A-Day, Spring Football, and My Assessment

Leading up to spring practice, which culminated Saturday with the A-Day football game, Auburn had many issues that needed to be addressed and many questions needing answers.

First on the list: the offense in general. Coming off a year when the offensive personality resembled the sixteen personalities of Sybil, with the excitement of the daily Bond index, something had to be done. Auburn had a way of letting drives stall inside their opponent’s 30 yard line, and rarely got large chunks of yardage in a single blow. It was almost a foregone conclusion that if Auburn fell behind by more than a touchdown, they didn’t have the ability to come back and win. Finding an offensive personality was priority number one.

Next on the list: find a running game. With a returning senior who should have a better year than he did as a junior, as well as a young, fast kid who showed his speed during A-Day, the running game, especially in the red zone, should be improved.

Third on the list: build on a defense that is ornery and nasty, but lacks depth.

In essence, play Auburn football…..

This was the assessment 25 years ago by Auburn’s head football coach Pat Dye, following the spring A-Day game of 1984.

Auburn had just finished a season where they had gone 11-1, won the SEC championship, and had beaten Michigan 9-7 in the Sugar Bowl. And yet, according to Dye, it was that same team that couldn’t put anyone away. And when the only team to beat Auburn that year, Texas, jumped out to a 10-0 early lead, Auburn had no way to come from behind.

In fact, Auburn had tremendous problems in the red zone that year. Case in point: in beating the Georgia Bulldogs in 1983, Auburn outgained the Dawgs 356 yards to 168, yet only won the game 13-7. Not to mention that Auburn failed to score a touchdown on Michigan in the Sugar Bowl, settling for a game winning three field goals.

Dye’s assessment of the 1983 Auburn football team: “We were a great team. But we couldn’t finish things. I just hope we can do better in 1984. We have a senior running back coming back in Bo Jackson, and a young tailback right out of high school who can fly. Brent Fullwood has a chance to play next year.” In fact, with Jackson concentrating on track in the spring of 1984, Fullwood was the A-Day game’s leading rusher with 114 yards.

Now here we are, 25 years later, coming off a much different kind of season than in 1983. But the issues and questions are remarkably similar.

My assessment?

This year, with what will hopefully be a more engaging attack offensively, will be difficult. Auburn certainly will not be the best team in the conference. But this year’s squad should at least have an offense with personality.

As for the offensive personality---that will be left to the defense.

War Eagle….

WJLaneSR

A-Day Game and Country Music

While the northerly crimson-neck pachyderms are trying to fill their circus arena for the annual spring redneck game in Bear-Waller-Holler, down in East L.A. (Eastern Lower Alabama) the good guys are preparing for their A-Day game, brought to you by the U.S. Navy. Kickoff on the Plains will be at 1:00 p.m. Central Time.

And while the Sabanites will be proclaiming that theirs was the better atmosphere on this day of football in the state of Alabama, I would beg to differ. Not because of what takes place on the field, but rather what will take place off the field.

For you see, in little ole Auburn, Alabama, the festivities begin tonight. And the A-Day game is only a part of the weekend festival.

Auburn will host the “Sticks Country Music Festival” at Parker Hill, which will begin tonight, and run all the way through the wee hours of Sunday morning.

More than a dozen country music artists will be performing, including that “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson, Academy of Country Music Award winner Trace Adkins, country music award winner and beauty queen Sara Evans (who, by the way, is the wife of former Bama quarterback Jay Barker, and is spending the A-Day weekend…for both schools….at Auburn!), country chart toppers and Grand Ole Opry member Diamond Rio, as well as others.

And just so they make sure it has a REAL country flair to it, camping and coolers ARE permitted.

A two-day pass to Auburn’s version of Woodstock, with a little football jammed in the middle, is $85. But unlike Woodstock, New York, Parker Hill has “executive women’s restrooms”, not port-o-potties. These have running water, mirrors, working toilets, and best of all….they are for women only! As for the fellas, well, let’s just say there are enough port-o-lets to handle all that your coolers can bring.

Country music, real pig-pickin’ barbeque, friendly faces, coolers welcome, and a little Auburn Football thrown in the middle….now THIS is a showcase of true southern culture.

And that’s just another reason why I like Auburn.

WJLaneSR