Auburn head coach Gene Chizik didn’t say whether or not injured linebacker Daren Bates would play at Ole Miss or not. But it doesn’t sound promising.

Chizik said Bates, who missed the second half against LSU after injuring his right shoulder with an awkward fall, has done “not much” at practice this week.

The sophomore was seen yesterday with his right arm in a sling.

“We’re continuing to obviously try to get him healthy,” Chizik said.

Bates, a converted safety, is third on the team with 40 tackles. He is from Memphis but played his senior year at Olive Branch (Miss.) High School, which is a little more than an hour from Ole Miss’ Oxford campus.

“He’ll be disappointed if he misses any games,” Chizik said. “He’s a competitor and he loves to play. So we’ll just kind of keep monitoring that.”

Sophomore Jonathan Evans (strong-side) and junior Eltoro Freeman (weak-side) are potential replacements for Bates as Auburn’s third linebacker. Evans had three tackles last week, getting in on part of a TFL. Freeman didn’t make a tackle in limited playing time.

Senior Craig Stevens can play both the weak- and strong-side positions, giving the Tigers flexibility in their lineup.

“It’s almost been a three-man rotation,” Chizik said.

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Here are some more notes and quotes from Wednesday's interviews:

• Chizik said cornerback T’Sharvan Bell (hamstring) will be a gametime decision. Bell didn’t dress out last week.

• Auburn faced bad field position all afternoon against LSU, pinned inside its own 2-yard line by three different punts. Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said there was only one occasion when punt returner Quindarius Carr should have fielded the ball. “He shouldn’t have caught any of them but the first one,” Taylor said. “We went punt safe and he was told the most important thing was to field it and we have to have the ball at the end of that play.”

• Carr, who is averaging 6.8 yards per return this year, eighth in the SEC, didn’t field a single punt against LSU. Taylor’s rule of thumb? “Anything that hits inside the 10, he’s told not to catch,” he said.

• Auburn stuck with two safeties in its base defense for all of the LSU game: Zac Etheridge was in his usual starting spot, while Mike McNeil played exclusively in place of the injured Aairon Savage. McNeil finished with five tackles. “He did a pretty good job last week playing with a lot more confidence,” safeties coach Tommy Thigpen said. “With playing so much more now he has stepped up his play. He’s in there in the morning, looking at tape and when you come back there in the afternoon, he’s asking all the right questions, taking notes.”

• Walk-on Ikeem Means, the next safety on the depth chart, plays on the nickel package. Thigpen realizes the need to get the backups up to speed on the regular defense. “They are one play away,” he said. “Savage’s was just a freak (injury). He got hit from behind, got clipped, and in one play he was done. It could happen to Zac. It could happen to Mike. So my challenge to all of them is to be ready when your number is called.”

• Thigpen said Savage is doing well after having surgery for a broken bone in his right ankle. “What we keep telling him is he might be back before the Alabama game,” Thigpen said. “Definitely for the bowl game.”

• Count Thigpen as someone incredibly impressed by the ability of Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. "He’s the most athletic quarterback we’ve faced," Thigpen said. "We thought (Jordan) Jefferson last week was pretty good as far as escaping the pocket and getting out in the open. But (Masoli) is the best I’ve seen as far as a guy who can avoid the sacks, fake like he’s going to throw it and tuck it down and run it. Believe it or not, he’s probably more accurate when he’s on the run than when he’s in the pocket.”

• Masoli can draw defenses in with his running. "What usually happens, when he gets out one time for a 25-yard gain, guys drop shorter and all of sudden the ball gets thrown behind you," Thigpen said. "Sometimes just looking at it you can get mesmerized and the next thing you know there are two or three receivers behind you. So you’ve got to keep your focus on making sure you don’t stare at the quarterback so those guys don’t come up. He does a tremendous job of getting out and taking something that looks like it’s going to be a four or five-yard gain and the next thing you know it’s 45 yards. So we’ve just got to try and bottle him up best way we can.”

• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said his team will have its work cut for itself with Ole Miss' defensive tackles, led by Jerrell Powe. "They do present a challenge because they’ve got several guys in there who can play; and they do a good job of rotating guys in," Grimes said. "They play hard. They’re not just big guys who fill a gap and don’t make plays. They make plays. They get off of blocks. There are some guys who are just big and eat up blocks and let the linebackers make plays. These guys aren’t that way. They’re agile, too, and play hard."

• Grimes liked the 440 rushing yards Auburn had against LSU, but he was extremely satisfied with how the Tigers did it. "But there is something different about lining up and saying, 'Here we come and we’re going to keep on coming until you stop it,'" he said. "There’s something very enjoyable about that."

• Auburn hasn't had a bye week, which has led to the typical bumps and bruises at this time of year. Grimes said he hasn't seen it affecting anybody, though. "I think when you’re winning and you’re able to have some success, it’s a whole lot easier," he said.

• Nor does he think the Tigers will have a problem with motivation now that they are the No. 1 team in the BCS rankings. "We’re not in a position that some other teams have been in in past years where they’ve been up in the hunt every year," he said. "This is a bunch of guys who have to fight and scratch and claw and go through a lot of ugly parts to get to this point. I think, and I hope, they appreciate it and they’re not going to grow complacent and give in because they’ve been to that other place of disappointment. Now, they have a chance to really do something."

• Trooper said it starts with the head coach: "He really is on top of it. Even with things that happen to other teams, he’ll cut the tape off, or if something happens to another conference team or one that may be in the top five or No. 1, he’ll show it to our team to make them see, ‘Here are the different things that have happened. Just like it happened to them – if you allow it to – it can happen to you.’ I think he does a great job because they’re visual learners. They can see it happening to a team they respect and think, ‘Whoa. This team was able to beat them and we better be on our P’s and Q’s.’"

• LOTS of stuff about Auburn's wide receivers blocking, which I think I'll turn into a story for Friday's paper. So I'll hold most of that material for then, but here's a sample of how Taylor makes it an emphasis during practice: "If you wait until after practice, or try to do it pre-practice, it’s not in the body of practice, so it’s not as important in their mind," he said. "I always try to make time in individual periods to start off with blocking. The guys have bought in."

• Auburn occasionally catches a movie on Friday nights before being sequestered in the hotel room in Montgomery. One reporter made the assumption that the players don't usually go watch something like "The Bridges of Madison County," quickly realizing how dated the reference was. "Hasn't that passed by?" Chizik said, playing along. "That's been a while. But when we go to the movies, we give them options."

