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A late field goal by senior Jaret Holmes was the difference for the Blue team in what was a short and injury-free A-Day contest that wrapped up spring football for Auburn.
Coach Terry Bowden says the coaching staff was pleased with what it saw in the game that lasted less than 90 minutes from start to finish on an unseasonably cold and windy day at wet Jordan-Hare Stadium. Despite heavy rains for 12 hours prior to kickoff, the field held up well and the rain stopped just in time for the game that was watched by a crowd estimated at 10,442. Many stayed late to talk with players and coaches on the field following the 10-7 victory by the Blue team, which featured the first offense and the second defense.
"You could see the emphasis we put on the running game," Bowden says. "I thought there was some good fullback running like we have had in the past."
Actually, much of the running yardage came from the tailbacks. Rusty Williams gained 77 yards on 14 carries for the Blue team and was named offensive Most Valuable Player. Quarterback Dameyune Craig added 23 yards on four carries and Fred Beasley netted 15 yards on three runs. For the White team, tailback Markeith Cooper gained 54 yards on 11 carries, tailback Cencade Pennington had 15 on three carries and fullback Tellie Embery netted 10 yards on two runs. Bowden says the battle for the first team tailback spot is too close to call between Williams and Cooper.
Craig completed 7-14 passes for 72 yards with one interception and Ryan Hooker was 0-2 as his backup. Hooker started the spring on defense before moving back to quarterback from cornerback midway through the 15-practice session. For the White team, Ben Leard completed 5-10 for 69 yards with one interception.
Bowden says the defense played well, too, considering the that five likely starters did not play. The defensive coaches held out both first team inside linebackers, Takeo Spikes and Ricky Neal, who had also missed practice time late in the spring with minor injuries. Neal has a strained knee, Spikes a pulled hamstring.
Jimmy Brumbaugh, a starter at noseguard last year, and Shannon Suttle, a starting end, did not play, either. Brumbaugh is resting his tender knees and Suttle is recovering from surgery. Quinton Reese, a sophomore outside linebacker who was running first team prior to a shoulder injury that required surgery, also missed the action. He is scheduled to be full speed for the start of two-a-days in August when the Tigers begin preparations for the Sept. 4 opener at Virginia.
White outside linebacker Ryan Taylor was named defensive MVP with three tackles and one assist, however, several others had more impressive statistics. Inside linebacker Terrance Crowder, a senior who began the spring as an outside linebacker, had 11 solo tackles and two assists for the Blue while outside linebacker Marcus Washington had six solo stops.
The White team, which featured the first defense and the second team offense, got the scoring started on a special teams play. Markeith Cooper, the likely number one return man in the fall, zig-zagged 82 yards on a punt return for the game's first score midway through the opening quarter.
The Blue team got the only score of the second quarter to leave the contest tied 7-7 at halftime in a game that featured 12-minute quarters. The 70-yard drive took 10 plays with Craig scoring from the one on a quarterback sneak.
Following an interception of a Leard pass by cornerback Tyreece Williams, the Blue drove from its 31 to the two-yard line before Craig's pass to Tyrone Goodson was deflected by safety Brad Ware and caught by cornerback Jayson Bray.
The original plan was to run the clock straight through in the fourth quarter to reduce the chance for injuries. With the nasty weather, the coaches decided to run it the entire second half. As a result, there were only six full possessions in the second half and the game came down to a field goal contest.
After driving from its own 49 to the Blue seven, walk-on freshman Robert Bironas from Goshen, Ky., a steady kicker all spring, was called upon to break the tie with a 24-yarder. However, Tyreece Williams, who also had an interception, blocked the attempt and the Blue used 10 plays to march to the White 15. With 42 seconds left, Holmes kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Blue a 10-7 win.
Craig, who led the winning march, set up the score with a 17-yard pass to Hicks Poor and several runs. "It always feels good to win, even if it is a spring game," says the senior, who has been on the winning side each year when there was a regular A-Day game.
In contrast to the five lengthy controlled scrimmages earlier in the spring, A-Day was a light workout in comparison with the Blue running just 41 plays and the White 31.
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