The emergence of Cameron Newton on Saturday seemingly made life easier for everyone on Auburn’s offense.

Members of the offensive line beg to differ.

“It’s a little more difficult,” guard Mike Berry said. “Because for the last couple years we really haven’t had a running quarterback.”

Newton amassed 287 more rushing yards in Saturday’s game than Chris Todd had all of last season.

Todd gained 104 yards but lost 220 to finish with a net total of minus-116. Kodi Burns finished with 411 rushing yards in 10 starts in 2008.

As was displayed on Newton’s 71-yard run in the second quarter Saturday, the longest run by any Auburn player since 2005, this is a new era for the Tigers’ offense.

It will just require longer hours from the Auburn offensive line.

“You never know where he’s going to be at any time,” offensive tackle Lee Ziemba said. “So you have to hold your blocks and basically just feel it.

“If your defender starts going left, you’ve got to think Cam is going left, too.

“It’s a different animal.”

Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has been harping on his players to never think a play is over when Newton is behind center.

His 16-yard run in the second quarter, where he broke five tackles and probably zig-zagged for about 50 yards before he was taken down, served as a major reminder.

“We need to give him the time he needs,” Berry said.

Get in the Carr
Quindarius Carr came away with big catches and left a big impression after Saturday night’s game.

“Ray Charles can see that,” wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said.

Carr hauled in two catches for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown pass on a deep ball from Newton. On punt returns, he provided Auburn with the answer it’s been searching for since the beginning of 2009, averaging 9.4 yards on his five returns.

Auburn averaged 4.46 yards per return last season, good for 113th in the nation, and had countless blunders from a rotating cast of characters.

“I was nervous going in for him, but the kid has worked two years to get that job,” Taylor said. “Even last year he was chirping in my ear and I was thinking, ‘You can’t catch the ball we throw to you. How are you going to catch a ball we kick to you?’

“But he worked at it and got better. He built his confidence there, and it carried over into the game.”

Making his mark
Emory Blake didn’t catch any passes Saturday, but for a brief moment, he led the team in tackles.

Blake raced down the field and ripped down Arkansas State kick returner Tausean Holmes at the 13-yard line on the game’s opening kickoff. His hustle throughout the game on punts and kicks put him atop Auburn’s Special Forces Board in the special teams meeting room after Week 1.

It could very well translate into more repetitions at wide receiver, Taylor said.

“The head coach is smiling. When the head coach is smiling, it’s like keeping mama happy. When she’s happy, everyone’s happy,” Taylor said. “And it’s confidence with his teammates.

Last year, he wouldn’t have done that. You couldn’t have melted him down and poured him on a guy on kickoff.”

| 737-2561