• And lastly, the word is that Ole Miss will wear white on Saturday and has asked Auburn to wear its blue jerseys, according to AuburnUndercover.com.
  

Light night for interviews, so I stuck with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn for the entirety of this one. Enjoy.

Mario Fannin jogged off the field against LSU shortly after his third quarter fumble and made a bee-line toward Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

The running back’s message? “Give me another chance. Don’t give up on me.”

“That’s always good to hear,” Malzahn said.

Auburn is trying to stick with the senior, who has lost three fumbles this year and was fortunate not to lose another on a goal line run against Arkansas that was ruled a touchdown.

Past fumbles could be partially blamed on a shoulder injury that’s now better. Not the one Saturday.

Fannin’s latest came at a crucial juncture against LSU, near midfield after Auburn had worked itself out of bad field position.

“Our offense’s goal each week is to not turn the ball over,” Malzahn said. “He’s got to find a way to hold on to the ball and to help us win.”

Despite the fumble, the Tigers went back to Fannin for a third-down carry late in the game.
Fannin ranks fourth on the team in rushing yards (253), third in receptions (13) and fourth in receiving yards (142).

“We need Mario to win,” head coach Gene Chizik said. “There’s no question about that.”

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Then read these other notes from (the few) late interviews that we had tonight:

• Auburn practiced in shorts and shoulder pads Tuesday, which is usually the most physical day of work it has during the week. “We hadn’t had an off week,” Malzahn said. “We still got after it a little bit. Last week was a very physical game, and we’re going to have another physical game. We just tried to take a little bit of the beating off of them.”

• "It was a long grind, especially the last two weeks with two big games," TE Philip Lutzenkirchen said. "I think coach Chizik realized that and we needed a little bit of a break. It didn’t harm our intensity or our focus."

• More praise for RB Eric Smith from Malzahn, who agreed with Chizik's assessment that the junior hadn't played up to his potential until just recently. "Eric is a real smart, savvy player," Malzahn said. "He understands the game, he can make adjustments real well. He does a lot of the dirty work for us. Doesn't get the ball, but does a lot of things the casual observer, you know, it kind of goes unnoticed. But he really is very valuable to us."

• A lot of talk out there about how some opponent is going to spring some new, exotic defense on Auburn that it hasn't seen, but Malzahn said the Tigers have seen pretty much everything. "We've seen blitz, we've seen man, we've seen zone, a lot of different things," he said. "What's good at this point is we've seen things so we can adjust if that happens. Some teams have done just a little bit of everything. We have veteran guys and that's been a really big positive this year. Our guys understand more of what their responsibilities are and what the defense is giving us. They're able to come back and give us some good information and be able to adjust a lot of times on their own out there."

• Malzahn's assessment of Ole Miss' defense: "They can run. They really run to the ball well, they gang tackle. Their interior defensive linemen are extremely talented, physical and fast. They do a good job. They do a good job with their scheme."

• RB Mike Dyer has made strides in the non-running parts of his game. Malzahn said he's understanding protections and checkdowns more now. "Obviously, he's very talented with the ball in his hands, but he's becoming a complete back," Malzahn said. "That comes with time. He's had enough reps. He's not a freshman anymore. I feel like he's getting in a comfort zone as far as the other things he has to do without the ball."

• Malzahn likes his offenses to be split about evenly running and throwing the ball. But Auburn has skewed much more to the running side this year. The Tigers have a 72/28 split in favor of rushing plays, with 62 percent of their yards coming on the ground. "We could throw it a lot more," Malzahn said. "Our receivers, we have a lot of confidence in those guys. We have a lot of confidence in Cam in throwing the football. It's just a matter of when you're running it effectively we'd like to keep running it as long as we're successful doing it. There will be a game where we'll need to rely on the pass. We work on the pass all the time."

• The lean toward running the ball means a lot more blocking for receivers. "I wouldn’t say boring," wide receiver Emory Blake said. "Every wide receiver wants to catch the ball. That’s what wide receivers do. But right now, running the ball is helping us win games and that’s the most important thing, and we’re going to block our butt off on the perimeter no matter what, so blocking on the perimeter is a big part and that helped us win last week."

• Blake took a lot of pride in seeing Onterio McCalebb (who he called, O-Dog) break the game-winning touchdowns. "I remember turning to T-Zach and we celebrated together because we knew we were a big part of that play and we made that play spring like it did," he said. "It feels good, and we take a lot of pride in blocking on the perimeter."

• Blake on the team's No. 1 BCS rankings:"It feels kind of weird right now, because you’re there, but you’re not really there for good. We know we’ve got to keep playing.”

• Lutzenkirchen on a No. 1 team losing the last three weeks: "It’s just one of those things we realize the No. 1 team has gone down and it’s on our mind just for the fact we’re not going to let it happen to us."

Today's newspaper story is about defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who is going to get some national award consideration himself at the end of the season:

In what's becoming a weekly tradition, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley were both honored by the SEC on Monday.

I put together a video from tonight's interviews. It's got safety Zac Etheridge, defensive end Nosa Eguae, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, offensive lineman Mike Berry and defensive coordinator Ted Roof. Enjoy.

There were some other notes from tonight other than Auburn's No. 1 BCS ranking. We'll just get straight to the bullet points:

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• Defensive coordinator Ted Roof stopped short of saying Saturday's effort against LSU was the defense's best of the year. But he praised his team, which gave up only 243 yards and three first downs in the second half. (Although it should be noted that LSU is not exactly the Indianapolis Colts out there.) "We were more consistent,"Roof said. "That’s one of the things that we’ve been preaching and trying to become is a more consistent defense. We need to become more consistent next Saturday than we were last Saturday. I keep coming going back to that, but that’s the whole deal."

• Roof said the tape makes it easy sell that the group still has to get better. "Is it tough to sell? No, it’s not tough to sell," Roof said. "Because when you turn on the tape, they see the mistakes. When you watch a game, there’s a lot of things you don’t see -- good and bad. The beautiful thing about tape is you get to rewind it and go over and over it and the tape doesn’t lie. The tape doesn’t buffalo you."

• Both Roof and head coach Gene Chizik had faint praise for outside linebacker Jonathan Evans, who filled in for an injured Daren Bates. Chizik said he played adequate. Roof implied he did just OK.

