AUBURN – Auburn quarterback Cam Newton continues to play well for the Tigers, and he also continues to deflect questions about being a Heisman Trophy candidate.
The question surfaced once again Sunday, with No. 7 Auburn preparing to play 12th-ranked Arkansas, led by quarterback Ryan Mallett, another Heisman contender.
“I can't just say that I'm going to embrace the Heisman talk because I really don't like me being singled out in front of everybody,” Newton said. “As far as this team, we have some warriors on this team that I would be willing to die for. We've got the defenders on defense that don't get the recognition.
"...For me to just say, 'I'm just going to be selfish this week' or be selfish this day and say, 'I'm the Heisman' or I'm being noticed as the Heisman Trophy winner, that's not fair to everybody else that's doing the same thing that I'm doing and not getting credit for it.”
Newton isn’t buying any “Newton vs. Mallett” hype either.
“No, it's just do your job and win the football game,” Newton said. “That's it.”
Light fuse, clear area
Saturday’s game between the Razorbacks and the Tigers will match two of the nation’s most prolific offenses.
Arkansas is ranked No. 1 in the SEC and third nationally in passing offense, averaging 354 yards per game.Auburn ranks No. 1 in the SEC and eighth nationally in rushing offense, averaging 276 yards per game.
In total offense, Arkansas ranks No. 1 in the SEC and 10th nationally with 483 yards per game, while Auburn is No. 2 in the SEC and 19th in the nation at 462.8 yards per game.
Highs and lows of the AP poll
Auburn’s ranking of seventh in the latest Associated Press poll is far too low according to at least one voter, and far too high according to another.
Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review Journal has the Tigers ranked at No. 3, the highest ranking Auburn received in the poll.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times has the Tigers ranked 14th, the lowest ranking among the voters in this week’s poll.
Condotta actually had the Tigers ranked 12th heading into the weekend, but dropped them two spots after their 37-34 victory on the road against Kentucky.
Changing of the guard
Auburn made a change of punters against Kentucky.The Tigers went with freshman Steven Clark in place of senior Ryan Shoemaker.
Clark punted twice for a 34-yard average with a long punt of 36 yards.
Shoemaker has punted 16 times this season for an average of 38.9 yards per kick.
“We're going to go with who we think is the best guy,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. “And we just felt like he's been making a lot of progress in practice, and we felt like it was time. And we want a guy who's going to be able to get some better distance and hang time and things of that nature.”
CBS picks Auburn-Arkansas game
Auburn’s game against Arkansas will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be televised by CBS.
It will mark Auburn’s first appearance on CBS this season, and will
be the first Auburn-Arkansas game to be televised by CBS since 2006.
The contest will also mark the first time in the history of the Auburn-Arkansas series that both teams will be nationally-ranked entering the game.
Auburn (6-0, 3-0 SEC) is ranked seventh in the Oct. 10 USA Today Coaches Poll, while Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) is ranked 12th.
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