Interview with Auburn commit JaQuay Williams

I conducted a short interview with Auburn commitment JaQuay Williams recently, and he had some interesting things to tell me about his recruitment/himself. Maybe you will learn a bit more about him in this post as well. Here is what we discussed.

(If you want to see film of him, go here)

1. Who were the first few schools that recruited you from the very start?

Clemson and Georgia recruited me from the very start.

2. What did you like about Auburn, which made you commit?

I love Auburn and it's close to my mum, and I feel like they are going to take care of me. People tried to tell me to stay in-state and go to Georgia but I never had any interest in my offer to Georgia. I went to all the nearby schools, including Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Bama but none compared to Auburn in making me feel like I'm at home. I also get to feel like I can come in early and make an immediate impact and I also like it because its close to home, but not close enough to go home every day.

3. What have you done on your visits to Auburn?

I talked to all the coaches and some of players, including Emory Blake, Gabe Wright, Erique Florence, Quan Bray, Quindarius Carr and Clint Mosely. I also toured the school and its facilities.

4. Do you plan to go to an Auburn game in the fall, any ones you prefer?

I want to see ALL OF THEM! As many as I can hopefully.

5. Are there any prospects you plan to recruit to Auburn?

Yeah, I plan to recruit Geno Smith and Jonathan Jones.

6. What is your official height and weight, do you plan to get any bigger before you get to Auburn?

Right now I'm 6'3, 210, but I plan to get to 220 eventually.

7.Which coach recruited you and what do you like about them?

Trooper Taylor recruited me, he's like a father to me and I feel like I can trust him. He is a great person.

8. Which NFL player do you compare your game too, and why?

I compare my game to Brandon Marshall, because we do some of the same stuff like going up for the ball etc. I try to be like him.

9. If you could send a message to all the Auburn fans out there, what would you tell them?

I am very excited about being part of the Auburn family and I love all the people down there! Finally WAR EAGLE!

Want to know why Auburn was so relaxed before Georgia?

This might explain why. As the jitters mount Tim Jackson decides to improve the atmopshere before the Georgia game. Take a look.

When is enough, enough?

I can't think of another team that has been dragged through the mud as much as Auburn has since November 2010. Has our success bothered some people? Has it bothered those that said "Auburn will never win a championship"?

Look, I know Auburn isn't the only school that has been investigated in the last six months. USC got hammered, Ohio State may be about to as well, UNC had a few players banned last season, and has apparently recieved a new notice of allegations. Am I missing anyone else?

Auburn has been subject of some major allegations since November. I'm not gonna go into it because I know your all bored of these stories, but why is Auburn's name being dragged through the mud? Auburn has outperformed everyone's expectations ever since Chizik arrived, having two straight winning records + a national championship is more than any fan could ask for, but what is it? is it hate? Do these mediots have a problem with Auburn's success? I don't get it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Auburn's name has been subject of much slander over the last few months. Thayer Evans has ran around trying to find dirt but so far has come up dry, HBO couldn't find dirt on Cam so they interviewed four former players detailing more allegations. Just like the players, it seems like that story has already been forgotten. Joe Schad is Joe Schad. Another independent blogger @SPORTSbyBROOKS (Brooks Melchior) released a story (I'm not going to link his site) detailing actual names of Tigerettes, and worse enough some Bama fans have apparently tracked down phone numbers of these girls, and have harassed them repeatedly.

What gives? What's your problem folks? Did Cam Newton make you cry? (I'm looking at your Brooks).

Where do you think all this bad press came from? It all started as soon as Auburn saw success on the field again, does that have something to do with it? its pretty obvious it irks a lot of people. It's pretty obvious how much all this bad press is hurting the school (sarcasm). Auburn is recruiting at such a high level, and are always in play for some of the countries best prospects. That won't change.

Will Auburn make legal moves after all this slander? I doubt it, I think Auburn will just pay them back on the field. Like a champion should.

I'm sure you have all heard stories from rival fans giving you details on when "The Barn will burn". So far all of that was BS too. All of this has earned Auburn a dirty reputation right now, and some people can't seem to let it go. I for one, couldn't care less about what other fans think about Auburn, I've absorbed all this hate, but when will enough be enough? There has to be a line somewhere, right?

One more question.

You mad?

Gene Chizik's Top 5 Auburn Games: No2 - Alabama '10

The Iron Bowl is always the biggest game of the year. Families are divided, friends are split and homes/bars/stadiums are jam-packed to witness the biggest rivalry in the south.

On November 26th 2010, the state of

Alabama stood still for the Iron Bowl, and Auburn rolled into Tuscaloosa sitting at a comfortable yet scary 11-0 and were looking to complete their 12th step of an undefeated season.

The road to Glendale, AZ went through Tuscaloosa.

Everyone knew that Bryant-Denny Stadium was a hostile environment, but this was going to be something else. After Cam Newton's NCAA investigation came to squat, Alabama fans felt this was their last chance to ruin Auburn's perfect season and play spoiler to Auburn's best start since 2004.

The atmosphere got tense as an Alabama part-time staffer played several songs aimed at the Cam Newton scandal in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Playing the songs "Song of a preacher man" and "Take the money and run" got the stadium fired up, and eventually led to the part-time staffer getting fired because of it.

If Gene Chizik could get out of Tuscaloosa with a win and protect his undefeated record, this would certainly define as one of his best games ever, and so it did.

As the game started, it was all Alabama. The Crimson Tide hit Auburn quick, when Mark Ingram walked in a 9-yard touch down after they drove down the field for the early score. Suddenly, the momentum belonged to Bama. After Auburn went three and out the Tide scored again after a wide-open Julio Jones, strolled down the field for a second touchdown, and Alabama had extended their lead to 14. Auburn had to do something, and they had to do it quick. Bama got yet another touchdown after Greg McElroy floated a 12-yard pass to Darius Hanks. Suddenly, this one was turning into a blow-out.

Auburn had to find a spark from somewhere, and they found it after Mark Ingram was found stumbling down the sideline, Antoine Carter made perhaps the biggest play of the season when he knocked the ball out of Ingram's grasp and Demond Washington hustled to the end-zone to claim a touch back. Finally, Auburn got some luck.

Alabama again was driving down the end-zone, and Auburn got some more luck as Trent Richardson dropped an easy touchdown pass, that may have really ended the game. Instead, he couldn't hold on the Bama had to settle for a Jeremy Shelley field goal. Bama was up 24-0 and cruising.

Then came Auburn.

The Tigers had to leave their mark by the end of the half, and that came to fruition after Emory Blake held onto a 36 yard touchdown pass from Newton, and Auburn had pulled one back, cutting the score to 24-7. The half ended.

I don't know what was said at half-time, I don't know what changes were made but it sure as hell worked, as Auburn came out in the second half unfazed, and were ready for a second half beat-down of the Tide.

One minute into the second half, Terrell Zachery caught a pass from Newton and after Mark Barron failed to make the tackle, Zachery ran into the end-zone and it cut the score to 24-14. Auburn was back in the game.

Auburn's defense showed up, after Alabama had stagnated on offense, Cam Newton lead his offense down the field and ran in a 1-yard touchdown. The score was 24-21 and the Tigers were comin'.

But then suddenly, the momentum swung back Bama's way. Quindarius Carr fumbled a punt return, when he should have called a fair-catch way before he caught it. Bama's special teams were ready to hit him, and they got the ball after they recovered the fumble.

Bama had another chance to extend the lead, instead they had to settle for a 32 yard field-goal with only a minute left in the third, to extend the lead to 27-21. Auburn's championship drive had commensed, and they were moving down the field on Alabama's defense. How

ever Auburn had fell short three downs, and Auburn was on 4th down. They could have punted it, instead Gus Malzahn took a risk as Cam Newton made a 4th down pass to Darvin Adams to keep the drive alive. It was a crucial play that kept hope alive.

Auburn continued their drive down the field, and they made the would-be game winning touchdown, after Cam Newton stepped out of the pressure and tossed a 7 yard pass to Phillip Lutzenkirchen (German for touchdown maker) and Auburn led 28-27. Bama had 11 minutes to find another score.

After several punts for both tea

ms, Alabama found itself in trouble after Greg McElroy got body-slammed by T'Sharven Bell, and The Tide had turned to their back-up Quarterback AJ McCarron. AJ had the chance to earn the trust of Tide fans, but it just wasn't meant to be.

