Who’ll be the leading rusher?

By Joe McAdory

Kickoff at Jordan-Hare is still more than an hour away, but I can’t help but wonder who tonight’s leading rusher will be.

The candidates:

* Ben Tate, Auburn—Needs only 119 yards to surpass Stacey Danley as the Tigers’ eight all-time leading rusher. Tate has 2,308 yards to date.

* Onterio McCalebb, Auburn—Has 282 yards in three games. But will slick turf slow the speedy freshman?

* Eric Smith, Auburn—Has only 8 rushing yards against 74 through the air. But if Auburn gets up big, he could see significant playing time.

* And the dark horse ... MiQuale Lewis, Ball State—Rushed for 1,736 yards last season but has just 141 this year. Is tonight his breakout game?

Did I miss someone? Kodi Burns? Mario Fannin? Anthony Gulley? Somebody else for Ball State that I’ve never heard of?

Kickoff moved back

By Joe McAdory

Kickoff for tonight’s game has been pushed back from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as poor weather conditions struck the area about an hour ago. I suppose the players need extra time to warm up. I can dig it.

Grab an umbrella ... or not

By Joe McAdory

It’s raining cats and dogs. Must be a football Saturday in Auburn. Today’s pregame downpour didn’t match last week’s before the West Virginia contest by immediate volume, but there’s a chance we could see the wet stuff for in moderate levels for the rest of the evening.

The heavy stuff lasted about 15 minutes as fans outside the stadium scurried into buildings opened by school officials. Ain’t that nice? There were a few cracks of lightning. Typical stormy day in the South.

Last week’s monsoon turned Pat Dye Field into a temporary lake, but it’s just sloppy wet for now. Footing could be a problem. That’s why I’d stick to a power running game. But hey, this ain’t the PlayStation and I ain’t calling plays.

It’s about an hour and a half from game time and something tells me Tiger Walk may have either got washed out or nobody showed up. Anyway, the only noise outside the stadium was thunder. A few AU players are walking around the field, but they aren’t doing anything. I haven’t seen a Ball State player yet.

One thing’s for sure, I don’t think Jordan-Hare Stadium will be the site of a terrorist attack tonight. The security crew working the press gate all but strip-searched us. Rubber gloves were not involved, but fear they could be next time. The lady working the gate asked me to open every single compartment of my laptop bag and examine the contents. That’s ok, but nothing of this magnitude has EVER happened here. I could have brought Uzis into the stadium the last two weeks. Naturally, she did not like my little umbrella and would not allow it inside. Just doing her job, I suppose. But, darn it, did she really think sports writers would open their umbrellas INSIDE THE PRESS BOX?

Hello?

Word has it, a number of media-owned umbrellas were banned at the door. I tossed mine in a nearby recycling receptacle. I’ve got to thank Kathy Harker of AU Media Relations for retrieving my umbrella.

Why bring an umbrella to the press box? Well, the walk back to the car is rather long and you never know if it’s going to rain or not. I wouldn’t want to mess up my pretty hair. It’s silky smooth and all. I highly recommend $1 shampoo from Dollar General.

I’ll be back after I chug some sweet tea and find something to eat. Looks like tater tots and hamburgers are the bill of fare. Tater tots? Looks like the economy is taking its toll on everyone.

Ode to Central, Trawick, Dixon and the old days

By Joe McAdory

Though full-time sports writing is no longer my gig, I suppose I can now consider it a hobby, like golf. The biggest difference is I haven’t broken any golf clubs or sworn in a press box.

I remember my days on the Opelika-Auburn News sports staff when I begged folks to help cover football games on Friday nights. It’s a helpless feeling. The schools demand coverage, but there are only so many bodies to do it. Someone generally got left out. So when our sports staff asks me to cover a game, I remember when I asked and the compassionate side comes out.

Tonight’s game brings me to Garrett Stadium in Phenix City where Stanhope Elmore visits Central. Not sure why Central is called Central. Why not Phenix City High? Just wondering. Central is a very antiseptic name. Give it some character and hometown pride. I suppose for years it’s been Central, so the directional location name now has its own tradition.

Does it ever.

Central has produced a boatload of college and NFL stars, including Woodrow and Eddie Lowe, James Joseph, Ed King and a few others I’m sorry that I can’t name off the top of my head on a Friday morning. I remember the old days when Wayne Trawick coached the Red Devils. He always produced winners and is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in state history. I was on the sidelines that cold December afternoon in 1993 at Legion Field when the Red Devils up-ended West End for the Class 6A state title. I believe the score was 12-7.

There were some big-time talent on that team. Wide receiver Shedrick Dixon may no longer be a household name in these parts, but back in the day, Dixon was as good as they come. I can’t forget the night he and quarterback Griff Gordy hooked up for a couple of touchdowns to beat Terrell Owens and Benjamin Russell in the playoffs. Dixon was as good or better than TO.

I miss the old days and I look forward to going to Garrett Stadium tonight. Hope the folks at Waffle House across the street don’t tow my car. The last time I covered a game at Central was in the mid-1990s when Opelika visited for a big-time matchup. Central won that night in a defensive struggle. Those Trawick-Spence McCracken games were classics.

I was supposed to cover a game there last year, except two hours before kickoff I learned my water heater leaked throughout the house. That was bad night. I didn’t go to the game that night after all.

Hope the house is OK this time.

Rogers questions border surveillance managers during Homeland Security hearing

By Joe McAdory

Got another interesting release from Congressman Mike Rogers’ office. Seems like Rogers isn’t satisfied with some of the homeland security efforts. Here’s the copy of the release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Rogers asked Homeland Security officials late last week why a multi-billion dollar, high-tech system of surveillance cameras and technology is still not fulfilling its mission of securing our porous Southwest border with Mexico.

Known as the Secure Border Initiative or SBInet, the system helps guard thousands of miles of rural, unsecured border areas.

“Over four years ago…[Congress] did a similar investigation…and thought surely that couldn’t happen again,” Rogers said in the hearing. “It seems like this is eerily similar to that debacle, but with a lot bigger numbers…….This is not the most sophisticated technology our country has…..[border security] is not rocket science.”

Rogers said he hopes the Department of Homeland Security will redouble its efforts to secure our borders with Mexico and Canada. “The vast majority of America wants our borders secured now, not later. Congress cannot let the Federal government take a pass on its commitment to do so,” he said.

The panel of witnesses included:  Chief David Aguilar, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Mr. Mark Borkowski, Executive Director, Secure Border Initiative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Mr. Timothy E. Peters, Vice President and General Manager of Global Security Systems, The Boeing Company; Mr. Richard Stana, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office (GAO).

To see a portion of Rogers’ questioning, go to http://www.YouTube.com/MikeRogersAL03.

I post a good number of Rogers releases to this blog. Releases issued by politicians or politician hopefuls from other area districts, whether they are a U.S. Congressman, state representative or county commissioner—or members of other parties—are also welcome.