2008 Auburn Tigers football team

NCAATeamFootballSeason
Mode = football
Year=2008
Team=Auburn Tigers


ImageSize=104
Conference=Southeastern Conference
Division=West
APRank=20
CoachRank=23
Record=4-2
ConfRecord=2-2
ShortConference=SEC
HeadCoach=Tommy Tuberville
OffCoach=Position Open
DefCoach=Paul Rhoads
OScheme=Spread
DScheme =4-3
StadiumArena=Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451)2008 SEC StandingsThe 2008 Auburn Tigers football team will represent Auburn University in the 2008-2009 college football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville returns for his tenth season at Auburn, the second longest tenure at the same school among current SEC head coaches. He is joined by a new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads and was previously joined by then new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who attempted to implement his spread offense in an failed effort to correct the Tigers' 2007 offensive struggles. Franklin was fired by Tuberville six games into the season to the delight of Auburn fans.

Auburn will play a seven-game home schedule at Jordan-Hare Stadium, while traveling to Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Tigers' first ever meeting with the West Virginia Mountaineers. cite web |title=2007 Auburn Football Media Guide - History |publisher=Auburn Athletic Department |url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/aub/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07-mg-history |accessdate=2007-12-14] The Tennessee Volunteers return to the Tigers' schedule for the first time since Auburn defeated Tennessee twice in AU's 2004 perfect season. LSU, Arkansas, and Georgia round out Auburn's tough home conference schedule.

Pre-Season

Rankings

The Tigers entered the season with high expectations, ranked highly by multiple polls in the preseason. The Associated Press Poll placed Auburn at #10cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?pollId=1 |title=2008 NCAA Football Rankings - Preseason |date=2008-08-16 | accessdate=2008-08-17 |publisher=AP] while the USA Today Coaches' Poll, a component of the Bowl Championship Series rankings, had Auburn at #11.cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?pollId=2&weekNumber=1&seasonYear=2008 | title=2008 NCAA Football Rankings - Preseason | date=2008-08-01 | accessdate=2008-08-17 | publisher=USA Today] Other rankings include:

# 7 - Rivals.com [cite web |url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=815280 |title=Rivals.com 2008 Preseason Top 120 Countdown |publisher=rivals.com |accessdate=2008-08-23]
# 8 - Athlon [cite web |url=http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/8701/preseason-top-25 |title=Preseason Top 25 - AthlonSports.com |publisher=Athlon Sports |accessdate=2008-08-23]
# 9 - Sports Illustrated [cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/05/01/spring.rankings/index.html#?eref=T1 |title=College Football Power Rankings |author=Mandel, Stewart |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=2008-05-01 |accessdate=2008-08-23]
# 10 - ESPN [cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3459463 |title=Bulldogs back at No. 1 in updated Top 25 |author=Schlabach, Mark |publisher=ESPN |date=2008-06-25 |accessdate=2008-08-23]
# 13 - Lindy's [cite web |url=http://www.lindyssports.com/content.php?id=2291 |title=Bulldogs top 2008 Lindy's preseason Top 25 |publisher=Lindy's Sports |date=2008-05-30 |accessdate=2008-08-23]
# 14 - CollegeFootballNews/Scout.com [cite web |url=http://cfn.scout.com/2/720771.html |title=CFN 2008 Pre-Preseason Rankings Top 25 |publisher=CollegeFootballNews |date=2008-01-15 |accessdate=2008-08-23]

Watchlists and honors

*Walter Camp Award watchlist - Sen'Derrick Marks(DT)cite web |url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081808aaa.html |title=Sen'Derrick Marks Named To Walter Camp Award Watch List |publisher=Auburn Athletic Department |date=2008-08-18 |accessdate=2008-08-22]
*Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist - Antonio Coleman(DE) and Sen'Derrick Markscite web |url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051208aaa.html |title=Antonio Coleman And Sen'Derrick Marks Named To Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List |publisher=Auburn Athletic Department |date=2008-05-12 |accessdate=2008-08-22]
*Outland Trophy watchlist - Sen'Derrick Marks
*Dave Rimington Trophy watchlist - Jason Bosley(C)cite web |url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050708aaa.html |title=Jason Bosley Named To Rimington Trophy Watch List |publisher=Auburn Athletic Department |date=2008-05-07 |accessdate=2008-08-22]
*Playboy All-American - Sen'Derrick Marks

Pre-season All-SEC Teams

Coaches All-SEC 1st Team - DT Sen’Derrick Marks & P Ryan Shoemaker
Coaches All-SEC 2nd Team - RB Ben Tate, OL Tyronne Green, LB Tray Blackmon & DB Jerraud Powers
Coaches All-SEC 3rd Team - DE Antonio Coleman

chedule

Auburn's schedule consists of eight Southeastern Conference opponents (four home, four away) and four non-conference opponents. AU meets Tennessee-Martin and West Virginia for the first time. The WVU game, a mid-season inter-conference Thursday night matchup, is the first of a two game home-and-home series between the two teams. Of the remaining ten opponents that the Tigers have previously faced, Auburn holds the all-time series lead against all but Alabama and LSU. Four opponents — #1 Georgia, LSU, West Virginia and Tennessee — were ranked in both the preseason USA Today and AP Polls. Alabama was also ranked in the AP Poll. Tennessee dropped out of the polls before playing Auburn; however, Vanderbilt would enter the polls by the time the Commodores played Auburn.

