More Versatility in Auburn's Gameplan Next Year?

[Howard Roark 195]

It would be nice if we attacked the middle of the field more.  The play action pulls up the LBs, so we should run more crossing patterns, rubs, slants etc. We did do more of this against spuat.  It would be nice to see some bunch formations to help open up the WRs as well.  The play action should open up more patterns than we currently see.  I am hoping that Stidham has earned their confidence to open up the passing game even more next year. 

[ChattTNTiger 31]

 I think that our wide receivers would have better luck getting off coverage if their first step on running plays didn’t look like they were blocking.you can tell when it’s a running play with their first step.if You  always use the first step as a route maybe they had a little help with deception to help them with the hand work on the defender. I’m not much of an X’s & O’s guy but I do know some fundamentals... just an observation 

[abw0004 10,108]

18 hours ago, Malcolm_FleX48 said:

I'm sure we're all happy and a bit more satisfied now that Coach Malzahn seems to have "come into his own" in letting the players play and his coaches coach, however, I've a question that is pretty pressing.

Will our offense be more versatile next year and actually excel in doing more than spreading the field laterally to make easy money with run plays and screens? We've seen glimmers of a deep passing game this year, however, it seems that there are still some blemishes that keep even the most ardent of sunshine pumpers from simply letting go. Our offense is pretty one-dimensional in certain facets. Go up against a team with good enough linebackers and athletic enough safeties to get downhill and fill + scrape laterally and make plays in space and we're fairly sunk. This definitely needs to be remedied. Whether it's going whole-hog pitch and catch, or simply adding in more route concepts and combos that make use of the defense's predisposition to hone in on our running-lanes and neglect their pass duty a bit. Either by aligning closer to the LOS, or shortening their drift in coverage. I believe that without such versatility-in-scheme, we'll be shackled to having to rely on players during tough and debilitating schedules that are sure to bring injuries with them. 

Thoughts?

My two cents:  I believe we are finally recruiting the depth to be able to do a lot of different things with talented playmakers.  We were dealt an odd hand this year with the adversity we had to overcome.  One of our star running backs has been out all year, and our top receiver (at the time) was dismissed from the team.  That, and a brand new offensive coordinator with a quarterback having not played in two years was tough.  I think moving forward we will be more like the end of the season, than the beginning.  We have done a wonderful job this year creating depth and giving experience to where we can reload and remain a top contender.  My biggest worry is our gauntlet at the end of the season.  Moving forward we will most likely play Georgia in the SEC championship, so this upcoming year it is almost two away games against Georgia and one against Alabama.  Georgia will be fresher than us as their schedule is still a bunch of cupcakes, but we are essentially in a playoff game every game.

We need to find a way to attack our preventable injuries and doing everything we can to stop them.  I know some cannot be helped, but we need to be as cautious as we can.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, ChattTNTiger said:

 I think that our wide receivers would have better luck getting off coverage if their first step on running plays didn’t look like they were blocking.you can tell when it’s a running play with their first step.if You  always use the first step as a route maybe they had a little help with deception to help them with the hand work on the defender. I’m not much of an X’s & O’s guy but I do know some fundamentals... just an observation 

Interesting observation. I played a little CB in high school, and I always knew whether they were running a route or not based on their eyes. If it was a route, they were looking at the ground, where the route was headed, etc. If they were planning to block me, they looked right at my eyes. Gave me a big advantage. Vastly different level of football, obviously, but same result and definitely needs to be addressed if true. 

[AuMarine 1,372]

I really want to see CGM take a step back and let Lindsey run the offense 100%. I am worried about the OL next year. Hard for a QB to throw when the line isn't blocking. We have the players to be dominate on offense but you have to execute and block.. worried about the blocking part. 

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,287]

I thought we were past this when we looked really good verse Alabama and Georgia, and then threw a slant touchdown in the SEC championship game. 

Then the rest of that game happened and I'm reminded that we're not very multifaceted. We were beat up and tired, but not very creative.

[Linayus 676]

7 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Interesting observation. I played a little CB in high school, and I always knew whether they were running a route or not based on their eyes. If it was a route, they were looking at the ground, where the route was headed, etc. If they were planning to block me, they looked right at my eyes. Gave me a big advantage. Vastly different level of football, obviously, but same result and definitely needs to be addressed if true. 

Same. After a series or two (if the ball came my way at all), I could tell when it was a run play versus a pass play. Good corners should be able to pick up on things like that but good receivers should know how to mask it.

