Run the freaking football.

[Amwest20 139]

Morris, the spread air raid isn’t working.  You’re gone at years end maybe before unless you totally regroup the offensive game plan.  That freshman RB you got, is a stud.  The QB isn’t playing well in your passing system.  
 

Gus, make Morris do what you Did in the past and run up the middle on 1st and 2nd downs again more often that often were criticized early in HC career.  Run more read option plays.  Bo can run pretty good.  When things start clicking do play action passes.  Our receivers are really good.

We’re on the brink of a total collapse.  As an auburn fan, here’s what I think the most successful approach to a strong finish would be. That would be what I told them both.

I would like to hear what others might say.  Nothing insulting there intelligence or capabilities.  What should be the strategy right now? 

 

 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

For once you and I agree. 

[Amwest20 139]

Defensively.  Steele, I understand big Kat has an injury, and that he  has loads of experience, but he ain’t doing nothing but getting his a** kicked every play and when Wooden comes in he makes a big play.  Other than that just continue to develop the secondary.  Linebackers have played well in absence of Britt.  

[Bo Didley 146]

I know there are obvious weaknesses on D but, do they get some credit for always being on the field? I feel like the offensive scheme is a fellow D coordinators nightmare. 

[Amwest20 139]

47 minutes ago, Bo Didley said:

I know there are obvious weaknesses on D but, do they get some credit for always being on the field? I feel like the offensive scheme is a fellow D coordinators nightmare. 

No doubt.  He’s for sure been dealt a bad hand so far.  We would need to take control of the clock on offense with run game.  Defense would almost certainly give better results.  

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

49 minutes ago, Bo Didley said:

I know there are obvious weaknesses on D but, do they get some credit for always being on the field? I feel like the offensive scheme is a fellow D coordinators nightmare. 

I agree....and They were put in bad situations off turnovers so I give the D a pass. 

[TigerPAC 965]

Devils advocate here.....offense doesn’t continually give up 3rd and long, usually on a blitz that NEVER works

[Gowebb11 9,313]

1 hour ago, Bo Didley said:

I know there are obvious weaknesses on D but, do they get some credit for always being on the field? I feel like the offensive scheme is a fellow D coordinators nightmare. 

Agree. Pappoe and McClain are warriors but are undersized and playing almost every snap. That caught up with them in the 4th quarter this past week and is going to wear them down eventually. 

[Amwest20 139]

9 minutes ago, TigerPAC said:

Devils advocate here.....offense doesn’t continually give up 3rd and long, usually on a blitz that NEVER works

Yea but D line is wore slap out from all the 3 and outs on offense and giving very little pressure.  D line is worst in Steele’s tenure.  

[Bo Didley 146]

50 minutes ago, TigerPAC said:

Devils advocate here.....offense doesn’t continually give up 3rd and long, usually on a blitz that NEVER works

3rd down defense is one of the weaknesses I was referring to. Could the fact he never has more than three downs at a time to adjust play a factor? I’m not sharp shooting just looking for thoughts. 
 

However, in the spirit of the topic.  Run the dang Ball !! 

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

You've got it figured out on offense. Tank is a man and Bo is more than able to make you pay with his legs. The zone-read / power-run philosophy needs to take over. Stretch the field with screens to Schwartz and Stove when they overplay inside the hashes, run it down their throats when they are playing sideline to sideline. Keep them honest with the play-action game, as we are very talented at receiver 

We have all the pieces offensively to make this work, even with the line being below average.

This should have always been our philosophy, as it is the only strategy that has worked since 2013. 

[Amwest20 139]

10 hours ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

You've got it figured out on offense. Tank is a man and Bo is more than able to make you pay with his legs. The zone-read / power-run philosophy needs to take over. Stretch the field with screens to Schwartz and Stove when they overplay inside the hashes, run it down their throats when they are playing sideline to sideline. Keep them honest with the play-action game, as we are very talented at receiver 

We have all the pieces offensively to make this work, even with the line being below average.

This should have always been our philosophy, as it is the only strategy that has worked since 2013. 

In 16 and 17 we ran the crap out of pettway and KJ both to the point of injuries which led to disappointing losses.  Maybe that’s their reasoning for avoiding this type of offense?? I don’t know but what we’re doing is putrid.  We’re at mid season and our best RB has not the slightest injury to my knowledge.  Plus there’s quality depth at the position.  Run The s*** outta him, read option with qb, play action pass.  Only way of saving our season.  

[tbone4jc 2,241]

Here's the catch 22. Everyone is saying run, run, run. But then you got the ones saying you running our RB into the ground.  How much is too much. Should he get 15-20 carries a game or should he get 25-30 and be worn out by the end of the season? 

[TigerFanAU 586]

I have said the same thing. Nix needs to be held to 20 throws a game. This kid does not have the confidence right now. He has no business throwing 50 times a game.

Gus and Chad are really bad.

[Amwest20 139]

1 hour ago, tbone4jc said:

Here's the catch 22. Everyone is saying run, run, run. But then you got the ones saying you running our RB into the ground.  How much is too much. Should he get 15-20 carries a game or should he get 25-30 and be worn out by the end of the season? 

It’s mid season now.  25+ carries a game.  We’ve got depth.  Nothing wrong with Worm or DJ getting a few every now and then as well.  

[japantiger 4,051]

13 hours ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

You've got it figured out on offense. Tank is a man and Bo is more than able to make you pay with his legs. The zone-read / power-run philosophy needs to take over. Stretch the field with screens to Schwartz and Stove when they overplay inside the hashes, run it down their throats when they are playing sideline to sideline. Keep them honest with the play-action game, as we are very talented at receiver 

We have all the pieces offensively to make this work, even with the line being below average.

