AU 40 - WSU 14

College football is here and what a weekend it was down on the plains. We arrived on Friday to a packed out city already. After enjoying dinner and a fish bowl at Niffers, a local restaurant, we headed onto campus to set up for the tailgating and realized that half of the 90,000 fans had already set up.

On Saturday we set out for our tailgating spot, which it must be said that tailgating in the SEC is an art and sometimes a comedy to watch some fans get a little too much into their friends Bud Lite and Miller Lite. Walking around campus it gets you fired up for the game that is still 6 hours away, you start to think about your time on campus as a student and sometimes weird to see the dozens of changes made to the campus you practically lived on for 4 years. We did the typical rounds to the overcrowded overpriced bookstores, where we of course spent to much money on a hat and two shirts. We then ventured to the landmark, Toomers Corner, and for anyone planning on visiting Auburn, Toomer Corner is a must, their lemonade is legondary (althought a little overpriced). We then headed back, passing the stadium on the way and see students standing outside 3 hours before the game. Ah the days of being a student and having to be at the game that early. WOW that sucked! Sure is nice to have regular tickets now.

Tiger Walk! One of the coolest traditions for people to experience. The mob of fans that crowd the streets to slap the hands of Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn football players is amazing to see. Sons climb on their dads back, people climb trees, it is a site to see what people will do, you hear the band leading fight songs, the chearleaders chanting, it is enough to make everyone chant WAR DAMN EAGLE, and a ball have not even been snapped.



The Game! I must say I was nervous going into this, I felt we should win, but I did not know if we would. WSU has the 18th ranked offense in the nation, but also went 4-7, so I felt like we were going to score points. After an amazing flight of Spirit, and a really cool intro it was game time, put up or shut up for the #4 Tigers. After watching the first defensive series you thought this was in the bad, with one sack and a hurry WSU went three and out to give the ball up to the #1 offense in the SEC. Kenny Irons then stormed onto the game with an opening 40 yard run, and you thought good we are off to the races. "Not so fast my friend!" Auburn while moving the ball basically as they pleased could not finish. Brandon Cox seemed tight, but still was not making the mistakes he made in the opener last year, and then there was Kenny Irons being Kenny. After a few field goals, including a 54 yarder, the tigers were leading by only 5 (12-7), when finally the Tigers were able to put it into the endzone with a screen pass to Lester. At this point you felt the game was in control. Auburn tacked on another touchdown before the defense had a huge breakdown and let WSU score an easy touchdown to bring the score to 26-14 and seemingly the momentum was with WSU, as there defense dropped Irons for a lost and sacked Cox to set up a punt on 4th and 16, when the old river boat gambler called the fake from inside his own 20, that resulted in a 40 yard run, but 0 points. The big part was it really broke WSU's spirit. Auburn would then take advantage of a tired defensive front and tack on two more touchdowns to take the game 40-14.



Overall the Tigers looked good, we missed a few tackles, Cox started tight, Kenny let his mouth run a little too much, and heck you know that was not our entire offense or defensive packages. MSU should play hard but the Tigers look like they will go into a showdown, for basically the SEC West two weeks from now again LSU. Auburn needs to tighten up the middle and the safeties need to make better decisions, the offense just needs to continue to find its stride, and work on finishing better, too many redzone opportunities lost. But as I said 40-14 in game one against a pac 10 team and not Western Kentucky is good with me.

On a note, it is really funny, and maybe best for now, that Auburn is #4 in the nation and getting no press time even with a solid win, still the obsession with USC and ND is still there, and I am sure now UT.

Until next time, WAR EAGLE!