A few incomplete passes later, Auburn had beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide and had climbed back and made perhaps the biggest comeback in Auburn history. Alabama had not lost at home since LA Monroe 2007, and no one had ever come back from 24-0 down to beat Bama before.

Through all the adversity, through all the doubt, through all the touchdowns, Auburn found a way to come back and win the 2010 Iron Bowl, and that in itself earns its legend status. Gene Chizik didn't let any of it faze him, as he got his team together and took this game from right under Bama's nose.

When the game began, Bama (for the better part of the second quarter) looked like they were going to destroy Auburn.

In the end, Auburn were the ones celebrating.

JaQuay Williams commits to Auburn

Today Auburn recieved a commitment from JaQuay Williams, a Wide Reciever prospect from Sandy Creek, GA.

JaQuay Williams is my favorite WR in this class, and his highlights (as shown below) are very impressive. He is a big, athletic WR that can make some great catches and could become a real weapon in Auburn's offense.

Williams right now is 6'3 208 lbs, but he aims to get to 220.

Williams ranks as the no94 player in the Nation according to Rivals.com

Tigers working hard in the offseason

If you had any doubt about the team going into September, this should calm your nerves a little bit. Chizik is getting the guys ready for battle.

Gene Chizik's Top 5 Auburn Games: No3 - Northwestern

After Auburn finished 7-5 in 2009, they got invited to the Outback Bowl to play the Northwestern wildcats, which from this Auburn fans point of view was described as a "squeaker" but from a neutral perspective I'm sure it was viewed as a great game. Auburn rolled into Tampa coming off a close loss to their bitter rivals Alabama, which was viewed as Auburn's best performance of the season. Can't disagree there.

Auburn got off to a quick start, as early in the 1st quarter Kodi Burns snuck into the end zone to give Auburn the early lead. The Tigers then secured their second touchdown of the game when Walt McFadden intercepted an end zone pass from Mike Kafka, and ended up running it all the way back to Northwestern's end zone. Auburn was cruising...

That was up until Andrew Brewer for Northwestern caught a 39 yard pass from Mike Kafka to cut the lead back to 7, and suddenly the Wildcats were back in the game!

3 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Quindarius Carr grabbed a 49 yard touchdown from Chris Todd to extend the lead once again. As Auburn was now up by two touch downs they should have held the large lead, however just after halftime Northwestern hit two touchdown's to tie it up at 21-21. Was Auburn about to blow another lead?

Going into the fourth quarter, Auburn had to close out this game somehow and we thought Ben Tate did that when he ran in two touchdowns, both from under 10 yards out. Auburn was up 35-21 with 7 and a half minutes to go, and that should have been the end of the game. Think again.

Mike Kafka ran in a 2 yard touchdown with 3:20 to go in the fourth. The Wildcats scored AGAIN from an 18 yard pass to Sidney Stewart, to tie it up at 35 a piece. However with seconds remaining in the fourth, Nortthwestern's kicker Stefan Demos has the chance to win the game for the Cats but hooked his FG wide right with no time remaining.

Then came overtime.

Byrum gave Auburn the 38-35 lead when he kicked a 44-yard field goal with the first possession of over time. Northwestern had their chance to win, but that was thought to be over when Mike Kafka fumbled the football, which by then the Tigers thought had wrapped up the game, however the fumble was over turned.

Four plays later, Northwestern could have tied it up by Demos' 37 yard field goal hit the upright and Auburn then thought they had it wrapped up again, but a flag was thrown on Aairon Savage for roughing the kicker. It left the Wildcats without their kicker as he got injured on the play.

Then came the wackiest moment. Instead of attempting to tie the game, reciever Mike Markhausen took a handoff between the legs from holder Dan Persa and circled around the right to try and win the game there and then, but Auburn's Neiko Thorpe stopped him on the 2-yard line. Auburn had finally won the game.

This was one of the wackiest Auburn games I ever saw, and I genuinely thought Auburn was in trouble after they tied it up 21 a piece by the end of the third, however after a bit of luck and strange play-calling Auburn came away with the victory, and Gene Chizik earned his first bowl win as Auburn head coach.