injured starters practice

[aubiefifty 18,398]

Auburn’s injured starters practice, but not yet 100 percent

Updated Sep 18, 2:20 PM; Posted Sep 18, 12:20 PM

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

By Giana Han

On Tuesday, wide receiver Seth Williams and offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho practiced, but Gus Malzahn said they’re still not back to normal.

Williams, who injured himself while making a catch against Tulane, got back out on the field Tuesday for the first time since that game.

“He practiced, like we talked about," Malzahn said Wednesday. "He’s not 100 percent. Still kind of day-to-day at this point, but the encouraging thing for me is he was out there moving around.”

Malzahn said Wanogho, who didn’t play against Kent State and seemed to be favoring his right leg, was in the same situation.

He also said “all those guys... really are in the same boat.”

Three Auburn starters injured

Three starters are still day-to-day.

The other players would include defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who left the Kent State game with an upper body contusion, and wide receiver Shedrick Jackson, who both returned to practice on Tuesday.

Linebacker Derick Hall was not scheduled to return by Tuesday, but his injury does not require any procedures, Malzahn said Sunday.

[gr82b4au 5,583]

If the OL can’t go we might be in trouble  ... or maybe we can ask for a special request to play with 4 OL. 

[shabby 2,081]

Definitely not good on the oline front but maybe someone will step up and surprise

[AUFriction 1,179]

All three starters are expected to be a go at full strength. Schwartz now has the cast off his hand.

[Auhud08 596]

46 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

All three starters are expected to be a go at full strength. Schwartz now has the cast off his hand.

Whhaaaaa

[toddc 13,197]

Gus Malzahn said his injured players are on the mend. 'They practiced all week, and they're all going to be making the trip. That's good news for us.'

[toddc 13,197]

Auburn's Gus Malzahn says receiver Anthony Schwartz won't be wearing a big 'club' to protect his broken hand this week. He's ready to go.

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

2 hours ago, toddc said:

Auburn's Gus Malzahn says receiver Anthony Schwartz won't be wearing a big 'club' to protect his broken hand this week. He's ready to go.

He opens up so much for our offense. Definitely more confident in our O with him out there 

[ChltteTiger 649]

What is the source for Prince being ready to go?

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

10 minutes ago, ChltteTiger said:

What is the source for Prince being ready to go?

I have been waiting all week to find this news out with fingers crossed!!!! Also, I am waiting to find out whether Derrick Brown's upper half of his body was amputated....(we all know how Gus down plays injuries...."He has a thing and is day to day...we need him there's No Doubt"

[Zeek 16,957]

We really need Seth, Schwartz, Brown, and Tega to be ready to go this week. Hoping they're feeling ready to go for this one. It'll be a "slobber-knocker"

[oracle79 3,569]

17 hours ago, shabby said:

Definitely not good on the oline front but maybe someone will step up and surprise

That's how Gus has found some of our best players.

[Zeek 16,957]

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2019/09/what-a-healthy-seth-williams-anthony-schwartz-mean-for-auburns-offense-heading-into-sec-play.html

Quote

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Auburn’s receiving corps has been somewhat of a walking infirmary since the start of fall camp.

Will Hastings and Eli Stove were on load-management programs in the preseason while returning from ACL surgeries. Anthony Schwartz has been recovering from a broken left hand sustained on the third day of fall practices. Seth Williams was limited during the preseason with a back issue and then injured his left shoulder in Week 2 against Tulane, missing last week’s game against Kent State.

“We’ve had musical chairs with injuries with our wide receivers,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “You saw we had receivers in different positions [against Kent State]…. It will be good once we get all of our guys back healthy. We’ll see if that happens next week. Hopefully it will, but we’ll play who’s ready to go.”

Judging by Malzahn’s remarks Thursday night during his weekly radio appearance on “Tiger Talk,” it will be all hands on deck when No. 8 Auburn opens SEC play this weekend on the road against No. 17 Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. On Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field, it could conceivably be the first time this season that the Tigers will have their full complement of wide receivers at true freshman quarterback Bo Nix’s disposal.

Schwartz, who has been playing with a club on his surgically repaired left hand, will have a smaller piece of protective gear against Texas A&M. Williams, meanwhile, practiced all week and will make the trip to College Station, Texas, Malzahn said. The Tigers’ seventh-year head coach wouldn’t go so far as to definitively say Williams will play against the Aggies, but the fact that he was able to practice each of the last three days and will travel with the team is certainly encouraging for his availability on Saturday afternoon.

All of that, of course, is promising news for an Auburn offense that has had an inconsistent and oftentimes underwhelming passing attack through the first three weeks.

“It’ll mean a lot to us, because they’re so dynamic, and we can start really opening things up,” Nix said.

The soft cast Schwartz has worn the last three games has limited what the world-class speedster has been able to o offensively. He was used largely as a decoy in the first two games while being targeted just once — on a deep shot downfield against Tulane that fell incomplete as Schwartz attempted to make a diving grab — but was integrated more into the offense against Kent State. Schwartz had one 13-yard reception last week, securing his first catch of the season despite the club-like protection on his left hand.

“No matter what he has on his hands, we’re going to throw it to him,” Malzahn said.

Williams injured his left shoulder while making a highlight-reel catch near the goal line against Tulane, and after being ruled out of last week’s homecoming game, he returned to practice this week in an attempt to be ready to go for the start of conference play. With Williams, the Tigers’ leading returning receiver from 2018, sidelined against Kent State, Auburn was forced to get creative at the split-end position, with H-back/tight ends Jay Jay Wilson and John Samuel Shenker, as well as the 5-foot-10, 174-pound Hastings, all taking reps at the position.

Though Auburn likes to cross-train its receivers to play both inside (big slot and slot) and outside (split end and flanker) positions, welcoming back Williams and Schwartz — the team’s top-two returning receivers — to the fold gives the offense more flexibility and stability.

“First of all, they can't double us,” Schwartz said. “Because they kept on doubling us. When I was in, they would double me, and the last two weeks, they would double him. Now, they can't do that. They've got to choose one or the other. If they choose me, Seth's going to get the ball all the time. If they choose Seth, I'm going to get the ball.”

Schwartz, who had 357 receiving yards with two touchdowns as well as 211 rushing yards and five touchdowns last year, can line up either at split end to provide the Tigers with a lethal downfield threat or at flanker to give the offense a world-class sprinter to utilize on speed sweeps and screens so as not to have to rely too heavily on Stove, who has been targeted 22 times and run the ball three more times through three games.

The return of Williams also gives Auburn its No. 1 receiver back — and the receiver with whom Nix built the strongest connection with during the offseason. He provides the Tigers with a big-bodied possession receiver who isn’t afraid to fight for, and win, 50/50 balls — as evidenced by his two biggest plays of the season: the game-winner with 9 seconds to play against Oregon and his 40-yard reception against Tulane.

Having both back healthy is the type of development that could boost a passing attack that ranks 102nd nationally in yards per game and 109th among FBS teams in passing efficiency, with the hopes of complementing the nation’s No. 11 rushing offense.

“I think we’ve seen glimpses of both of them so far this season,” Nix said, “but to have them both healthy, I’m really excited and as an offense we’re all excited to have all our pieces to the puzzle back.”

Looks like receivers are all good to go. Still haven't seen anything about Tega or DB

[Beaker 2,457]

Since much of this thread is about WR, can someone update us on Matthew Hill?  I see a player who plays with intensity, has great agility and balance.   Seems to catch the ball when thrown and I thought I saw him blocking in a couple of games.   Probably special teams?

 

I am thinking that guy should be getting some targets or "should have" with Seth out.   Am I missing something?  

 

[Zeek 16,957]

Just now, Beaker said:

Since much of this thread is about WR, can someone update us on Matthew Hill?  I see a player who plays with intensity, has great agility and balance.   Seems to catch the ball when thrown and I thought I saw him blocking in a couple of games.   Probably special teams?

 

I am thinking that guy should be getting some targets or "should have" with Seth out.   Am I missing something?  

 

Been asking this for a minute as well. Good build, solid hands, #17 receiver coming out of high school, blocks. He is still only a redshirt freshmen but it seems odd. 

[Sani-Freeze 552]

WHERE IS TD MOULTRY???

[toddc 13,197]

1 hour ago, Beaker said:

Since much of this thread is about WR, can someone update us on Matthew Hill?  I see a player who plays with intensity, has great agility and balance.   Seems to catch the ball when thrown and I thought I saw him blocking in a couple of games.   Probably special teams?

 

I am thinking that guy should be getting some targets or "should have" with Seth out.   Am I missing something?  

 

Yeah, my crush should be crushing it this year, but hasn’t been targeted but a few times. Not sure if it’s him or the play calling that’s the problem, but I’m ready for him to give me something to put in the crush thread. War Eagle 🦅 

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

So, can someone sum up the injuries for me? I heard Williams, Schwartz, Brown and Tega are all making the trip to College Station. Any idea if they’ll play? 

[Gowebb11 10,008]

19 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

So, can someone sum up the injuries for me? I heard Williams, Schwartz, Brown and Tega are all making the trip to College Station. Any idea if they’ll play? 

I’m pretty sure we won’t know until kickoff.