Job offers good pay, no work
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn is now paying a combined $ 600, 000 this year to two former offensive coordinators who have been fired.
Al Borges, who was fired after last season, is being paid $ 320, 000 this year for the balance of his contract.
Tony Franklin, who was fired Wednesday by Tigers Coach Tommy Tuberville after being hired to replace Borges, is being paid $ 280, 000. He’s also due that amount next year in the second year of his two-year contract.
Borges still lives in Auburn and is doing some television work for College Sports Southeast. His wife, Nikki, continues to work in Auburn’s athletic department as an associate director for marketing and communications.
Franklin hasn’t commented since his firing, but presumably he hasn’t yet had time to move from Auburn.
Borges and Franklin are among 10 coordinators on offense and defense who have worked for Tuberville in his 10 seasons as Auburn’s coach.
Auburn assistant Steve Ensminger, who has taken over offensive play-calling duties in Franklin’s place, also called plays in 2003, but offensive line coach Hugh Nall had the coordinator’s title.
When the Tigers went 8-5 in 2003, and Tuberville barely held on to his job, Ensminger and Nall stayed on the staff, but Borges was hired as offensive coordinator and held the title for the next four seasons.
Noel Mazzone followed Tuberville from Ole Miss and became Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 1999, then was fired in 2001 and replaced by Bobby Petrino, who is now Arkansas’ coach.
Petrino was Auburn’s offensive coordinator just one season before becoming Louisville’s coach in 2003.
Petrino also holds the distinction of being the only Auburn offensive coordinator for Turberville not to be fired or demoted.
Defensive coordinators at Auburn under Tuberville include John Lovett, Gene Chizik, David Gibbs, Will Muschamp and Paul Rhoads.
Lovett was fired after the 2001 season. Chizik left to become Texas’ defensive coordinator in 2005. His replacement, David Gibbs, lasted one year before becoming a Kansas City Chiefs assistant.
Muschamp then ran the defense in 2006 and 2007 before going to Texas as coordinator.
Tuberville then hired Rhoads from Pittsburgh, where he had been the Panthers’ defensive coordinator since 2004.
Ending drought Arkansas scored its first points in the first quarter this season when Shay Haddock hit a 27-yard field goal to cap the Razorbacks’ 71-yard drive on their first possession. The Razorbacks had gone a combined 83 minutes and 14 seconds in the first quarter this season before Haddock’s kick with 6: 46 left in the opening period Saturday. Quick response Arkansas’ 3-0 lead, the first time it had been ahead in three SEC games, didn’t last long. After Shay Haddock’s field goal, Auburn’s Tristan Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead. It was Auburn’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2005, when Brad Lester had a 93-yarder against Ball State. The last time an Arkansas opponent had returned a kickoff was LSU’s Trindon Holliday for 92 yards in 2006.
Joe’s fast Arkansas freshman wide receiver Joe Adams saved a touchdown when he ran down Auburn cornerback Neiko Thorpe from behind and tackled him at the Razorbacks’ 25. Thorpe intercepted a Casey Dick pass at the Arkansas 16 and looked like he was going to score a touchdown when Adams, who was about 5 yards behind him, caught up to Thorpe and brought him down after a 52-yard return. Auburn couldn’t move the ball and had to settle for a field goal.
Lineup Arkansas sophomore defensive end Damario Ambrose made the first start of his career in place of junior Adrian Davis. It didn’t take Ambrose long to get in on the action. He tackled Auburn quarterback Kodi Burns (Fort Smith Northside ) for a 1-yard loss on the game’s first snap.
Redshirt freshman Grant Cook made his second consecutive start in place of sophomore DeMarcus Love, who has been slowed by a knee injury.
Senior strong safety Dallas Washington returned to the starting lineup in place of freshman Jerico Nelson, who had started the two previous games.
Junior offensive tackle Ray Dominguez was back in the starting lineup after missing last week’s game because of his grandmother’s illness.
Sophomore cornerback Ramon Broadway made his first career start in place of Jamar Love, who is out after undergoing surgery for a broken thumb Wednesday.
Hogs defer Arkansas won the pregame coin toss for the third time this season, but for the first time deferred its choice until the second half. Auburn took the opening kickoff, couldn’t move the ball and punted. But Arkansas didn’t get good field position because a blocking-in-the-back penalty pushed the Razorbacks back to their 19. Arkansas should have kicked off again to start the second half, as it turned out. Freshman Dennis Johnson fumbled the kickoff, setting up an Auburn touchdown. It was second fumble lost on a kickoff by the Razorbacks this season. Elton Ford, another freshman, fumbled a kickoff in the opener against Western Illinois.
Special day Auburn senior Tristan Davis returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the first quarter, then forced a fumble by Dennis Johnson on the opening kickoff of the second half to set up another touchdown for the Tigers. Davis nails it Arkansas senior punter Jeremy Davis had a careerlong 58-yard punt in the third quarter. His previous long was 56 yards. Paul had a feeling Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino predicted after Tuesday’s practice that freshman receiver Greg Childs would play well against Auburn. “Childs kind of was nicked up last week and didn’t practice as well, so I didn’t play him as much in the game,” Petrino said. “He had a real good practice Sunday night and today, so I expected him to have a good game, too.” Childs did, catching three passes for 61 yards.
Thumbs up To wide receiver Joe Adams for throwing a touchdown pass to quarterback Casey Dick. To Dick for catching Adams’ pass. To Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino for picking the right time to call the play, which the Razorbacks had been working on all season. To Arkansas’ defense, which got three takeaways, including safety Matt Harris’ gameclinching interception. To tailback Michael Smith, for carrying a semitruck load for Arkansas’ offense.
Thumbs down To Auburn’s offense. The Tigers gained just 193 yards in total offense. To Auburn’s coaches for calling three consecutive passes — all of which fell incomplete — on second, third and fourth downs from the Arkansas 4-yard line in the final minutes. With Kodi Burns’ running ability and the talented Tigers tailbacks, the Tigers’ best chance for a touchdown was to run it in.
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