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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000040">Today In Jordan-Hare</H1></FONT>
<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>Auburn vs. The Arkansas Razorbacks</I></FONT></H2>
<H3 ALIGN=CENTER>by Meredith Jenkins</H3>

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<IMG SRC="../../graphics/coaches/football/oliver02.jpg" WIDTH=164 HEIGHT=205 ALT="Bill Oliver" BORDER=1 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=5>
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<P><FONT SIZE=7><B>m</B></FONT>eet the Coach:

<P>Today, one day before his 59th birthday, Bill Oliver will lead the Tigers in his second game as the interim head coach. This season marked Oliver's 35th year of coaching and he has seen just about everything the game has to offer and then some. He can also claim that he has been on both sides of the Auburn - Alabama rivalry TWICE, after working at both schools on two separate occasions.

<P>A native of Epes, Alabama, Oliver has had an extremely successful coaching career which includes a 29-14-1 record in four seasons at the helm of the UT-Chattanooga program. As a player and coach he has won five national championships and 10 SEC titles.

<P>Oliver won't be seen patrolling the sidelines in today's game. Instead, he'll be sitting in his customary spot in the press box where he has a bird's eye view of the field. He will still call all the defensive plays and alignments from this spot as he has done since he arrived at Auburn in 1996. But now, Oliver will have the distinction as well as hold a place in Auburn history, as the Tigers' 23rd head coach.

<P><B>Dominant Defense</B>

<P>It almost looked like a scene from Gulliver and the Lilliputians. A big, hulking figure towered over a group of diminutive third-graders as they toured the Athletic Complex on a sunny summer afternoon. Each of the youngsters strained their necks and looked with awe at the towering figure as he explained things about the football building and team. Within his captivated audience, a small hand shot up and a huge grin spread across his dark face as he listened to the question from a precocious nine-year old. Charles Dorsey was completely at home in this setting, surrounded by the innocence of youth in a building where he has spent the majority of his time the last four years.

<P>One of Auburn's best tour guides may also be the Tigers' best defensive lineman. On football Saturday's, Dorsey's amiable personality is shed for an aggressive, determined persona. The transformation revels that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When not in uniform, Dorsey is a popular, out-going person with a chuckle that seems to emit from deep in his belly and gain gusto as it moves up until it is finally released in hearty, baritone laughter. But put Dorsey in a jersey, and the blue and orange seems to have the same kind of effect as the matador's red cape has on a bull.

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<IMG SRC="../../graphics/athletes/football/dorsey01.jpg" WIDTH=144 HEIGHT=220 ALT="Charles Dorsey" BORDER=1 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=5>
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<FONT SIZE=2><B>Senior Charles Dorsey is one of the leaders of a defensive unit that is ranked ninth in the nation.
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<P>Dorsey's ability on the football field as a prep attracted many college coaches to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to watch him play. He had gained a reputation during high school for hard-nosed play, so much so that he was nicknamed "Ooh La" because when he put a vicious hit on an unsuspecting ball-carrier the crowd gasped a collective "Oh Lord."

<P>His skills led him to Auburn in 1994 but in the early days of his college career, few would have believed that he would mature into the player he is today. Struggling with the adjustment and weight, Dorsey left the team twice and wound up playing on the scout team. Instead of making bone-crunching stops in front of 85,000 people, he was relegated to the practice squad where the only yells he heard were from his defensive coaches.

<P>Despite the setbacks, Dorsey continued to fight, displaying the tenacity in practice that is a necessity in all great pass rushers. The work paid off in a breakthrough year in 1996 in which he started seven games. This season, as one of three seniors on defense, he is the undisputed leader of the team.

<P>Dorsey's turn-around has happened in conjunction with an improving defense. Perhaps the two have had a direct impact on each other because as Dorsey has blossomed so has the defensive unit. This week, the Coach Oliver led bunch is ranked ninth in the nation in team defense. They have held three of their last four opponents well below their offensive averages.

<P>Consider what this defense has accomplished. Tennessee averaged 404.7 total yards of offense a game and was ranked the eighth-best rushing offense in the country with 250.7 yards a contest on the ground. Auburn held the Vols to 218 total yards and that included passing yardage.

<P>How about another example? Fifth-ranked Florida had the third best passing offense in the country, yielding 374 yards in the air and was rated sixth in total offense, with 498.8 yards a game. The Tigers held the Gators to 301 yards of offense, including 198 passing yards. It was the third lowest total in Steve Spurrier's nine seasons at Florida.

<P>Louisiana Tech sported even gaudier numbers prior to its game with Auburn. The Bulldogs ranked first in total offense (539.6) and passing offense (434.4). Amazingly, La. Tech quarterback Tim Rattay passed for more yards than four football fields in each game, but the Tigers limited the Bulldogs to 227 yards in the air.

