Davis making up for lost time

It was just one play, in a low-key seven-on-seven passing drill early in preseason practice.

Tailback Tristan Davis caught a swing pass from Kodi Burns in the flat, looked upfield and saw freshman cornerback D’Antoine Hood bearing down on him. Davis flashed a juke at Hood, who wasn’t fooled.

So Davis lowered his shoulder, plowed through the youngster and raced down the sideline toward the end zone.

It was a simple play, but it spoke volumes. Davis, one of Auburn’s most explosive players, is adding some thunder to his lightning-quick array of moves.

“I want to impress coaches with my talent,” he said. “I’m not just talking about speed on the outside. I can hit the holes and carry the ball well and still catch out of the backfield.”

Davis has always been a big-play back, dating back to his debut on offense in 2005, when he gashed Ball State for a 52-yard touchdown on his second career carry. Later that season, he ran for 162 yards and a touchdown in a win against Kentucky.

But since then, Davis has been sidetracked by a position switch, a deep depth chart and just plain bad luck.

He moved back to safety — his original position — in 2006. He rarely played on defense, though he set a single-season Auburn record with 756 kickoff-return yards, the best total in the SEC.

He returned to running back in 2007, but two different foot injuries cost him almost the whole season.

Now, as a fifth-year senior, he’s out of chances. His luck has to change.

So far, so good.

He’s 100 percent healthy for the first time in more than a year. He’s fitting in well in offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s spread offense, which calls for running backs to be strong receivers as well as runners.

And he’s making his mark once again on special teams, where he’s once again likely to be the top kickoff returner.

“It’s been pretty good,” Davis said. “My main goal this two-a-days was to stay as healthy as I possibly can and just compete, try to get better, learn anything I can learn and get on the field any way I can.”

But as always, he can’t relax. Senior Brad Lester and junior Ben Tate are currently ahead of him on the depth chart. And freshman Eric Smith has wowed coaches with his playmaking ability and his grasp of the playbook.

Running backs coach Eddie Gran says it’s not easy for Davis to make an impression on such a talented depth chart.

“Brad’s having a great camp, and Ben is doing well,” Gran said. “I think that’s what’s making it tough for (Davis) to make that move over the top. He’s definitely in a good position, because he’s healthy.”

Franklin’s offense could be a blessing for Davis. Franklin believes Auburn could top 80 plays per game on offense, which means more opportunities for all three running backs.

“I think he will (get touches) in this offense,” Gran said. “I think he’ll get some touches that he might not get in another offense.”
| 737-2561