New wrinkles for offense

[aubiefifty 16,761]

espn.com

 

What new wrinkles will Chip Lindsey add to Auburn offense?

Greg OstendorfESPN Staff Writer

The Auburn spring game is this Saturday, and fans will get their first look at what the offense might look like under new coordinator Chip Lindsey.

Will they throw more? How do they plan to use each of the quarterbacks? How much of Jarrett Stidham will we see? Those are some of the questions Lindsey and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn will discuss when they sit down this week and formulate a plan for Saturday’s game.

Don’t expect to see too much, though. Malzahn has been known to keep his offensive play-calling pretty vanilla in past spring games.

"Every year’s a little bit different," Malzahn said this past Saturday. "But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s best for your team. There’s a lot of information these days on TV and in the stands. So yeah, I’m pretty guarded -- probably more guarded than most -- and I need to be."

That doesn’t mean you won’t see a few of the new wrinkles implemented by Lindsey since he’s been at Auburn. Here’s a look at a few specific things to keep an eye on Saturday when the offense is on the field.

1. Taking shots down the field

 

New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has a history of creating explosive plays, which has been an Auburn weakness in recent seasons. John Reed/USA TODAY Sports

If there’s an area where Auburn’s offense has struggled in recent years, it’s been generating explosive plays. The Tigers ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in each of the past two seasons in plays of 20 yards or more. Through the air, they have combined for 64 plays of 20 yards or more. Only Vanderbilt has fewer explosive plays through the air during that span.

Lindsey intends to change that. In 2015, when he was the offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles led the nation in total plays of 20 yards or more (109) and passing plays of 20 yards or more (79).

So don’t be surprised if you see Stidham or Woody Barrett or any of the quarterbacks (with the exception of Sean White who will miss the game because of injury) air it out a little more this weekend. In terms of identity, this is still a run, play-action team. But the Tigers threw the ball more than normal (60-40, run-pass) in the two scrimmages leading up to the spring game, and there’s no reason that Saturday will be any different.

"Some of the similarities that [Lindsey] has with what I’ve done at Baylor -- some of the deeper passing game -- it’s been a lot of fun," Stidham said. "And a lot of it, I’ve done before. It's kind of second nature."

2. Non-traditional pass-catchers

Since Malzahn has been the head coach, Auburn hasn’t had a tight end catch more than 11 passes in a season. In 2015, there wasn't a catch made by a tight end the entire season. And last year, sophomore tight end Jalen Harris caught just two passes -- both for touchdowns.

It’s clear that the tight end hasn’t been a priority in Malzahn’s offense. Will that change now that Lindsey is running the show?

"At the end of the day you build an offense around your playmakers, and if your tight ends are in your top 3-to-5 playmakers, they’re going to catch balls," Lindsey said this spring. "That’s the way it works. If not, you’re going to get the ball to the guys that can score."

So really it comes down to the players at the tight end position, and Auburn looks to have a couple of potential playmakers in Harris and newcomer Sal Cannella, the No. 1 tight end in this year's ESPN JC 50.

What might be more likely is more passes to the running backs. Kalen Ballage caught 44 passes at Arizona State last season under Lindsey. In 2015, both Ito Smith and Jalen Richard caught more than 30 passes from the running back spot for Southern Miss. It’s simply another way to get the ball in the hands of your playmakers, and that’s all Lindsey is trying to do.

Even Kamryn Pettway, who caught two passes all of last season, has been working this spring to be a better pass-catcher out of the backfield.

3. Mobile quarterbacks

This was not a staple of Lindsey’s offense at Arizona State or Southern Miss. Nick Mullens, his quarterback at Southern Miss, will be the first to tell you that he’s not a dual-threat option under center.

However, Auburn has some quarterbacks on its roster who can scoot. Barrett and true freshman Malik Willis have turned heads this spring with their ability to make plays with their feet, and even Stidham -- the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the ESPN 300 -- has shown the ability to run when needed.

 

"I’m comfortable with it," Stidham said. "I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to be Cam Newton or Nick Marshalland take it 75 [yards] to the house. I’m probably going to get caught from behind. That’s just not my game. But I like to run around a little bit and keep the defense honest."

Let’s also not forget that Lindsey was an offensive analyst for Auburn in 2013 when Marshall rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s familiar with the Run-Pass Options that have become such an important part of Auburn’s offense under Malzahn.

Don't be surprised if we see some of that this Saturday.

[WarTim 3,456]

Thanks for posting 

[meh130 1,043]

I think in A-Day it will be vanilla. We will likely see some standard drop back passing, in large part due to the nature of the A-Day game rules.

In the fall, I do think we will see the Inside Zone Read Run Pass Option play added. This is a great way to leverage a Slot WR on an inside slant, dig, or hitch route, or a TE on a hitch or out route when you have a strong inside zone running game which Pettway provides.

[alexava 6,973]

I look fwd to the game just because. I don't expect to be wowed. There will still be plenty of questions after. 

[Win4AU 4,052]

I'd like to see one of the TEs stand out!  Having a bruising TE make plays and punish DBs will really help out our young WRs.  A Gronk, Kelsey, Jimmy Graham hybrid type should excel in this offense.

[80Tiger 899]

3 hours ago, meh130 said:

I think in A-Day it will be vanilla. We will likely see some standard drop back passing, in large part due to the nature of the A-Day game rules.

In the fall, I do think we will see the Inside Zone Read Run Pass Option play added. This is a great way to leverage a Slot WR on an inside slant, dig, or hitch route, or a TE on a hitch or out route when you have a strong inside zone running game which Pettway provides.

I think you are right. It will be vanilla. It was last year, but at the same time, I don't think many came away from last  years A day feeling very good about the offense.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I'd like to see one of the TEs stand out!  Having a bruising TE make plays and punish DBs will really help out our young WRs.  A Gronk, Kelsey, Jimmy Graham hybrid type should excel in this offense.

Yeah, I was hoping to hear Canella's name a little more by now. Or Harris's name, even. I'm not *worried* about it, but it would be nice to hear. 

[ToomersStreet 795]

Is having Jarrett Stidham count as a new wrinkle?

[bigbird 60,509]

20 minutes ago, ToomersStreet said:

Is having Jarrett Stidham count as a new wrinkle?

Ask @augolf1716 he knows all too well about wrinkles

[Timeslider 6 269]

I imagine that the plays the TEs get in on aren't being reported too much. Everything being reported is very vanilla, you count that they are phasing the new TE (Carnilla, i know i misspelled that) into the offense.They just aren't making too much about it and rightly so, i wouldn't anyone who might be watching, for spying reasons, to learn too much too soon.

[augolf1716 21,109]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

Ask @augolf1716 he knows all too well about wrinkles

In places you can't imagine

[bigbird 60,509]

2 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

In places you can't imagine

And would never want to

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Ask @augolf1716 he knows all too well about wrinkles

but

are they new? 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

41 minutes ago, bigbird said:

And would never want to

The very idea is sort'a offensive.

 

ETA - but on topic, I guess.