AUBURN - The most consistent player on Auburn's football team. You can make a good case for junior kicker Cody Parkey.
Cody Parkey celebrates game-winner against Louisiana-Monroe/Robin Conn photo
Parkey is 7-for-7 on field goal attempts and 7-for-7 on extra points. His kicks off into or beyond the end zone unless he called to keep the ball in play.
But for Parkey, it's about winning.
"I am just really focused going into games," Parkey said. "I have a year under my belt. It feels comfortable out there. I'm kicking the ball pretty well. Obviously, we have a lot of football left. I want to continue to go perfect, so I'm really practicing hard. I want to give my team the best chance to win, so I need to keep making my kicks."
Parkey will try to continue his streak Saturday when the Tigers (1-3) play Arkansas (1-4) at 11 a.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN2.
With an open date last week, offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has focused hard on sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier.
"I think he is going to make strides every week, and he has," Loeffler said. "What we were able to do is go back and watch the last four games and watch the cutups just like you would in the wintertime. It was very beneficial. I think it will add to his play. There's no question about."
Frazier and Loeffler spent time watching former Michigan quarterbacks Chad Henne and Tom Brady, both of whom worked with Loeffler and still frequently work with him during the offseason.
"Without a doubt, those guys know exactly what they are doing," Loeffler said. "We are not in a situation where they were able to watch a guy do it, so we have to show them other guys doing it. That's what we were able to do this week."
Asked about where freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace stands after playing for the first time against LSU, Loeffler said "We have done some things with him situationally with him in the LSU game. We'll see where that package goes."
Asked if Wallace got added work with the first team, Loeffler's answer didn't change.
"Again, we had a situational package against LSU," Loeffler said. "We'll see where that goes."
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Sammie Coates is still feeling the disappointment of his drop of a potential long touchdown pass on the second play against LSU.
"It hurt me pretty bad," Coates said. "I tried not to think about it in the game. I've got to get past that. It would have been a big catch, a big turnaround in the game. It made me feel like I was the we reason lost the game, even though it's not like that. I probably could have won the game with that catch. It kind of bothers me still. I think 'Man, I could have won the game with that catch.' "
The only option, Coates said, is to prepare to catch the next one.
"I've been working hard trying to get better," Coates said. "I'm going to make the big catch next time."
Auburn's struggled on offense have been well-documented, but at no time have they been more pronounced than in the fourth quarters of the first four games. In those fourth quarters, the Tigers have been outscored 31-3. They haven't scored in the fourth quarter since a Parkey field goal in the season-opener against Clemson.
"We have not finished in the fourth quarter," Loeffler said.
That's disappointing. The three areas that head and shoulders need improvement - turnover ratio is not where it needs to be; red area, two out of nine touchdowns, isn't where we need to be' and obviously you have to finish games. Whenever you are losing the fourth quarter the way we have lost the fourth quarter, that's the reason we are 1-3 right now."
For videos of interviews with Loeffler, Parkey and Coates, follow the links below.
- Phillip Marshall
- Auburn Insider - AuburnUndercover