• Roof was a little more forthcoming about CB Chris Davis' effort. "I was pleased with him," he said. "I thought he competed well. He didn’t fold. He didn’t cower down to the magnitude of what some people may have perceived that game. He just went out there and played football. I was real proud of him."

• Roof said linebacker Craig Stevens had his best game this year. The senior LB had seven tackles and a TFL. “I felt like it was an all right game for me," Stevens said. "I don’t know if I would say it was the best. You’re always going to have a few mistakes or whatever. I just feel like there’s always room for improvement. I don’t just want to put a stamp on one game being my best game. I just look at it as another game I played well, but I can always play better.”

• Stevens can play both weak-side and strong-side linebacker, which should help Auburn's rotation if Bates is out for some considerable time. "I feel comfortable at either side," he said.

• LOTS of talk about Ole Miss being a trap game. It figures to be after Auburn played three straight emotionally-charged games in a row. The Rebels are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC. "We're not going to let our guard down," safety Zac Etheridge said. "We came into this thing together as a team and we all go in and really compete. We all have got each others' back. We play for each other. And everybody's got their mind set that we don't want to lose and we're not going to lose. So it's going to be tough going into the hostile environment, but I think we did a lot of games on the road, I think the team can handle and prepare well."

• It was about this time a year ago that Etheridge suffered a scary neck injury against Ole Miss that left him motionless on the field. Etheridge has credited Rebels RB Rodney Scott with helping him avoid further injury. Scott finished underneath Etheridge at the end of the play but remained still while trainers tended to the injured Auburn safety. It's a compelling story people like to hear about. "I guess just because you see two great guys with great character and belief and trust in God, and that's something that a lot of people want to see," Etheridge said. "And I really can't tell you besides that that we just happened to be in the right place at the right time." (I'll have more on this later this week).

• LOTS of Nick Fairley talk today. I plan to write my story for Tuesday on him, so I'll save the "A" material. But here's a taste: Fairley has knocked quarterbacks out of the last two games. He even body slammed LSU's Jordan Jefferson on his final sack Saturday. "That’s normal for Nick," Stevens said. "Nothing out of the blue.”

• OK, one more Fairley note: He thinks Auburn's afternoon of hits on LSU's quarterbacks played a factor in Jarrett Lee running out of bounds short of the markers on fourth down late in the game. "He was like, let's get out of here," Fairley said. "Let's go back home."

• OK, one more: left guard Mike Berry said Fairley talks a little trash on the field. "He's got the right to."

• Ole Miss QB Jeremiah Masoli probably runs the ball better than any quarterback Auburn has seen this year (well, except for maybe Randall Cobb). "It puts a lot of pressure on the defense when you’re going against a quarterback that’s a dual threat like that," Stevens said. "It’s like other defenses see with Cam (Newton). You always have to keep in mind that this guy can run. When you’re back playing the pass, you’ve always got to keep an eye on him. See he doesn’t get out of that pocket.”

• Auburn stays in Montgomery now the night before games instead of LaGrange, Ga. Sounds like a nicer hotel. "Yeah. A lot nicer than an old Holiday Inn … a shack," Stevens said.

• Mike Dyer kept churning out yards after running into a pile yesterday. The o-line got in on the fun and when it was over, Auburn had an extra five yards out of the play. "I just felt a bunch of guys on the team kind of pushing me," Dyer said. "I kept moving, kept my legs moving. It really showed that that we wanted to win the game, that we have experience, our competitiveness, the family atmosphere. Everybody was just doing their part. I just went the extra mile. It was big for me to be part of that moment."

• "I was right there in the middle of it with all those guys," center Ryan Pugh said. "You could just hear the stadium going nuts when you were doing it. ... I don't know where Dyer was. I don't even know who I was pushing at that point. I was going in the direction we needed to go. It took me a second to really realize after the play was kind of over, because I did get a 15-yarder the week before for hitting a guy standing around the pile. It took me a second to realize do I really want to do the punishment again for that 15-yard penalty? It was fun."

• Berry's take on that play: "That run right there maybe shouldn’t have even gotten a yard.”

• Auburn had a new wrinkle on offense, lining up in a half-huddle very close to the line of scrimmage. The Tigers would send the receivers out first, then break the huddle and rush to the line for a quick snap. "It doesn’t give the defense a chance to get set or the ability to see what formation we’re in," Berry said. "It’s something else the defense has to deal with.”

• Berry said Auburn's line took things a little personal heading into the LSU game. "All we kept hearing was how great LSU was and how physical," he said. "I’m not going to take anything away from them, they are that, but we’re physical also. It was definitely something were we had something to prove. People were like, ‘Yeah, they’re a great offense, but what are they going to do when they face a great defense?’ It was one of those things that we took personally.”

• The line is dealing with the usual bumps and bruises at this point of the season. "It's part of the grind that you play in the SEC," Pugh said. "There's going to be days when it's tough to get out of bed, but that's what good teams do. Championship teams find a way to get better every day whether it's easy or not. At this point people have played seven or eight games already and there's no clear-cut end in sight. You're going to do the same thing this week you did last week; this week's game is just as big as last week's."

• Sounds like Pugh enjoyed Saturday's win quite a bit. "I don't think I even went to bed last night, I was so excited," he said. "It was just one of those things where it was a big game and so much build-up during the week and people showing up on Tuesday for the game, the atmosphere and things. We just sat around and talked about things all night. It was fun and it was something that you don't get to do very often. It was just one of those things where we just sat around and really wanted to soak up the moment. You've got to have a short memory. You've got to go back to work this week."

Auburn cranked up its Cam Newton-for-Heisman campaign last week, having the quarterback do a national teleconference and launching a website for the star player.

Head coach Gene Chizik thinks the best thing he and his coaches can do to help Newton win the Heisman is to continue to do what they've been doing.

"At the end of the day, it is a team award and the best thing we can do to promote any of our guys for any of our postseason awards is to continue to try to coach them to give them a plan every week to win," he said.

Newton made a strong push for Heisman consideration after running for a career-high 217 yards in a 24-17 win against No. 6 LSU on Saturday.

He leads the SEC in rushing with 1,077 yards and leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns and 27 touchdowns accounted for.

"In my opinion, a player's statistics and all the things that go into him warranting that attention, I think that's out there for everybody to see," Chizik said. "Do we have a guy that warrants that? Absolutely. There's no question about it."

