people not to award it, while others thought that maybe the decision we made was the right one at this time."

The Football Writers Association of America stripped Southern California of its 2004 national title Thursday and asked the school to return the Grantland Rice Trophy.

But the organization will not award the title to Auburn, which went 13-0 that season and finished No. 2 in the major polls. Auburn officials were notified of the decision this morning.

"There was a thorough discussion of all the possible scenarios involving all the appropriate teams,” 2010 FWAA president Tim Griffin said in a press releasee. “The FWAA reached a very fair conclusion based on careful consideration of the strengths of all the teams. We realize there are numerous opinions on this question."

“Nonetheless, this group – which has more than three collective centuries of experience covering college football and has members representing all geographic regions in the nation – came to a decision we feel best serves the sport.”

The FWAA's decision came in the wake of NCAA-imposed sanctions against USC for illegal benefits given to star tailback Reggie Bush, who was ruled retroactively ineligible.

The FWAA is the first organization to formally strip the Trojans of their title. The spot will be vacant for the first time since the FWAA began awarding a national title in 1954.

The BCS will do so if USC loses its appeal with the NCAA. The Associated Press voted not to vacate the title.

I put together a video from tonight's round of interviews. It's got running back Michael Dyer, left tackle Lee Ziemba and quarterback Cam Newton. Enjoy.

After missing three weeks with a hand injury, wide receiver DeAngelo Benton participated in Auburn’s practice Wednesday.

The sophomore from Bastrop, La., had a cast on his right hand until recently, the result of a pass that jammed his fingers. Fellow wideout Darvin Adams said Benton broke a bone in his hand.

“The month that he had off set him back some, but he’ll work really hard to come back and he’s going to do whatever he has to do to help our team,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. “He came out today with a really good attitude and did whatever we asked him to do.”

Benton was working behind Adams at one of the outside receiver sports prior to the injury.
Auburn’s coaches plan to slowly get Benton back in the fold, meaning his availability for the opener against Arkansas State game is unknown.

“We’re not throwing that many balls at him in practice right now,” Chizik said. “It’s going to be kind of getting back into the process, as you imagine it would be.”

Benton had six catches for 88 yards last season, all against Furman, a Football Championship Subdivision school.

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Here are some more notes and quotes from tonight's round of interviews:

• Did you really think we'd find out who the starting right tackle or backup quarterback would be? Please. "We’re getting closer,” Chizik said. “You are tired of hearing that, aren’t you? But we really are.”

• Those right tackle competitors are (in order of how likely I think they'll start): A.J. Greene, John Sullen and Brandon Mosley. Another candidate, junior college transfer Roszell Gayden, has been slowed by a knee injury this August." Roszell has been in the rotation at different times, but again, he's beat up, he's a little banged up, and I think that's slowed him down some," Chizik said. "But he's really tried hard. He's given us great effort and we'll continue to see how he helps us at some point and in some way."

• Doesn't sound like there's a Wildcat quarterback chosen yet. Incumbent Kodi Burns and freshman Trovon Reed have worked there this August. "We've got some different options there," Chizik said. "And Kodi is obviously the guy that's done it, knows it, and we know that. But you've always got to have backups and you've always got to have guys who can compete at that position, and I think we have some guys that will do that."

• Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen has dealt with a right shoulder injury recently. The sophomore had a wrap on it Tuesday during practice. “It’s new in that it’s happened in college,” he said. “It happened a few times in high school. We’re just trying to keep it safe.”

• Likely starting punt returner Quindarius Carr on how he's gotten better at shagging punts. "Coach Trooper always tells me, to be a punt returner you’ve got to be a man," he said. "The thing about it is finding confidence and knowing that all eyes are on you. That’s the only thing I think of every time I’m back there catching a punt. They trust me enough to put the ball in my hands, so I can’t let my other teammates down, and make a play."

• Sounds like there's a lot of camaraderie in the running back group. "We just go with the flow," freshman Michael Dyer said. "However a person plays and how a person does in a game, we're going to go with that. If he needs a break, the next back goes in. That's how we see it. We don't see a specific person, we see a person going in and doing what he's asked to do. When he's done with that, the next person goes does what he has to do. We rotate in and listen to the coaches."

• Dyer didn't take many breaks as a standout prep running back, but getting some against a college defense doesn't sound like a bad idea. "When you run a rotation like that and the system we're in now, I feel like none of us should be that tired that we couldn't put up a fight against a defense that's well-rested," he said. "I feel like our legs will always be able to recuperate and be ready in a moment in time."

• Freshman DE Corey Lemonier continues to work behind Antoine Carter at the quick end position. Dee Ford, Justin Delaine and Joel Bonomolo are also working there.

• Safety Mike Slade has left the program, according to AuburnUndercover.com. Slade, a junior, was relegated to the scout team Tuesday.

