Just finished an interview with Auburn left tackle Lee Ziemba. The subject of last year's penalties came up and Ziemba was refreshingly honest with his answers. Seems like he thinks they're overstated relative to the rest of his game and quite honestly, he doesn't like hearing about it all the time. A sampling:

(On last year's penalties)

"I didn't think they were … as bad as everybody makes it seem. Watch an NFL game. How many false starts do you see? Yeah, I messed up a few times. There's a lot of factors. It's a tough thing, but we're trying to get it fixed and corrected so it doesn't happen again. It's the game of football. It's a lot tougher than people think it is. It's not easy by any stretch of the imagination."

(Were they overstated?)

"Heck yeah. I hear it going to have supper with my girlfriend. Somebody stops me. It's ridiculous. Whatever. You get in this position, you're going to hear stuff like that. We're trying to get it fixed. I'm always trying to improve. I come here every day and work my tail end off to try and improve myself. That's my job."

(Do you feel underappreciated at Auburn?)

"I'm not doing it for appreciation. I'm doing it because I love playing football and I love Auburn University. I'm not doing it for anything other than that. I don't feel underappreciated. I feel good. I love being here. I wouldn't change anything about it. Yeah, I need to work on penalties. I have to work on a lot of different aspects of my game that people don't mention. It's not like I'm trying to mess up."

Just finished up early interviews after the ninth practice of the spring. Here are a few quick notes:

• The quarterbacks continue to rotate during practice. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn didn't say exactly how they were splitting reps but said he'll continue to evaluate the quarterbacks in the upcoming days. There was no indication that that decision would be coming soon. "We want to make sure we get the right guy," Malzahn said.

• Malzahn had good things to say about RB Mario Fannin, who has gotten a lot of reps of late with the first team. Sounds like he's emerging as the No. 1 guy, but again, no decisions have been made. "We'd like him to do well," Malzahn said.

• The team spent half the time doing drills and the other half in scrimmage situations. Auburn is off on Friday, so I can imagine it wanted to maximize what it did today.

• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen missed some practices earlier this spring after taking a hard hit on his head. He's since returned and has been working both as a tight end with his hand on the ground and in a fullback/H-back role in space. He said the latter feels more natural, because that's what he did in high school, but he's making progress in a more traditional tight end role.

• WR DeAngelo Benton caught a touchdown pass in the scrimmage portion of practice today. LB Craig Stevens couldn't remember who threw it (or maybe he just didn't want to tell us).

• We had a nice conversation with Ikeem Means, who has drawn great praise from all the coaches. He turned down scholarship offers from smaller schools like Alabama State, Alabama A&M and Tuskegee to pay his own way at Auburn, which was no small decision. He comes from a single-mom family and has had to take out loans to pay his way through school. I think it's safe to say he's properly motivated for doing well enough to get on scholarship here.

• Don't think Means' success hasn't been lost on coaches, who love to see that kind of success story. "At some places walk-ons think there are too many roadblocks to get to where they need to be," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said, "but I think he provides hope for a lot of kids."

We media had our last viewing session at Auburn's practice. Here are some quick observations:

• Is the quarterback race already narrowed? When we got out there, Cam Newton, Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter were the only three players doing handoff drills prior to the team's stretching. Clint Moseley watched on the side. Moseley did participate in throws when it was only quarterbacks, but I'm guessing that's because the group has four people and needed to pair up.

• Seemed like Newton was taking an awful lot of snaps with the group that included Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb and Eric Smith. Maybe I'm reading too much into that.

• Auburn quarterbacks were practicing the wrap-around handoff. That's always interesting to watch.

• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen was back practicing.

• Did not see WR Philip Pierre-Louis (knee).

• LB Eltoro Freeman wasn't doing drill but off to the side stretching with strength coach Kevin Yoxall. Two other walk-ons were over there with him.

• ESPN analyst Craig James was at practice, wearing shiny black tennis shoes that appeared to be from the future. I'm guessing Auburn got any and all players it might have had stashed away in the utility closet out of there, pronto.

• Chandler Brooks made his first seven field goals before pulling No. 8 and doinking it off the left upright when the pressure was on and teammates were in his face.

• Matthews, N.C., quarterback Christian LeMay, a top quarterback recruit for 2011, was at the practice. He's got offers from everywhere. It was interesting to see him chatting up with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on the sideline as Auburn's quarterbacks went through a series of drills. Malzahn seemed more interested in LeMay than what was going on on the field. I guess that's how you have to treat these recruits when they're in town.

I wrote a story for today's paper surveying the state of Auburn's current special teams. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn coaching staff has never treated special teams as an afterthought, which is precisely what made last year’s struggles so frustrating.

There were some positives. Place-kicker Wes Byrum returned to his freshman form, punter Clinton Durst had a solid but not spectacular year and Demond Washington ignited the kick return game late in the season.

But the negatives, particularly the Tigers’ porous kick coverage and butterfingered punt return unit, were too glaring to overlook.

