Game Day Keys: Healthy targets put some teeth back in Auburn’s offense

November 12, 2011   ·   0 Comments

Game Day Keys: Healthy targets put some teeth back in Auburn’s offense

The day’s most pivotal players.

• EMORY BLAKE and TROVON REED, Wide Receivers, Auburn.
Both of the Tigers’ most dangerous targets sat out essentially the entire month of October with nagging injuries, coinciding with the implosion of the passing game: Against the meat of the SEC schedule, Auburn completed fewer than half its passes, managed just one touchdown to eight interceptions, ditched starting quarterback Barrett Trotter for Clint Moseley and failed to top 17 points in four consecutive games. The Tigers’ most reliable target during that stretch: Tailback Onterio McCalebb out of the backfield.

Blake returned two weeks ago to bring in five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in a 41-23 win over Ole Miss, and both Blake and Reed promised receivers coach Trooper Taylor they would be 100 percent today against Georgia — likely a necessary requirement opposite a young secondary that’s been shredded by every competent quarterback its faced.

• DION JORDAN and TERRELL TURNER, Defensive ends, Oregon.
Andrew Luck may be the best-protected man in America, courtesy of his first rate offensive line and his own sixth sense for avoiding rushers in the pocket. But USC’s pass rush made a few inroads in the Trojans’ near-upset over Stanford two weeks ago, and Oregon has been nearly as successful getting to the passer as the Cardinal have been at keeping rushers out. It’s hard to imagine any scenario in Palo Alto that doesn’t end in a back-and-forth scoring match, but Jordan and Turner’s ability to make Luck uncomfortable — or to create a critical turnover — could be the Ducks’ edge in a shootout.

• CHRIS POLK, Tailback, Washington.
Polk was largely bottled up (80 yards on just 3.3 per carry) in last week’s loss to Oregon, the first time he’d failed to go over 100 yards since September. His best weapon neutralized, quarterback Keith Price responded with his worst game of the season. That’s no going to fly any better today at USC: The Trojan defense hasn’t been gashed on the ground this season, but without some kind of between-the-tackles presence that keeps the linebackers occupied and the clock moving, Price’s chances of hanging with Matt Barkley in an air show are slim, at best.

• DUSTIN HOPKINS, Kicker, Florida State.
Florida State has been tormented by two decades of kicking woes against Miami, but Hopkins — born in 1990, one year before the original “Wide Right” by Gerry Thomas — told reporters this week he’s never seen any of the ‘Noles’ infamous misses. “For me, it was more, I was familiar with the kicking positives,” Hopkins said, ticking off references to Sebastian Janikowski, Graham Gano and Xavier Beitia. “It’s just easier to remember the negatives. Especially when they’re on such a big stage.” ‘Canes-’Noles may not be the stage it used to be, but they’ll still notice a crucial shank. No pressure, though, Dustin!

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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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