Auburn Football: 10 Things to Expect from the A-Day Spring Game

The Auburn Tigers have been sweating it out long enough and it's about that time to showcase what they've improved on throughout those spring practices. The spring game will take place on April 14 and is a chance for every player to prove themselves in a game-like atmosphere.

The spring game is just a warmup for the team to see what they need to work on and where their strengths are. It's also a chance for players at the bottom of the depth chart to improve their ranking on the team. Overall, it should be very beneficial for everybody and answer a few questions for head coach Gene Chizik and company.

Here are 10 things to expect for the Auburn Tigers spring game.

To See a True Freshman Along the Offensive Line

Last season's offensive line wasn't exactly the greatest in the world, as they allowed 32 sacks, which was 10th in the SEC. This spring, they may have an answer in true freshman Patrick Miller, who has been working with the first-team offense at left and right tackle.

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“I played over there in practice the other day. It was kind of a little weird, but I felt a lot more comfortable in my stance and everything. I never thought I would play right tackle, but I kind of like it,” Miller said via Scout.com

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For a true freshman to start along the offensive line in the SEC would really say a lot about that young man. Don't expect this to be the case, but if he has a great spring game, you never know.

He should get a long look this weekend.

Tre Mason to Make Some Plays

While everybody has been focused on Corey Grant for most of the spring, there is another running back to pay attention to and that's Tre Mason. You know, the speedy back who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown in the bowl win over Virginia? He's been playing well in the spring as well and is getting his props from running backs coach Curtis Luper.

"Tre has had a good spring. He's 200 pounds, he's getting the ball, he's downhill," Luper said. "He has the ability to light it up on Saturdays."

Mason is a playmaker and should get more touches this season. He averaged nearly six yards a carry last season and has scored several times in the Auburn scrimmages. Look for him to make a play or two in the spring game to make a case for more playing time his sophomore season.

Defensive Line Will Generate a Lot of Pressure

Auburn finished the year with only 22 sacks, which is 10 fewer than their season's opponents. This season, they enter the spring with two key defensive ends completely healthy and they look to play side by side when September rolls around.

Dee Ford is completely healthy after recovering from last season's injury and will pair up with Corey Lemonier.

"It was a fantasy at first. Now, it's here. I can't even explain it. I'm ready to get in front of 90,000," Ford said about playing with Lemonier.

Lemonier had 9.5 of those 22 sacks last season and Ford is a solid defensive end with a lot of speed—when he's healthy, of course. The spring game should provide a sample size of what's to come for the Auburn defensive line.

Wide Receivers Are Still Adjusting

Any time you have a new offensive coordinator running the show, it's going to take time to get used to the new scheme and play-calling. It gets a little more difficult when the wide receivers have to play a little bit different when the plays are called.

Under coordinator Gus Malzahn, the Tigers ran the same route regardless of what defense was being played. Under new coordinator Scot Loeffler, the Tigers will adjust their routes accordingly the type of defense that is being played.

"You adjust on every route," wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said. "There's not a single route that's locked, that you don't have to adjust to. It's based on what the defense gives you."

It shouldn't take long for the receivers to pick this up, but don't be surprised if they're not as crisp as you'd like early on.

Defense to Control the Game

Auburn's defense struggled mightily last season, as they ranked 11th in the SEC and 80th in the country. There will likely still be growing pains on that side of the ball, but they should control the spring game and look much better—at least in practice. This is how the majority of the spring games turn out and with a new offensive coordinator, it's obvious the defense has the advantage.

When cornerback Robenson Therezie was asked about the progress the defense is making in the spring, he responded with, “Absolutely, we are getting better.” (via Scout.com)

With some of the defensive performances Auburn had last season, it's not that hard to improve. But overall, you should expect a spring game where the defense dominates and controls the tempo of the game for the most part.

Jake Holland to Be the Starter at Middle Linebacker

Linebacker depth is a serious issue for this team heading into the spring and many wonder who's going to play in the middle. With Eltoro Freeman no longer on the roster and Jawara White out for the year with an injury, Jake Holland is the Tigers middle linebacker and it doesn't look like that's changing.

"Right now, it's pretty clear-cut Jake's the starter," Auburn defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said.

He was the starter at middle linebacker last season, but couldn't stay healthy and missed a few games. He had a solid sophomore season that included 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

Quarterback Battle to Continue

Auburn has three talented quarterbacks in Clint Moseley, Kiehl Frazier and true freshman Zeke Pike all competing for one job. They all have different skill sets and for the most part have been playing well throughout the spring.

There may be a quarterback that stands out more in the spring game, but this is a battle that will last well into the fall before a decision is made.

You may not have a decision made at all, as Chizik may decide to go with the two-quarterback system this year.

A Physical Game

Along with the defense likely controlling this game, you can expect them to try and fulfill Gene Chizik's request on becoming more physical. This is a team that played little to no defense last season and the coaches would like to see that change drastically.

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“Overall I thought they took a step forward trying to be physical,” Chizik said via Scout.com “Where we are at, we are not satisfied by any means, but our guys are moving in that direction so that is a positive."

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We want to see big hits, getting stops and just playing SEC-caliber defense that the Tigers are capable of playing. Expect to see some of that in the spring game.

The Unknown

There are a few injuries on both sides of the ball, which will likely keep a lot of key players from participating in the spring game. And then there are some players who are healthy and would like to get their feet wet in a game-like atmosphere.

So, who will play and how will the game format turn out?

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“We’re going to go through the week and see where we are numbers-wise, injury wise,” Chizik said. “We’ve some guys that are a little beat up and banged up and we’ve got two more physical days before we play in that spring game.”

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Normally there are several players that don't participate, just to avoid injury. You can expect that to be the case here as well.

Solid Spring Game

With all that said, spring games are always better for young teams like Auburn that are still trying to find themselves. There should be a lot of battles on both sides of the ball and a lot of fierce competition.

I expect to see a lot of encouraging plays from several young players and to see a spring game that has Tiger fans excited about the new college football season.

This squad may still be another year or two away from competing for an SEC title, but there are a lot of positives to hang your hat on. Expect to see a competitive spring practice and a solid game overall.