Tag: Auburn

Alabama basketball suffers second SEC loss of the season to Auburn

Auburn basketball beats Alabama to split regular season series

After winning 10 of their last 11 games, the Alabama Crimson Tide suffered just their second SEC loss of the season as they fell on the road to in-state rivals the No. 12 Auburn Tigers 99-81. Despite the loss, Alabama is still tied for the lead in the SEC with Auburn and South Carolina, and Tennessee sitting just a half-game back.

Alabama was just really sloppy all evening long, especially in the first half as they surrendered 55 points to an Auburn team that played with a chip on their shoulder. The Crimson Tide knocked off Auburn in Coleman back in January, and this was the Tigers Super Bowl. The Crimson Tide also suffered 15 turnovers to Auburn’s 5. Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams were headaches all evening long as they combined for 50 of Auburn’s 99 total points. If there is any silver lining, it is that Grant Nelson took another small step forward today with 16 points, six rebounds and two assists before fouling out.

Being16-6 on the year with a share of the lead in the conference is something worth feeling good about, but when the two conference losses are against Alabama’s biggest rivals in Auburn and Tennessee it will leave a sour taste in the Tide’s mouth. With the two sides splitting the regular season series, I wouldn’t be too shocked to see the two sides competing again in the SEC tournament.

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Alabama basketball rises to No. 16 in the Week 14 AP Poll

Alabama basketball rises eight spots in Week 14 AP Poll to No. 16

For the second consecutive week, the Alabama Crimson Tide appear in the AP Top 25 Poll. After wins against Georgia and Mississippi State, the Tide rose from No. 24 last week up to No. 16 this week.

Alabama has rushed out to an 8-1 start in the SEC and stands alone in the conference as the only remaining one-loss team. However, they will face one of the toughest tests of the season on Wednesday night when they travel to Auburn to take on the No. 12 Tigers. The Tide won by four points in their first meeting back on Jan. 24, but with this one taking place in Neville Arena, Nate Oats and company will have their work cut out for them.

ESPN’s March Madness and Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi currently projects that the Crimson Tide will be a three-seed in March Madness. Winning the SEC is still the main focus, but the only thing truly missing from Oats’s resume with the Tide is a deep run in the post-season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Super freshman Scott pours in 33 as Lady Razorbacks topple Auburn

Freshman Scott scores 17 of her game-high 33 points in the third quarter to lead the Lady Razorbacks to victory.

Down by nine at the half, the Arkansas women’s basketball team erupted for 31 points in the third quarter Sunday, to take command. But it was a pair of stout defensive stops at the end of the game that helped preserve a nail-biting 74-72 win over Auburn, in front of 4,450 fans inside Bud Walton Arena.

Super freshman Taliah Scott put on a show, once again, scoring 17 of her game-high 33 points in that third period. The SEC’s leading scorer – averaging 21.5 per game – drained 6 of 12 from beyond the 3-point line to top 30 points for the third time this season.

After Auburn (14-8, 3-6 SEC) shot out of the gates with a 6-0 lead, the Tigers then held Arkansas scoreless for nearly four minutes, later in the first quarter, to take a 17-6 lead.

The Lady Razorbacks (17-7, 5-4 SEC) missed their first nine shots from beyond the arc and trailed by 14 midway through the second quarter, before Scott hit from downtown and began to sway the momentum. Arkansas outscored Auburn 19-17 in the second stanza, but still trailed 34-25 at the intermission.

Scott and senior Makayla Daniels sank back-to-back triples within a 20-second span early in the third quarter, which pulled the Hogs to within five. Another three from Scott then cut it to two. And after Auburn made a free throw, Scott canned yet another triple to tie the score at 41-41.

Scott and Daniels then converted a pair of three-point plays, in the midst of an 18-1 Arkansas run, leading the Hogs to a a 56-45 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Scott began the final frame with her sixth three of the night, extending the Razorback lead to 14. But a late 9-1 Auburn run helped trim the lead to one. The game was tied at 67-67 with 1:24 remaining, as Daniels sank a pair of free throws, only to see the Tigers convert a layup to knot the score once again.

Junior Samara Spencer converted a three-point play – with a layup and free throw – to put the Hogs back up by three with 37 seconds left.

After a big defensive stop by Arkansas, Scott was fouled and made a pair of free throws, before Auburn drained a three to cut the lead to 74-72. The Tigers then missed a layup with two seconds remaining, but got the rebound, only to miss another shot at the buzzer.

Daniels finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Maryam Dauda picked up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Saylor Poffenbarger, the SEC’s second leading rebounder, scored just four points, but grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas will next travel to Florida on Thursday, with a trip to Tennessee the following Monday, before returning home to host Missouri on Feb. 18.

Jaguars reportedly hiring Auburn’s Jeremy Garrett as DL coach

The Jaguars are reportedly hiring Auburn defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly pulling from the collegiate ranks to fill their defensive line coach vacancy. According to 247Sports, the Jaguars have tabbed Auburn coach Jeremy Garrett to fill the position.

Garrett isn’t completely new to the NFL after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons as an assistant defensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns. He joined Liberty in 2022 as defensive line coach and then took the same position at Auburn in 2023.

During his only season with the Tigers, the team finished with 31 sacks (42nd most in the country) and allowed 4.35 yards per rush attempt (85th best). While those numbers aren’t much special, they were an improvement from the 2022 season when the team finished 78th and 105th in those stats, respectively.

In his one year at Liberty, the team finished first in the nation in tackles for loss (121) and was third in sacks (45).

The Jaguars’ defensive line was stout against the run for much of the 2023 season, but struggled late in the year. Three of Jacksonville’s last six opponents racked up more than 150 rushing yards, including the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.

Jacksonville also struggled to find much pass rush from the interior. Roy Robertson-Harris recorded 3.5 sacks and Adam Gotsis notched one.

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Saints replace Derek Carr in this two-round 2024 mock draft

The Saints replaced Derek Carr in this two-round 2024 mock draft, but would Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen really make such a bold call?

Whew: the New Orleans Saints replaced Derek Carr in this two-round 2024 mock draft, but would team decision-makers really make such a bold call? General manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Dennis Allen made a lot of excuses for Carr’s poor performance through his first twelve games. Reversing course on draft day to pick his replacement would be a stunner.

And the passer they went with in this two-round mock draft from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy would likely draw a mixed reaction from Saints fans deep in SEC country. Popejoy has them picking former Oregon and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix at No. 14 overall, writing that “The Saints opt for Bo Nix here and get their quarterback of the future and allows them to advance a struggling New Orleans offense with his athleticism.”

Nix isn’t the same turnover-prone quarterback fans may remember from his Auburn career. He was a legitimate challenger for the Heisman Trophy this year and brings big-play ability that the Saints have lacked under center. He should be a good pro somewhere. It’s just tough to see him landing in New Orleans when the Saints have already committed so strongly to Carr, betting that his late-season surge will carry over into 2024 and beyond with a new play caller.

What about the second round? The Saints own the Denver Broncos’ pick at No. 45 this year and Popejoy has them spending it on Yale left tackle Kiran Amegadjie. A big athlete who was clean in pass protection while dominating his level of competition (earning All-Ivy recognition), he won’t be competing at the Senior Bowl this week while recovering from a torn quad muscle. Injury history hasn’t scared the Saints off before, and Amegadgie checks enough boxes to where he could be on their radar on the second day of the 2024 draft.

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Alabama basketball ranked No. 24 in Week 13 AP Poll

Crimson Tide hoops back in AP Poll for first time since Week 4

After a top ten win against the No. 6 Auburn Tigers and a 21-point victory over the LSU Tigers, the Alabama Crimson Tide have jumped their way back into the AP Top 25 Poll. The Tide last appeared in the rankings in Week 4 before a couple of losses, however, that can be a bit misleading as Alabama played arguably the toughest schedule of anyone in the country.

Alabama’s gauntlet of a non-conference schedule has served them well as the Crimson Tide currently stand at 14-6 on the season and are playing as well as anyone in the country. They have a 0.5 game lead on Tennessee in the SEC who will host South Carolina tomorrow and travel to No. 10 Kentucky next Saturday.

As things currently stand, Joe Lunardi of ESPN projects that Alabama will be a three-seed in this year’s March Madness. They have a KenPom rating of eight and a Power Index rating of five which indicates that people think very highly of the Tide. I get the Tide lost a few games early on, but it’s hard to really knock them much for losses to teams like Purdue and Arizona.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

No. 4 Arkansas gymnastics dazzles, tops Auburn with third straight 197

The Arkansas Gymbacks begins the season with third straight score above 197 in front of a capacity crowd

The No. 4 Arkansas gymnastics team continued to dazzle Friday night, defeating Auburn in front of a record-tying crowd at a sold-out Barnhill Arena.

The Gymbacks (2-0-1, 2-0-1 SEC) outscored the Tigers (1-5, 0-3 SEC) on bars and floor, soaring to a 197.225-196.675 victory, their first at home against Auburn since 2018. It was also the third straight meet with a score above 197, a feat they have reached only once before, in 2021, also under Head Coach Jordyn Wieber.

A capacity crowd of 7,147 was on hand, matching the program’s record inside Barnhill, set against LSU last season.

Eight Gymbacks posted top three finishes across all four events, which included a three-way tie for the bars title, with scores of 9.900 for junior Maddie Jones and sophomores Cally Swaney and Reese Drotar. Jones closed the event with a sensational, clutch routine, which ended with a stuck dismount, giving the Hogs a season-high 49.400 in the event.

Once again, the Arkansas floor party was the highlight of the show, with the scores growing as the event transpired. Junior Kalyxta Gamiao led off with a solid 9.850, followed by freshman Hailey Klein‘s career-high 9.875, and Jones’ 9.900, After junior Leah Smith posted a score of 9.825, sophomore Lauren Williams secured her second floor title of the year with a stellar 9.950. Sophomore Frankie Price finished the rotation with a 9.900, giving the Gymbacks a total score of 49.475, their second-highest mark on the apparatus this season.

Smith and Price posted team-highs of 9.875 on the vault, followed closely by sophomore Cami Weaver and junior Makie Sedlacek, with scores 9.850. On the beam, Gamiao and Jones paced Arkansas, each scoring 9.875.

Arkansas will now hit the road for the next four meets, beginning with trips to No. 3 LSU and No. 8 Florida the next two Friday nights. After competing in a couple of Texas tri-meets the following week, the Gymbacks will return home to host No. 7 Kentucky on Feb. 23, airing live on the SEC Network.

Week 12 NCAAM AP Poll sees the Alabama Crimson Tide receiving votes

Alabama basketball lurking just outside of the AP Top 25 Poll

The Alabama Crimson Tide last made an appearance in the AP Poll in Week 4, and each week since then has been a fight back. In the Week 12 AP Poll, the Tide come up just short of the Top 25 as they are the team receiving the fourth most votes.

The Tide wrapped up non-conference play with a record of 8-5, however, it’s a bit deceiving as Alabama played arguably the toughest schedule in the country. Some of their losses came at the hands of some very good teams like Arizona, Creighton and Purdue.

The Tide started to settle in a little bit more in conference play as they raced out to a 4-0 start and a share of the lead in the SEC. Unfortunately, that came to a crashing halt on Saturday as No. 6 Tennessee thumped Alabama 91-71 in Knoxville. The Volunteers are a really solid team as they jumped to No. 5 this week, so there is no cause for concern, but Nate Oats and company will have to get back to the drawing board a little bit.

It’s a big week for the Tide though with No. 8 Auburn coming to town on Wednesday followed by a a visit from the LSU Tigers on Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Saints make a controversial QB pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2024 mock draft

The Saints made a controversial pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2024 mock draft, adding Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to replace Derek Carr:

There aren’t many more draft analysts who garner more respect than NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, a former pro scout who covers the annual draft in great detail each year. He’s hit the nail on the head with some New Orleans Saints picks in years past, so it’s important to pay attention and see what he’s projecting with the 2024 NFL draft just up ahead.

But this pick is a doozy. Jeremiah shared his first 2024 mock draft on Friday, and he has the Saints making a controversial selection with Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix at No. 14. Here’s why Jeremiah says Nix should be a Saint:

I’m a big fan of Nix’s game. I think his experience as a five-year starter is a positive for him as he heads to the next level. He would be a plug-and-play starter in New Orleans. I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.

Before transferring to Oregon for the 2022 season, Nix was a three-year starter at Auburn, where he didn’t exactly wow fans in the SEC. He threw 16 interceptions and fumbled 20 times in 34 games. But he flipped a switch after going to Oregon; Nix has turned the ball over just 13 times in 27 games with the Ducks while improving as a passer and making better use of his legs, taking just 6 sacks in each of the last two years and scoring 20 rushing touchdowns.

He’s dynamic and exciting to watch. But it’s going to be tough for Saints fans to overlook his early-career struggles and the questionable level of competition he’s faced out west. He wouldn’t exactly be stepping into a welcoming environment.

And none of that touches on the elephant in the room, which Jeremiah addressed by sharing, “I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.” That could be Jeremiah’s own conjecture (and it runs against the public support Carr has received from Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen), but it shouldn’t be ignored.

Carr’s contract makes him too expensive to keep as a backup, and the Saints have already tied themselves to him through 2024 by guaranteeing the second year of his salary when they signed him. If they restructure him this year, as is expected, he’ll be locked in through 2025 as well. It’s possible the Saints could keep Carr on his $35.7 million cap hit this year and then part ways in 2025, freeing up the starting job for Nix, but it would take some seriously crafty salary cap accounting to make it work. And asking a rookie quarterback who’s about to celebrate his 24th birthday to wait another year or two to start feels unlikely.

But you never know with this team. Maybe Nix is high on their radar, and maybe they’re higher on this quarterback class than they are in Carr’s long-term projection. All of these unknowns are what make the draft cycle so compelling.

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Alabama basketball beats Missouri 93-75 to start 4-0 in SEC play

Alabama smashes Missouri 93-75 to run out to 4-0 start in SEC play

There is no question that Alabama head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] is one of the best basketball coaches in the country, but there were legitimate concerns surrounding this year’s squad. Not only did the Crimson Tide lose two players to the first round of the 2023 NBA draft, but they also lost a handful of players to the portal. Oh, and he also lost all three of his assistant coaches from a season ago to head coaching positions. Despite all of the changes, the Tide are cooking and back in the thick of March Madness discussions.

Oats has always prioritized playing the toughest out-of-conference schedule possible, so it was a bit bumpy out of the gates. However, the team is beginning to find their groove as they smoked the Missouri Tigers 93-75 in Coleman Coliseum. Recently hired head football coach Kalen DeBoer made a guest appearance as well that blew the roof off. The Tide’s win over the Tigers marked six straight wins including the past four all coming in conference play. [autotag]Aaron Estrada[/autotag] and [autotag]Rylan Griffen[/autotag] led the way with 21 points each and Grant Nelson poured in 13 as well.

The schedule gets even tougher as the Tide travel to Knoxville on Saturday to take on No. 6 Tennessee. Then four days later, Alabama will host Bruce Pearl and his Auburn Tigers.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.