Tag: Auburn vs Kentucky

Wasn’t it fun to have Auburn football back? That feeling that you are about to hyperventilate because the Tigers went three-and-out instead of taking advantage of good field position? That nervous energy when the opponents take an early lead and it seems like the whole season is lost just five minutes into the game?

Yeah, I actually missed that. I’m sure you did too.

I was in Auburn this past week to take in what was certainly the oddest gameday environment I have ever witnessed. Heck, it was easy to get a bar seat at The Hound, that’s how weird it was! (Shoutout to Matt Poirier for the best drinks and food in town!)

While I didn’t attend the game on Saturday, it was still a very different experience. Some highlights:

• Traffic? What traffic? It was extremely simple to both get an Uber and get into downtown at all times. While I didn’t have to look for parking spots — still a problem in Auburn I am sure — I made it from my hotel off the exit of 51 to downtown in less than 10 minutes. Super!
• Speaking of hotels … you can actually find one for cheap during a game weekend. I know, it sounds like I’m talking crazy but I assure you I am not. Take advantage.
• Thanks to my friend Jeff Nance for both the golf at Moore’s Mill on Friday along with the copious amounts of alcohol he supplied during the round. Now, let’s just hope I play better next time and by that I mean more of those transfusions from the drink cart. Brian Walker, have you quit the game again?
• The Momma’s Love at Momma Goldbergs? Still the best sandwich in town. I will fight people who disagree.
• Bo Nix looked more comfortable in the pocket but the couple of throws he threw while backing up or off his back foot had me holding my breath.
• What were the SEC Network announcers drinking during the game? Right before the Terry Wilson fumble when the Wildcats were on the 30-yard line or so, one commentator said if nothing was there he should just throw it away because they were in field goal range. Do the Wildcats have the best kicker EVER that he could make a 90-yard field goal?
• Sure, I loved the idea of Gus Malzahn wearing the short-sleeved shirt and tie along with the block-A hat to honor Pat Dye but I beg him to go back to the sweater vest and visor. Great tribute though.
• Props to the event staff in the athletic department for the seating arrangements in the stadium during the game. The scattered seats made the stadium look much more full than I had expected.
• Being a Kentucky native, I had been secretly dreading this game since it was announced only because I wouldn’t hear the end of it from my friends and family who went to UK. I took the high road and waited for them to text me. As a reward for Auburn’s win though, I’m posting this picture of my sister Lori along with the Wildcat from back in 1995.

• As for the game, I have already published my grades for each positional unit but there was a lot to like about what we saw on the field on Saturday. Let’s hope that trend continues as we travel to Athens this week for a top-10 matchup.
• What was Eddie Gran thinking getting away from the run game for Kentucky? Sure, Kevin Steele is a legend and made the adjustments necessary but putting the game on the arm of Terry Wilson? Well, that just didn’t work out.
• The fake punt call was a sign of desperation for the Cats. One, it didn’t come close to working and, more importantly, the running route the punter took by running approximately 10 yards sideways before even heading up field makes me think he doesn’t know geometry. That or he was actually supposed to punt and then thought he could make it. Either way, thanks for the great field position, Mark Stoops.
• If you haven’t had the meatloaf at The Hound with mashed potatoes and collard greens, you are missing out. Oh, and have a Salty Dog or two. I might have been there four times in five days. I swear they are not a sponsor for us.
• Personal thanks again to friends Randy Alford and his entire crew along with David Thrasher, Guy Davis and their crew as well for the hospitality on Saturday. Yes, I’m putting their names in here just so I am invited back. Also, I was the one in charge of making sure that myself, Randy and a friend of his named Blake were all in the same spots after we started putting it on the Cats. I’m not superstitious at all, I swear.
• After rain on Thursday and an overcast Friday, the weather on Saturday was nothing but perfect football weather. The sun was shining and some of the students I saw afterwards were a bit sunburnt, but it was nothing close to the heat of an early September game.
• Seth Williams is a bad, bad, bad man! Holy **** is he a weapon among weapons. That picture of him just pushing Keldon Joseph to the ground while holding the ball with one hand might just be the wallpaper on my laptop now. Oh, why don’t we just look at it again?

OH that is the good stuff!

War Eagle! Beat the Dawgs!