CHATTIN’ IT UP 2: Defensive boogaloo

Todd Van Emst/Auburn U.

Hey everyone.

So we’re now flipping things. Today’s players represent Auburn’s defense and Oregon’s offense. I’m not real worried about the Ducks from a journalistic perspective, so I hung around Les Tigres this morning.

Here are the highlights.

• Defensive coordinator Ted Roof seemed a bit agitated by some questions today. The top one was about how Auburn may not have enough speed to hang with Oregon. “We’re fast enough to win 13 games.”
• Roof was asked if Auburn would fake injuries, a la California, in an effort to slow Oregon’s attack. “We’re not going to do that. We’re just going to play. That’s it. We’ll line up and play football.”
• Roof said the typical game week leads to an analysis of 350-400 opponent plays. For Oregon, he said, that number has risen to 900 or so. “You have to look at all the things an offense does through the course of a season. It compounds the problem. We have to prepare against all of it.”
• Roof was asked if the Tigers will implement any of the strategies Cal used in its 15-13 loss to Oregon in November. “They did a good job, but we’re going to do what we do.”
• Roof was asked about what sticks out with Oregon tailback LaMichael James. “When you’re watching from the endzone angle, you don’t even see a crease and he squirts though and goes 80 yards and you say: `How did he do that?’”
• Linebacker Craig Stevens was asked about how many hours of Oregon film he’s watched. “It’s been almost a month, so I’ll say a million.”
• Stevens was asked what he learned from watching the Cal game. “Those guys didn’t get too rattled by the pace. They were honed in.”
• Stevens was asked about Nick Fairley’s basketball ability, which the tackle has discussed ad naseum on Twitter. “Nick has game … believe it or not.”
• Fairley said he envisioned a future in basketball until forced to make a decision in 10th grade. “I like to hit people, so I went with football.”
• Fairley was asked about why he’s so much better with the media now. “If y’all had come here in the beginning of August, I’d probably have been stuttering my butt off. I have been enjoying this long ride, especially with the media guys coming out and here asking questions. I don’t mind. I did have to adjust to something. I adjusted to it. Basically I said I had to think about it. Talking to the media is not that bad.”
• More on that: “I have to get used to this. Coaches tell us we can say no to interviews, but I have been wanting to do it to build character. The personality I have, I just put it out there. It don’t matter to me.”
• Fairley was asked about Cal’s alleged fake injuries and if Auburn will try that Monday night. “That’s something we’re not going to do. We’re not going to fake injuries.”
• How about simply getting up off the ground slowly? “We’re not going to do that, either.”
• Fairley was asked about being labeled a dirty player. “I just go out there and give it 110. I will try to go out there and make plays for my team. If it is me playing dirty, if that’s what they call it, that’s what it is.