As a receiver, if you are on the line you need to come off the line hard at the snap. If you come off hard, you set the corner backpedaling or turning to run with you. Then you can adjust according to your route and gain the separation you need (even if it's only for a step or two).

I thought we started doing a decent job of mixing things up late in the season. We still have patches of predictability, including the personnel changes for specific packages, but we saw more of what we're capable of late.

One thing I'll just say - we'll never be that HUNH team again until we get players who can execute every play in the book so we can avoid substituting every 2-3 plays. Kirby Smart did a really good job of slowing us down when we substituted and we need to take away that advantage again. If they want to substitute those linemen/linebackers, call a timeout. Otherwise, we need to be moving on down the field.

[Mr.Gump 10]

One thing that bothers me is,especially in the first half...How long it takes the play to develop and then we only end up getting 2-3 yards.. Gus really needs to work on that.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

I would like to see halftime adjustments. When deep routes aren't working, maybe employ some hot routes and whatnot. Also, when the "run between the tackles after a first down" doesn't work, don't stick with it. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

On 12/4/2017 at 4:44 PM, corchjay said:

The bottom line for this offense is it needs a true blocking and catching TE.  It need more explosiveness from the RB position.  I'm talking taking it to the house.  I love KJ but his great runs are the 3 yard runs he turns into 7 yard runs.  He's a chain mover.  We need elite running backs if we are going to run the ball 45-50 times a game.  We also need WRs that can get separation and not just burning by someone I mean separation on a curl route an out route or a crossing route.  People have complained all year about the intermediate routes but they have been there, check downs as well, yet the intermediate routes were covered and/or not thrown to.  I also love hastings but he isn't an every down player.  He is so easily taken out of his route with physical play.  Same for R. Davis they just don't have the physical size to run intermediate routes and make catches over and over.  That's what NCM and Kyle Davis were supposed to be for.  

Nothing that happened on Saturday was from coaching or lack of coaching and adjustments.  No coach made R. Davis drop the ball on the quick throw.  No one made D. Barrett also drop the quick throw but themselves.  That is the counter to heavy blitz.  Screens and quick throws.  No one made Cox totally whiff on a blitzing linebacker and when I say whiff I mean didn't lay a finger on him.  Those are just 3 plays from the game where just a little more focus would have paid huge dividends but ended up punting.  Jarrett got a little happy feet and moving around in the pocket some when not required and he lost his accuracy.  

I didnt read all this post, but we have two RBs that are complete burners, one of them was about two defenders away from taking it to the house against Georgia like his first carry. 

 

You cant pay Gus enough to use his burner RBs post Grant. I'm still watching footage of Roc Thomas being completely disrespected by the man to this day

[Mr.Gump 10]

1 hour ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I didnt read all this post, but we have two RBs that are complete burners, one of them was about two defenders away from taking it to the house against Georgia like his first carry. 

 

You cant pay Gus enough to use his burner RBs post Grant. I'm still watching footage of Roc Thomas being completely disrespected by the man to this day

Lmao.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

1 hour ago, Mr.Gump said:

Lmao.

Hey man I only referenced the part that I wanted to talk about lol

[AUtigerfan1027 14]

4 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I didnt read all this post, but we have two RBs that are complete burners, one of them was about two defenders away from taking it to the house against Georgia like his first carry. 

 

You cant pay Gus enough to use his burner RBs post Grant. I'm still watching footage of Roc Thomas being completely disrespected by the man to this day

I’ve been to a few JSU games Roc hasn’t been all that special there either. Plus Roc didn’t want to be the speed sweep guy he wanted to be the every down back and his body couldn’t take it and the coaches knew it, just couldn’t get him to listsn

[Tiger 8,818]

Lots of things posted in this thread have been going on for years. But I will gladly take a true QB sneak built into this offense.

I mean Clemson does it and they are running a modernized Gus offense. If we can take a snap under center randomly from the sugar huddle we can do it on 4th and inches

[Malcolm_FleX48 1,869]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Lots of things posted in this thread have been going on for years. But I will gladly take a true QB sneak built into this offense.

I mean Clemson does it and they are running a modernized Gus offense. If we can take a snap under center randomly from the sugar huddle we can do it on 4th and inches

Gotta get a better push in those A-Gaps though.
Can't just be due to space.

[Tiger 8,818]

3 minutes ago, Malcolm_FleX48 said:

Gotta get a better push in those A-Gaps though.
Can't just be due to space.

You're right I just get nervous going shotgun when we are facing a 4th and fall forward

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 12/4/2017 at 5:52 PM, Eagle Eye 7 said:

This . We need to quit worrying about getting one back over 1000 and worry about getting a stable we can rotate and keep fresh. 

That would eliminate our NASCAR 1st & 10 RB Dive play. So not possible. 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

2 hours ago, Malcolm_FleX48 said:

Gotta get a better push in those A-Gaps though.
Can't just be due to space.

Yes and I think we need to do more blitzing on 3rd and 5+ yards. Especially when they are only sending a couple of WRs . To many times we were giving QBs way to much time in these situations.

[robbykidd 6]

I think our offense evolved quite nicely as the season progressed. With a whole off-season to build around Stidham, I think we will continue to be more balanced. This is something I've been waiting on for years. I'm really excited about next years team. 

Note: I've never seen so many Auburn fans worried about how many carries a running back gets. We've always had a workhorse back...is it because he's had a tendency to get hurt? KJ didn't get much playing time last year, so I feel like he needed as many reps as possible to become a complete back. 

[leglessdan 1,934]

1 hour ago, robbykidd said:

I think our offense evolved quite nicely as the season progressed. With a whole off-season to build around Stidham, I think we will continue to be more balanced. This is something I've been waiting on for years. I'm really excited about next years team. 

Note: I've never seen so many Auburn fans worried about how many carries a running back gets. We've always had a workhorse back...is it because he's had a tendency to get hurt? KJ didn't get much playing time last year, so I feel like he needed as many reps as possible to become a complete back. 

For me it's to build depth and by default with spell the feature back whomever it is. 

[1913-14 263]

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 1:34 PM, Malcolm_FleX48 said:

I'm sure we're all happy and a bit more satisfied now that Coach Malzahn seems to have "come into his own" in letting the players play and his coaches coach, however, I've a question that is pretty pressing.

Will our offense be more versatile next year and actually excel in doing more than spreading the field laterally to make easy money with run plays and screens? We've seen glimmers of a deep passing game this year, however, it seems that there are still some blemishes that keep even the most ardent of sunshine pumpers from simply letting go. Our offense is pretty one-dimensional in certain facets. Go up against a team with good enough linebackers and athletic enough safeties to get downhill and fill + scrape laterally and make plays in space and we're fairly sunk. This definitely needs to be remedied. Whether it's going whole-hog pitch and catch, or simply adding in more route concepts and combos that make use of the defense's predisposition to hone in on our running-lanes and neglect their pass duty a bit. Either by aligning closer to the LOS, or shortening their drift in coverage. I believe that without such versatility-in-scheme, we'll be shackled to having to rely on players during tough and debilitating schedules that are sure to bring injuries with them. 

Thoughts?

winner winner chicken dinner

[TexasTiger 12,811]

On 12/4/2017 at 5:05 PM, bigbird said:

1st.  I'd implement some Texas concept

2nd. I'd try some Mills concept like Spurrier used at UF

3rd. I'd try some sail concepts with a little more roll and half roll outs

 

In the beginning of the season, we ran some buck sweep, but towards the end of the year it seemed like all we ran was some variation of inside zone. We need balance in our run game as well. A toss, stretch, or any other OT runs would help loosen the middle.

I'm all for new concepts, whatever you call 'em.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

On 12/6/2017 at 2:16 PM, robbykidd said:

I think our offense evolved quite nicely as the season progressed. With a whole off-season to build around Stidham, I think we will continue to be more balanced. This is something I've been waiting on for years. I'm really excited about next years team. 

Note: I've never seen so many Auburn fans worried about how many carries a running back gets. We've always had a workhorse back...is it because he's had a tendency to get hurt? KJ didn't get much playing time last year, so I feel like he needed as many reps as possible to become a complete back. 

theres just no reason to have a workhorse if A. u got a stable B. the workhorse is hurt C. the workhorse is injury prone

[Linayus 676]

On 12/5/2017 at 8:34 PM, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I'm still watching footage of Roc Thomas being completely disrespected by the man to this day

My theory: Gus hates spin moves and Roc just couldn't help himself.

[AURex 1,984]

I'm hoping to see Stidham audible more. It takes time to figure out defenses, and it takes trust between the coaches and the QB, but JS is smart enough. Too often, Auburn was running plays right into the teeth of the defense, and too often JS was simply tossing the ball to his primary receiver, looking for the 50/50. rather than looking at the entire field. That will all come with experience, I hope.