Auburn Spring Game 2012: Grades, Players Who Shined and Analysis

A-Day is over, and the Auburn spring game is wrapped up. The blue team came out as winners by a score of 36-27, but how they got there was anything but usual.

In this unique style, it was offense (blue) versus defense (white). The scoring system, which can be found here, determined how each team got their points.

Um, OK. Whatever works, I guess.

Nonetheless, no matter how different or ridiculous you might think the scoring system is, football was played, and many questions were (sort of) answered.

Here's a deeper look at today's spring game. 

What we learned

Kiehl Frazier got the first crack at quarterback with the first-team offense—and didn't disappoint—but it will still be a battle for the starting job.

So, uh, maybe we didn't learn anything.

Still though, in the first half, Frazier got three drives while Zeke Pike got two, and Clint Moseley got one. On the day, Frazier went 7-of-9 for 92 yards to go along with 21 rushing yards while Clint Moseley, who has been banged up, went 5-of-6 for 62 yards.

Both Frazier and Moseley made some nice throws, and if I had to guess, I would say Frazier would be the leader for now.

At running back, Mike Blakely made the most of his opportunities. He only received five carries but turned one into a 25-yard touchdown. At the end of the day, Blakely had 65 yards (13 ypc).

This running back unit clearly has a lot of depth.

The offensive line, however, is still a bit of a work in progress—at least as far as pass protection goes. In the first quarter, the offense gave up three early sacks. It eventually got better, but that's not exactly something you want to start the game with.

On the flip side, the defensive line was very good. Dee Ford had one sack, two tackles for loss and four tackles in the first half while LaDarius Owens had two sacks.

The D-line should be Auburn's most consistent unit this season. 

Grades

Kiehl Frazier: A-

Frazier wasn't perfect, but he was about as close as possible. He completed seven of his nine throws and even added some rushing yards on his way to being named Auburn's offensive MVP for the day. 

Gene Chizik said he still hasn't made a decision about who will start at quarterback, but you have to think Frazier's performance today came close to earning him the job.

Offensive line: C

Like I mentioned earlier, the offensive line was very inconsistent. It finally settled down later in the game, but the damage was certainly done after the unit gave up three early sacks.

It will have to be better in pass protection if the Tigers are going to improve this season.

Dee Ford: A

Ford was all over the place. He has been getting tons of praise this spring, and it became clear why that was the case. 

His motor was absolutely relentless, as he was constantly in the backfield whenever he was in the game, and that led to one sack and two tackles for loss.

Ford's athleticism is impressive, and he should be a major part of what looks to be a very good front seven for Auburn. LaDarius Owens was also very impressive. 

Emory Blake: A-

Blake certainly looked like a player ready to step in as the No. 1 receiver as he and Kiehl Frazier looked to have good chemistry today. 

The junior pulled in three catches for 51 yards, but what was most impressive was the way he did it. Not only did Blake pull in a nice 25-yard catch down the sideline on a fade route, but he also caught a ball over the middle.

That's versatility that you love to see out of your wide receiver. 

What this all means

All-in-all, it's hard to make too many conclusions from a spring game, but it became a little more clear what this team is made of.

As an early prediction, I'm going to say that Kiehl Frazier wins out the quarterback job, but the Tigers use their depth at running back as more of a focal point on offense.

On defense, Auburn should continue to thrive as a very solid unit, especially at the front.

I see improvement from this team.

2012 Prediction: 9-4