Chizik said it will be important to manage Newton's time as his media demands are likely to increase in the upcoming weeks.

"If you talk about postseason awards and you talk about recognition and things of that nature, that's only going to come with him being able to focus on being a football player," Chizik said. "At the end of the day, he's got to do the things that are going to help him be the quarterback at Auburn."

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Some other notes and quotes from Chizik's teleconference:

• DT Nick Fairley is going to start getting some national award recognition the way he's playing. The junior had 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks Saturday. He has 7.5 sacks and 17 TFL this year (second and third in the SEC, respectively). "I think the numbers speak for themselves," Chizik said. "Anybody that watched the game yesterday would have a hard time denying the fact that he's one of the best defensive linemen in the country."

• Why is Fairley so good? Chizik thinks it's a rare combination of suddenness and power. "You can use the suddenness for in-and-out type moves that keep guys off-balance and once they get off-balance, you can come back and counter with a power move where you can take a guy back to the quarterback," he said. "That's what you look for in a defensive linemen. And those things are sometimes rare."

• Fairley has knocked two quarterbacks out of the game in back-to-back weeks. First Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Then LSU's Jarrett Lee. It's probably enough to rattle future quarterbacks. "I just think anytime you pressure a guy, and whether you're putting him on the ground with the ball in his hand or you're putting him on the ground after he releases it, eventually that starts to build up in their minds," Chizik said. "And that's what pressures and sacks, that's what the result is. Bad balls being thrown down the field, that's what you hope you're getting when you get to the quarterback, especially when you can get to the quarterback without blitzing."

• Fairley body-slammed Jordan Jefferson to the ground on his final sack. "I don't think we've named that yet," Chizik said.

• Auburn could be No. 1 when the BCS rankings come out later tonight, something head coach Gene Chizik is trying to keep it out of his players' minds. He doesn't know how well that will work. "I can only control how we proceed in this building," he said. "We just had a team meeting and we talked about being very grounded and understanding that every week is a another new week and another opportunity. It probably sounds to them the same old sad song every Sunday. But that's what we do. Hopefully they'll continue to prepare -- I don't see any reason why they wouldn't -- like they have every other week."

• No news on LB Daren Bates, who left just before halftime with a right shoulder injury. "We'll have to wait and see," Chizik said. He said Jonathan Evans or Eltoro Freeman are potential replacements there.

• CB Neiko Thorpe had a bounceback game after the Arkansas debacle, despite playing with a cast on his left hand/arm that looked pretty cumbersome. "I was really proud of him," Chizik said. "I felt like he’s playing in kind of an uncomfortable situation. He’s beat up, he’s banged up like half of our football team is. But as a DB, sometimes that can get in your mind. He came back after last week and had a chance to make that pick there early. He was in great position, we were playing cover-three and did a great job breaking on the ball. Gained some confidence. Was able to spin out of some blocks and make tackles on the perimeter."

• Chizik liked the powerful way Mike Dyer ran the ball, especially when he moved the pile five or six yards on a third-quarter run. "We're looking for that physical type of running back," Chizik said. "Mike runs with his shoulders so low. He runs low to the ground, he's extremely powerful, he hangs onto the football and he's one of those guys that he can move a pile. His feet never stop and you're looking for those type of physical runs, even those ones where he gets hit at the line of scrimmage where he gets hit by a linebacker, because they brought an eighth guy down to the box and he was unblocked and he still gets a 2-yard gain out of a no-yard gain. You have to have a running back on your team that can do that."

• Strong praise for the offensive line too: "I don't think there's any question in my mind: everything has started with the offensive line playing much better than they did earlier in the year. That's what makes it go."

• Chizik was very disappointed in the way the special teams played. He thought Quindarius Carr could have field a few of those punts that got downed inside the 2-yard line. Chizik said the team is "going to get that fixed. ... We can’t operate like that. That’s a special teams nightmare."

• To the surprise of no one, Chizik would still like to see his team play a complete game. "If they'll look at the film and evaluate themselves accurately, there shouldn't be any reason for them to beat their chest at this point," he said.

Gene Chizik has come and gone. Here's what he said:

• "We obviously feel very fortunate that we were able to win again Saturday. That was a great challenge for our football team."

• On Ole Miss: "Looking at them in generics, it appears to be the same type of Houston Nutt team every year. They run the football. They're physical up front. ... They'll be ready to play. They have some great athletes on their football team."

• Chizik on Cam Newton: "I'd have to say that anybody who watches him play knows he's in an elite group."

• Thinks teams has improved on chemistry, working together to win games since last trip to Mississippi (Starkville in the second week).

• On probably being No. 1 in the BCS standings: "I can only control how we proceed in this building." Said they just had a team meeting about staying grounded. "It probably sounds to them the same old sad song every Sunday."

• On not paying attention to records this week: "It's hard to play your best game every week. Fortunately or unfortunately, we haven't played our best game every week."

• Thought special teams was lacking the other day. Thought team could have put up more points based on the amount of yards it had. Special teams a big factor in that.

• "There really shouldn't be any reason for them to beat their chest right now anyway."

• Chizik admits his approach is boring: one day at a time, one play at a time. But he thinks it's effective.

• Newton is a Heisman guy. Auburn's even promoted it. "Do we have that a guy like that? Absolutely." Said the best thing the coaches can do it put him in a position to continue to be successful.

• "He's a great football player. That's why he is getting the attention he's getting."

• On demands on Newton's time: "I think it's really important. ... That's only going to come with him continuing on focus on how to be a good football player."

• Nick Fairley could get some award conversation too. "I don't think there's any way you could say he isn't. Anybody who watched the game yesterday would have a hard time denying the fact that he's one of the best defensive linemen in the country."

• Said he's got a rare combination of suddenness and power.

• He's knocked two quarterbacks out as well. It's the byproduct of pressure and sacks: "Eventually, that starts to build up in their minds."

• Thought CB Chris Davis did well. Said LB Jonathan Evans "played adequate enough for us to win."

• No new news on Daren Bates' injury. Said the fact that LB Craig Stevens can play Sam and Will gives team some flexibility.

• On Dyer moving the pile: "He's one of those guys who can move the pile. His feet never stop. You have to have a running back on your team that can do that."

• "Everything starts with the offensive line playing much better than it was the beginning of the year. That's what makes it go."

• On getting the ball inside its own 2-yard line several times: "We could have done a much better job of keeping ourselves out of bad field position. ... It was a special teams nightmare."

• On the defensive effort: "It's certainly up there with one of the best, for sure."

• Thought Mike McNeil did well. "I consider him a starter."

• On Neiko Thorpe, who played with a cast on his hand: "He's playing with an uncomfortable situation. ... It was good to see him bounce back and play well." Said the near pick he had early gave him confidence to go forward in the game.

And that's a wrap.

Big win for Auburn, which now has to start being thought of as a national title contender. Feels weird to say that. Here's how tomorrow's story starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Cam Newton's final run left him exhausted, sprawled out on his back for a moment as he stared up at the darkening sky.

The 10-yard scamper sealed No. 4 Auburn's 24-17 win against previously unbeaten No. 6 LSU, establishing the SEC's indisputable frontrunner once and for all.

After the final seconds ticked off, Auburn's quarterback found a second wind, sprinting toward the visitor's sideline and leaping a three-foot guard rail to celebrate with the still-cheering Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd.

"I think the adrenaline was still pumping," Newton said with a sheepish smile.

Big wins like Saturday's will do that for you. Auburn (8-0, 5-0 SEC) emerged with a one-game lead on the pack in the highly-competitive SEC West with three conference games remaining.

Here are some more notes and quotes:

• Auburn did it in with its bread and butter, grinding out 440 rushing yards, the fifth-most in school history and most against an SEC foe. Considering the opponent, the achievement was even more impressive. LSU (7-1, 4-1 SEC) entered the game with the No. 1 rushing defense in the league, allowing 83.6 yards per game. The Bengal Tigers had allowed 402 rushing yards to its first four SEC opponents combined. "I think it's a lot of hard work paying off," center Ryan Pugh said. "That defense is as good as you'll play every year. Those guys are athletic. They've got NFL talent all over the field."

• We can drop the pretense now. Newton is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Has to be after running for a career-high 217 yards against what was the SEC's top-ranked rushing defense. He added 86 passing yards, too. "Plain and simple, he's the best quarterback in the country," LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said.

• Newton's best highlight play (other than a 6-yard loss during which he dodged three or four would-be tacklers) was his weaving 49-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave Auburna 17-10 lead. He plowed over All-American cornerback Patrick Patterson at the end of the play to get into the end zone. "There's a want in every football player to take someone on and that's what we did," LSU coach Les Miles said. "Sometimes when that person is 250 pounds it can be a little much."

• Here's Newton's description of the play: "It's just a play that is in my job description to make."

• Newton was not alone running the ball at will. Mike Dyer shook off a balky right knee to hit 100 yards exactly, the second time in his career he's done so. He pushed the pile a good five or six yards at the end of one play. "I heard the crowd," Dyer said. "I felt the guys behind me just pushing it. I felt like we were all in it together."

• Onterio McCalebb had the game-winning touchdown on a 70-yard run, a jet sweep to the outside that opened up wide for him. "Once I got around the corner, I wasn't going to let anybody catch me," McCalebb said.

• Most of the credit goes to the offensive line, which doesn't get all the pub the backs do. But they might be the best in the country. "We have great coaches that put us into a position to where it is hard for us to mess up," left tackle Lee Ziemba said.

• Don't discount the defense's effort in this one. Auburn had horrible field position throughout the third quarter and the defense didn't break. LSU started possessions at its 44, 44 and 47-yard line and gained only 29 yards in the quarter. "We were a lot of three-and-outs in the second half and the field position had flipped there for awhile," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "Our kids answered the bell with sudden change and short fields. They stepped up. I’m proud of the way they hung together."

• Newton might be a lock for SEC Offensive Player of the Year, but defensive tackle Nick Fairley has to lead the discussion on the defensive side. He had 6 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks Saturday, knocking LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee out of the game briefly. "I love having him in front of me," linebacker Josh Bynes said. "He and I got into it on one of the sacks because I told him, `I got half of it.’ He tried to take all of it. He always says, `Josh, when I get back there I’m going to try to take everything.’ It’s competitiveness."

• Fairley has 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss this year, by the way.
  

• The patched together secondary deserves some credit too. LSU doesn't throw the ball great, but Auburn only allowed 128 yards in the air a week after giving up 428. That was without Aairon Savage (ankle) and T'Sharvan Bell (hamstring). And starter Neiko Thorpe had his left arm in a cast. "It was a M*A*S*H unit in the secondary, but they never flinched," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

• Chizik showed great trust in his defense. Auburn had the ball at the LSU 40 on fourth-and-six. Instead of punting, Auburn showed a pooch punt formation before throwing an out pass to Darvin Adams. It went wide and incomplete. But the defense came up with a three-and-out, highlighted by Fairley's sack of Jefferson on third down. "I mean if it was a track meet tonight against our defense, I wouldn't have done it," Chizik said of going for it. "I would have punted and tried to pin them down."

• You just knew Miles had at least one trick play up his sleeve. It came in the fourth quarter. He called for a lateral to running back Spencer Ware, who lobbed a 39-yard pass to Rueben Randle after the Auburn defense bit. The touchdown tied the game at 17 with 12:16 to play. "He was supposed to be covered," said Bynes, who ran back in a futile last-gasp chance to knock the ball down.

• No update after the game on LB Daren Bates, who appeared to injure his shoulder just before halftime. He didn't come out for the second half.

• Also, place-kicker Wes Byrum became Auburn's all-time leading scorer, moving past John Vaughn with a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter. He's scored 315 points in his career.

• Your offensive leaders (not previously mentioned):

• Adams: 3 catches, 33 yards
• WR Terrell Zachery: 3 catches, 27 yards, 1 carry, 12 yards

• Your defensive leaders (not previously mentioned):

• Bynes: 11 tackles, .5 TFL, .5 sacks
• LB Craig Stevens: 7 tackles, 1 TFL
• Thorpe: 6 tackles
• S Mike McNeil: 5 tackles
• DE Antoine Carter: 2 tackles, 1.5 TFLs

• Final word will go to Chizik, about the possibility of next week's Ole Miss game being a trap situation: "This doesn't change anything for us. It doesn't change the way we prepare. It doesn't change the way we talk to our team. It doesn't change the way we practice. It doesn't change anything. This is a step-by-step, day-by-day process, and I know that sounds like coaching clichés, but that is what it is. We are not going to talk about where we end up ranking-wise. We are not going to talk about being 8-0. We are not going to talk about any of that. We are going to talk about Ole Miss next week starting tomorrow, and that is how we will proceed."

