These Tigers Have The Blues

For the last few days, I've been trying to think of something witty or clever to describe the game between Kentucky and Auburn.
I can't!
It was bad.
Auburn had their chances, they just didn't take advantage of them.
Kentucky took advantage of theirs.
Auburn's passing game didn't look sharp and the running game had to carry the load.
And for the first time this year, special teams earned their keep when they blocked a first quarter fieldgoal attempt and returned it for a touchdown.
Just like most of the other photographers, I was positioned downfield and didn't get a shot of the block.
All I got was the back of Neiko Thorpe as he was seeing headlines and goal lines.
Oh well......


The game started out like it might go Auburn's way. Then the wheels slowly started to fall off.
Here, Kentucky cornerback Randall Burdon knocks the ball away from Auburn receiver Quindarius Carr.


Ben Tate was the bright spot for Auburn. He rushed for 132 yards.
Tate and Kentucky linebacker Micah Johnson fought some hard battles all night.


Auburn ran a reverse to wide receiver Terrell Zachery, which gained a bunch of yards. Then Kentucky cornerback Paul Worford got in the way.


That Paul Worford guy seemed to be everywhere. Darvin Adams got seperated from the ball by him.


Yep....Ben Tate is THE workhorse. He moved up on Auburn's rushing chart to 6th all time. And with another good game against LSU this Saturday, he could climb a couple of more spots.
He scored Auburn's only offensive touchdown. Things were looking good at this point.


And the fans went wild after Ben scored.


Ben celebrated with Mike Berry.


The cheerleaders celebrated.


And Kentucky just would not quit. They kept plugging away.
Wildcat receiver Gene McCaskill got his hands on the ball as Auburn's Neiko Thorpe was a step behind.


Kentucky started their comeback, mixing pass plays with running plays.
Wildcat tailback Derrick Locke is tripped up by Auburn's Zac Etheridge.


Kentucky's number one quarterback, Mike Hartline, was injured last week. Saturday night was quarterback by committee. Kentucky runs the Wildcat offense with Randall Cobb as quarterback. Here, he dives for the endzone as Auburn linebackers Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens close in. He didn't score, but it was only a matter of time.


Kentucky brought in Junior quarterback Will Fidler on the next play. He stretches the ball out over the goal line to tie the score with 4:57 to play in the fourth quarter.


Auburn couldn't move the ball and Kentucky didn't waste any time movin the ball downfield. Randall Cobb ran the Wildcat offense again, and scored on a four yard run with 1:51 left in the game.


The Kentucky ball players got to celebrate with the Big Blue fans that made the trip down to Auburn.
Maybe Auburn can stop the wheels from coming off this week before heading to Baton Rouge or it could be a long night.

Some Days You're The Windshield, Some Days You're The Bug

That's kinda how I felt this weekend.
Like a bug splattered on the windshield of a big ol' truck.
I was just flyin' along minding my own business, when SPLATT!!!!!
Right out of nowhere, my camera started having major problems.
Just as Saturdays game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers was about to begin.
I got the dreaded ERR99 message.
The note on the digital back of the camera told me to turn the camera off and replace the batteries.
WOW....maybe it'll go away when I do that.
So, I turn it off, change the batteries, and hold my breath as I turn the camera back on.
It powers up, I look through the viewfinder and it focuses, I squeeze the shutter button, and it fires!
One time.
And one time only.
And ERR99 shows back up on the digital back.
This is how my day was going, and it ain't even got started yet!
Every time I shot a frame, I had to shut it down, change the batteries, fire it back up, hope I time the shot just at the peak of the action, and do it again.
Instead of firing off more than a thousand shots during the course of the game, Saturday, I only fired off 68 shots. I had to very carefully pick and choose which images I wanted as I was watching through the viewfinder.
I also discovered that I am more impatient than I thought I was.
It was a frustrating day for me.
Very frustrating.


Tennessee's Montario Hardesty played a big part in Saturday's game. He is one of the SEC's top backs this year. He always runs hard.


Quarterback Jonathan Crompton came alive and could do no wrong for this game. He was a windshield Saturday.


Volunteer fullback Kevin Cooper gets stripped of the ball by Georgia linebacker Darius Dewberry as Bryan Evans hurries in to get him some action.


Look....I'm doin' the best I can. It's difficult trying to get a good usable image when you can only shoot one image per play. How did the old timers shoot such great images with the equipmet they had.
Here, Georgia quarterback Joe Cox sets up to pass.


