Coaches pleased with spring

Tommy Tuberville didn’t mince words.

At the end of Auburn’s 15th and final practice of spring football, the Tigers head coach gathered his team together for one last post-practice speech. The talk was brief and to the point: Don’t waste the next four months.

That’s how much time AU’s players have between now and the start of preseason practice in August. And what they do in that time could determine whether they’ll finish the regular season in Atlanta, site of the Southeastern Conference title game.

Auburn hasn’t played in the championship game since the undefeated season of 2004. No contributors are left from that team, but ’08 could be AU’s best chance to return.

“As I told the guys, this group has a great opportunity, but it all depends on the next few months,” Tuberville said. “How hard do they want to work to get to Atlanta and win in Atlanta?”

As they head into the long offseason, the Tigers can be proud of what they’ve accomplished in spring practice. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads have installed most of their respective schemes, and players on both sides of the ball are more comfortable now than they were when spring practice began in late February.

The spring’s biggest question — who is Auburn’s starting quarterback? — remains unanswered.

But it’s the only true question mark on the depth chart, and plenty of progress was made over the spring, as sophomore Kodi Burns and junior Chris Todd separated themselves from the pack.

The duo’s competition will continue into the summer. Both will participate in informal, player-organized seven-on-seven passing drills over the summer months.

Coaches aren’t allowed to watch or participate in those workouts, but they can meet with players individually. Franklin plans to meet with both quarterbacks for film study as often as possible.

“We’ll talk about things,” Franklin said. “We’ll … see what we have to do to continue to get better.”

Burns, who completed fewer than 39 percent of his passes as a freshman, made big strides down the stretch of spring practice. Franklin rebuilt the sophomore’s passing motion, starting with his footwork.

After 15 practices, the results speak for themselves: Burns is consistently throwing spirals, hitting receivers in stride and looking comfortable running and passing. It’s the multi-faceted package that first attracted Auburn’s coaches to Burns as a high-schooler in Arkansas.

“He’s as good as he was in high school now, and that was my goal,” Franklin said. “We’re tickled that he’s gotten that good.”

Though Burns’ rapid improvement overshadowed Todd in AU’s final practices, the competition is still neck-and-neck. Coaches agree Todd is still the more consistent passer, and his knowledge of Franklin’s offense is unmatched.

Both quarterbacks believe they can take the Tigers to Atlanta. The next four months will determine who gets to begin the season in the driver’s seat.

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