AUBURN, Ala. — The battle between Tigers for the SEC lead is tied at the half.

Auburn and LSU, the last of the SEC's unbeatens, have played to a 10-10 stalemate after 30 minutes at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn scored first after a Zac Etheridge interception. The Tigers marched down the field before quarterback Cam Newton barreled in from 1-yard out for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

It was the 26th touchdown Newton has accounted for this season (13 passing, 13 rushing), tying the 40-year-old school record set by Pat Sullivan. Newton has 78 rushing yards.

The teams traded field goals to make it 10-3. Wes Byrum moved past John Vaughn for the school's scoring record with a 42-yarder in the second quarter but missed a 39-yarder and a chance to make it a two-score game.

LSU capitalized. Jordan Jefferson, who was pulled earlier in the game, came in for an injured Jarrett Lee and led the Bengal Tigers down the field, making a number of plays with his legs, including a third-and-16 conversion.

He dodged a tackle from Daren Bates to get into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left before halftime. Jefferson has 62 rushing yards.

You're looking live at Jordan-Hare Stadium, site of today's matchup between No. 4 Auburn and no. 6 LSU. There's still a little under three hours until kickoff, but this will serve as a running blog post leading up to the game.

Gorgeous day for football. Nary a cloud in the sky. Slight breeze. Warm enough but not hot. Just perfect. We were talking about this today in the press box: this is the complete opposite of last year, when it rained the first month and was freezing for games against Kentucky and Ole Miss (so much so that they shut the press box windows, a rarity on the Plains). Let's hope the good weather continues.

Miss today's game advance? Much like Les Miles, you're in luck. Click here to read it.

Also, Auburn's going all out with its Cam Newton Heisman push. The website doesn't explicitly so as much, but you can read between the lines. Check it out here.

I'll be posting pertinent information here, but you can also follow the blog on Twitter for immediate updates and musings. I'll be posting through the game.

Where's the pre-game minutia, you ask? Well, it's right here. Glad you asked:

• Auburn is 7-0 for the first time since 2004, LSU for the first time since 1973.

• LSU leads the series 23-19-1. The Bengal Tigers have a three-game winning streak in the series, their first since winning three straight in 1972-73 and 1980.

• This is the first matchup of top-10 teams at Jordan-Hare Stadium since No. 10 LSU beat No. 6 Auburn 26-21 in 2008.

• Auburn has won nine of its last 16 games against teams in the top 10. It has 15 wins against top-10 teams since 2001.

• Auburn hasn’t beaten a top-10 opponent at home since 2006, when it toppled No. 2 Florida 27-17.

• It’s strength-on-strength when Auburn’s top-ranked SEC rushing offense goes up against LSU’s top-ranked SEC rushing defense. Auburn is averaging 283.7 yards per game and has gained more than 300 rushing yards in three straight SEC games. LSU has allowed 83.6 rushing yards per game and a mere 2.4 yards per carry.

• On the flip side, LSU has the 113th-ranked passing offense nationally. Auburn has the 108th ranked passing defense. Something's got to give there.

• It’s a grand stage for Newton to make a Heisman Trophy-worthy statement. He leads the SEC in rushing (862 yards) and passing efficiency (180.5), but he hasn’t face a defense like this.

• Newton is the only player in Auburn history other than Bo Jackson in 1985 to have four games of 170 or more rushing yards in the same season.

• Newton has also accounted for 25 touchdowns (13 passing, 12 rushing).

• Auburn has a +8 turnover margin in its last four games (12 takeaways, 4 giveaways). Eight of its turnovers have been forced in the fourth quarter.

• Record watch: PK Wes Byrum needs four points to break John Vaughn's school record for points.

• LSU CB/PR extraordinaire Patrick Peterson has the ability to shut down half the field in the passing game and can score a touchdown on any punt return. He already has two returns for touchdowns this year.

• LSU is 34-0 under head coach Miles when it rushes for 100 yards and holds an opponent to less than 100 rushing yards.

• What does Vegas say? Auburn by 5 to 5.5. It used to be 6. Looks like there's been some late money on LSU.

UPDATE, 1:31 p.m.: I've been posting the program cover shots the last couple weeks. Here's the latest. It's a linebacker front:UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: WR DeAngelo Benton (ankle) is standing on sideline in street clothes with his jersey on. No crutches this week, but it doesn't look like he'll dress out.

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: CB T'Sharvan Bell is not out with the team during pre-game stretching. He was a gametime decision.

LB Eltoro Freeman (various injuries) is out there and a dressed. Then again, he was last week and did not play.

One roster note: DB Ryan White will wear No. 19 instead of No. 9 today, probably to get him on the same special teams unit as another No. 9, Quindarius Carr.

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: Forgot to mention this earlier, but Mario Fannin is going to start in place of Mike Dyer. Not too much of a surprise, considering the condition of Dyer's right knee.

It's gameday. Here's how today's Auburn-LSU advance starts:

I wrote a story for today's paper about the growing Cam Newton hype. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The TMZ cameras caught Peter Berg at an interesting moment.

The “Friday Night Lights” director, put delicately, appeared to be enjoying some night life in Hollywood recently when the paparazzi caught him on the sidewalk.

The subject turned to college football, and Berg, colorfully and somewhat slurred, encouraged the group to keep an eye on Auburn’s quarterback.

“Right now, I watch a dude, Cal What’s-His-Name,” he said emphatically and erroneously, adding to the video’s viral charm.

Yes, it seems like every college football fan is talking about Auburn quarterback Cal … er … Cam Newton these days.

Short one today. Had to cut it short to do a radio interview, but we still went an hour. Read the replay below.

Here's a video from tonight's post-practice videos. It's got wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, running backs coach Curtis Luper, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware. Enjoy.

Trooper Taylor spent four years on the same Tennessee staff as John Chavis, who is now in charge of LSU’s defense.

But the Auburn wide receivers coach doesn’t know how much insider info he can give the Tigers about his former colleague.

“Coach Chavis is going to do what he does,” Taylor said. “He’s not going to change his mentality based off who he’s playing. He’s always been a guy that you’re going to adjust to them.”

Chavis, who is in his second season at LSU, has the No. 3-ranked defense in the country.