<P>If Auburn was looking for a break from nationally-ranked offensive teams, it won't find it in Arkansas. The Razorbacks come into the game with the 15th-ranked scoring offense in the nation. Running backs Chrys Chukwuma and Madre Hill are averaging an impressive 7.0 and 4.9 yards per carry respectively and have combined for 10 touchdowns this season.

<P>But by now, the Tiger defense has become accustomed to tests. After facing so many highly-ranked opponents, the group has earned its battle stripes against blitzkrieg-type offenses. Again and again, the defense has responded and as a result has become one of the top units statistically in the SEC and nation.

<P>But despite the conference and national ranking, Auburn's defense still toils in relative obscurity. Dorsey may have the most well-known name of the group that includes fellow seniors, cornerback Jayson Bray and linebacker Ryan Taylor. The defense hasn't been tagged with some catchy name like the "Killer B's," "Desert Swarm," "Purple People-Eaters" or the "No-Names." Instead, the Tiger "D" continues to do its job without the hullabaloo that other defenses enjoy.

<P>But players like strong safety Rob Pate and defensive linemen Leonardo Carson continue to post impressive numbers this season. A sophomore from Birmingham, Pate led the team with 42 tackles before being sidelined with strained oblique muscles for the Louisiana Tech game. He also has intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and totaled four tackles for loss.

<P>Carson has combined with Dorsey to make up a dominant defensive line duo. Carson, from Mobile, AL, leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss and scored Auburn's only defensive touchdown this season, with an interception return against Mississippi State.

<P>Maybe next season, Auburn's defense will gain more attention. After all, it is a fairly young team with nine starters returning and 19 of 22 on the two-deep depth chart coming back. Also, Auburn expects that preseason All-SEC selection Jimmy Brumbaugh, who played only three games this season on the defensive line, will be granted a medical redshirt and return for next season.

<P>But there isn't time to look into the future. Auburn's defense must deal with the situation at hand and that includes stopping an undefeated Arkansas Razorback team. And there are still goals to achieve, like passing those eight other teams that are ranked ahead of them in the national team defensive standings.


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	<HEAD>

	<TITLE>Today in Jordan-Hare</TITLE>

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	<BODY <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">>

	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000040">Today In Jordan-Hare</H1></FONT>
	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>Auburn vs. The Arkansas Razorbacks</I></FONT></H2>
	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER>by Meredith Jenkins</H3>

	<TABLE WIDTH=162 ALIGN=RIGHT>
	<TR>
	<TD>
	<IMG SRC="../../graphics/coaches/football/oliver02.jpg" WIDTH=164 HEIGHT=205 ALT="Bill Oliver" BORDER=1 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=5>
	</TD>
	</TR>
	<TR>
	<TD>
	<FONT SIZE=2><B><HR>
	</TD>
	</TR>
	</TABLE>

	<P><FONT SIZE=7><B>m</B></FONT>eet the Coach:

	<P>Today, one day before his 59th birthday, Bill Oliver will lead the Tigers in his second game as the interim head coach. This season marked Oliver's 35th year of coaching and he has seen just about everything the game has to offer and then some. He can also claim that he has been on both sides of the Auburn - Alabama rivalry TWICE, after working at both schools on two separate occasions.

	<P>A native of Epes, Alabama, Oliver has had an extremely successful coaching career which includes a 29-14-1 record in four seasons at the helm of the UT-Chattanooga program. As a player and coach he has won five national championships and 10 SEC titles.

	<P>Oliver won't be seen patrolling the sidelines in today's game. Instead, he'll be sitting in his customary spot in the press box where he has a bird's eye view of the field. He will still call all the defensive plays and alignments from this spot as he has done since he arrived at Auburn in 1996. But now, Oliver will have the distinction as well as hold a place in Auburn history, as the Tigers' 23rd head coach.

	<P><B>Dominant Defense</B>

	<P>It almost looked like a scene from Gulliver and the Lilliputians. A big, hulking figure towered over a group of diminutive third-graders as they toured the Athletic Complex on a sunny summer afternoon. Each of the youngsters strained their necks and looked with awe at the towering figure as he explained things about the football building and team. Within his captivated audience, a small hand shot up and a huge grin spread across his dark face as he listened to the question from a precocious nine-year old. Charles Dorsey was completely at home in this setting, surrounded by the innocence of youth in a building where he has spent the majority of his time the last four years.

	<P>One of Auburn's best tour guides may also be the Tigers' best defensive lineman. On football Saturday's, Dorsey's amiable personality is shed for an aggressive, determined persona. The transformation revels that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When not in uniform, Dorsey is a popular, out-going person with a chuckle that seems to emit from deep in his belly and gain gusto as it moves up until it is finally released in hearty, baritone laughter. But put Dorsey in a jersey, and the blue and orange seems to have the same kind of effect as the matador's red cape has on a bull.

