March 1, 2007

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn football team practiced in full pads for the first time this spring as the Tigers held their third workout of the week Thursday morning under intermittent rain sprinkles at the practice fields behind the Athletics Complex.

Following Thursday's workout, offensive coordinator Al Borges expressed disappointment that the offensive unit did not show as much toughness during the first day with pads as he would have liked.

"We have to get tougher offensively," said Borges. "We're too soft right now, and part of it is because we've got new guys and we've put in a lot of offense in three days. We're a little indecisive, but we'll fix that. I'm not worried about the assignment part of it, but we have to get tougher all the way around - not just the offensive linemen, but everybody. We just have to get more aggressive. On the first day of pads everybody should be breathing fire, but it wasn't from an offensive perspective everything that I wanted it to be."

Auburn opened practice with some special teams work before moving on to individual and group drills. The Tigers also came together to work as a team before concluding practice with field goals.

The Tigers will resume spring practice Friday at 4:15 p.m. before holding their first scrimmage of the spring Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium.