The Iron Bowl. It’s one of the most hotly contested and eagerly anticipated rivalries in college football. Auburn riled Bama after the Tigers won their fourth straight from Bama last season. They were seen wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Fear the Thumb” – indicating the number of fingers it would take Auburn to show how many straight Iron Bowls they had won. Both teams came out and played an emotional game. Alabama outplayed Auburn for almost the entire game, but made a few key mistakes at inopportune times and it cost them in the end.
College: Auburn
Conference: SEC
Columnist: Jeff West
Name - # - Ht - Wt - Speed - Pos - Class
Kody Bliss - 30 - 5' 10.0" - 177 - 4.90 - P - 2007
Bliss hit some very big punts tonight. In a conference with some very good punters, Bliss has emerged as this season’s best. He has a big leg and can really get some nice hang time on his punts. He had one punt that landed a half yard into the endzone and bounced at a 90-degree angle to the sideline. If he had just hit it a yard shorter… He had half of his six punts inside the 20 and still averaged more than 50 yards a punt. (Grade: A)
Kenny Irons - 23 - 5' 11.0" - 200 - 4.45 - HB - 2007
Kenny Irons had trouble getting things going. He showed a nice burst through the holes (when they were there) and made himself skinny on occasion to slip through some tight ones. Irons has the power and quickness to create in the open field, but he was only able to get one big run. He’s not great at creating holes for himself. He lost a lot of carries to teammate Brad Lester (who didn’t even fare as well as Irons did). (Grade: C)
Courtney Taylor - 86 - 6' 2.0" - 210 - 4.55 - WR - 2007
Auburn didn’t throw the ball very much and when they did, Taylor was nowhere to be found. When I did see Taylor, he was well-covered. (Grade: D)
Cole Bennett - 87 - 6' 4.0" - 260 - 4.85 - TE - 2007
DNP – Injury
Ben Grubbs - 69 - 6' 3.0" - 300 - 5.10 - OG - 2007
Grubbs showed fairly well in this game, despite the offense’s struggles to move the ball consistently. Grubbs seals his defender well and is able to disengage and move to the second level well as he is quite athletic for an O-lineman. When Bama was in the 3-4 alignment, Grubbs would assist with blocking the NT. Against the 4-3, he would get help from his center. The only complaint I had with Grubbs was that he didn’t always finish his blocks, sometimes leaving too early to get to the second level. (Grade: B )
Joe Cope - 50 - 6' 0.0" - 276 - 4.95 - C - 2007
Joe Cope is smallish for the center position (and doesn’t have the frame to add much more bulk, but he is very powerful and shows excellent technique to help him overcome his physical shortcomings (pun intended). Because of the heavy blitzing by Bama, there were a number of situations where Cope was blocking 1-on-1 against either a DT or a LB. He held his own in most of those situations. (Grade: C)
Tim Duckworth - 76 - 6' 4.0" - 318 - 5.25 - OG - 2007
The last time I scouted Auburn I remarked that Grubbs was the better OG prospect than Duckworth at the time, but Duckworth had more potential. Well, he’s beginning to realize his potential as he outplayed Grubbs this time. The team continually ran behind Duckworth and the right side of the line. Duckworth consistently handled his blocks, sealing and walling very effectively. He showed tremendous footwork and athleticism and was able to get to the second level quickly. He showed a bit of a nasty side too, finishing his blocks with authority. (Grade: A-)
King Dunlap - 77 - 6' 8.0" - 318 - 5.15 - OT - 2008
Dunlap had to fill the big shoes of Marcus McNeill and is showing that he owns some pretty big shoes himself. He is a monster of an inline blocker, engulfing the defender and covering a wide range with his size and wingspan. He struggles a bit in space, primarily because he doesn’t move exceptionally well. He works best in tight quarters where he just overwhelms the defender. He has very good quickness and shows good footwork. He uses his arms and hands well too. I think he’ll get even better with experience as his playing time has been limited until this season. (Grade: B- )
Brandon Cox - 12 - 6' 2.0" - 202 - 4.80 - QB - 2008
Brandon Cox struggled this game. His accuracy was off and he struggled to get anything going through the air with Bama sending the house at him every passing play. As poorly as he played, he still kept his composure and threw the game-winning TD (a lob pass to Prechae Rodriguez) late in the third quarter. He’ll be one of the better QBs as a senior next fall. (Grade: C)
Quentin Groves - 54 - 6' 3.0" - 250 - 4.60 - DE - 2008
Quentin Groves had a tremendous game, probably the best of anyone involved. He set the tone early with a pair of sacks. On both of those sacks, he forced the QB to fumble and Auburn scored TDs off of both turnovers. He was clearly too quick for Chris Capps to handle. He was able to line up wide and dip his shoulder to gain the corner on Capps. Groves is very stout against the run as he’s able to get off his blocks and bring down the back. He’s also excellent in pursuit, using his speed to stop big gains. Groves reminds me a lot of former Auburn DE Stanley McClover who declared early a year ago, only to be disappointed by a slide to the sixth round. The big difference is that Groves isn’t coming off an injury like McClover was. (Grade: A+)
