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The Auburn Tigers are looking to make a serious run at the SEC title in 2015 after falling off to a disappointing 8-5 record last season. Gus Malzahn has opened up fall camp with a clear goal in mind and is keeping on his team to stay focused. So will the suspension of Duke Williams help the team’s leading receiver fall in line or completely derail the offense this season?
Williams is the leading returning receiver for Auburn after he posted 45 receptions for 730 yards and five touchdowns last season in 10 games. The 6-foot-2, 224-pound pass-catcher is a big, reliable target that figured to be the centerpiece of the Tigers attack this season as they looked to stretch the field more with Jeremy Johnson under center. Expectations for the senior were sky high coming into fall camp as he was named to several preseason All-America teams for 2015.
But Williams was held out of practice on Friday and Saturday for what Malzahn described as a “discipline issue” which could keep the receiver off the practice field for a while. Malzahn’s comments to reporters on Saturday suggested that it was an ongoing issue between Williams and the coaching staff, saying “Nobody is bigger than the team around here,” and “when he takes care of that, he’ll be back on the field.”
This isn’t the first time that Williams has run into trouble with his head coach. Last season, he missed several days of practice before being suspended leading up to the team’s appearance in the Outback Bowl for reportedly breaking team rules.
Malzahn appears to be standing firm on his suspension of Williams, expressing confidence in the depth of his receiving corps and seniors Ricardo Louis and Melvin Ray in particular. While it’s great that their coach believes in their ability, they have yet to prove it on the field after combining for just 29 receptions for 443 yards and four touchdowns in 2014. No other returning receivers on the roster posted more than 100 yards last season.
If Auburn can’t get Duke Williams back on the field on the same page as the rest of the team, they will be losing out on an elite pass-catcher in 2015. Without his services, will the Tigers’ passing attack suffer?
You can follow Tyler Brett on Twitter @ATylerBrett, on Facebook and on Google.
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