• LT Lee Ziemba estimated that Auburn has 75 percent of its game plan installed for Arkansas State.

• Interesting takes on Gus Malzahn's offense by Ziemba and quarterback Cam Newton. Ziemba was quick to correct a questioner about calling it the spread. "This isn't a spread offense," he said. "This is a two-back offense we run and then play-action pass. That's what we are. A lot of people like to call us a spread because we're no-huddle but if you look at last year, we were 55-45 run to pass. It's a good balance." Asked about it about 10 minutes later, Newton said, "It's all spread, but different philosophies." Glad you could clear that up.

• Ziemba, a Rogers, Ark., native, got his first scholarship offer from Arkansas State. "Sophomore-junior year of high school," he said. "I was real excited back then, too. Just big getting your first scholarship offer. I had the NCAA '07 game and I set my favorite school to Arkansas State. It was just neat getting that first scholarship offer. You always have a soft place in your heart for the first school that offers you. I'm real glad they get to come in here and play."

• By the end of the recruiting process, Ziemba, a four-star prospect, got at least 30 offers from major schools. Arkansas State quickly faded from the pack. "Probably a little bit," Ziemba said. "It was a fun ride being recruited and getting to see all the schools and I appreciated all the offers I got."

• Ziemba gave almost a tutorial about how to block with leverage, lunging forward in his seat a few times to show what he shouldn't be doing. Lunging had been a problem of his since high school, but he had a bigger problem with his feet. "My base, I'd always come together when I was hitting linebackers," he said. "It made it really tough. If you didn't just physically dominate a guy, you'd get thrown off that block and you weren't sustaining your blocks very long. So that was the biggest problem and that dates back until when I was playing pee-wee football just bad habits and things like that. I think we're finally getting that corrected."

• Ziemba credits offensive line coach Jeff Grimes for a lot of that. "I feel like I don't have to think about my technique as much as I did in the past," he said. "I've spent the last year, year and a half with coach Grimes. I think he's instilled the way he wants things done in me. That's one less thing to think about during a play. Also, I feel like I know the game of football a little bit better as far as what defenses are going to try to do to us so I don't have to think about as much pre-snap. I can look at it, see it, feel it and know. That's just a testament to coach Grimes, how much he's done for us and just not only teaching us our positions but the game of football itself."

• An exchange between a reporter and Newton about Malzahn:

• (Reporter: Gus Malzahn is soft-spoken to us ...)
• Newton: "Coach Malzahn?"
• (Reporter: Yes)
• Newton: "Coach Gus MAL-zahn? [Guffaws!] Soft-spoken, by no means. You might now him differently than I do, but he's definitely a coach that gets after it at all costs and he pumps up the guys. He just raises the level of any athlete. If you're good, he wants to see you gooder. If you're gooder, which is not a word, he tries to make you great. But he's always expecting the best out of all his athletes, and that's a good thing."

• Needless to say, Newton is looking forward to a big-game atmosphere at Auburn after a year at Blinn (Texas) Community College. "Oh no, this does not compare," he said. "We had more folks at practice than a Blinn College homecoming game."

• And lastly, it's no secret that Newton drives a moped around campus. He's shocked that no one else does. "It's really popular," he said. 'When I first got here, I was shocked to see that no one really had a moped, but if you go anywhere else over the country, there are a lot of people where it is very popular. You look crazy if you don't have one. You come here and you have one and everybody is looking like, 'Oh, who is that? 'Oh, it's Cam. Ahhhhhh!' But it's funny when they're looking at you and I'm laughing, riding by them going to class and they're late."

Senior running back Mario Fannin was one of six SEC players named to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's top running back.

Fannin, Auburn's starting running back entering the season, ran for 296 yards on 34 carries last year, serving as the team's H-back for most of the year before emerging as Ben Tate's primary backup the final few games. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

He was also second on the team with 42 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Fannin could reach 1,000 career yards in rushing, receiving and returns this year. He enters the season with 971 career rushing yards, 812 receiving yards and 944 return yards.

Other SEC candidates for the award include Alabama's Mark Ingram, Florida's Jeff Demps, Arkansas' Dennis Johnson, Kentucky's Derrick Locke and LSU's Richard Murphy.

There are 49 total candidates on the list. Some notables include Wisconsin's John Clay, West Virginia's Noel Devine, Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Virginia Techs' Ryan Williams.

The winner will be announced Dec. 9.

I put together a video from tonight's interviews. It features head coach Gene Chizik, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, quarterback Barrett Trotter, safeties coach Tommy Thigpen, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware and place-kicker Wes Byrum. Enjoy.

Gene Chizik didn’t have any announcements to make Tuesday regarding Auburn’s position battles at right tackle, backup quarterback and punter.