Marquies Gunn - 48 - 6' 4.0" - 254 - 4.70 - DE - 2007
Gunn was a missing man in this one. I saw him assist a DT on a tackle of Darby for no gain early in the second quarter, but the freshman LT (Andre Smith) stoned him the rest of the game. He got no pass rush at all and was unable to shed blocks to get involved in the play. For someone with Gunn’s size and ability, this was a poor showing. (Grade: F)
Kevin Sears - 40 - 6' 4.0" - 242 - 4.75 - LB - 2007
Kevin Sears is still coming off the bench as he hasn’t reclaimed a starting position since being suspended earlier in the season. With Sears’ size, I expect him to be more of a force against the run, but all of his tackles in this game were on receivers down the field. Despite this fact, Sears is not overly impressive as a cover backer. His big play was the recovery of a fumble following Quentin Groves’ first sack. (Grade: C-)
Will Herring - 35 - 6' 3.0" - 220 - 4.55 - LB - 2007
Herring is always around the ball, using outstanding speed and instincts to read plays and get himself in position. As a former CB, he has outstanding cover skills. He made plays at the LOS against the run and in the secondary against the pass, although he whiffed badly when he bit on a fake by the FB after a short reception. He did force a very important fumble in the fourth quarter right after Bama had gotten the ball (via turnover) in good field position. Herring does have some trouble shedding blocks once he’s engaged – especially by an O-lineman. Herring projects as either an SS or an FS at the next level as he just doesn’t have the bulk to continue as a LB nor the speed and quick twitch reflexes to be a CB. (Grade: B+)
Karibi Dede - 21 - 6' 0.0" - 216 - 4.60 - LB - 2007
Dede continues to impress me with his play. His draft stock won’t be high because he’s a bit of a S/LB tweener with his size and speed. As a collegiate LB, he covers the entire field and is able to produce in pass coverage as well. While Dede was always around the ball, it seemed like he was the second guy in far too many times. He seems to have the athleticism and speed to get to the play, but lacks the instincts that would allow him to anticipate better and get to the play sooner. He did make an outstanding goal-line stuff on Alabama’s first drive that helped force a FG. (Grade: B )
David Irons - 4 - 5' 11.0" - 190 - 4.45 - CB - 2007
Irons really showed me a lot as a cover corner in this one. He was tested a few times and came up big. He had blanket coverage on his man and knocked the ball away the first time they threw at him. Later in the first half, he was thrown at again, but he laid the wood and separated the ball from the receiver. He was thrown at one more time at the end of the game and he came up with the game-preserving interception. Irons also showed a willingness to stick his nose in the fray as a run supporter and also displayed some speed and good tackling skills on special teams. (Grade: A+)
Jonathan Wilhite - 24 - 5' 11.0" - 182 - 4.45 - CB - 2008
Wilhite has a lot of potential and should be an exceptional CB this time next year, but he’s not there yet. Wilhite struggled to keep pace with Nikita Stover who had a big game for the Tide. Wilhite did show some ability to get involved in run stopping and also was very good on special teams. He’s got all the physical attributes, next year he needs to show he understands the finer points of playing CB. (Grade: C)
Players to Watch: WR Prechae Rodriguez (Jr) – I’ll be honest. I thought he would have a breakthrough year this fall, but his play has been inconsistent. He still has the tools to be an elite receiver, and he showed some of them today with a nice TD catch and another impressive athletic catch on the sidelines that was ruled just out of bounds.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
College: Alabama
Conference: SEC
Columnist: Jeff West
Name - # - Ht - Wt - Speed - Pos - Class
Ken Darby - 34 - 5' 10.0" - 205 - 4.50 - HB - 2007
Many people thought Ken Darby would have a tremendous season and project as a first rounder next April. It hasn’t happened. Against Auburn, there just wasn’t much room to run. Darby did show some of his trademark quickness and shiftiness. He doesn’t take a good hit because he’s able to wiggle away from them for the most part. But he’s not the type of player who can create on his own without help. When there is a hole, he finds it quickly and shows a good burst as he gets through the line and into the second level. Darby also has decent hands, but he’s not thrown at very often. (Grade: C)
Tyrone Prothro - 4 - 5' 8.0" - 175 - 4.50 - WR - 2007
DNP – Out for season. Prothro did show up on the sidelines in uniform, but it was more for an emotional lift than anything else. Prothro continues to recover from a serious injury in 2005 and should be ready to play in 2007.
Kyle Tatum - 58 - 6' 7.5" - 300 - 5.25 - OT - 2007
Tatum lost his starting position because of poor play and hasn’t reclaimed it. This doesn’t help your draft stock if you’re a senior. He played sparingly against Auburn and struggled. He was outquicked on every snap and couldn’t get in position to do anything effectively. (Grade: F)
Jeffrey Dukes - 3 - 6' 1.0" - 195 - 4.60 - S - 2007
Dukes is another player who I thought would really step it up this year, and hasn’t. He led Bama in tackles, but still only had three solos that I counted. I watched him fall victim to misdirection time and time again, running himself right out of the play. He was fairly stout against the run, but showed me very little in pass coverage. (Grade: C-)
Chris Harris - 91 - 6' 5.0" - 250 - 4.75 - DE - 2007
Harris actually had a decent game in relief of Greenwood and Gilberry. Harris showed good quickness and good leg drive. He made most of his plays on the right defensive side where he was able to get off the blocks of Dunlap and Grubbs to make plays in the running game. He also forced a key fumble at the beginning of the fourth quarter that was recovered by Bama. (Grade: B )
Dominic Lee - 96 - 6' 2.0" - 305 - 5.10 - DT - 2007
Dominic Lee has been sharing time this season and lost his starting role. It was evident why in this game as he struggled. He wasn’t very quick off the snap and allowed the blocker to get into him (and control him) far too often. He was overpowered by Grubbs and Cope and frequently washed right out of the play. He was unable to get penetration, let alone hold his ground. He looks like he just doesn’t possess the power and strength a man his size should have, (Grade: D-)
Ramzee Robinson - 1 - 5' 10.0" - 190 - 4.50 - CB - 2007
Robinson drew the task of covering the talented youngster, Rod Smith. Smith got the better of him in the few instances that he was thrown to. Robinson just doesn’t have the speed to stick with the quicker wideouts. He did get into the mix on running plays and was able to get off blocks pretty consistently to make tackles. (Grade: C)
Juwan Simpson - 42 - 6' 3.0" - 225 - 4.65 - LB - 2007
Simpson showed very well. He has good size and speed at SLB, although he’d have to spend some time in an NFL weight room to continue on the strong side. His experience really showed as he played a smart game. On a reverse attempt by Auburn in the first quarter, Simpson stayed home and was waiting for the speedy receiver when the play reversed ground. Not only was he there waiting, but he made an excellent open field tackle. (Grade: B+)
Tim Castille - 19 - 5' 11.0" - 235 - 4.65 - FB - 2007
Castille is one of Bama’s two outstanding fullbacks. Castille handles most of the short yardage runs, as McClain is the better blocker and receiver. Castille got the call on a couple goal line attempts in the first quarter, but was stopped short of the endzone on both attempts (as the Bama blocking broke down). His only other carry came on a third and short around midfield, which he converted fairly easily. Castille is a team leader despite his limited time on the field. (Grade: C+)
Jeremy Clark - 99 - 6' 3.0" - 305 - 5.10 - DT - 2007
Jeremy Clark clearly was the best of the Bama interior linemen today. He was consistently able to battle Duckworth and got the best of him a couple of times. He held his ground exceptionally well and was able to get off the block to get involved in the play. Clark appears to be a decent athlete at the position, but his real asset is his strength. (Grade: B )
Nick Walker - 88 - 6' 5.0" - 270 - 4.80 - TE - 2009
Walker didn’t start the game, and I only noticed him in the game once or twice. He really wasn’t involved and I don’t know whether he is injured or if he just lost his position because of ineffectiveness. (Grade: INC)
Wallace Gilberry - 92 - 6' 4.0" - 264 - 4.75 - DE - 2008
Gilberry really impressed me in this game. He looks to have added some nice weight without losing any of his quickness or athleticism. One of the great aspects of his game is his versatility. When Bama switches between the 3-4 and the 4-3 scheme, Gilberry stays on the field, playing DE in both. He’s big and strong enough as a 3-4 end to occupy a tackle and a guard, allowing the backers to make plays. As a 4-3 end, he has the quickness to beat an OT to the outside or the strength to fight through the block. He also showed great endurance and conditioning as he was more effective as the game wore on. On one series (right after Bama took a 15-14 lead), Gilberry sacked the QB twice forcing Auburn to punt the ball away. (Grade: A)
LeRon McClain - 33 - 6' 1.0" - 255 - 4.65 - FB - 2007
For my money, McClain is still the best all-around FB in this year’s senior class. He is a devastating lead blocker who just blows up the smaller LBs and DBs. He doesn’t get many opportunities to tote the ball, but he is an effective receiver out of the backfield. He caught a ball on the opening drive and made a nice move that caused two Auburn defenders to miss the tackle and he moved upfield. His best work doesn’t show up on the stat sheets, however, as he is an outstanding, athletic blocker. (Grade: A)
Simeon Castille - 2 - 6' 1.0" - 190 - 4.45 - CB - 2008
Castille shows a lot more maturity and savvy than he did a year ago. He’s got size and speed at the CB position, and is a relatively good (and still improving) cover CB. With his size, he’s very effective getting off blocks and getting up to stop the run as well. He’d be smart to stick around for one more season and he’d be one of the top guys in 2008. (Grade: B )
Players to watch: DJ Hall (Jr) – Hall was held to one reception today, but he has been the best receiver on the team all year long. WR Keith Brown JYr) – Brown has outstanding size and speed, and was one of the more effective receivers in the game today, but has been slowed by injuries most of the year.