This should have always been our philosophy, as it is the only strategy that has worked since 2013. 

Your last sentence is so dead on I don't see how anyone who is supposed to be worth $50m can't figure it out.  Tank is a man, and Nix can actually run...he's fast and makes people miss.  It's 2 things they can do...be good at who you are and that will create opportunities to do some other things.  But trying to turn a bad throwing college  QB (look at every available statistic; he's either 13th or 14th in the 14 team SEC in every meaningful throwing stat) into something he isn't will ensure more of the same...think about it...For $50m in year 8 we get no bowl game and a program going down faster than Kamala on a job interview.

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

2 hours ago, Amwest20 said:

In 16 and 17 we ran the crap out of pettway and KJ both to the point of injuries which led to disappointing losses.  Maybe that’s their reasoning for avoiding this type of offense?? I don’t know but what we’re doing is putrid.  We’re at mid season and our best RB has not the slightest injury to my knowledge.  Plus there’s quality depth at the position.  Run The s*** outta him, read option with qb, play action pass.  Only way of saving our season.  

That's a fair argument too. I'd say 20 carries for Tank and 10 for Bo. The screens to Schwartz would essentially be a run, and then mix up another 15-20 carries for the other running backs.

I want to say that 75 plays is the magic number for our offense that Gus used to shoot for when we were rolling, but I may be dreaming that. If around 50 of those are rushes, we are in a good spot. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

14 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I agree....and They were put in bad situations off turnovers so I give the D a pass. 

Can't give them a pass totally. Even having to play defense 3 times off INTs inside the 50, a good D HAS to at least stop them some and make them kick FGs. 

USC is not an offensive juggernaut, and we couldn't even hold them to even 1 FG on those 3 drives. We simply are not strong enough with our front 4 to disrupt an offense. No pressure on the QB from the outside or inside.

[metafour 4,968]

1 hour ago, Amwest20 said:

It’s mid season now.  25+ carries a game.  We’ve got depth.  Nothing wrong with Worm or DJ getting a few every now and then as well.  

That looks bad for future RB recruits. The NFL cares immensely about collegiate usage because everyone knows by now that RB's only have a set amount of "career attempts" in them before they break down. None of these top backs are carrying the ball 25+ times a game anymore, and you want a true Freshman to do it? How many career attempts is he going to have then by the time he's draft eligible? Najee Harris over at Alabama "only" runs the ball 20/times per game - and thats actually up from 16/game last season. 

Keeping a RB fresh is a mandatory selling point at this point. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

3 hours ago, tbone4jc said:

Here's the catch 22. Everyone is saying run, run, run. But then you got the ones saying you running our RB into the ground.  How much is too much. Should he get 15-20 carries a game or should he get 25-30 and be worn out by the end of the season? 

He needs about 20 rushes a game mixed in with others when he is tired. People that want the 2013 offense better hope that Gus  takes over again for the eleventy billionth time. Morris will run air raid. Look at last weekend. 
what a cluster 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Anyone bothered to consider that all that passing is opening up running lanes that won't be there if defenses can stack the box?

Also, Bo is fine for the occasional QB draw. He's not a true read option QB. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

8 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Anyone bothered to consider that all that passing is opening up running lanes that won't be there if defenses can stack the box?

Also, Bo is fine for the occasional QB draw. He's not a true read option QB. 

I agree, but Saturday was over the top. We basically went air raid the first half. And agree Bo is not an option QB. To me he should be a game managing quarterback, not a play making quarterback.

[Amwest20 139]

25 minutes ago, metafour said:

That looks bad for future RB recruits. The NFL cares immensely about collegiate usage because everyone knows by now that RB's only have a set amount of "career attempts" in them before they break down. None of these top backs are carrying the ball 25+ times a game anymore, and you want a true Freshman to do it? How many career attempts is he going to have then by the time he's draft eligible? Najee Harris over at Alabama "only" runs the ball 20/times per game - and thats actually up from 16/game last season. 

Keeping a RB fresh is a mandatory selling point at this point. 

Fair... I wouldn’t say it looks necessarily “bad” for high school recruits though.  I completely understand what you’re saying and it has a lot of truth, but I just don’t quite see too many RB recruits being like “Man Auburn really gives the RB a lot of carries and gets a lot of yards....I don’t need to go there or I’m gonna pass the NFL’s arbitrary threshold of career attempts”

[autan 737]

If we could avoid penalties running game with, Tank, Bo, DJ, JJ, and Flash could win this game. But penalties put us in a third and long (dangerous position right now for AU).

[metafour 4,968]

1 minute ago, Amwest20 said:

Fair... I wouldn’t say it looks necessarily “bad” for high school recruits though.  I completely understand what you’re saying and it has a lot of truth, but I just don’t quite see too many RB recruits being like “Man Auburn really gives the RB a lot of carries and gets a lot of yards....I don’t need to go there or I’m gonna pass the NFL’s arbitrary threshold of career attempts”

It does look bad because every other team negatively recruits each other. If you are running your star RB into the ground, another school will point that out to any future star RB recruits. The NFL does not care about "yards" - this is a casual fan fallacy to believe that NFL teams draft based off of who has "better stats", it doesn't work that way. One of the biggest selling points today for RB recruits is that you will be used enough to excel and shine, but you're not going to be over used to the point that your body is falling apart by the time you are draft eligible. Skill being equal, the NFL would rather have Najee Harris who's carried the ball 15-20 times per game versus some other back who's been carrying it 30 times a game for three straight seasons. All of these kids want to play in the NFL, thats why they come to these schools.