Auburn’s pass-rushing DE tandem should instill fear

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, August 26, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Auburn Tigers
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When a foot injury slowed former Auburn star defensive end Quentin Groves last season, Antonio Coleman was stellar in relief, amassing 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in limited action.

During the spring, Coleman sprained his neck and dealt with hamstring issues. That didn't stop him, though.

"I'm 110 percent. I’m moving around great," says Coleman. "The hamstring is fine. No problems with the neck. I’m just out there flying around and having fun."

And that means big-time problems for opposing SEC quarterbacks because Coleman hasn't yet received much respect -- he’s been nearly ignored in regard to preseason honors -- but he soon will be.

“Anytime I step on the field, I’m going to demand attention with my athletic ability and the way I play the game,” he says.

Coleman is a force against the run, but it’s when he’s rushing the passer that you realize he’s dynamite.

Of course, when Coleman went down with injury in spring ball, someone had to step up and take over for a period of time. His name? Antoine Carter.

Though Carter only put up 1.5 sacks last season in limited duty, he’s been impressing the Tigers; in high school, he accumulated 33 sacks over his final two seasons.

“[The line] is probably the deepest group of any group on our defense,” said defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads. “We have two positions — one of them is on that defensive front — that I consider the two best positions on our defense. One of them is what we call our buck ends, and that’s Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter.”

Translation: These two guys can -- and should -- play together. And it seems that they may be on the field together rushing the passer in long-yardage situations.

“[Carter's] doing real great,” Coleman said. “He’s made a big leap from last year. He’s gotten much stronger at the point of attack and he’s an excellent pass rusher. He’s going to be a big part of the team. I can’t wait until next Saturday gets here to see what it brings.”

Neither can Auburn fans. When these two are lining up along the D-line, quarterbacks will likely find themselves on the turf quite a bit.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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