April 7, 2017
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - After two scrimmages against Auburn's first-team defense, one might think offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey relishes the opportunity to take on the Tigers' second-team defense in Saturday's A-Day game presented by Golden Flake.
Not so fast.
"Some of those guys on the second team are pretty good, too," Lindsey said. "I know Coach Garner, he's got a lot of D linemen. They're all pretty good. There's not a whole lot of drop off."
Regardless of opponent, the offense's goal remains unchanged, Lindsey said.
"Our expectation, no matter who we're playing, is to play well, execute our plays and really try to play with some tempo," he said.
Fans can expect to see plenty of passing on A-Day, something Auburn has emphasized throughout spring practice.
"We're going to throw the ball for sure," Lindsey said. "We're just going to try to run our base offense, and hopefully hit a few balls down the field.
"I'm interested in seeing our quarterbacks execute. If they'll do that, and their eyes are in the right place and their fundamentals are good, I want to make sure they're dialed in and they're where they're supposed to be."
Sophomore quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and freshmen Woody Barrett and Malik Willis will be off limits to contact. Junior Sean White, recovering from an arm injury, will not participate in the scrimmage.
"It's going to be fun watching these three guys in their first taste of game atmosphere," Lindsey said.
Lindsey said he will also closely monitor Auburn's receivers in the 1 p.m. scrimmage in his quest to identify playmakers.
"I want see those young receivers be desperate to get open," he said. "That's what I'm looking for. Not just run the route. Let's be honest. This is the SEC. It's college football. The defense is pretty good, too. I want guys who are fighting, that it's important to. We've got some guys who are doing that. When they can all do it all the time, I think it will make it a lot better."
Lindsey said he wants the players to enjoy everything A-Day offers, from Tiger Walk to playing in front of a large crowd.
"We really want them to go out Saturday and have some fun and play. And just let it hang out and see what happens," he said.
"Really looking forward to getting out Saturday in front of our fans and letting our players feel that. It's a whole new feeling when you get out in that stadium with these fans here at Auburn. I know our players are excited about that and we're excited to see them."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer