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AUBURN FOOTBALL
On the player front, we now know that junior WR Jaylon Denson did not make the trip to Tampa for the Outback Bowl. We do not know the reasons for this as of yet. Denson didn't see the field in the last few games of the season. He was a key blocking WR for the Tigers in early 2013 before going down with an injury during the LSU game.
Also on the player front, Duke Williams' status is expected to be addressed today. He was late arriving to Tampa this weekend, which set off a number of questions on his status. He is now in Tampa and did practice with the team today for the first time during bowl practice. Whether or not he will play will hopefully be clear sometime today. His future is still up in the air in terms of returning for one more season or declaring for the NFL draft.
Auburn's defensive playcaller for the Outback Bowl - Charlie Harbison - has not yet spoken with incoming defensive coordinator Will Muschamp about his future with the Tigers. He has gotten a good response from the players in getting ready for the bowl game. In his first media appearance since in months, he spoke of how proud he was of Safety Jermaine Whitehead for how he has responded since his suspension.
Lots of Auburn commitments and targets are participating in the Under Armour All-American game and the US Army All-American Bowl. We should have some news on that either this afternoon or tomorrow and will be tracking to see if any Auburn targets decide to commit to the good guys. Some news though as 4* WR is split between Auburn and Texas, and Auburn has reportedly moved to the front for linebacker Jeff Holland of late. The hiring of Will Muschamp is bound to pay big dividends as the recruiting season closes over the next month or so. Auburn has a big recruiting weekend scheduled for the 16-18th and they are expecting a number of big visitors.
Former Tiger Cody Parkey set a Philadelphia Eagles franchise scoring record and NFL rookie scoring record with his 150 total points this season. Parkey is first alternate for the Pro Bowl, which means he will likely make the game given the players who will not participate due to the playoffs.
Oh, and this happened, making the Tigers 2-0 in Outback Bowl competition so far:
#Auburn won @SplitsvilleTPA bowling competition, 516-480! Thanks to our @BadgerFootball & @FootballAU participants! pic.twitter.com/YjEYNJjgQv
— Outback Bowl (@outbackbowl) December 29, 2014
Wisconsin News:
On our opponent's front, AL.com has two good articles up on five things you need to know about the Badgers' offense and five things to know about their defense.
To prepare for Auburn's HUNH offensive pace, the Badgers are practicing against two offenses in quick rotation. Auburn has not relied on pace as much this season, but I would be willing to bet that Gus will let it all hang out in the bowl game.
Wisconsin's star running back Melvin Gordon did not practice with the team yesterday due to an undisclosed illness. I am sure he will be fine and ready for the game on Thursday, though.
AUBURN BASKETBALL
The official site has a nice story on freshman center Trayvon Reed. Reed has responded well in his first few collegiate games, even with only a few weeks practice and experience.
The men take on Middle Tennessee State University on Monday night at 8pm at the Auburn Arena. This will be the second to last non-conference game before SEC play begins on January 6th at Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile, the women will wrap up their non-conference schedule with games on Monday and Tuesday at the Florida International University Sun & Fun Classic. The ladies will begin SEC play on Friday at South Carolina.