Tigers tangle with Wildcats in season opener

Aug 29, 2007, 15:28 GMT

Auburn, AL - The 18th-ranked Auburn Tigers of the SEC welcome the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 to town for an intriguing week one matchup.

Ron Prince is back for his second season as head coach at Kansas State after posting a 7-6 record a year ago. The highlight of the season was a shocking upset of Texas, a team with national championship ability. With 13 starters back in place, there is reason to believe that the Wildcats are ready to establish themselves as one of the better squads in the Big 12.

Last season, Auburn was the only team to beat the Florida Gators, who went on to win the national championship. While the Tigers did finish 11-2 overall, including 6-2 against SEC competition, anything less than an conference crown for the program is a disappointment considering the lofty expectations. With returning talent on both sides of the ball, Tommy Tuberville's squad is eager to open this new campaign.

Auburn has won the only two previous meetings with K-State, the most recent taking place back in 1979.

Last season, Kansas State freshman quarterback Josh Freeman seemed to get better with every game he played, and he set a freshman record for the program with 1,780 passing yards. Over the last four games on the schedule, Freeman connected on nearly 65 percent of his pass attempts, and there is no reason to expect him to take a step back this season. Freeman will have the benefit of throwing the ball to Biletnikoff Award candidate Jordy Nelson, a standout receiver who has racked up 84 catches for 1,216 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. Nelson will undoubtedly be a marked man by Auburn in this opener. Rashaad Norwood is also a reliable target for Freeman, as the tight end was the club's second-leading receiver a year ago. Leon Patton and James Johnson provide a solid one-two punch as runners out of the backfield, and their ability to control the ground game will take a ton of pressure off the sophomore signal caller.

Last season, Ian Campbell tied a school record with 11.5 sacks from his defensive end position for Kansas State. Coach Prince has decided to switch to a 3-4 scheme this season, so Campbell has to make the move to outside linebacker, and it will be interesting to see if he can still be as effective as a pass rusher. While Campbell is the most notable player on the defensive side of the ball, there is certainly other talent in place worthy of discussion. Rob Jackson had 4.5 sacks a year ago and, with some added bulk on his side, becomes the top defensive end in the new scheme. The secondary is anchored by Second Team All-Big 12 performer Marcus Watts, a strong safety who intercepted a trio of passes a year ago. He will be asked to provide support for the cornerbacks, and there are four players back at that position who saw significant time a year ago.

Auburn signal caller Brandon Cox was hindered by knee and ankle problems a year ago, but he still managed to pass for nearly 2,200 yards in addition to 14 touchdowns. If healthy for a whole season, the senior leader has the ability to far exceed those figures. He will get plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent in this opener. Rod Smith is the top returning receiver for the club, and he showed flashes of brilliance a year ago. The question now is whether or not he is ready to be a number one target for an entire season. The hope is that Brad Lester will provide the perfect balance to Cox and the passing game. Last season as a sophomore, Lester scored nine rushing touchdowns on only 104 carries. There is a great deal of backfield depth at Auburn as usual. With only one starter back along the offensive line, the hope is that a rather young and unproven group will be able to keep Cox upright and Lester moving forward.

While there are certainly questions to be answered on offense for Auburn, the defense is experienced and quite talented. The top player for the unit is expected to be defensive end Quentin Groves, a senior leader who is coming off a 9.5-sack campaign in 2006. He and six other returning starters figure to help the AU defense maintain its reputation as one of the nations most feared units. The secondary is led by a pair of seniors in safety Eric Brock and corner Jonathan Wilhite. At the linebacker position, junior Merrill Johnson needs to take a major step forward as a junior.

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