Also known as, the week where no one wins. In all fairness, Dad did choose two most valuable players for the game, it's just that no one had picked those two individuals.
"Well week 4 is now in the books and although it didn’t turn out the way we would have liked, the 2013 Auburn Tigers fought to the end and played much better in the second half. Had we not had 2 quick turnovers in the first quarter the outcome might have been more to our liking. Picking a MVHB was a little difficult this week, but after giving it a lot of thought, this weeks award goes to Cassanova McKinzy who lead our second half defensive efforts and finished the night with a total of a team leading 8 tackles. Since I’m not sure if anyone picked McKinzy as their HB, the backup MVHB would be Sammie Coates who lead our receiving with a total of 139 yards."
In other news, Laurie got to select a new homeboy this week. Her original HB, Jaylon Denson, will be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. In his absence, Laurie has chosen Corey Grant as her replacement HB. Solid choice.
As for my thoughts on the game...we started out strong...in the first minute of the game. Then, things seemed to fall apart. When LSU took the lead by three touchdowns, I was worried that it could get out of control. Fortunately, this year's team looked nothing like last year's, who probably would have just sat on the bench drinking gatorade and eating orange slices, wishing they were somewhere else. The team didn't give up. They fought all the way to the end. A couple less turnovers and a recovered onside kick and we would have been in it. I know, it's always easy to play the "if only" game, but it's my blog and my opinion.
Thankful for an off week this week. Robert's headed to Tuscaloosa with friends to watch the Crimson Tide take on Ole Miss. If you get a chance, say a quick prayer they all return to Mobile in one piece. Hotty Toddy!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Week 3: Homeboy Challenge
No official email from the Commissioner this week. We actually found out the homeboy at the tailgate right after the game. I present to you this week's homeboy, Nick Marshall.
In the winning drive against State, Marshall completed 6 of 8 passes for 66 yards and ran three times for another 19 yards. It should be added that the drive began on the Auburn 11 with 1:56 left on the clock. Marshall finished the game with 339 passing yards.
My honorable mentions: Quan Bray and C.J. Uzomah
Other game notes: Clearly, we weren't ready for Dak Prescott. Earlier in the week, Dan Mullen said that he expected Tyler Russell to be ready to go. Russell even warmed up with the team in pre-game. Then Prescott started. After the game, Mullen said that Russell hadn't ever been cleared to play. Good strategy on their part and poor planning on ours. We should have been ready for whichever qb started the game.
Freshman Marcus Davis looked really good. He had six catches in Saturday's game, four of which came on the winning drive. Bray and Coates better watch out.
Congrats to Bess on her homeboy victory! If you followed along last year, you know that she always manages to pick a winner.
Looking forward to tomorrow's game against LSU. Fingers crossed for a miraculous victory! War Damn.
In the winning drive against State, Marshall completed 6 of 8 passes for 66 yards and ran three times for another 19 yards. It should be added that the drive began on the Auburn 11 with 1:56 left on the clock. Marshall finished the game with 339 passing yards.
My honorable mentions: Quan Bray and C.J. Uzomah
Other game notes: Clearly, we weren't ready for Dak Prescott. Earlier in the week, Dan Mullen said that he expected Tyler Russell to be ready to go. Russell even warmed up with the team in pre-game. Then Prescott started. After the game, Mullen said that Russell hadn't ever been cleared to play. Good strategy on their part and poor planning on ours. We should have been ready for whichever qb started the game.
Freshman Marcus Davis looked really good. He had six catches in Saturday's game, four of which came on the winning drive. Bray and Coates better watch out.
Congrats to Bess on her homeboy victory! If you followed along last year, you know that she always manages to pick a winner.
Looking forward to tomorrow's game against LSU. Fingers crossed for a miraculous victory! War Damn.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Recap: Auburn v. Miss State
Last weekend was a ton of fun! I left work a little later than planned and made it to Auburn around 8:45. The group was out to dinner and I expected them back at any minute. I unloaded the car, made my rice krispy treats and doctored up the white sauce. Still no sign of them. I finally called them around 9:30 and was informed that they didn't even have a table yet. I finished reading "The Book Thief" and fell asleep on the couch, missing the loading up the cars for the tailgate. Whoops.
The next morning, we were up early as everyone scrambled around to shower, drink some coffee, put the finishing touches on their tailgate food and pack their belongings for the day.
The crowd around campus was great and the weather was perfect. It did get a little bit hot closer to mid-afternoon but it was in the mid 80's, as opposed to the mid 90's, so it didn't seem all that bad.
The star of the day was the glittery Gus Bus created by Laurie (with a little help from Michael and Sarah, I believe). All day long we took pictures in the "bus". We had hopes of making it to the popular page on instagram but unfortunately, we didn't quite make it.
It was a bittersweet tg since it was Sarah's last tg of the season. She's packing up and moving to San Diego next month and she'll be sorely missed. Her getting low skills are second to none and there were no shortage of dance moves on Saturday.
Around 5, we packed it up and headed to the stadium. Separate post to come on the game itself and MVHB. Of course it was a thriller!
The next morning, we were up early as everyone scrambled around to shower, drink some coffee, put the finishing touches on their tailgate food and pack their belongings for the day.
The crowd around campus was great and the weather was perfect. It did get a little bit hot closer to mid-afternoon but it was in the mid 80's, as opposed to the mid 90's, so it didn't seem all that bad.
The star of the day was the glittery Gus Bus created by Laurie (with a little help from Michael and Sarah, I believe). All day long we took pictures in the "bus". We had hopes of making it to the popular page on instagram but unfortunately, we didn't quite make it.
It was a bittersweet tg since it was Sarah's last tg of the season. She's packing up and moving to San Diego next month and she'll be sorely missed. Her getting low skills are second to none and there were no shortage of dance moves on Saturday.
Around 5, we packed it up and headed to the stadium. Separate post to come on the game itself and MVHB. Of course it was a thriller!
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| Julie and I |
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| Andy and Michael |
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| Mom and Dad |
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| Love this place. |
Monday, September 9, 2013
Week Two: Homeboy Challenge and WDFJ
The HB Commissioner has spoken:
"Well in week 2 we saw very consistent play from most of our homeboys. Obviously Jason Garrett is still hampered with a hurt foot as he never made an appearance against the Red Wolves and Ricardo Louis is apparently in Gus’ dog house as he saw very little action Saturday night. Maybe Ricardo will have a better week of practice this week and will get more playing time next week.
The terrifying trio of TM, CG and CAP were a rushing juggernaut against the red wolves and provided a very solid ground game. Nick Marshall posted a much improved performance in week 2 and at half-time I thought he was well on his way to being the MVHB for week 2, but his performance fell off a bit in the second half.
The defensive line and linebackers continued to play well in week 2 with notable performances being posted by Montavious Adams, Carl Lawson, Justin DeLaine, Gabe Wright, Kris Frost and Cassinova McKinsey. If the defensive continues to develop, you can look for one of the defensive players to take the MVHB in the coming weeks.
However, for week 2…..the MVHB goes to Cameron Artis-Payne for his solid interior running production which produced 102 yards rushing and one touchdown on the night.
Hope everyone has a great week! See you all in Auburn Saturday morning."
Mike
My personal observations during Week Two: I was very thankful to be able to watch the game this week. It's much easier to figure out what's going on when you can see it with your own eyes.
I've never seen a team get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty enforced at the beginning of each half for wearing "non-contrasting" jerseys so that was a first. I have to admit that they were difficult to read. Plus I just didn't really care for the jerseys as a matter of personal taste.
I thought that the targeting call against Kris Frost was a little harsh. Robert and I watched it several times and it looked to me like he just shook the guy's shoulder pads. I thought that you had to hit above the shoulders, but I could be wrong. I do foresee that this new rule could really come into play in some bigger games down the line, and could potentially be a game-changer. I don't love it.
Anyone shocked that Louis didn't win MVHB for his -2 rushing yards? Me neither. I did think that there was an unfortunate missed interference call that hurt him. Like dad said, maybe next week. We didn't really have the refs on our side at all this week.
All in all, an enjoyable game to watch and a nice performance from the Tigers. The real test begins this week in our first SEC match-up with Mississippi State. Counting down the days until I head to the Plains.
I'll leave you with some WDFJ pictures from Saturday. It was Taco TG and I hear the food and company were fantastic as usual. Happy Monday!
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| Crocks of Rotel |
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| Sisters! |
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| Inflatable Lounge Chair |
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| Jordan-Hare |
Friday, September 6, 2013
Labor Day 2013
We spent Labor Day weekend down at Dauphin Island. It's been especially rainy in Mobile and I've had terrible luck with rainy beach trips so we were crossing our fingers for good weather. On Friday night, Robert left and headed down to the island so that he could fish on Saturday morning. After work, I loaded up on groceries at Publix and packed things up at home. I left around 9:30 on Saturday and was a little discouraged at the weather when I arrived. Luckily, the sky cleared and we had pretty weather!
Our friends Witt and Ashley came down and joined us Saturday and Sunday night. Once they made it to the island Saturday, we whipped up a round of Pineapple-Mint Mojitos and took the boat out for a spin. The sky was so beautiful!