But the Tigers did identify which players will help out in a scout team capacity heading into Arkansas State preparation.

“It’s really hard, so we try to make sure there’s no surprises,” Chizik said. “We do it in advance so everyone knows where their place is. Again, we told them that doesn’t mean where you’re going to end up the year. That’s just where we’re starting today and we’ve made that very clear to everybody.”

Among the notable names on the scout team are wide receivers Philip Pierre-Louis and Travante Stallworth, offensive linemen Eric Mack and Ed Christian, defensive end Joel Bonomolo, linebacker LaDarius Owens and defensive backs Ryan Smith and Demetruce McNeal.

Freshman Ryan White, who has dabbled as a quarterback and defensive back, will work as a scout team quarterback. He wore an orange non-contact jersey Tuesday but will also get some defensive reps in when he has time.

For some players, getting that news isn’t pleasant.

“I’m pretty sure it’s tough when you see your name up there,” linebacker Craig Stevens said. “You just have to accept it and play your role and try to get better every day.”

Others think it’s a valuable experience.

“If you’re going to be third or fourth on offense and you’re standing around not doing anything and watching everyone else get reps and throw, I’d much rather be on scout team over there slinging the ball around and having fun and getting to see an SEC defense every day of the week,” sophomore quarterback Barrett Trotter said.

“That’s what you’re going to be up against in the upcoming years, so it can’t do anything but help you.”

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Here are some more notes and quotes from tonight's round of interviews:

• Lots of scout team talk tonight. So much in fact, that all of it couldn't fit in the lead note. We asked safeties coach Tommy Thigpen if he was ever on scout team. He was quick with a "Nooooo." Of course, he was a pretty highly recruited player to North Carolina. But from the sounds of it, being on scout team and redshirting wouldn't have been so bad for him. "Of course when you get older, you always wish you could have that year back," he said. "As a young guy, four-, five-star guy, you're supposed to come in and start right then and you get humbled. Then if you try to come in and play, you do special teams, and you lose a year. If I could go back and do it again I would like to redshirt."

• Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor offered some more insight to the process of telling the scout team payers what team they're on: "We don’t just do it individually, we do it as a group. coach (Curtis) Luper, myself and coach (Phillip) Lolley all visited with the freshman class before anybody did about which guys have redshirted and gone onto play pro ball. And we also talked about guys that have taken it the other way, where they redshirted and had all the hype and couldn’t handle it and had to take a knee. Basically just giving them an attitude adjustment before it ever happened. And then each position coach met with him and then the head coach met with them. I really didn’t see a lot of long faces. Obviously there were some kids that were disappointed because of the competitive nature in them, but they take that role now a little more seriously. I think some young guys found out how quick that window can close."

• It might be surprising to see Owens on the scout team list. But he's transitioned from defensive end to linebacker in college. "It's a process that he's really handled well," Chizik said. "It's a learning experience. It's a difficult transition to put your hand on the ground and then you move back and your vision changes and there are so many moving parts."

• Bonomolo is another surprise on the list. But he has been "dinged up," to quote Chizik, so that can explain his spot on the scout team.

• Anthony Morgan remains a cornerback by trade, according to the coaches, despite us seeing him getting work on offense at practice. (I'm guessing he'll get the ball on some handoffs regardless). “With Anthony right now, he’s played a little bit of both,” Chizik said. “He played some defense, he played some offense. ... Just trying to cover our bases with depth.” Said Taylor: "You get two players in one."

• Still no decision on the backup quarterback front, but Trotter said the participants still look for clues as to who it might be. "Naturally you're going to look for them," he said. "Really you can't take much stock into it. It's not going to get you anywhere but presuming things that might not be true. That's something you try to work away from."

• Here is an actual three-question sequence with Chizik about injuries. You can see why it's so hard to quote anybody about injuries:

• (Ladarious Phillips?)
• "Day-by-day. It really is. We just don't know."
• (DeAngelo Benton?)
• "That's getting closer. That's getting much closer. I think we're a month out now as to when he got hurt. That one's going to be a little more day-by-day but that one's getting closer. That's for sure."
• (Eltoro Freeman?)
• "Same. Practice, ran around today more than he has. Again, that's going to be a wean-him-in-type-process and see if he stays healthy."

• No clue how severe Phillips' ankle/foot injury is right now. But as I've written before, a boot is sometimes as a precautionary measure.

• Taylor dropped a quick word about freshman WR Antonio Goodwin being injured and unable to practice. No news on the nature or severity of the injury.

• Thigpen said he hasn't determined which two safeties will start in the opener. He has plenty of candidates, the most likely to start being Zac Etheridge, Aairon Savage and Mike McNeil. "We're going to let those guys compete the next two weeks," he said. "The best man will win." Etheridge and Ikeem Means are at strong safety, while Savage and McNeil are at free safety, but those designations won't matter. "Whoever the best two guys are at the end of this camp, those will be the two who start," Thigpen said.

• Junior Drew Cole was the fifth guy in the rotation Tuesday, but Thigpen said don't rule out McNeal and Smith.

• Thigpen doesn't think it will be a case where only two guys will get the majority of snaps. "You always feel like if a guy got a hot hand, you keep him in there," he said. "But as the season goes on, back on that back side, there's a lot of reps and a lot of running. You like to give guys breathers and get a nice little rotation where you don't run them down during the season. The more guys you can play, the better off we'll be in the long run."

• A lot of special teams talk today, which I plan to use in a story for Thursday, so I won't spoil too much of it. But Taylor said Quindarius Carr would probably be the starter at punt return if the team played tomorrow. "He just worked at it, and he hasn’t put the ball on the ground," Taylor said. "You’ve got to have the trust factor back there when it comes to that guy."

• Special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said punters Ryan Shoemaker and Steven Clark are engaged in a tight battle. Shoemaker has the better distance, but Clark has better get-off time and hangtime. The battle will continue this week.

• Splitting the duties doesn't seem to be an option. "I prefer not to," Boulware said. "I prefer to let a guy go and get into a rhythm or not get in a rhythm, depending on what it is, and work their way through it, just like everybody else. Obviously, if it's shank after shank, you've got two guys who really and truly get the job done. It's just a matter of if they can do it consistently in front of 90,000 or in front of a road crowd that's ringing bells."

• The kick returners, mentioned by Boulware in order: Demond Washington, Onterio McCalebb, Trovon Reed, Mario Fannin, Terrell Zachery and Neiko Thorpe. Does that mean Demond and Onterio will be out on the field first? Not exactly. "Demond and McCalebb are lead returners, but we usually put an off returner with those guys," Boulware said. "So you'll have to see."

• PK Wes Byrum missed on kick last year. Think he remembers it? "I pushed it a little bit. Got a little underneath it and pushed it right. Tennessee. 43, left hash." Yup, I'd say he remembers it.

• And lastly, center Ryan Pugh was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, which is given each year to a Division I senior who excels in the community, class room, character and competition. Pugh has 31 career starts and was a second-team All-SEC pick by the Associated Press last season. Pugh has a 3.56 GPA, majoring in building science, and is a two-time SEC honor roll selection.

Short viewing period today but we had a lot of observations. Let's get to them:

• A.J. Greene worked with the first team at right tackle during offensive line drills, while John Sullen wore an orange, non-contact jersey and was with the third team at right guard (don't know what is bothering him right now). Brandon Mosley and Roszell Gayden were working as backup left tackles. This competition might not be officially over, but it looks like it's close.

• LB Eltoro Freeman (turf toe) was suited up and taking part in linebacker drills. He had a noticeable limp, and defensive coordinator Ted Roof obviously wants him to be careful. "Be smart," he told Freeman before stretching. "I don't want you pushing it."

• WR DeAngelo Benton had the cast off of his right hand, but he did not dress out and did not practice today.

• Anthony Morgan, who spent the spring and summer at cornerback, looks like he might be back on offense. He wore a blue jersey (that's the offense) today and took handoffs on end arounds during skeleton drills before the practice started. When the team stretched, he cradled a ball in his arms to work on protection. Even defensive GA Travis Williams commented on the jersey change. "He's the enemy now," he joked.

• FB Ladarious Phillips was on crutches and had a foot in a boot. I thought I saw him after the scrimmage the same way but wasn't sure it was him. (It was him or an offensive lineman, I thought.) Doesn't look like he'll practice for a while.

• Morgan, Trovon Reed and Kodi Burns all stood together during the pre-practice skeleton drills. Good chance that those are your Wildcat candidates.
  

• Freshman Ryan White was back in orange and appears as though he'll be working on the scout team at quarterback. Here's an unofficial list of some scout team notables (they were wearing different jerseys than normal): WR Philip Pierre-Louis, WR Travante Stallworth, OL Eric Mack, OL Ed Christian, OL Andre Harris, TE Dakota Mosley, DE Joel Bonomolo, S Demetruce McNeal, DE Justin Delaine, LB Ladarius Owens, DT Jamar Travis, DB Ryan Smith, S Mike Slade and Morgan, as a cornerback.
  

• Freshman OL Tunde Fariyike didn't have pads on and was working on the side. DL Derrick Lykes also did not practice.

• You can tell the season's getting closer. During a linebacker drill, Josh Bynes tore into Harris Gaston after the redshirt freshman made a mistake. The cleaned-up message: Quit messing up. PK Wes Byrum was close by on the field and liked the enthusiasm. "Game week, baby," he said with a big smile. "Game week."