	<TABLE WIDTH=162 ALIGN=LEFT>
	<TR>
	<TD>
	<IMG SRC="../../graphics/athletes/football/dorsey01.jpg" WIDTH=144 HEIGHT=220 ALT="Charles Dorsey" BORDER=1 ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=5>
	</TD>
	</TR>
	<TR>
	<TD>
	<FONT SIZE=2><B>Senior Charles Dorsey is one of the leaders of a defensive unit that is ranked ninth in the nation.
	<HR>
	</TD>
	</TR>
	</TABLE>

	<P>Dorsey's ability on the football field as a prep attracted many college coaches to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to watch him play. He had gained a reputation during high school for hard-nosed play, so much so that he was nicknamed "Ooh La" because when he put a vicious hit on an unsuspecting ball-carrier the crowd gasped a collective "Oh Lord."

	<P>His skills led him to Auburn in 1994 but in the early days of his college career, few would have believed that he would mature into the player he is today. Struggling with the adjustment and weight, Dorsey left the team twice and wound up playing on the scout team. Instead of making bone-crunching stops in front of 85,000 people, he was relegated to the practice squad where the only yells he heard were from his defensive coaches.

	<P>Despite the setbacks, Dorsey continued to fight, displaying the tenacity in practice that is a necessity in all great pass rushers. The work paid off in a breakthrough year in 1996 in which he started seven games. This season, as one of three seniors on defense, he is the undisputed leader of the team.

	<P>Dorsey's turn-around has happened in conjunction with an improving defense. Perhaps the two have had a direct impact on each other because as Dorsey has blossomed so has the defensive unit. This week, the Coach Oliver led bunch is ranked ninth in the nation in team defense. They have held three of their last four opponents well below their offensive averages.

	<P>Consider what this defense has accomplished. Tennessee averaged 404.7 total yards of offense a game and was ranked the eighth-best rushing offense in the country with 250.7 yards a contest on the ground. Auburn held the Vols to 218 total yards and that included passing yardage.

	<P>How about another example? Fifth-ranked Florida had the third best passing offense in the country, yielding 374 yards in the air and was rated sixth in total offense, with 498.8 yards a game. The Tigers held the Gators to 301 yards of offense, including 198 passing yards. It was the third lowest total in Steve Spurrier's nine seasons at Florida.

	<P>Louisiana Tech sported even gaudier numbers prior to its game with Auburn. The Bulldogs ranked first in total offense (539.6) and passing offense (434.4). Amazingly, La. Tech quarterback Tim Rattay passed for more yards than four football fields in each game, but the Tigers limited the Bulldogs to 227 yards in the air.

	<P>If Auburn was looking for a break from nationally-ranked offensive teams, it won't find it in Arkansas. The Razorbacks come into the game with the 15th-ranked scoring offense in the nation. Running backs Chrys Chukwuma and Madre Hill are averaging an impressive 7.0 and 4.9 yards per carry respectively and have combined for 10 touchdowns this season.

	<P>But by now, the Tiger defense has become accustomed to tests. After facing so many highly-ranked opponents, the group has earned its battle stripes against blitzkrieg-type offenses. Again and again, the defense has responded and as a result has become one of the top units statistically in the SEC and nation.

	<P>But despite the conference and national ranking, Auburn's defense still toils in relative obscurity. Dorsey may have the most well-known name of the group that includes fellow seniors, cornerback Jayson Bray and linebacker Ryan Taylor. The defense hasn't been tagged with some catchy name like the "Killer B's," "Desert Swarm," "Purple People-Eaters" or the "No-Names." Instead, the Tiger "D" continues to do its job without the hullabaloo that other defenses enjoy.

	<P>But players like strong safety Rob Pate and defensive linemen Leonardo Carson continue to post impressive numbers this season. A sophomore from Birmingham, Pate led the team with 42 tackles before being sidelined with strained oblique muscles for the Louisiana Tech game. He also has intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and totaled four tackles for loss.

	<P>Carson has combined with Dorsey to make up a dominant defensive line duo. Carson, from Mobile, AL, leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss and scored Auburn's only defensive touchdown this season, with an interception return against Mississippi State.

	<P>Maybe next season, Auburn's defense will gain more attention. After all, it is a fairly young team with nine starters returning and 19 of 22 on the two-deep depth chart coming back. Also, Auburn expects that preseason All-SEC selection Jimmy Brumbaugh, who played only three games this season on the defensive line, will be granted a medical redshirt and return for next season.

	<P>But there isn't time to look into the future. Auburn's defense must deal with the situation at hand and that includes stopping an undefeated Arkansas Razorback team. And there are still goals to achieve, like passing those eight other teams that are ranked ahead of them in the national team defensive standings.


	<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../" target="_top">PROGRAM INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="../../index.html" target="_top">HOME</A></P>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>


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