Cox earned his spot back

TigerEyes1914 · 09-23-2007, 02:13 PM

Opelika-Auburn News | SZVETITZ COLUMN: Cox earned his spot back

Quote:

Kodi Burns started.

Brandon Cox finished.

Boo-yah?

The Tigers won. It’s what they needed. Desperately.

And it was Cox who led them. Again.

Who cares that it was New Mexico State? Not Auburn. It could have been Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It’s a win.

"I’d have taken one point," Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville said.

It’s what Auburn needed.

It’s what Brandon Cox needed. Desperately. Especially after the turnovers, the missed throws and, who could forget, the boos.

"Just relief," Cox said after the game. "It’s been a very stressful week for me. I dealt with it the best I could."

Redemption? Nah. Just doing his job.

It is still his job. Right?

Saturday night it was. Just like it has been the past two years. Even the fans remembered.

Chants of "Let’s go Brandon" came out of the student section during AU’s first third-quarter touchdown drive.

You could feel the love.

Forgiveness?

"It was probably still the same ones that were booing," Cox said. "Like I said, they’re with you when you’re doing good and boo you when you’re doing bad."

Saturday, Cox did good. Real good.

"The one thing about getting benched, there’s two ways to handle it," offensive coordinator Al Borges said. "One, you can go in the tank, or be disgruntled or be a cancer, and that gets you nowhere. … The other way, is to keep your head up and stay as positive...

"He chose the latter."

And he was better.

Cox was the difference in this win. He’s the difference in this team. When Cox was at the helm, the offense moved. The veteran led the Tigers to touchdowns on four-of-five second-half possessions.

When Cox was at the controls, the Tigers looked normal. Heck, they looked good.

It looked like the team everyone thought it was supposed to be.

Finally.

"He really didn’t miss a beat," Borges said. "He managed the game like he’s been managing it for the last two years."

Cox was the leader then. He is now.

When he’s playing well, so are the Tigers. And it’s not just his arm. It’s his head. When it’s screwed on straight, he’s as good as anyone in the conference.

Cox gives this team the best chance to win. He’s the playmaker they’ve been looking for. That’s what happens when you know the entire playbook.

It’s not just athletic ability that matters a quarterback. It’s brains. And it’s toughness. Cox has both.

When Cox is on, it’s on. Even when he’s off the first team.

So, who will start next week against Florida in The Swamp? My money’s on No. 12.

All week, Tommy Tuberville said they’d go with the quarterback who had the hot hand. Cox burned it up.

Burns? Well, his limited knowledge of the offense showed up.

Kodi Burns right. Kodi Burns left. Kodi Burns draw. Back to the drawing board. Especially before next Saturday’s road trip.

"It gave us an opportunity to run our entire offense," Tuberville said of playing Cox. "We obviously saw who performed pretty good tonight for us.

"I would imagine, he’ll probably be the guy going first next week."

Cox earned his job back Saturday night.

"If it hadn’t been for him, we would have been in a little bit of trouble tonight," Tuberville said.

Wait, Cox took his job back Saturday night.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password