Shivers becoming a more dangerous weapon

AUBURN | Shaun Shivers showed off his big-play potential last season. With that experience and a hard-working offseason, the sophomore running back is ready to be even more productive in year two.

He’s placed an emphasis on being a better receiver out of the backfield.

“After practice I stay catching football and then after I do that, I just show, like I try to get some routes that we run in practice and I run routes, and show coach I can catch the football,” Shivers said.

Shivers rushed for 371 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries as a true freshman. His only two receptions netted (-8) yards. He had a 7-yard touchdown run against LSU, a 25-yard TD run against Liberty and a 75-yard TD run at Alabama that was called back due to a penalty.

The 5-foot-7 and now 179-pound Shivers said he enters this season a much more confident player. He’s worked on being more patient as a running back, a hallmark of his new running backs coach, Carnell Williams.

“I can pass block and I’ve been working on my catching,” Shivers said. “I can catch the football and obviously I can run the football."

Williams, an All-American running back for the Tigers and a first round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, sees a lot of himself in Shivers.

“He is a great young man,” Williams said. “A guy who always comes with a smile on his face. A guy who's always energetic, hard-working. I mean, if he had a bad day since I've been here, I can't tell. I mean he has been so great for not only my room, but i feel like this team. Because he is a guy to go 110 percent each and every day. He's a guy that's locked in.

“So I am excited to see what he brings, because you know, one thing I know is you can't coach speed. And he has a lot of it. I am looking forward to seeing him in some open fields and running away from guys.”

No. 16 Auburn opens the season against No. 11 Oregon Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.