Taylor knows what to expect from Chavis: his group will play fast, create mismatches up front and blitz from all over.

“Cam (Newton) is going to find out all he wants about blitzes, because he may drop one out of a plane.,” Taylor said. “I promise you. He’s not afraid to do it.”

How good is LSU defense? Running backs coach Curtis Luper counted the ways.

"They have probably 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 first-round picks on that defense, I think," he said, counting them off. "They've got a couple up front, a linebacker that's really good and two on the back that are great players. It's a challenge for us. It's the best defense that we've seen since Alabama's defense (last year)."

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Also, read these other notes and quotes from Wednesday's round of interviews:

• Cornerback T’Sharvan Bell (hamstring) and linebacker Eltoro Freeman (various injuries) have made progress this week, head coach Gene Chizik said, although he was non-committal about either’s status for Saturday. Chizik said Bell has been in and out of practice this week and has been “doing more rehab things.” Freeman will be a game-time decision, but Chizik was optimistic he could play for the first time since the Louisiana-Monroe game two and a half weeks ago. “He’s getting close,” Chizik said.

• Chizik said running back Mike Dyer (knee) remains day-to-day. “You hope he’s ready to go on Saturday,” Chizik said. “He’s not there yet.”

• What'd Luper say about Dyer's knee? "Good. It's fine."

• Luper thought his backs did OK last week against Arkansas, with Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb and Dyer combining for 142 rushing yards and each scoring touchdowns.

• But the coach, an avowed Lakers fan, would like to see more. “I liken Cameron to Kobe Bryant,” Luper said. “We’ve got Kobe. We need Derek Fisher, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom, we need those guys to step up.”

• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes knows the challenge his group is up against. "They’re very, very physical up front with guys who can run," he said. "They’re not just a bunch of fast guys. They’re guys who want to whip you at the point of attack. They play with a lot of confidence."

• Chizik issued the physical challenge to the offensive line prior to the South Carolina game. Grimes has continued to press the issue since. "Once you have success, you want to do it more," he said. "You feel more confident when you do it because you’ve had success. And because you’ve had success, you play harder and play with more confidence and you make more yards."

• Brandon Mosley, who replaced an injured A.J. Greene at right tackle, has come along the last few weeks. Grimes has been impressed how much he has adjusted, having not played much offensive line at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. "To his credit, he was really making improvement before he had his opportunity," Grimes said. "That’s a credit to him because a lot of guys get in that situation and they either settle in to where they are or even regress. He went the other way. He was ready for it."

• A big focus on the offensive line this week is to account for LSU defensive tackle Drake Nevis, who has 38 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and 5 sacks. 'He’s got the total package," Grimes said. "He’s very powerful. He’s got a very physical mindset in how he plays the game. He’ll stuff you at the point of attack. And he’ll stone a double team without giving up any movement. He’s the kind of guy who will jump around a block and make a play."

• Nevis compares favorably to Nick Fairley statistically, although he's a smaller build. "I think they have a lot of similarities in how they play the game," Grimes said. "They’re different builds, but the thing that is similar in both of them is when the ball is snapped, the kids are looking for the football in a hurry."

• Grimes made a good point about why offenses are thriving these days: "It certainly helps to have a big quarterback who is a part of that. That’s what we always wanted to do: A quarterback the defenses had to account for. That’s a big reason you’ve seen offenses score more points in the last few years. We’ve leveled the playing field again. Instead of playing 10 on 11, we’re playing 11 on 11 in a lot of cases now."

• Nobody was quite sure if defenders would be able to tackle Newton in the spring. Everybody's been getting an answer these first few months. "Coach Chizik blew the whistle all the time and we'd say, 'Hmmm. I don't know if they would have tackled him or not,'" Luper said. "Well, the answer is no, we would not have tackled him. As I said before, it takes about a month before we can figure out offensively what we can do and can't do. What our strengths and our weaknesses are. So we've figured it out. A lot of people have figured what the strength of our offense is. We need to build on that strength and be a little more versatile and diverse and do some things and I think we'll show some of that this weekend."

• McCalebb’s 99-yard kickoff return last Saturday was the longest special teams coordinator Jay Boulware has ever seen that didn’t go for a touchdown. The speedy McCalebb got tripped up at the 1-yard line by an Arkansas defender who had the angle. Boulware credited McCalebb for turning a play not destined for much into a game-changer.“That’s great vision by him,” Boulware said. “We had a guy that actually missed a block right off the bat and he saw it and went out the back door, they overplayed it and here we go.”

• Auburn's got special teams concerns of its own this week, with the talented Patrick Peterson fielded punts. He's taken two to the house this year. "He’s got it all," Chizik said. "Our guys understand the challenge.”

• The Tigers had perhaps their best game of kick and punt coverage against Arkansas. "We had a couple games like that when we were at Iowa State, which is the reason why I'm here probably," Boulware joked. "I don't know if it was that good. But we had a couple games where we felt like we dominated in all phases: kickoff coverage, kickoff return, blocked a couple punts. Yeah, that's probably why I'm here."

• Auburn gunners put a number of big hits on players. "That was a blessing, those big tackles," Boulware said. "I can sit here and say 'scheme' and this, that and the other, but we do the same thing every week. The guys just do a great job of executing it."

• The players get pumped to be on the kickoff coverage team this year, unlike last season. "It's fun when you go out there, they take a little pride in it and they see themselves having some success. They're running down, making big plays, and that is contagious for the guys. It's contagious for our fans. ... We can create some momentum one way or the other by making a play on special teams. That starts off with kickoff and kickoff return. Every time we kickoff, we've just scored. Every time we kickoff return, they've just scored. We have an opportunity to establish some more momentum or gain some."

• Boulware thinks it's a matter of containing Peterson. Stopping him altogether will be next to impossible. "We've got to obviously cover him, as best as we possibly can," he said. "I don't think you ever totally contain a player like that. But our young guys have got to be very disciplined this week and do their jobs. Make sure they're in the right lanes."

• There were 19 kickoffs in the Auburn-Arkansas game. Auburn subbed out guys regularly on the coverage teams. "We try to keep our guys fresh," Boulware said. "We've got a starter here and there on some special teams. And we try to rotate those guys through. My job is to try to keep our team fresh, just like it was last year."

• Ikeem Means plays on all four special teams units (kickoff, punt return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage). That'll probably change this week as he gets more reps on the regular defense at safety.