CFB Schedule Entry
date = August 30
time = 6:00 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank = 11
opponent = Louisiana-Monroe
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv = PPV
score = 34-0
overtime =
attend = 87,451CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 6
time = 11:30 a.m.
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank = 10
opponent = Southern Miss
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv = Raycom
score = 27-13
overtime =
attend = 87,451CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 13
time = 6:00 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank = 9
opponent = Mississippi State
opprank =
site_stadium = Davis Wade Stadium
site_cityst = Starkville, MS
gamename =
tv = ESPN2cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=3514771 |title=2008 Major College Football National TV Schedule |publisher=Associate Press |date=2008-08-01 |accessdate=2008-08-17]
score = 3-2
overtime =
attend = 55,082 CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 20
time = 6:45 p.m.
w/l = l
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank = 9
opponent = LSU
opprank = 6
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv = ESPN
score = 21-26
overtime =
attend = 87,451CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 27
time = 2:30 p.m.
w/l = w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank = 16
opponent = Tennessee
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv = CBS
score = 14-12
overtime =
attend = 87,451CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 4
time = 5:00 p.m.
w/l = l
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank = 14
opponent = Vanderbilt
opprank = 19
site_stadium = Vanderbilt Stadium
site_cityst = Nashville, TN
gamename =
tv = ESPN
score = 14-13
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 11
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank = 23
opponent = Arkansas
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 23
time = 6:30 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = West Virginia
opprank =
site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
gamename =
tv = ESPN
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 1
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Ole Miss
opprank =
site_stadium = Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
site_cityst = Oxford, MS
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 8
time = 1:30 p.m.
w/l =
nonconf = yes
homecoming = yes
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Tennessee-Martin
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 15
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Georgia
opprank =
site_stadium = Jordan-Hare Stadium
site_cityst = Auburn, AL
gamename = Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 29
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Alabama
opprank =
site_stadium = Bryant-Denny Stadium
site_cityst = Tuscaloosa, AL
gamename = Iron Bowl
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend =

Game Notes

Louisiana-Monroe

Auburn's first possession only picked up 1 first down, but the punt put UL-Monroe in bad field position. On the first play,Auburn Defensive End Antonio Coleman made a huge hit on UL-Monroe's quarterback, forcing a fumble on the UL-Monroe 9-yard line, and the Defense picked it up and took it back for the Auburn Tigers' first touchdown. A few possessions later, Auburn Receiver and Punt Returner Robert Dunn returned a UL-Monroe punt for a TD with 0:04 left in the 1st Quarter. At halftime, Auburn had a 17-0 lead after a Wes Byrum field goal. On the opening kickoff of the 3rd quarter, UL-Monroe fumbled the ball and Auburn recovered, leading to a TD run from Brad Lester. Another field goal from Byrum would make the score 27-0 going into the 4th Quarter. Kodi Burns had left the game with a cut in his leg, so Chris Todd played the rest of the game. Later in the 4th, Todd would lead Auburn down the field with a excellent and suddenly effective passing game, ending in a 3-yard Touchdown pass to Chris Slaughter to seal the victory. It was the first shutout for Auburn since a 27-0 wins over Arkansas State on November 4, 2006. It was also the first time Auburn had scored on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams since the 2003 73-7 beating of UL-Monroe. Auburn finished with 406 yards of offense, 321 Rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Auburn picked up 19 first downs while UL-Monroe picked up 12.Linescore Amfootball
Road=LA-Monroe
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Auburn
H1=14
H2=3
H3=10
H4=7

outhern Miss

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Southern Miss
R1=0
R2=0
R3=6
R4=7
Home=Auburn
H1=0
H2=14
H3=10
H4=3

Mississippi State

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Auburn
R1=0
R2=3
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Mississippi State
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=2

LSU

Linescore Amfootball
Road=LSU
R1=3
R2=0
R3=14
R4=9
Home=Auburn
H1=0
H2=14
H3=0
H4=7

Tennessee

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Tennessee
R1=0
R2=6
R3=0
R4=6
Home=Auburn
H1=7
H2=7
H3=0
H4=0

Vanderbilt

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Auburn
R1=13
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Vanderbilt
H1=0
H2=7
H3=7
H4=0

Arkansas

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Arkansas
R1=3
R2=7
R3=6
R4=9
Home=Auburn
H1=7
H2=6
H3=7
H4=2

West Virginia

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Auburn
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=West Virginia
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Ole Miss

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Auburn
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Ole Miss
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Tennessee-Martin

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Tennessee-Martin
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Auburn
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Georgia

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Georgia
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Auburn
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Alabama

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Auburn
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Alabama
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Coaching staff

valign="top"

Passing

pecial teams

cite web |title=Auburn Cumulative Season Statistics |publisher=Auburn Athletic Department |url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2008-2009/teamcume.html |accessdate=2008-09-07]

ee also

*Auburn Tigers
*Auburn Tigers football
*Southeastern Conference
*2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season

References