--S Zac Etheridge's comeback from a scary neck injury is nearly complete, as the senior captain was expected to be with the team in full capacity during camp. Etheridge's football future was in doubt when he collided awkwardly with teammate Antonio Coleman's shoulder pad when attempting to make a tackle Oct. 31 against Ole Miss.

Etheridge lay motionless on the field and temporarily lost feeling in his extremities before he was air-lifted to a Birmingham hospital. After months of extensive rehabilitation, Etheridge was medically cleared midway through July and had little hesitation to return to the field.

"With the passion I have for it, it's hard for me to say no to the game," he said.

--Much has been made of Alabama's 2010 schedule that sees the Crimson Tide play six teams that are coming off bye weeks, but Auburn faces a similar predicament. Seven of the Tigers' 12 opponents will be coming off weeks when they hosted teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

--Junior DB D'Antoine Hood left the team this summer and transferred to Alabama State, a SWAC school 45 miles up the interstate from Auburn. Hood, the cousin of NFL cornerback Roderick Hood, battled injuries and didn't see the field much during his two years at Auburn.

SPOTLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER
The Tigers' first road game got a lot more difficult when ESPN picked up Auburn's second-week game at Mississippi State and moved it to a prime-time Thursday. The challenge was already there for Auburn. Now, the Tigers will have to do it under the lights with cowbells blaring.

KEYS TO SUCCESS
Auburn's defense was one of the worst in program history in 2009, yet the team was still able to win eight games and nearly pull off upsets against Georgia and Alabama. The offense, under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn in his second year, promises to be just as potent with Cameron Newton at quarterback. If the Tigers can plug a few holes and allow some of their marquee players, such as linebackers Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes, to take a few snaps off, you'd have to think Auburn could compete with anyone.

AREAS OF CONCERN
The defensive line, while deeper than other areas, carries a number of question marks into 2010. The Tigers are looking to replace All-SEC DE Antonio Coleman and are thin on defensive tackles. If tackles Mike Blanc and Nick Fairley can't stay healthy, true freshmen Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter might be forced to play right away, while senior Antoine Carter will be asked to live up the potential that's hung over his head since he arrived on campus three years ago.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"There were rumors going around. Some people were saying he was 7-foot tall, and you kind of think he is looking at him from a distance. There's obviously been some big expectations. And the way he's handling all them, the way he's not just living by the hype but working hard, being an example to the rest of us is pretty special." -- OT Lee Ziemba, on new Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton

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