Who are the playmakers on offense?

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Seth is hurt. Anthony has a cast. Boobie is a work horse but has trouble holding on to the ball. 

So from a starting standpoint that leaves Eli, Will, and Sal? At RB it looks like Kam is next in line? 

Just trying to see what the coaches have to work with here to score some points. 

[aubaseball 2,583]

This is impossible to say.   First, you would have to get into the mind of dufuss and figure out who he is going to play.   Just from watching with open eyes, shivers, AS, Seth Williams, Hastings, stove and Joiner are some that need to be getting the ball.  The problem is we don’t have a coach that can scheme to get the ball in their hands.   

If you got the chance of watching a team utilizing and scheming to get the football in space and into its playmakers hands, Clemson is the offense.   

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

1 hour ago, gr82b4au said:

Seth is hurt. Anthony has a cast. Boobie is a work horse but has trouble holding on to the ball. 

So from a starting standpoint that leaves Eli, Will, and Sal? At RB it looks like Kam is next in line? 

Just trying to see what the coaches have to work with here to score some points. 

I honestly think we have many that have not been seen much but unfortunately it is speculation.  I think we definitely need to see a good bit more of Joiner, Hill, and Shnenker ,? spelling.  

The huge problem right now is that instead of using players in the offense as a whole Gus uses players on plays.  Like Devin Barrett was used, Joiner is only used for one play.  Why in the hell would you use a guy that can run and catch on only one play??????????????  Especially when we are in dire need of a pass catching threat to help the offense out.  Only Gus would do that.  Hill looks great in the open field making plays.  Why in the world is he kept off of the field when a guy like Sal is starting.  Get your best playmakers on the field.  Gus  would lose a gunfight by firing one shot from a 30 shot magazine.

[Zeek 16,616]

With the injuries it's going to have to be Stove, Hill, and Sal until Schwartz/Hastings/Seth are good to go.

Joiner could really be useful but not if all he ever gets to do is run the same daggum wheel route every time he is in the game.

If Bo Nix starts keeping even 5% more of the read options and getting roughly 40 yards per game, then I think we see the running game open up a little bit more. Worm and Kam have to be used more often as well in less predictable ways.

Canella should be running slants all day in the red zone and use his big body to wedge between the defender and the ball.

[Win4AU 4,052]

22 minutes ago, Zeek said:

With the injuries it's going to have to be Stove, Hill, and Sal until Schwartz/Hastings/Seth are good to go.

Joiner could really be useful but not if all he ever gets to do is run the same daggum wheel route every time he is in the game.

If Bo Nix starts keeping even 5% more of the read options and getting roughly 40 yards per game, then I think we see the running game open up a little bit more. Worm and Kam have to be used more often as well in less predictable ways.

Canella should be running slants all day in the red zone and use his big body to wedge between the defender and the ball.

Agree on Bo.  We don’t need him to be Nick Marshall but the defense has to be mindful of him keeping it on the outside.  I wonder if Gus is intentionally sandbagging the offense to not show TaMu, Miss State, Florida too much?  Tubs used to do that and was very successful in big games.  It may be all Oline play but another running back has to step up and be a playmaker.  Don’t really care who it is at this point but definitely need someone who can get past the line of scrimmage on a regular basis.

[auburnphan 6,050]

Typically the Qb, wrs, rbs and tes.  Sometimes a fullback.

[McLoofus 35,182]

37 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Canella should be running slants all day in the red zone and use his big body to wedge between the defender and the ball.

Yup! Pretty sure literally any other offense that isn't a triple option or other niche deal would be using him this way at least some of the time. Ditto for any number of other guys we've had who are matchup nightmares- little fast guys like Hastings (and Ryan Davis), big bodies guys like Joiner (and NCM)....

Sigh. At least we're getting Sal more involved in other ways.

Where's Jay Jay Wilson? Where are Worm and Joiner? Hell, throw MAR in there if DJ can't go. 

[IronMan70 3,277]

,It's not like we don't have guys that can play. 

