AUBURN, Ala. – Physical practices. Respect for Auburn's bowl opponent, especially Purdue's playmaker. And a preview of coming attractions.
A trio of Auburn upperclassmen updated reporters on the Tigers' preparation for next Friday's Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, with senior Chandler Cox lamenting the end of his Auburn career.
"It still hasn't hit me. It hasn't hit me at all," said Cox, contemplating a return to campus next month without team meetings and winter workouts.
"It's going to be tough. It's bittersweet," he said. "I'm excited to see the future of this program and excited to see the young guys take over."
Cox will pass the torch at H-back to John Samuel Shenker, a redshirt freshman who also plays tight end.
"He's going to do really well," Cox said. "It's tough to come out of high school and play H-back in the SEC. I can be the first one to tell you that, but I think he's going to do a phenomenal job replacing me. He might even be better than me. I can see in the future, he's going to do a really good job. He's just a good kid and is always willing to get better."
Senior linebacker Darrell Williams also identified a talented understudy during bowl practice, freshman Zakoby McClain.
"He's got a lot of athleticism," Williams said. "He's fast, he's quick. He has a lot of ability. He's one of those guys who caught the coaches' eyes as soon as he stepped on campus, as soon as he started practice. He'll definitely help a lot in the years to come. The coaches are expecting a lot out of him in the next couple years."
Freshman offensive lineman Kameron Stutts made an impression on junior guard Mike Horton.
"He's definitely stepped up," Horton said. "I've seen big things from him. He's strong for a young guy. He definitely has some strength."
In the bowl game, Auburn will defend freshman receiver Rondale Moore, who won the Paul Hornung Award, given to college football's most versatile player.
"He's got a lot of ability. He's a speedy guy," Williams said. "I know he's made a lot of plays for them. I feel like our DBs are up for the challenge."
Williams called a Moore, who tallied 13 touchdowns and 2,048 all-purpose yards, including 103 receptions for 1,164 yards, "a dynamic player."
"I think they play really hard and I think they're going to be a great opponent," said Horton, noting that Auburn's bowl practices provide additional time for the Tigers' offensive line to develop.
"I think as far as playing experience and meshing together, I think we learned about each other as the season went on," Horton said. "I feel like that's the biggest to me, because if you have chemistry, then everything works. Offensive line play is about all five guys working together. That's the biggest part of it."
Seeking victory No. 8 this season, the Tigers will practice Wednesday morning, then take off a few days before heading to Nashville on Sunday. Auburn (7-5) and Purdue (6-6) kick off at 12:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 28 on ESPN.
"We've had a really good week of practice so far," Cox said. "It's been a lot of energy. It's been physical, especially at my position. We've been going best on best, ones on ones a lot this week, which has been good for us.
"I've been through four years of it and I can tell this year's been different than last year. That's one thing Coach Malzahn has emphasized this week, to push even harder, to treat it like a one-game season and to give everything we've got."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer