Auburn’s Burns set for big game

By Robert Rousseau  |   Thursday, October 30, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Auburn Tigers
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The Auburn Tigers football team hasn’t exactly had the run it expected when the 2008 season started. After all, visions of footballs flying around with receivers running rampant were the rave when Tony Franklin’s new spread offense came to town. Now Franklin is gone and the quarterback he at one point anointed the starter -- Chris Todd -- has given way to Kodi Burns, who had his own chances to impress along the way without panning out in total. So, should we expect the same kinds of passing problems to continue?

Possibly. Then again . . .

Burns is a dual-threat QB who tends to play the game with the feel of an athlete. Guys like him do their best when they play a lot, allowing their natural instincts to take over once they have a true understanding of the offense they’re playing in. One of the main problems he experienced this season was that he never really got the chance to continually play, so he never felt very comfortable. Well, that problem is on its way to being solved with the time he’s been getting recently. That, coupled with a decent half last week, has him starting to gain some confidence.

“I think we can open up a little bit,” said Burns regarding the Tigers' matchup with Ole Miss this weekend. “ I think the positive thing that we did in West Virginia, I think we were somewhere around 50 percent on third downs, completion rate. If we can do that, that's pretty good. I think we just need to continue what we're doing and just open it up a little bit more.”

Opening it up against the Rebels isn’t a bad idea, by the way. Last week against the Arkansas Razorbacks, Ole Miss cornerback Marshay Green was beaten often (and badly). Joining Green with significant playing time at corner for the Rebels are Cassius Vaughn and Dustin Mouzon. Together, they’ve only netted one interception all season.

"Auburn's not dumb,” Vaughn said. “I'm sure they watched the Arkansas film. They'll probably want to take a shot or two and see what they can get."

This is a game that seems ripe for a Burns breakout. Will viewers end up seeing the guy who impressed in last year’s bowl game, or will he disappoint?

It should be interesting.
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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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