AUBURN NOTEBOOK: Tuberville says Burns will get chance for more playing time

Tommy Tuberville hasn’t exactly liked what he’s seen from Kodi Burns this season.

Same goes for Chris Todd.

The latter, combined with Burns’ promise, has resulted in Tuberville standing pat on the Tigers’ two-quarterback free-for-all.

“He hasn’t thrown the ball as well as we’ve liked, but neither has Chris Todd,” Tuberville said. “They get scrutinized more than others, and I scrutinize them more on the ability to run the offense, as far as how they execute.”

Tuberville said Sunday that Burns, the backup who has thrown for just 79 yards on 10-of-24 passing in four games this season, will have more opportunities in the second half of the year, which kicks off Saturday against Arkansas.

“The first half we were kind of finding out what (Burns) can do, what Chris Todd can do,” Tuberville said. “The upside on Kodi is huge.”

But it’s been mostly a downward slide for the Fort Smith, Ark., native to this point.

Burns lost the up-for-grabs starting job after suffering a cut to his leg that required stitches in the season-opener against Louisiana-Monroe, while Todd’s strong play against Southern Miss moved him to the top of the depth chart.

Burns sat as Todd floundered in the Tigers’ tight win over Mississippi State and their loss to LSU.

Burns returned to action midway through the second quarter of Auburn’s Sept. 27 victory over Tennessee and led a drive deep into Volunteers’ territory.

The drive went for naught, as Wes Byrum missed a field goal attempt, but Burns helped seal the 14-12 victory when he completed a 10-yard, third-and-5 pass to Montez Billings near the end of the fourth quarter.

But that’s been about it. Aside from two completions against Vanderbilt on Saturday, Burns has appeared just as ineffective as Todd.

Still, Tuberville wants to see more.

When Burns is in, Auburn’s offense becomes a bit more versatile, with the 19-year-old showing the ability to break down a defense with his feet. In his start against the Warhawks, Burns rushed for 69 yards – more than four times what he accounted for through the air.

“Burns, he’s the guy that can come in and change the pace,” wide receiver Rod Smith said. “He’s been good at that, and that’s something we need to continue working on, just keeping the pace going.

“That’s what really makes the offense go.”

Joke time
Not many Auburn players were up for giggles and grins 24 hours after Saturday’s loss to the Commodores.

But Smith, a senior, was able to lighten the mood on multiple occasions.

Asked about the state of his right knee, which was wrapped in an ACE bandage, Smith said it was “pretty bad” before informing the media that he was “just kidding.“

He wasn’t done there.

“I had a meeting with coach Tubs and he said I’m going to be the starting quarterback now.”

Of course, Smith, again, was “just playing.”

The media weren’t the only victims to Smith’s wisecracks, as he ribbed Todd after Sunday’s film session revealed the junior quarterback had fibbed.

Todd told Smith that his first-quarter touchdown pass to the wideout was, in fact, intended for Smith. The tape, however, showed that Todd was hoping to connect with junior tight end Tommy Trott.

“I got him (Sunday,)” Smith said. “I went and watched the film and he wasn’t looking at me … but it ended up being a good play and worked out for us.”

How do you do, old friend?
A smile crept over Tuberville’s face when the new coach at Arkansas’ name was first brought up Sunday.

The Auburn coach and Arkansas native has quite the checkered — and often rehashed — past with Bobby Petrino, who was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator in 2002.

“Don’t even try it,” Tuberville said.

Following the 2003 season, Petrino, who was in his first year as head coach at Louisville, secretly met with Auburn officials at an airport near Louisville, Ky. to discuss replacing Tuberville as head coach. When news of the meeting became public, the talks were squashed and
Tuberville remained at the helm.

The scandal, commonly referred to as “Jetgate,” resulted in Petrino remaining as Louisville’s head coach, instead, and then-Auburn president William Walker resigning.

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