2009 Auburn Tigers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University
during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. The Tigers were led by first year head coach Gene Chizik
. Despite playing the 12th toughest schedule in the nation, the Tigers finished the season 8–5 (3–5 in SEC play) and won the Outback Bowl
38–35 in overtime against Northwestern
.
While Auburn was unranked at the end of the season in both major polls, several BCS
participating computer rating systems such as Sagarin (#22), Massey (#22), Peter Wolfe (#25), Howell (#24), David Wilson (#21), Team Rankings (#18) and the FACT Foundation (#21) included the Tigers in their final top 25 rankings.
The offense finished the season ranked 2nd in the SEC and 16th in the nation (with just under 432 yards per game), while the defense struggled with depth issues and finished 68th and 2nd worst in the SEC. The pass efficiency defense however was 3rd best in the SEC and ranked 22nd in the nation.
would not return for an eleventh season. The coaching search ended less than two weeks later when Auburn announced Iowa State's
second-year head coach and former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
as the Tigers' next head coach. Auburn had interviewed at least eight coaches, including Buffalo's Turner Gill
and TCU
's Gary Patterson
.
opponents (four home, four away) and four non-conference opponents. Auburn opened the season against Louisiana Tech
. It was the twelfth matchup between the schools and the first meeting since 2004. The Tigers also hosted Mid-American Conference
opponent Ball State
for the third time. Also, Football Championship Subdivision foe visited for the first time since 1956. Auburn began conference play in the second week, hosting Mississippi State
. The following week, the Tigers hosted West Virginia
, the second game in a home-and-home series between the two teams. The Tigers had previously faced all twelve regular season opponents, with Auburn holding the all-time series lead going into the season against all but Alabama
(33–39–1), LSU (19–23–1), and West Virginia (0–1).
*Entering season
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
. The Tigers were led by first year head coach Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
. Despite playing the 12th toughest schedule in the nation, the Tigers finished the season 8–5 (3–5 in SEC play) and won the Outback Bowl
2010 Outback Bowl
The 2010 Outback Bowl was the 24th edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The game started at 11 AM US EST on Friday, January 1, 2010. The game was telecast on ESPN and matched Auburn University against Northwestern University...
38–35 in overtime against Northwestern
2009 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2009 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten during the 2009–2010 college football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his fourth season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach. The Wildcats home games were played at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois...
.
While Auburn was unranked at the end of the season in both major polls, several BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
participating computer rating systems such as Sagarin (#22), Massey (#22), Peter Wolfe (#25), Howell (#24), David Wilson (#21), Team Rankings (#18) and the FACT Foundation (#21) included the Tigers in their final top 25 rankings.
The offense finished the season ranked 2nd in the SEC and 16th in the nation (with just under 432 yards per game), while the defense struggled with depth issues and finished 68th and 2nd worst in the SEC. The pass efficiency defense however was 3rd best in the SEC and ranked 22nd in the nation.
Coaching change
On December 3, 2008, Auburn University announced that 10-year head coach Tommy TubervilleTommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
would not return for an eleventh season. The coaching search ended less than two weeks later when Auburn announced Iowa State's
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
second-year head coach and former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
as the Tigers' next head coach. Auburn had interviewed at least eight coaches, including Buffalo's Turner Gill
Turner Gill
Turner Hillery Gill is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach at Kansas from 2010-2011, and was one of 11 African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision at the time of his hiring.-College:Gill graduated from Arlington Heights High...
and TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
's Gary Patterson
Gary Patterson
Gary Patterson is the head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs college football team. He grew up in Rozel, Kansas and played football at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State University. Patterson is married to Kelsey Patterson . He has three sons: Josh, Cade and Blake...
.
Schedule
Auburn's schedule consisted of eight Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
opponents (four home, four away) and four non-conference opponents. Auburn opened the season against Louisiana Tech
2009 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team represented Louisiana Tech University in the college football season of 2009. LA Tech competed in the Western Athletic Conference and played their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, LA. The team was coached by Derek Dooley, who was in his...
. It was the twelfth matchup between the schools and the first meeting since 2004. The Tigers also hosted Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
opponent Ball State
2009 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2009 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the 2009 college football season. Ball State competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference West Division. The team was coached by Stan Parrish and played their homes game at Scheumann Stadium...
for the third time. Also, Football Championship Subdivision foe visited for the first time since 1956. Auburn began conference play in the second week, hosting Mississippi State
2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2009 college football season. Mississippi State has been a member of the Southeastern Conference since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division...
. The following week, the Tigers hosted West Virginia
2009 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2009 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2009. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia...
, the second game in a home-and-home series between the two teams. The Tigers had previously faced all twelve regular season opponents, with Auburn holding the all-time series lead going into the season against all but Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
(33–39–1), LSU (19–23–1), and West Virginia (0–1).
Depth chart
Starters and backups.Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coaches | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Harris | Not released | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||
| BCS | Not released | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Alma mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... |
Year Entering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Chizik Gene Chizik Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS... |
Head Coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
1st |
| Gus Malzahn Gus Malzahn Gus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa... |
Offensive Coordinator Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... /Quarterbacks Quarterbacks coach A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff.... |
Henderson State Henderson State University Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges... |
1st |
| Ted Roof Ted Roof Terrence Edwin Roof, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Currently, he is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Auburn University. Roof served as the head coach at Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling a 6–45 record... |
Defensive Coordinator Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... /Linebackers Linebackers coach A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker... |
Georgia Tech | 1st |
| Trooper Taylor Trooper Taylor Trooper Taylor is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach under head coach Gene Chizik. Prior to joining Auburn, Taylor served as co-offensive coordinator for Oklahoma State... |
Assistant head coach/Wide receivers Wide receivers coach A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator.... |
Baylor Baylor University Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:... |
1st |
| Curtis Luper Curtis Luper Curtis Scott Luper is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach Gene Chizik... |
Running backs Running backs coach A running backs coach is a coach in charge of the running backs in gridiron football. The running backs coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator.... /Recruiting Coordinator |
Stephen F. Austin | 1st |
| Jeff Grimes Jeff Grimes Jeff Grimes is an American college football assistant coach and current offensive line coach at Auburn University... |
Offensive line Offensive line coach The offensive line coach is a coaching position in gridiron football that is in charge of the offensive line. This role is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The offensive line coach serves the offense, which is led by the offensive coordinator.... |
UTEP | 1st |
| Jay Boulware Jay Boulware Jay Boulware is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach under new head coach Gene Chizik. He has spent over a decade as an assistant coach, primarily in the Big 12 and Pac 10 conferences... |
Special teams Coordinator/Tight ends | Texas | 1st |
| Phillip Lolley Phillip Lolley Phillip Lolley is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as cornerbacks coach under head coach Gene Chizik... |
Cornerbacks | Livingston Livingston College From 1969 to 2007 Livingston College was one of the residential colleges that comprised Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's undergraduate liberal arts programs. It was located on Livingston Campus in Piscataway, NJ. In the Fall of 2007 the New Brunswick-area liberal arts undergraduate... |
1st |
| Tommy Thigpen Tommy Thigpen Tommy Thigpen is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as safeties coach under head coach Gene Chizik. He had spent the previous four seasons serving as linebackers coach at North Carolina... |
Safeties | North Carolina University of North Carolina Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century... |
1st |
| Tracy Rocker | Defensive line Defensive Line Coach A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily... |
Auburn Auburn University Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts... |
1st |
| Kevin Yoxall | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach | TCU TCU TCU is an abbreviation for:* Tauranga City United, a New Zealand association football club* Telecommunication Control Unit* Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic program of the school... |
10th |