Bulldog receiver Michael Moore is wrapped up by Tennessee safety Prentiss Waggner, with All-American strong safety Eric Berry and cornerback Art Evans helping out.


Quarterback Jonathan Crompton looks to pass to receiver Gerald Jones.


OK....it's not the same play, but the same drive, Gerald Jones dive into the endzone for a Tennessee touchdown.
See....I could have lied about the TD and told you it was the same play, but what good would that do me?


On the next drive, Tennessee receiver Demarius Moore tries to do a Gerald Jones impersonation, but his dive for a touchdown wasn't as impressive.


I'm beginning to like Lane Kiffen. He can get animated, which is good!


See.....I'm looking for any type of easy image as I'm getting more and more frustrated.


I've been sitting back behind the offense hoping for a good easy image of a quarterback sack when Eric Berry blitzed from the far side. Mr. Cox didn't see it coming, but I did.
Even a blind hog can find an acorn.


Volunteer receiver Gerald Jones runs for extra yardage after making a catch.


I almost caught this image like Mr. Jones almost caught the ball.
Close, but no cigar.
Or, close only counts in horseshoes, handgranades and napalm.


See how bad my day was going. Now i'm stretching it trying to find good images one at a time.


It's not a good image, but sometimes if it's newsworthy, you have to include it anyway. Here Tennessee All-American safety Eric Berry takes the ball away from Georgia split end Michael Moore. This play set the all-time NCAA record for interceptions. It's not the best image i've ever shot, but I did manage to capture it while history was being made.


And last but not least, Georgia's AJ Green may be the best receiver in the Southeastern Conference.


OK....just for funsies, before my camera died, I was walking around Neyland Stadium just looking for something to get into, when I spotted the drum major changing shoes. One shoe was shiny patton leather, the other shoe was dull and black. So....I checked it out.


He was putting on his cleats. I never thought about the drum major wearing cleats, but considering the condition of the field, slick sole shoes would have been ugly about half way thru his goose march across the field. Or it may have been hilarious.

Too Much Tigers, Not Enough Volunteers

I made the long drive to Knoxville Tennessee for Saturday nights game between the Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers.
Auburn came into the game undefeated, and Tennessee had lost a couple of close games to UCLA and Florida.
After the opening drives by both teams, I felt like I knew who the better team was.
You got the sense that it was not gonna be a runaway, but you knew the outcome before the final gun sounded.
I felt like my Tigers should have scored a couple of touchdowns, instead they settled for fieldgoals.


Ben Tate did some hard runnin'. Tennessee has a really good defense, but Tate did manage to run for 128 yards.


The Volunteers held Darvin Adams to only two catches. That's OK, because Auburn spread the passes around to eight other receivers.


Tennessee lost this first quarter fumble. I think it was the only turnover in the game.


Onterio McCalebb has proved to be another kind of workhorse for Auburn.
He finished the night with 51 yards.


If two quality backs aren't enough, the Tigers may have found a third back in Eric Smith. At 237 pounds, it don't take much pounding from him before the defenses start to get tired.


Ben Tate runs up the gut of the Volunteer defense.


And scores after an 11 yard run in the secound quarter.


It was a hard hittin' game all night long and tempers were starting to get short.
Auburn defensive end Michael Goggans (49) and Tennessee left tackle Chris Scott (79) were doin' some ya-ya-ing.


You have to have a coach picture. Lane Kiffen calls in a play (or encouragement) to the Vols.


And the quarterback everbody loves to hate, Jonathan Crompton. I think I know why.


Mario Fannin had another big night with six receptions, and ran a reverse for 32 yards.


Early in the fourth quarter, Terrell Zachery caught a wide receiver screen for an 11 yard touchdown.


I gotta do the same for my Tigers and give coach C some pixel time.


Tight end Tommy Trott made his presence known. He's got good hands, I just wished they would use him and the other tightends more.


It was late, and time was running out, and the game was already decided, before Tennessee coach Lane Kiffen and quarterback Jonathan Crumpton would make a mini comeback. Too little, too late.


Ben Tate and Auburns running game ate up too much clock for any comeback hopes the Volunteers had.


Denarius Moore scored on a 32 yard pass when the clock struck midnight (well......the clock did read 00:00 in the fourth quarter).
Too little, too late.


Auburn quarterback Chris Todd thanks the fans for supporting them.


Darvin Adams made his way down the receiveing line. There's just something about this bunch of Tigers. They've got their swagger back. You might better watch out for them.