Quite frankly, I can't provide much of a recap of the game as I didn't watch more than a few minutes of it. ESPNU isn't available on regular cable and that's what is available down at the condo. We watched a little bit of the game at the Pelican Pub when we ran in to pick up a couple of drinks on the boat. I also listened to a little bit on the radio and tried to keep up with score on ESPN gamecast. That's it. Maybe not the most devoted Auburn fan for week one but I'll try harder in the weeks to come!
On Sunday, we took the boat over to Tacky Jack's and then joined some friends for a few hours on Sand Island.
Robert and I haven't done much "vacationing" this year so we decided to take Tuesday off to extend the long weekend an extra day. We spent our vacation day working around the house, cleaning and doing yardwork. We even got a little ambitious and thought we'd try our hand at homemade fried chicken Tuesday night. A few weeks ago, my parents gave us my grandmother's old electric skillet, mentioning that "lots of fried chicken" had been cooked in the skillet. When you've got the proper tools, why not give it a shot?
It took a little bit of prep work, i.e. three hours soaking in eggs and buttermilk, but it turned out really well! We used the recipe in Cotton Country Cooking (Morgan Cty. Jr. League) and stuck to it as written, other than adding two eggs to the buttermilk, per my mom's advice. We had mashed potatoes (homemade) and green beans (from a can) on the side.
Our friends Witt and Ashley came down and joined us Saturday and Sunday night. Once they made it to the island Saturday, we whipped up a round of Pineapple-Mint Mojitos and took the boat out for a spin. The sky was so beautiful!
Quite frankly, I can't provide much of a recap of the game as I didn't watch more than a few minutes of it. ESPNU isn't available on regular cable and that's what is available down at the condo. We watched a little bit of the game at the Pelican Pub when we ran in to pick up a couple of drinks on the boat. I also listened to a little bit on the radio and tried to keep up with score on ESPN gamecast. That's it. Maybe not the most devoted Auburn fan for week one but I'll try harder in the weeks to come!
On Sunday, we took the boat over to Tacky Jack's and then joined some friends for a few hours on Sand Island.
Robert and I haven't done much "vacationing" this year so we decided to take Tuesday off to extend the long weekend an extra day. We spent our vacation day working around the house, cleaning and doing yardwork. We even got a little ambitious and thought we'd try our hand at homemade fried chicken Tuesday night. A few weeks ago, my parents gave us my grandmother's old electric skillet, mentioning that "lots of fried chicken" had been cooked in the skillet. When you've got the proper tools, why not give it a shot?
It took a little bit of prep work, i.e. three hours soaking in eggs and buttermilk, but it turned out really well! We used the recipe in Cotton Country Cooking (Morgan Cty. Jr. League) and stuck to it as written, other than adding two eggs to the buttermilk, per my mom's advice. We had mashed potatoes (homemade) and green beans (from a can) on the side.
All in all, it was a successful weekend. Hoping this one will be just as fun. War Eagle and Happy Friday!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Auburn v. Washington State: MVHB and WDFJ
Straight from the Man himself....
"Well after careful analysis and meditation the MVHB for week 1 has been decided.
"Well after careful analysis and meditation the MVHB for week 1 has been decided.
My first pick was Robinson Therizie for his stellar defensive performance and my second selection was [Corey Grant] for his outstanding rushing display, but no one picked these two.
So, the 1st week’s honor goes to Tre Mason for his 100 yard kick-off return and his steady rushing ability. I discounted his fumble as he was giving extra effort to try to pick up some YAC.
If Ricardo Louis, Sammy Coates and Nick Marshall can get on the same page they are going to put some pressure on for MVHB in the coming weeks. Others to watch are Montravious Adams who along with Jonathan Holsey had steady performances last night.
And Sarah, don’t give up on your HB, I read today that he was held out last night with an injury. Both he and Dee Ford should be 100% by the Mississippi State game. I don’t expect either of the to see much action against Arkansas State next week.
It sure is more fun to pick a MVHB after a win rather than a loss."
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| Saluting Ray for making such an excellent selection. |
And he's right. I've sort of forgotten what it feels like to win a football game. Congrats to Ray...who's a first-timer with us in the Challenge. Everyone pick up an extra bit of Maker's Mark at your local ABC store in his honor.
I received several reports from the tailgate on Saturday. I'd say that it was a huge success. Can't wait to be there in 9 days!
Cheers! Wishing everyone a wonderful Thursday. Two more work days 'til gameday!
I received several reports from the tailgate on Saturday. I'd say that it was a huge success. Can't wait to be there in 9 days!
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| Ray supports all of Laurie's glittery endeavors. |
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| WDFJ |
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| Three lovely ladies. |
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| Auburn Sunset |
Cheers! Wishing everyone a wonderful Thursday. Two more work days 'til gameday!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
I'm Back! - Homeboy Challenge 2013
***Posted even later because I can't seem to get the blog to work correctly.
Long time, no blog. We've had a busy spring and summer down here in Mobile and the blog hasn't gotten much (any) attention. But now we're back with another Homeboy Challendge.
Mom and Dad came down for a visit two weekends ago and we let Robert and Dad draw numbers to determine everyone's place in the draft. Of course my husband drew a not-so-great number for me.
Last Wednesday, we held our draft. One by one, I watched my top players get chosen. Luckily, one of my top picks was still available by the time that draft pick #9 rolled around. (Haley dropped out so we each moved up a spot.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, your picks for Homeboy Challenge 2013:
Bess - Nick Marshall
Ray - Tre Mason
Andy - Carl Lawson
Sarah - Justin Garrett
Emily - Cameron Artis-Payne
Natalie - Joshua Holsey
David - C.J. Uzomah
Michael - Greg Robinson
Melissa - Ricardo Louis
Amy - Quan Bray
Laurie - Jaylon Denson
Julie - Cody Parkey
A little about my pick, Ricardo. Standing at 6'2 and topping the scales at 215 pounds, Ricardo is a sophomore wide receiver who'll be donning the #5 jersey. (Every time I type his name, I type "Richardo" and have to correct it, which is a tad bit annoying) He's from Miami and he's a sociology major so I'm sure he's probably a lot of fun to go out with. His parents' names are Roland and Beatrice which are pretty cool names. Also, he's an Aries, so he's sure to be a go-getter. That's about everything I know for now.
I should also add that for the first time in several years, we decided to forego season tickets. Being married to a non-Auburn fan, it was getting to be too much driving seven plus hours per weekend by myself. Plus, I felt like I "had" to attend each and every game because we (my parents) bought season tickets. Without getting into too much detail, we've had a really long, trying summer and I need a little bit of a break. I've decided to take a more laid back approach this year and attend a few games instead of all eight home games. Thus, these first two weeks the only TG shots you'll see have been stolen from other members of the WDFJ.
I'll be back with another post to reveal the HC Winner from Week One, as well as a recap of our weekend at the Island. Here's hoping that I can somehow get the editing function to operate between now and then.
Long time, no blog. We've had a busy spring and summer down here in Mobile and the blog hasn't gotten much (any) attention. But now we're back with another Homeboy Challendge.
Mom and Dad came down for a visit two weekends ago and we let Robert and Dad draw numbers to determine everyone's place in the draft. Of course my husband drew a not-so-great number for me.
Last Wednesday, we held our draft. One by one, I watched my top players get chosen. Luckily, one of my top picks was still available by the time that draft pick #9 rolled around. (Haley dropped out so we each moved up a spot.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, your picks for Homeboy Challenge 2013:
Bess - Nick Marshall
Ray - Tre Mason
Andy - Carl Lawson
Sarah - Justin Garrett
Emily - Cameron Artis-Payne
Natalie - Joshua Holsey
David - C.J. Uzomah
Michael - Greg Robinson
Melissa - Ricardo Louis
Amy - Quan Bray
Laurie - Jaylon Denson
Julie - Cody Parkey
A little about my pick, Ricardo. Standing at 6'2 and topping the scales at 215 pounds, Ricardo is a sophomore wide receiver who'll be donning the #5 jersey. (Every time I type his name, I type "Richardo" and have to correct it, which is a tad bit annoying) He's from Miami and he's a sociology major so I'm sure he's probably a lot of fun to go out with. His parents' names are Roland and Beatrice which are pretty cool names. Also, he's an Aries, so he's sure to be a go-getter. That's about everything I know for now.
I should also add that for the first time in several years, we decided to forego season tickets. Being married to a non-Auburn fan, it was getting to be too much driving seven plus hours per weekend by myself. Plus, I felt like I "had" to attend each and every game because we (my parents) bought season tickets. Without getting into too much detail, we've had a really long, trying summer and I need a little bit of a break. I've decided to take a more laid back approach this year and attend a few games instead of all eight home games. Thus, these first two weeks the only TG shots you'll see have been stolen from other members of the WDFJ.
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| LK Sign - Week One |
I'll be back with another post to reveal the HC Winner from Week One, as well as a recap of our weekend at the Island. Here's hoping that I can somehow get the editing function to operate between now and then.
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