AUBURN NOTEBOOK: Tigers look for red zone success

The red zone requires a killer mentality, wide receiver Rod Smith said, and Auburn simply hasn’t had it.

After last week’s four-strike strikeout inside Georgia’s 25 (only two drives qualified as reaching the “red zone,” which begins at the opponents’ 20), the Tigers, obviously, are looking to get better at finishing their drives.

But they don’t exactly plan on changing anything — structurally, at least. The problems have been minor, but deadly, resulting in some ugly numbers.

“You just work on little things, mental mistakes,” Tuberville said. “Again, it becomes a lot harder when you get down there.”

The Tigers remain last among 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and, after last week’s bye, they face an even further deficit from the two teams (Ohio and Indiana) tied at 117th.

Auburn has scored on just 20 of its 35 red-zone possessions, including 13 touchdowns. Its 57 percent success rate is a full 10 percentage points behind the Bobcats and Hoosiers, who have a combined 6-17 record.

“If you go on a long drive, you just have to finish it. You can’t settle for field goals,” Smith said. “We’ve had teams in the past that we’d go down and finish and put points up on the board and that helped us win.”

Last season, Auburn was 41-for-49 (84 percent) in the red zone, including 30 touchdowns.

“If we get it in our heads that we’re going to go down here and nobody’s going to stop us,” Smith said, “we’ll be an excellent offense.”

Offensive play-caller Steve Ensminger said there are a few tweaks in the cards for red-zone possessions Saturday against Alabama, but he wouldn’t delve into specifics. The well-noted absence of dual-threat running back Mario Fannin on the final two drives against Georgia, however, won’t likely occur again, Ensminger said.

“I think we have to do a little bit more of trying to isolate him one-on-one,” Ensminger said.

Byrum sits
Starting placekicker Wes Byrum (inflamed right knee) did not kick in Tuesday’s practice, Tuberville said.

His status, Tuberville said, remains day-to-day and it will likely be a gametime decision Saturday as to whether Byrum or Morgan Hull handles the kicking duties.

“There’s not structural damage. For some reason it just locks up on him,” Tuberville said. “That’s what they say. I’m no doctor.”

Lester at his best
Senior tailback Brad Lester, who did not line up once in the backfield against Georgia, is back to 100 percent health for the first time in more than two months, Tuberville said.

“He’s running like it,” Tuberville said. “He’s got a smile on his face in practice. It’s not a struggle for him to go through practice as (it is) a lot of guys.”

The season as a whole, however, definitely has been a struggle for Lester.

Lester has rushed for just 278 yards on 74 carries. He’s played in 10 of Auburn’s 11 games, but has seen little to no action in many second halves.

Tuberville said recently that he plans to use Fannin, Lester and Ben Tate out of the backfield in the Iron Bowl.

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