Time to Play

Time to play: Auburn opens defense of SEC title

• Phillip Marshall

AUBURN – It wasn’t long after Auburn’s football team arrived at team headquarters in Montgomery that the good news came. Senior Robenson Therezie had been cleared to play in today’s season-opener against Arkansas and beyond.

How long will quareterback Nick Marshall sit?

The first big question of the weekend had been answered in a way that seemed unlikely not long ago, unlikely enough that Therezie wasn’t included on the Auburn depth chart released last Tuesday.
Therezie will be dressed available for duty today when the No. 5 Tigers open defense of their Southeastern Conference championship in head coach Gus Malzahn’s second season.
More questions remain.
When will quarterback Nick Marshall and cornerback Jonathon Mincy enter the game? Both are first-teamers who won’t be in the starting lineup because of summer transgressions.
How will sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson respond in his first Southeastern Conference start?
Will wide receiver D’haquille Williams, the nation’s top junior college prospect in the last recruiting cycle, live up to the hype?
Will Cameron Artis-Payne or Corey Grant or both step forward to fill the large void left by the departure of record-breaking running back Tre Mason?
How much has Marshall improved his passing skills?
How will Auburn’s defense deal with Arkansas running backs and the massive offensive line in front of them?
Can punter/kicker Daniel Carlson single-handedly replace Steven Clark and Cody Parkey?
How will Auburn offensive tackles Shon Coleman and Pat Miller deal with Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers, a Huntsville native who had 3.5 sacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium two years ago?
If rain comes as expected, how will that affect the game?
Can Arkansas back up head coach Bret Bielema’s contention that his team has put aside 0-8 SEC record and is headed for big things?
It’s the first game, and first games are all about answering questions, including the biggest questions of all: Will the Tigers open defense of their SEC championship in style or will they struggle against the Razorbacks, three-touchdown underdogs. Could they even lose?
For the Tigers, it will be the first game since Florida State scored with 13 seconds left to break their hearts with a 34-31 victory in the BCS Championship Game.
“It’s very important,” Malzahn said. “I know our players and coaches are looking forward to that, to get back on the field and hopefully get that bad taste out of her mouths.”