QB- Gatewood brings a different dimension to the offense and opens up the defense. He can run very well and is a pass threat. 

FB/HB/TE- Nigh and his 267 lbs. can catch the ball. Shenker and Wilson can also catch. Then there is the big Freshman TE that isn't injured. Short slants, curls and seam routes are all there to be used for them.

RB- Joiner can run and catch,  DJ Williams can run (if he's not hurt use him to give Whitlow a rest), Richards can be used for that too. Shivers and Martin can run in the open and are great safety valves for Nix. 

WR- Stove, McClain, Hastings and Canella can all catch the ball. Schwartz ( the cast ?), Seth Williams (get that shoulder healed).

That's a lot of talent that can be utilized and worked into the offense. Some of them like Joiner, Gatewood and Canella need a lot more touches.

[NoALtiger 3,849]

For me a quick, off the top of my head under utilized playmakers list easily includes Shivers, Sal, Gatewood, and Joiner. And that doesn’t even include the mystery that is Marquis McClain. 

[Zeek 16,616]

37 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Agree on Bo.  We don’t need him to be Nick Marshall but the defense has to be mindful of him keeping it on the outside.  I wonder if Gus is intentionally sandbagging the offense to not show TaMu, Miss State, Florida too much?  Tubs used to do that and was very successful in big games.  It may be all Oline play but another running back has to step up and be a playmaker.  Don’t really care who it is at this point but definitely need someone who can get past the line of scrimmage on a regular basis.

I'm partially inclined to believe the play-calling could be "vanilla" right now but there's one problem with that approach by Gus. Our offense has been the same for years and I'm not positive what we could possibly be hiding at this point barring some weird statue-of-liberty-esque plays.

6 minutes ago, NoALtiger said:

For me a quick, off the top of my head under utilized playmakers list easily includes Shivers, Sal, Gatewood, and Joiner. And that doesn’t even include the mystery that is Marquis McClain. 

McClain just makes no sense to me man. Agreed with many here that are saying Gatewood should be in for almost all wildcat scenarios if he's going to be used as a passer as well and provide a legitimate double threat against defenses. Not that Boobee hasn't handled the wildcat well for some touchdowns, but I'm a staunch believer that no defense should allow the wildcat to work if the opposing team never throws from the formation.

[wakeriderof87 31]

52 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Agree on Bo.  We don’t need him to be Nick Marshall but the defense has to be mindful of him keeping it on the outside.  I wonder if Gus is intentionally sandbagging the offense to not show TaMu, Miss State, Florida too much?  Tubs used to do that and was very successful in big games.  It may be all Oline play but another running back has to step up and be a playmaker.  Don’t really care who it is at this point but definitely need someone who can get past the line of scrimmage on a regular basis.

That could explain away some of the problems against Tulane, but holding back against Oregon? 

[Win4AU 4,052]

I feel like the offense was better against Oregon.  Also I’d expect Auburn to struggle on offense against a top team from a power 5 conference with a freshman in his first start. I know Tulane has good players and all that jazz but that wasn’t the reason Auburn struggled Saturday.  Too many shots in the foot and a non existent run game outside of the wildcat.  Boobee had 8 yards on 8 carries at one point in the first half and Gus completely abandoned the run game in the 2nd qtr.  I like Bo getting reps but he doesn’t need to throw it every play.  Zero balance.  Thank god for Hastings that first half or it could have been 7-6 or worse.

[AuMarine 1,372]

We have an abundance of talent on offense at the rb and wr positions.. problem is we are not using them. 

RB: no reason what so ever that shivers is not getting carries.. used on sweeps.. screens.. wheel routes.. just give him the ball in space. it gives me a headache that we do not game plan FOR this kid. Joiner should be lining up and running as well. Not to mention DJ Williams.. (is he hurt) ? Where is J.J. At the hb position?

WR: Stove, Canella, and Hastings.. and the transfer (his name escapes me.) AND MATTHEW friggin HILL.. can he please get on the field. The tight ends as well. 

We have so much talent just sitting on the bench while our young freshman QB struggles.. it makes no sense .. 

and for the record I have no idea who our backup OL are but I would get them in the game. Damn shame that 5 seniors can’t get it together. I would sit them all and see what someone else can do. (Not sure we have enough backups to sit them all but something has to give)

[NoALtiger 3,849]

1 hour ago, wakeriderof87 said:

That could explain away some of the problems against Tulane, but holding back against Oregon? 

I can’t believe anyone would even think we held anything back against Oregon. That’s such a reach it’s laughable. Now, did we have everything up and running that will be added as the season progresses? That I could see being the first game and all. We obviously expand as the season moves along but I think we hit them with all we had available at that time. 

[doverstutts 1,643]

3 hours ago, NorthGATiger said:

Gus  would lose a gunfight by firing one shot from a 30 shot magazine.

yeah and thats why i lost passion and excitement for football, but for every week of football season that passes, its one week closer to basketball

[AUFriction 1,179]

PROVEN

- Seth Williams

- Will Hastings

- Anthony Schwartz

- Boobie Whitlow
- Eli Stove (I heard he has gotten better at downfield catching... I want to see more of it.)

 

HIGH POTENTIAL

-Kam Martin

- Shaun Shivers

- Harold Joiner

-Jay Jay Wilson

-DJ Williams

- Matthew Hill

 

SOME POTENTIAL

- Sal Canella

- M. McClain

-S. Jackson

-JS Shenker

-Malik Miller

 

We are doing a decent job getting the ball to the first group. I'd like to see more of the second group getting the ball.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

The guys on the proven list are all hurt except Boobie who fumbled 3 times. 

 

[AUFriction 1,179]

2 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

The guys on the proven list are all hurt except Boobie who fumbled 3 2 times. 

 

Fixed it for you. The goal line fumble was BS. We just chose to run another play quickly rather than challenge, but I'm 95% confident that it was a TD.

 

Also, this seems to happen every few years. A running back will have a bad game and will caugh it up a few times, and everyone just labels him a permanent fumble threat. Same thing happened to Tre Mason, CAP, and Kerryon at points in their career. It took several games for people to forget their alleged fumble problems. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

4 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

Fixed it for you. The goal line fumble was BS. We just chose to run another play quickly rather than challenge, but I'm 95% confident that it was a TD.

 

Also, this seems to happen every few years. A running back will have a bad game and will caugh it up a few times, and everyone just labels him a permanent fumble threat. Same thing happened to Tre Mason, CAP, and Kerryon at points in their career. It took several games for people to forget their alleged fumble problems. 

Didn’t the same thing happen to Boobie last year in the MSU game? 

[AUFriction 1,179]

1 minute ago, gr82b4au said:

Didn’t the same thing happen to Boobie last year in the MSU game? 

If I remember correctly, he had one "fumble" on the goal line that most people agree was an incorrect call.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Just now, AUFriction said:

If I remember correctly, he had one "fumble" on the goal line that most people agree was an incorrect call.

Either way he needs to hold on to the ball. It did not matter in this game, but games like MSU last year and future games this year it matters. The young man runs hard and gives it everything he has.  I am a BW fan but you can’t give the ball to the other team when the O is struggling. 

[The Freak 2,526]

I believe he fumbled on the goal line in the Ole Miss game too.

 

[Beaker 2,457]

two words:

Player Development

 

this is not a priority with Gus, like it is with Kevin Steele.

 

I am convinced Gus thinks this happens as they become juniors.  Someone convince me I am wrong.

 

 

 

[AUFriction 1,179]

8 minutes ago, The Freak said:

I believe he fumbled on the goal line in the Ole Miss game too.

 

Not sure if you are right or not, but everything I'm finding suggests that he doubled his career fumbles in the game on Saturday. He fumbled once against Alabama State last year, once against MSU (BS!), and once against Ole Miss. Those were all of his career fumbles before Saturday.

[The Freak 2,526]

All I know is my booty got pretty tight when he had a break away run last year, lol.