Tigers Dealing With Heightened Expectations, Scrutiny

Whenever defensive end Quentin Groves enters the team meeting room, he is reminded once again what Auburn has accomplished this year -- or, more importantly, what it hasn't.

The morning newspapers might have, yet again, authoritatively reported on Auburn's rise to the top in yet another set of preseason rankings. There might be a small item highlighting the potential of, say, freshmen such as linebacker Craig Stevens or defensive back Zac Etheridge or a column on senior running back Kenny Irons's chances to win the Heisman Trophy.

But at the same time, Groves and his teammates choose not to believe the kind words.

"Our coaches tell us you can't buy into the hype," Groves said. "He brings us all the newspaper clippings about how great we're going to be and then he shows us our film to tell us how great we're not."

The clippings serve as reminders of high expectations, but Groves said the words are read, then tossed on the floor in favor of both the subtle and blatant mistakes made that day in practice.

"It's kind of like they build us up, tear us down, only to build us back up again," Groves said.

This year, much of Auburn's offense will be built around Irons. After being used as a backup at South Carolina, Irons transferred to Auburn in January 2004 and, in his first season with the Tigers last year, rushed for 1,293 yards and 13 touchdowns. He earned all-Southeastern Conference honors, and this year, his name has been mentioned for even bigger awards.

Irons's success is directly correlated with Auburn's ability to win.

"I'm looking for big things from Kenny," Coach Tommy Tuberville said during the SEC media day last month. "We're a running team. We talk about quarterbacks and receivers. Our team is built on playing defense and running the football. Kenny has been a blessing for us to pick up running where Ronnie [Brown] and Carnell [Williams] left off."

Tuberville, who described Irons as a Deuce McAllister type of running back, said Irons will be helped by sophomore Brad Lester, senior Tre Smith and junior Carl Stewart, his backfield mates. But Auburn's success on offense mostly will depend on Irons and junior quarterback Brandon Cox given the Tigers' inexperienced receiving corps.

Wide receiver Courtney Taylor feels that Cox is ready to have a big year.

"He's been huge; he's just stepped up big-time for us," Taylor said. "I just like the way he's taken command of the huddle."