No Preseason For Auburn Cornerbacks

There will be no preseason warm-ups for Auburn cornerbacks David Irons and Jonathan Wilhite. The two will be tested early Saturday night when Washington State visits Jordan-Hare Stadium. While only winning four games a year ago, the Cougars are no push-overs when it comes to throwing the football.

Led by quarterback Alex Brink, look for State to throw the ball more than 50 times Saturday. Last season, Brink threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. His primary target will be preseason All-PAC 10 wide receiver Jason Hill. He had more than 1,000 yards in catches last year.

David Irons knows as well as anyone the importance of getting off to a good start. In his opener last year against Georgia Tech, All American Calvin Johnson welcomed Irons to big time college football. It's a performance he'd rather just forget.

Irons is determined to have a better showing this go around. And he has a lot riding on it. Unlike last year, David comes into the season with preseason All-SEC honors and a lot to prove. After all, he does have a brother that gets a little bit of love from the media.

Someone else who is out to prove something is Wilhite. The junior corner had a less than stellar performance in the Capital One Bowl against Wisconsin. Still it was a solid junior season for Wilhite who recorded 47 tackles and an interception against Kentucky.

Saturday's contest will probably be won or lost at the corners. Irons and Wilhite are determined to prove they are for real.