Packages.

Run or pass? The defense can tell, just based upon who comes on the field.
(Tight end lined up wide? Definitely a deceptive run.)
(Photo by Acid Reign.)

     War Eagle, everybody! Ordinarily, one would not thing a matchup featuring Auburn and Arkansas State would be an important game. However, this Saturday’s tilt is very important, make no mistake. A loss against the Red Wolves would all but doom the Auburn coaching staff, make no mistake! After a season of questionable offense, followed by a first-half train-wreck against Clemson, a zero-and-two start might be too much to recover from, with Texas A&M and LSU coming to town afterwards.

     We were told during the off-season that pace was going to be important, this season. The offense was playing hurry-up in practice, and this fall, the Tigers were going to run more plays. To do that, of course, Auburn was going to have to limit substitutions. Instead, what we got against Clemson was a rotating cast of 30 or more players just on the offensive side of the ball.

     Quite honestly, it has become obvious when Auburn is going to run it, or throw it, just based upon what personnel are the field. Is a tailback and an H-back in the game? It’s going to be a run, 80 percent of the time. Is a running back lined up to take the snap? It’s a run play, 100 percent of the time. Four wide receivers? Probably pass. Make sure Marcus Davis is doubled, and send the house.

     One of the more unfortunate examples of these tendencies came in the 4^th quarter, when Auburn faced 4^th and 1 at the 5 yard line. Jeremy Johnson entered the game, and set the play. It was easy to tell that he was on a short leash, after several sacks and a bad interception earlier in the game. Johnson clearly didn’t like what he saw from the defense, which sank down into a Bear-look. Still, he had to go with what was called, quarterback-power. Clemson sent about 5 guys up the middle on a run blitz, and Johnson had nowhere to go.

     One of the more successful short-yardage packages in Auburn history was featured in 1995. Auburn ran it out of the I-formation, and I don’t think it was stopped all year, on third or fourth and a yard or less. The defense had to account for the quarterback sneak with Dameyune Craig, the belly play to Fred Beaseley at full back, either a dive or a toss sweep to Stephen Davis at tailback, or a bootleg the other way with Craig. And all three tight ends had to be covered, too, because Craig could pull up and throw to either Andy Fuller, Jesse McCovery or Tyrone Dillard. When Auburn showed quarterback power against Clemson, we knew Johnson wasn’t going to throw, and he had no one to hand the ball to, and no lead blockers.

     I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Auburn cannot be successful if skill-position players are spread out on the field, with no intention to use them. If a receiver is out there, and the quarterback is not allowed to throw it to him, the offense is just playing short-handed. Some of the more successful plays last Saturday WERE when the quarterback threw it to one of the young guys. Clemson was helpless when Auburn tossed the little out route to Will Hastings. Clemson had a single safety covering that, with no hope of staying with Hastings. Auburn should have beaten on that nail a whole lot more. Late in the game, Sean White found Kyle Davis wide open behind the secondary, for a big play. Why? No one believed the youngster would be thrown to. A better throw there would have been a touchdown.

     Arkansas State comes into Auburn hurting on pass defense. They gave up 371 passing yards on opening day, against MAC foe Toledo. The Red Wolves top three cornerbacks are all under 6 feet tall, and 175 pounds. Pretty much every Auburn receiver is bigger than this. Should Auburn come out in the single-wing formation against this bunch, we’ll have definitive proof that the offensive coaching staff has lost their minds.

     Head coach Gus Malzahn has said this week that the rotation among quarterbacks this week will be less. Still, I’d expect to see 2^nd team quarterback John Franklin III in there a bit. And of course, Arkansas state can immediately discard the idea of defending the pass, when that happens. That is how predictable the Tiger offense has become. Same thing, when Auburn shows the wildcat look with a running back taking the snap. Auburn has not thrown a successful pass out of the wildcat since 2010 against Ole Miss, when Kodi Burns tossed a TD to Cam Newton.

     Even if the Auburn coaching staff decides to run the same predictable packages, the offensive line must block a whole lot better. My thought from last week is that Auburn really got away from zone-blocking, and instead had things set up where every lineman had a specific man to block. When Clemson stemmed and shifted the line around, those assignments were scrambled. Recognition and adjustment must get a whole lot better. I observed both tackles fail to take even one step back, in pass protection, while the end raced around them untouched, upon several occasions. I don’t know how such a fundamental mistake is made, after a whole off-season of work. And, the middle linebacker just can’t be allowed to race up the middle unimpeded on any down. We KNOW that the Red Wolves will send him, after seeing the success Clemson had blowing up the offense last week.

     It is said that teams often show the most improvement between week one and two. Last year, that certainly did not happen, as Jacksonville State came in and embarrassed the Tigers after a win against a decent Louisville team. Let’s pray that Arkansas State doesn’t have similar luck. The Red Wolves don’t have near the talent level Auburn does, but if the coaches can’t get away from bone-headed schemes and play calling, it might be another long Saturday evening in Auburn.

The post Packages. appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://bit.ly/2cn6kQh
via IFTTT