“We weren’t very good there,” special teams coach Jay Boulware said bluntly.

Let me say off the bat that this post has nothing Auburn related in it. So if that's what you're looking for, check back tomorrow for a link to my story about the Tigers' special teams and a full practice report.

Auburn doesn't practice again until Wednesday. As such, I'm taking Tuesday to walk the grounds at Augusta National. My good friend from Virginia got practice round passes for The Masters and quite honestly, I'd be a fool not to take him up on it.

It's a rare occasion when I can enjoy a sporting event as a fan. And, although I've been to golf tournaments before, I am confident it will be an experience like no other. (Read that last sentence over running piano music in a hushed Jim Nantz voice for full effect.)

So I urge you today to get by on yesterday's practice updates if you have not yet read/watched/listened to them. Here's my full practice report. It's heavy on Cam Newton. And here's a video from yesterday's interviews. It too is heavy on Cam Newton. What can I say? The kid is intriguing and was one of only two players to show up for interviews Monday.

From what I've been told, cell phones are banned at Augusta but cameras are not, so I hope to take a few pictures on my trip and get them up on the blog just for fun.

We media had our last viewing session at Auburn's practice. Here are some quick observations:

• Is the quarterback race already narrowed? When we got out there, Cam Newton, Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter were the only three players doing handoff drills prior to the team's stretching. Clint Moseley watched on the side. Moseley did participate in throws when it was only quarterbacks, but I'm guessing that's because the group has four people and needed to pair up.

• Seemed like Newton was taking an awful lot of snaps with the group that included Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb and Eric Smith. Maybe I'm reading too much into that.

• Auburn quarterbacks were practicing the wrap-around handoff. That's always interesting to watch.

• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen was back practicing.

• Did not see WR Philip Pierre-Louis (knee).

• LB Eltoro Freeman wasn't doing drill but off to the side stretching with strength coach Kevin Yoxall. Two other walk-ons were over there with him.

• ESPN analyst Craig James was at practice, wearing shiny black tennis shoes that appeared to be from the future. I'm guessing Auburn got any and all players it might have had stashed away in the electrical closet out of there, pronto.

• Chandler Brooks made his first seven field goals before pulling No. 8 and doinking it off the left upright when the pressure was on and teammates were in his face.

• Matthew, N.C., quarterback Christian LeMay, a top quarterback recruit for 2011, was at the practice. He's got offers from everywhere. It was interesting to see him chatting up with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on the sideline as Auburn's quarterbacks went through a series of drills. Malzahn seemed more interested in LeMay than what was going on on the field. I guess that's how you have to treat these recruits when they're in town.

I put together a video from today's interviews with Auburn head coach Gene Chizik, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware and quarterback Cam Newton.

Newton's at the end, if that's what you're interested in. (I know it is. It's all right. The coaches won't be offended). Enjoy.

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s quarterback rotation continued Monday, with Cam Newton and Barrett Trotter getting more reps than the rest as the coaches inch closer to whittling down the field from four to possibly two or three.

“I think it’s just another chance for me to prove, first to myself and then my teammates, what I can do, especially to the coaches,” Newton said. “I got more reps today but it really wasn’t a big deal. Evaluation time is here and everyone knows it.”

Newton, who enrolled in January after transferring from Blinn (Texas) Community College, has performed well through eight practices this spring.

Although he is the presumed frontrunner for the job — he is the most physically gifted and, it’s reasoned, didn’t transfer to sit on the bench — Newton has tried to keep his focus on improving and earning the trust of his teammates.

“Everything has been very smooth,” Newton said. “Right now, a lot of guys, we talk on the field, off the field. You see the camaraderie coming along with the team. That’s what I wanted to see. ... You get out there and grind it out with your guys. It’s becoming clear who you’re going to be with and who’s going to play.”

Newton has had to make some adjustments. The pace is unlike anything he’s used to, a common adjustment for players coming into offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s system. Malzahn also wants the ball out quick, meaning his quarterbacks don’t always have time to find the laces on the ball before throwing it.

“That was kind of new to me because all my life I’ve been taught to feel for the laces, that’s where you get the spiral from,” Newton said. “Of course it’s going to be awkward but I think I’m getting comfortable throwing without the laces.”

Newton came in with two goals this spring: learn the system and carry it out. He thinks he’s done well so far.

“I’m a confident person in myself,” he said. “Not too confident, but self-esteem with a quarterback, can’t everybody get that. You have to have that for yourself. If you don’t have that, you’re going to hear something of everything; the good, the bad, the ugly. You’ve got to keep yourself up, motivated daily.”

Light day for interviews today, but here are some other notes and quotes:

• Newton said he saw on film that he needs to do a better job of selling his fakes. "That's about it," he said. "Carrying out my fakes and I'm telling myself when I'm in the dropback, I have a tendency to look where I'm throwing. That's a bad habit so does other quarterbacks." You hear that all the time, but I think I'd be more concerned if Newton wasn't looking where he was throwing the ball. I'm guessing he meant staring at his receivers.

• Newton hasn't gotten to run too much. And if he has, he's wearing an orange jersey, which means he's off limits to be hit. That also means it doesn't take for a defender to be ruled to have taken him down. "When I have an orange jersey, the smallest thing that touched, 'Oh, I'm down,'" Newton said. "But you've got guys saying, 'Oh, I would have tackled you.' I beg to differ on some occasions. That's probably one of the most frustrating things with that."

• Newton on the pace of the offense: "It's fun to look into the faces, when you're calling the cadence and you see a defender gasping for air, that's probably one of the most things you look for in the quarterback. When you see a defender gasp for air, No. 1 you think we've got them on their toes, their heels and whatnot. Offensively, we've got to keep pushing, keep grinding it out. With Malzahn at the rim of this offense, it's not going to be slower than it was on Saturday. That was my motivation pep talk for the defense. The good thing about it was that we were getting held up a lot. It could have been faster. The tempo Saturday was good and especially from what I've been hearing about what it was last year. That's motivating to hear but we've still got work to do."

• Coaches continue to praise walk-on safety Ikeem Means. I intend to write a story on him as soon as he's made available to us, but here's what Chizik had to say about him Monday: "Think about it now: he went from high school to a walk-on at Auburn to being on the field and playing. Obviously some of that was based on the fact that our numbers were low, but it was an invaluable experience for him. He couldn't get that experience anywhere else. So I don't think he's so big-eyed with the game right now. He's learning it. He's coming along. He's getting better. He's really learning football and really, really doing a good job of running to the football and playing hard and picking up the defense -- all the little things you want guys to do. He's come along in a lot of ways. He had a great interception the other day. It wasn't a routine one now. It was a nice one. He's coming along and he's getting attention with us."
  

• Count Chizik as one of many coaches happy that LT Lee Ziemba chose not to enter the NFL draft last year (which, in the blog's opinion, would have been a terrible decision). "I can't speak for everybody else, but he's not underappreciated by us," Chizik said. "We're extremely proud, happy and excited that Lee decided to come back because he could have left for the NFL. Just so everybody that doesn't appreciate it, they need to know that too. He came back because he loves Auburn and he wanted to play another year. We appreciate it very much."

• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said Ziemba has set some high goals for himself. "What he's trying to do now is to develop his game to the point where he can be one of the best offensive linemen in the country," Grimes said. "For him to do that, he's got to get a lot better at a lot of the details. The difference between being a very good offensive lineman and being a great one, a lot of times, is because of the small technical details. He's a lot further along this year than he was at this point year. One thing that'll certainly will help him and all the guys who are coming back is being in the same offense for another year. He'll be in a position where he has more consistency around him."

• Sophomore John Sullen is working at left guard in place of Mike Berry and Bart Eddins, who are both out with knee injuries.

• Senior walk-on offensive lineman Jorrell Bostrom probably will not participate in drills the rest of the spring. Bostrom was seen wearing a sling on one of his arms.

• Grimes said he’s in no rush to name a starter at right tackle between junior college transfers Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley. “If we still feel like the position is up for grabs, there still is a lot of work than can be done throughout the summer,” Grimes said.

• Lots of special teams stuff from Jay Boulware today that I'm going to throw into a story that will run Wednesday, so I'll save that for later. I hope to have a video up a little later, so check back.

Auburn didn't have any more information on the status of wide receiver/punt returner Philip Pierre-Louis, who suffered a knee injury in the latter half of Saturday's scrimmage.

Head coach Gene Chizik said the sophomore is still being evaluated and that the staff will have a better idea of his status in the next 48 hours.

Pierre-Louis missed all of 2008 with a knee injury and was in the coaches' doghouse for most of last year.

But he was having one of his best performances of the spring in the scrimmage before the injury, according to coaches and teammates.

"He was back to playing the way that he can play," quarterback Neil Caudle said. "He was moving real well when we got the ball to him."

Some other quick news and notes:

• Chizik said the staff has made no decisions about narrowing the quarterback field yet. All four got reps Monday, although Caudle said Cam Newton and Barrett Trotter got most of them.
  

• The battle for the starting right tackle spot between Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley could stretch past the end of spring ball. Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said he's not in a rush to make a decision there and that both have done well.

• John Sullen looks like he'll be the temporary solution at left guard in the absence of Mike Berry and Bart Eddins, who are both injured.

• Grimes said Jorrell Bostrom probably won't participate during the rest of the spring because of an undisclosed injury.

• More praise for Ikeem Means today. Chizik and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said the walk-on safety been doing well. Boulware, in fact, lamented the fact that he might lose one of his special teams stalwarts to the regular defense if he keeps pushing for more playing time.

• Boulware said punter Ryan Shoemaker has been performing much better since signee Steven Clark came into the fold.

• Boulware likes what he's seen out of the punt returners this spring. He cited Darvin Adams as having a positive influence on the group. That's not to say that Adams is the No. 1 guy, but he's helping that group out.