• Fairley, the SEC leader with 13.5 tackles for a loss, earned first-team midseason All-American honors from Sports Illustrated and Phil Steele’s magazine. Newton and left tackle Lee Ziemba also made Steele’s first team. Center Ryan Pugh was a second-team SI pick, along with Newton, and a third-team pick by Steele.

• Steele also released his midseason All-SEC team. Fairley, Newton, Ziemba, Pugh, right guard Byron Isom and defensive end Antoine Carter made the first team. Wide receiver Darvin Adams and linebacker Josh Bynes were on the second team, while safety Zac Etheridge was named to the third team.

• Pugh was also named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes a standout player who also has achievements in the classroom and community.

• Auburn’s homecoming game Nov. 6 against UT-Chattanooga at Jordan-Hare Stadium will start at 1 p.m. ET and be offered on pay-per-view. The game will be available in Alabama to cable subscribers and small dish owners who subscribe to DirecTV or Dish Network.

Here's a video from tonight's late round of interviews. It's go offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, center Ryan Pugh and running back Mike Dyer. Enjoy.

Running back Mike Dyer walked into the media room with a large ice pack strapped to the outside of his right knee, but the Auburn freshman said he had a good practice Tuesday and is feeling “pretty good.”

Dyer was limited last week in practice after hurting his knee in the weight room. He didn’t practice until Thursday.

He played sparingly against Arkansas but still managed 53 yards on six carries. He ran for a 38-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“It was good during the game,” he said. “Just make sure that you stretch it, keep moving it so it won’t be stiff.”

Dyer said the team is being cautious with him this week.

“They’re just making sure that everything goes right,” he said. “They don’t want to push it too far, you know, try to slow me down too much. But it’s the job of the coaches to make sure everything’s done well and in a good way.

“This week I’ve been getting treatment and everything’s fine. I practiced a lot more today and I got to stretch it out. I’m ready to go.”

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Here are some other notes and quotes from Tuesday's round of late interviews:

• Before he ran out of the tunnel Saturday, Dyer was pulled aside by Tigers great Bo Jackson for some last-minute advice. Jackson had been at meetings all week, talking about how he expects Auburn running backs to play. “He’s just one of those guys who loved playing here, loved being here and loves to help us when he can,” Dyer said.

• Dyer said when a former Heisman Trophy-winning running back talks to you, you listen. “When he says something to you, you’re like, ‘OK, that’s what I’ve got to do,’” Dyer said. “I mean, it’s Bo Jackson.”

• Auburn hasn’t faced a punt returner quite like LSU’s Patrick Peterson all year, and it knows it. “He’s in a league of his own now,” Tigers head coach Gene Chizik said. “He has a great first step; he has a great ability to make the first guy miss. He’s one of those guys who don’t come along very often who have a knack for doing it and he does it well.”

• Peterson leads the SEC and is fourth nationally with a 21.1-yard punt return average. He returned punts for touchdowns against North Carolina and West Virginia. “The key really is getting good punts, getting the ball real high in the air so he doesn’t have time to work,” Auburn wide receiver Emory Blake said “And just covering, getting off the guys that are trying to block you and getting down the field fast.”

• A lot of big hits for the Auburn's special teams last week. Don't think it doesn't help. "It really energizes the team, especially when we stuff them behind the 20 consistently," Blake said. "It's very contagious. Everyone wants to be that guy making the big hit and making the play behind the 20. That's our goal every time we kick the ball off."

• Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s desired number for plays in a game is 80, a mark Auburn hasn’t hit once this year. The Tigers did manage to score 65 points against Arkansas, however. “You call it even,” Malzahn deadpanned. Malzahn’s offense is based on tempo, meaning the more cranked up it gets, the more plays it will run. But the Tigers haven’t hit their goal yet. They had 78 against South Carolina and 73 against Kentucky but otherwise haven’t topped 70. “Well, whatever gives us the best chance to win is what we’re going to do,” Malzahn said. Does it bother him not to hit that number? “Not if you win,” he said.

• How good is LSU's defense? "Their stats speak for themselves," center Ryan Pugh said. "They’re probably the most athletic, fastest, physical group that you’ll play every year. They’re always well coached. They play hard and physical."

• "It’s the most talented defense we’ve seen, no doubt about it," Malzahn said. Called the defensive line the best Auburn will face. He said LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis is "one of the best in the business."

• How does he know? Oh yeah, last year. Auburn lost 31-10 and had 193 yards of offense. "They whipped us pretty good," Malzahn said. "They were extremely talented on defense just like they are this year and we had some deficiencies. A lot of our deficiencies were being exposed at that time of the year, but you have to give those guys credit. They got after us real good."

• "LSU was just a complete a debacle at LSU as far as offensive line play," Pugh said. "We didn’t look like a very unified group. We didn’t play up to our capability, and the score showed it. The score wasn’t close throughout the game and we never got anything going on offense. That game was hard to watch, but the best thing to do is go back and watch and learn from it."

• That loss came at the end of a stretch where Auburn lost to Arkansas and Kentucky. The LSU game might have been the worst. "Nobody likes to be embarrassed," Malzahn said. "That was a stretch that we were definitely embarrassed, our offense was."

• Dyer said he's noticed the older guys more focused this week after what LSU has done to them the past two years. "They were a little more focused today, which made everyone’s focus a little more high," he said. "Seeing the juniors and seniors on the same page, going until the whistle blows, running off the field and all these things today. It was kind of like, ‘Hey, this is real serious right now.’ They’re just making sure we all know that.”

• Peterson plays cornerback too. Malzahn had high praise, calling him "maybe the best in the country. He’s extremely talented, got great ball skills. He’s one of those confident guys, good tackler, has great instincts. He’s a great player."

• Malzahn said defenses have thrown a lot of different looks at the Tigers this season. "We’ve seen a little bit of everything," he said. "We’ve seen zero with blitz, we’ve seen stay back, keep everything in front of them. We’ve seen just about everything this year.”

• You would think Malzahn would take some great pleasure out of beating Arkansas, where he was a coordinator in 2006 before leaving under dicey circumstances. He was 0-2 against the Razorbacks until Saturday's game. "I'm a lot more concerned about us here along the journey," he said. "And to be honest with you, it was just another game as far as this season goes. I don't really too much get into that. ... You can't. ... At least I can't."