StatTiger

Bo Jackson is no doubt the greatest Auburn running back of all time. It opens the debate for the top-5 Auburn running backs not named Bo Jackson. Here are some numbers to consider. Each category is rated based on yards per game, yards per attempt and TD ratio. Top-4 Games during Career: This category focuses on the "career" making games of each back. Bo Jackson is in the list, making it the Top-10 at Auburn. Top-11 Games during Career: Once again the data is sorted by a rating based on yards per game, yards per attempt and TD ratio. The reason for 11 games is because that was once the number of regular season games during the course of a season. Career games of 20-carries or more: This is the combined games of at least 20 rush attempts and sorted by the same rating formula. Kamryn Pettway has booked only 9 career games, so he only appears in two of the three categories. After the 2017 season, it will be interesting to see how high he climbs on all three lists. Based on the current rankings, Brent Fullwood is the No. 1 RB at Auburn outside of Bo Jackson and James Brooks is close behind him. Personally, I would not hesitate to name Brent Fullwood as the best Auburn RB other than Bo Jackson. He combined power and speed with a relentless effort to gain yardage after contact. Though he failed to make the three lists, Kenny Irons had the same kind of drive as Fullwood but did not have the same level of speed. Who is your favorite and why?

Based on his evaluation coming out of high school and his athletic abilities, Nate Craig-Myers has the potential to be Auburn's next "star" wide receiver. Auburn has never been a football program associated with great wide receiver play. Occasionally, there have been a few players who have risen to stardom at the wide receiver position but they have been few and far between. During the last 70 years of Auburn football, there have been eleven 50-reception seasons by an individual. There have been ten seasons with a receiver having 800+ yards in receiving during a season. There have been twelve seasons with a receiver catching at least 7 TD receptions during a season. There have been only seven wide receivers to accomplish all three goals during the same season. Once again, Nate Craig-Myers has the potential to reach all three goals during 2017. The Play... During this play the offense faces a 1st & 20 after a holding penalty. The offense comes out in a 1 back set with 3-WR's and the TE on the line. Coach Chris Lindsey calls a pass play with Nate Craig-Myers running a route towards the middle of the field. At the snap, Malik Willis has the time to work through his progressions. Nate Craig-Myers and John Franklin III run overlapping routes to confuse the secondary and to create separation. Nate Craig-Myers runs a semi-drag route over the middle of the field, over the LB''s and underneath safety support. Malik Willis resets his feet before targeting Nate Craig-Myers, placing his pass to the outside shoulder of his receiver. The location of the pass allows Nate Craig-Myers to turn up field quickly in front of the defender over top. He utilizes his athletic skills to maneuver around three possible defenders to pick up 16-yards on the play. His physical build and his skill set reminds me of former All-Pro, Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys. Irvin had decent speed but his strongest attributes were his route running, his ability to catch the ball at the highest point and his physical presence after becoming a runner with the football. Irvin had the knack of coming up with the reception during "clutch" situations, something Auburn needs for Nate Craig-Myers to become.

Last season Auburn was No. 6 nationally in rushing yardage gained on first down and No. 18 in yards per rush on first down. The downfall came with Auburn being No. 4 nationally in rushing attempts on first down per game, which often made the Tigers predictable on first down. Compounding the issue was the high frequency of runs between the tackles, which resulted in opponents crashing off the edge to blow up the play from behind. During the A-Day game, Coach Chip Lindsey called a high number of pass attempts on first down and when the Tigers did run, we saw more perimeter runs. If Lindsey can make the offense productive on first down, the 2017 Auburn offense should be difficult to defend. During the past 25 seasons, Auburn offenses that averaged at least 6-yards per play on first down during a season, gained 25 percent more yardage than the Auburn offenses that did not. The Play... On this play the offense comes out in their base set on first down. Chip Lindsey calls a draw play designed to bounce outside the congestion between the tackles. In the past, Auburn under Gus Malzahn had several variation of draw plays but the majority of them normally came on 3rd and long situations. Rarely did we see a draw play on first down. The wide receivers on the wide side of the field (Eli Stove and Sal Cannella) will run out routes stacked over one another. This creates space in the flat and a wide running lane for Kam Martin, while forcing the DB's to respect actual pass routes rather than being blocked right off the line (tipping the run). At the snap, Kam Martin freezes in his 2-point stance as Malik Willis drops towards Martin before handing off the football. Kam Martin is able to bounce outside for an 11-yard gain. To his credit, Michael Sherwood is playing the "Buck" position on the play. His quickness draws a holding penalty on Jalen Harris. Kam Martin will not be an every down back in 2017 but he certainly needs to be a major component of the offense. Coach Chip Lindsey recognizes Martin's potential for being explosive. During A-Day, Coach Lindsey called multiple plays in attempt to place Martin in open space. There were perimeter runs, swing passes and wheel routes to the speedster. Last season Kamryn Pettway averaged a 15-yard gain or better every 12.4 touches. Kerryon Johnson averaged 1 every 18.1 touches. Kam Martin was No. 1 among the Auburn running backs with 1 every 7.6 touches. Martin could transform into Auburn's specialty back, especially on third down.

Based on the lack of use of the TE position in the passing game the past two seasons, seeing the TE's targeted 4 times during A-Day was refreshing for many Auburn fans. Though the TE position will likely be targeted more frequently in 2017, I don't expect to see a massive increase in passes thrown to the TE. This is based on Chip Lindsey's history of utilizing the TE in his passing game. Sal Cannella is more like a big bodied WR than an actual TE. Formation wise, he played more like a WR during A-Day, where as Jalen Harris lined up in the backfield and on the line next to the tackle. Lindsey's commitment on offense is utilizing all of his skill player, which will include the tightend. The Play... During this offensive snap, the offense comes out in a 3-WR set, with Jalen Harris (TE) on the line adjacent to the left tackle. At the snap, Malik Willis scans his 2 WR's on the wide side of the field. The slot WR runs a short out, underneath the other WR which was the first targeted pass-play during the first snap by the No. 1 offense. As Willis looks off his intended target, Jalen Harris releases off the line to run a short curl route underneath the LB dropping into coverage. In frame #2, Malik Miller (RB) runs a swing route into the flat to pull one of the 2 LB's away from the middle of the field. Jalen Harris curls inside but will spin back out towards the sideline as the ball is being thrown. Malik Willis delivers the pass to the outside shoulder of Harris, allowing the TE to spin outside and underneath the LB coming in for the tackle. Though the pass is only 2-yards, Harris is able to turn up field for a gain of 18-yards and a first down for the offense. In frame #6, the two WR's on the wide side, run outside routes to clear the middle of the field for the TE. I can see this play turning into a vertical route (perhaps a double-move) by the TE after a few short completions early on during the game.

Wide Receiver screens of various kinds are a trademark of the Air Raid offense. The primary philosophy of the Air Raid offense is to force the opposing defense to defend the entire field. The screens stretch the defense horizontally, setting up the vertical passing game to stretch the defenses vertically. The screens also slow opposing defenses from crashing to defend the run. During the A-Day game, we witnessed first hand how Chip Lindsey sets up some of his vertical pass plays with screen passes. The Play... During this play the offense has a 1st down at the 20-yard line, coming out in a 3-WR set. The defense has only 6 in the box but a safety will roll up just before the snap to provide a seventh defender to stop the run. At the snap, Jarrett Stidham play-actions with his RB and then fakes the screen pass to Eli Stove. Jason Smith and Eli Stove are stacked on the wide side, having run multiple screen passes from this formation. Jason Smith initially fakes a slant route inside the CB. The corner sets up to defend the screen to Eli Stove, leaving the safety to guard Jason Smith 1 on 1 on the wide side of the field. After faking the slant, Jason Smith cuts back to run a corner route to the end zone. Jason Stidham throws a corner-fade towards the end zone but overthrows his target. Though the execution of the pass failed to finish the play, the play remains a good example of how the play sets up a great situation for the WR, 1 on 1 with a safety covering too much real estate. The play was also refreshing to see a rare pass inside the red zone, which have been seldom the past few seasons. Auburn's average national ranking in pass attempts inside the red zone is No. 96 over the past four seasons.

I think it will. There are so many screens that the fakes often leave a WR uncovered.

Part of Chip Lindsey's passing game includes the receivers having option routes based on how the opposing defense is defending the pass play. This is a major part of the Air Raid offense, which allows the WR's and QB to recognize and adjust to the opposing defense. The key for this aspect being successful is the QB and WR being on the same page. Another addition this season will be the run-pass option plays. The WR's will have to adjust on a given play, whether to block or run a passing route. depending on the adjustment made just before the snap. My favorite play of the A-Day game was the 33-yard pass play between Jarrett Stidham and Will Hastings. I do not believe it was a designed play but more of Will Hastings making something out of nothing. The Play... On this play the offense comes out in a 4-WR set with the WR's stacked on both sides of the field. Before the snap, Will Hastings is stacked over Darius Slayton. At the snap, Will Hastings positions himself as if the play is a screen pass. Jarrett Stidham goes through his vertical progressions as C.J. Tolbert delays releasing out of the backfield. Once Tolbert releases out of the backfield, Will Hastings elects to ad-lib, breaking into a shallow crossing route over the middle now vacated by the defenders. Stidham catches Hastings coming across the middle, delivering a short pass to the speedy WR. Hastings hauls in the short pass and crosses over the middle before turning up field for a 33-yard gain. The play showcased Will Hastings recognition of the defense on that play and Stidham's ability to see the entire field before targeting Hastings on his "ad-lib" route. The play catches the defense flat-footed resulting in a big gain for the offense. It is this type of play that builds trust and confidence between the QB and his receivers.

I think 2010, 2013 and 2014, it became more about tempo and the combination of a QB who could run and pass. The emphasis on offense became a power running game, combined with tempo. It was no longer about creating space and mismatches on the field by formation, shifts and motions. Though it worked, it made Gus get away from what was successful before with a more pocket oriented passer.

The recent hiring of Al Borges as an offensive analyst was a great move on Gus Malzahn's part. The wealth of experience Borges possesses at the collegiate level can only help Chip Lindsey evolve as a coordinator. Borges should be an immediate help in breaking down opposing defenses to game plan for. His ability and experience in scripting plays could be extremely vital in Auburn's offensive game plans this upcoming season. Under Borges, the Auburn offense was at it's best during his scripted plays. With his experience in the West Coach offense, Borges could add some new wrinkles to the passing game in 2017. Finally, I see Borges helping the development of the Auburn quarterbacks, especially in the mental phase of the game. One of the aspects of his offense during 2004 and 2005 was the use of motion and shifts. We have seen very little shifts and motion the past two seasons, another reason why the offense became too predictable. Shifting often helps on creating mismatches and motion by the receivers often exposes the opposing coverage. By exposing the coverage, the quarterback has a better working knowledge of the opposing defense, which aids in determining where to throw the football. The Play... On this play the Auburn offense comes out in a tight formation on first down. This is normally a strong indicator of a pending run play. Before the snap, Kam Martin shifts from a slot position to the backfield. At the snap, Jarrett Stidham will fake the "speed sweep" with Ryan Davis, who sweeps to the boundary side. Auburn's Mike Horton (RG) pulls to his left, which is normally an indicator of a run play. The defense is forced to play the run option first as Kam Martin runs a wheel route out of the backfield. Nate Craig-Myers runs a slant route, which is geared towards being a "rub" route to shield off the LB attempting to cover Martin coming out of the backfield. With Martin's speed, Nate Craig-Myers needs only to slow down the LB for a split-second to create separation for Kam Martin. Stidham initially looks off his primary target (Martin) and makes the deep pass down the sideline to Martin. The pass is executed well but Martin is unable to make the reception. The play would have resulted in at least 33-yards. During the first half of the A-Day Game, 53.8% of the snaps taken by Jarrett Stidham involved a shift or motion. Auburn shifted or motioned on only 20.8% of the snaps taken by Willis and Barrett at quarterback. If Auburn motions or shifts close to 50% of the time this upcoming season, it will make for a more explosive offense. Hopefully Al Borges will help in making this happen in 2017.

Jarrett Stidham: 16-20-0-267yds-0tds (192.1 rating) Malik Willis: 11-18-0-157yds-0td (134.4 rating) Breaking down the numbers (Stidham): Took 15 first down snaps with Auburn calling 13 pass plays on first down. Two of those pass plays result in Stidham running out of the pocket. This translated to 86.6% pass plays called on first down with Stidham. Of his 20 pass attempts, 7 were intermediate to deep routes (35%). He produced four 30+ pass play and seven impact plays. The goal is to generate an impact play in the passing game with 1 under every 5 pass attempts. Stidham hit 1 every 2.9 attempts. He threw the ball 11 times on first down and only twice on 3rd down. During five of Malzahn's seven seasons at Auburn, the Tigers threw more passes on third down than first down. It was great to see the offense passing when they "wanted" more so than when they "had to". 11 of his 20 pass attempts were within 5-yards of the line of scrimmage (55%). Stidham would have passed for 300-yards if not for a dropped wheel route. Breaking down the numbers (Willis): He had a passer rating of 114.4 playing with the No. 2 offense vs. the No. 1 defense. He had a pass rating of 144.4 with the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 2 defense. He also took 15 first down snaps, with 9 of the plays being pass plays (60.0%). Chip Lindsey was more conservative with Malik early on and opened it up more during the second half. Of his 18 pass attempts he connected on one play of 30+ yards and five impact plays. He produced an impact play 1 every 3.6 pass attempts with the goal being under 5.0. He attempted 8 passes on first down compared to 3 attempts on third down. 9 of his 18 attempts were within 5-yards of the line of scrimmage (50%). 5 of his 18 attempts were intermediate to deep passes. Overall, Auburn's quarterbacks compiled a pass rating of 177.8 with the goal being 130 or better. Offensive observations: With the quarterbacks not being alive, it was clear there were some impact plays that could have been made by the QB's running the football. Both Stidham and Willis could apply a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, passing and running the football. I really liked the double move routes stemming from the screen packages. The screen game was multiple with quick, bubble and tunnel screens. Auburn set up some nice vertical passes off the screen look. The swing passes to the RB's should be a nice addition in 2017. I saw it at least two times, where a WR ran a shallow crossing route and a RB released up the middle, crossing over with the WR. It worked to perfection both times. The defense over the middle (LB's) committed to the WR on the cross as the RB delayed his release, crossing over in the opposite direction. This was a great addition to the passing game and an easy read for the QB. Last season, the obvious issue on first down was the 80% run plays called. Compounding the issue was the same up the middle runs frequently called. During A-Day, we saw a lot of sweeps with at least 1 pulling guard. There were two delay draw plays on 1st down that targeted the perimeter on first down. Mixing up the run plays on first down will make he offense difficult to defend. The WR stack formations opened up a lot of passing options. There were multiple shallow clearing and rub routes yesterday. Lindsey targeted the middle of the field regularly, which was GREAT to see. Not sure if it were a designed play or if Will Hastings made an adjustment on his own but his 33-yard pass play was a thing of beauty. It began as a stacked route with Hastings faking a screen. He broke off the fake screen, and ran towards the middle of the field on a shallow route. Stidham looked vertical initially and checked down to Hastings coming over the middle. The 4-yard pass turned into a 33-yard gain. It will be huge if the WR's are permitted to adjust their routes based on the opposing coverage. It was clear Stidham did a great job of moving through his progressions with viable "checkdown" passes available in the pass offense. Willis did not do it as much but did come off his primary target several times. I thought he played well for a true freshman. Stidham and Willis combined for 19 pass attempts on first down for 155-yards. Kam Martion dropped a wheel-route on 1st down that would have netted at least 33 yards. Final Observations: The A-Day game is a glorified scrimmage and the offense should look productive under these circumstances but there was plenty to like simply based on formations and schemes. I would imagine Lindsey and Gus Malzahn kept it vanilla but there were some obvious additions to the offense. Watching Nate Craig-Myers, Marquis McClain and Darius Slayton attacking the ball with their hands at the highest point was something to watch for moving forward. Three pass plays to the TE's was nice to see. Lindsey stated his primary goal as the OC is to get the ball to his playmakers. I thought he did a great job of attempting this during A-Day. Speaking of playmakers, I believe Kam Martin could be a huge playmaker in 2017 as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. It will be interesting to see how Lindsey utilizes Martin this season. With just the 4 returning RB's, I see the position being a strength in 2017, not to mention the two freshman coming in. If they can stay healthy for the most part, Auburn should be solid. It will be interesting to see what the coaches decide to do with Willis in 2017. Stidham, White and Barrett should be more then enough to work through the season as long as everyone remains healthy. I would hate to see Willis burning an entire year for minor "mop up" duty. It would be logical to red shirt Willis in 2017 but he certainly looks like an "up and comer". Though this feature was directed towards he offensive side of the football, I had to mention the play of Daniel Thomas at safety. He plays the run very well and doesn't shy away from contact. I believe he forced two fumbles during A-Day and the defense needs playmakers like that. War Eagle!

Passing on 1st down (2016): Last season Auburn was No. 121 nationally in the percentage of pass attempts made on 1st down. The national average was 38.4% and Auburn checked in at 21.1%. Auburn was No. 36 nationally when it came to pass-efficiency on 1st down. Auburn was No. 5 nationally in completion percentage on 1st down. Auburn was No. 40 nationally in yards per pass attempt on 1st down. Auburn was No. 98 nationally in yards per pass completion on 1st down. Auburn was No. 120 nationally in the average number of pass attempts on 1st down per game. The Tigers averaged 6.8 pass attempts on 1st down per game and the national average was 12.2 per game. Auburn was No. 126 nationally in TD ratio, passing on 1st down. Auburn averaged a TD pass every 88 pass attempts on 1st attempt, with the national average being 1 every 18.7 attempts. War Eagle!

Passing rating of 130 or better in the SEC: From 2000-2008 (1320 games), SEC teams had a pass rating of at least 130 during 44.5 percent of the games. Teams with a pass-rating of at least 130, compiled a win percentage of .821. From 2009-2016 (1368 games), SEC teams had a pass rating of at least 130 during 53.7 percent of the games. Reaching a pass rating of at least 130 meant a win percentage of .819. During the past eight seasons (2009-2016), we have witnessed an increase of 20.7 percent in passing games with a rating of at least 130, compared to the nine seasons from 2000 to 2008. Overall, teams in the SEC averaged 212.7 yards passing per game from 2000 to 2008. SEC teams from 2009-2016 have averaged 221.5 yards passing per game, a 4.1 percent increase in passing yardage per game. Though there has been an increase in games with 130 pass ratings, the win percentage is basically the same. During the time span Malzahn has been at Auburn from 2009-2011 and 2013-2016, the Auburn pass-offense ranks No. 5 out of the 14 teams in terms of producing a 130 pass-rating. The league average is 53.2% and Auburn is No. 5 at 61.3%. Arkansas, Alabama, Texas A&M and Georgia finished higher than Auburn. Looking back at the last 17 teams to win the SEC Championship (2000-2016), the average national ranking in pass-efficiency is No. 17. The average national ranking in pass-efficiency for the MNC winner during the same time period is No. 13.

In this day & age of college football, coaches are looking more to efficiency and consistency than sophistication. Current NCAA rules limit the time spent with players more than ever. It has also limited the amount of time for full contact during practice. We are seeing more "system" oriented offenses to take advantage of the athletic ability at the skill positions, including the quarterback position. We are seeing more spread offenses that go no huddle. Because of the limitations by the NCAA, offensive coaches are looking for ways to keep things simplistic, placing more of an emphasis on execution. See the following feature... http://smartfootball.com/tag/passing-game#sthash.5p3fJA1Y.dpbs During the time span Malzahn has been at Auburn from 2009-2011 and 2013-2016, the Auburn pass-offense ranks No. 5 out of the 14 teams in terms of producing a 130 pass-rating. The league average is 53.2% and Auburn is No. 5 at 61.3%. Arkansas, Alabama, Texas A&M and Georgia finished higher than Auburn. It is very difficult running a west coast offense in a no huddle, tempo styled offense. There would be no way to get a play called because of the verbiage involved in calling a play. It would also limit the number of freshman and sophomore QB's learning a complicated pass offense well enough to execute it as the "starter". System oriented offenses have resulted in more younger QB's starting early and having success. Like ANY other team, a more talented player at the QB position will make ANY pass offense look better. Auburn is not the only team that benefited from having an good to great quarterback. Plug in said quarterback into Malzahn's offense and the passing game is extremely efficient. I do believe Malzahn's pass-offense needed a change in an effort to give the offense some growth and to limit the predictability factor. I believe they have it in Chip Lindsey but at the end of the day, the caliber of quarterback within the system will make the MOST difference in terms of efficiency and productivity. During seasons with Todd, Newton and Marshall as the starter, Auburn reached the 130 rating 70.3% of the time. During the three seasons without them as the starting QB, AU reached the 130 rating during 48.7% of their games.

From 2000-2016 teams in the SEC compiled a combined win percentage of .926, when rushing for at least 150-yards, while averaging 8.5 yards per pass attempt. Establish the run and have a consistent vertical passing game will win a high percentage of games.

200-yard rushing games by teams in the SEC: From 2000-2008 (1320 games), there was a 200-yard rushing game during 26.1 percent of the games. Teams that rushed for at least 200-yards compiled a win percentage of .843. From 2009-2016 (1368 games), there was a 200-yard rushing game during 39.6 percent of the games. Teams rushing for at least 200-yards during a game, won .862 percent of their games. During the past eight seasons (2009-2016), we have witnessed an increase of 51.7 percent in 200-yard rushing games, compared to the nine seasons from 2000 to 2008. Overall, teams in the SEC averaged 153.6 yards rushing per game from 2000 to 2008. SEC teams from 2009-2016 have averaged 180.8 yards rushing per game, a 17.7 percent increase in rushing yardage per game. Average number of 200-yard rushing games by teams in the SEC: 1989: 4.2 (Year before Steve Spurrier arrives at UF.) 1992: 3.7 1999: 1.4 2000: 2.1 2001: 2.6 2002: 4.0 (Year after Steve Spurrier left UF.) 2003: 3.2 2004: 4.1 2005: 2.1 2006: 2.7 2007: 4.1 2008: 3.5 2009: 4.7 2010: 4.8 2011: 4.3 2012: 4.4 2013: 6.4 2014: 5.4 2015: 5.0 2016: 5.8 200-Yard rushing games from 2012-2016: Alabama ............ 42 Auburn .............. 40 LSU ................... 35 Georgia .............. 32 Miss State .......... 31 Arkansas ............ 25 Tennessee .......... 25 Ole Miss ............. 24 Florida ............... 20 Kentucky ........... 20 S. Carolina ......... 19 Texas A&M ........ 15 Vanderbilt ......... 13 Missouri ............ 13 Note the high number of SEC-West teams at the top of the list.

The recent struggles of the Auburn offense during the past two seasons brought about the departure of Rhett Lashlee and the hiring of Chip Lindsey to revamp the Tigers offense. The miscues on offense have also tightened the pressure around Gus Malzahn as he prepares to enter his fifth season as Auburn's head coach. The 2017 season will be a focal one as Malzahn might not be able to survive another five-loss season, especially if the quandary on offense continues. Coach Malzahn believes Chip Lindsey is the answer to making the Auburn offense potent again, particularly when it comes to the passing game. Watching Auburn's offense average 268-yards and 15 points per game during the last four Power-5 games of the season, made it easy to toss the baby out with the bathwater. Though some recognized Auburn's key injuries, many considered the final numbers as the final death-blow to a once dangerous Malzahn offense. On the surface, it appeared his offense had become predictable, conservative and the deficiencies in the passing game were undeniable. In reality, the lack of quality play at the quarterback position can bring most offenses to its knees. Something to consider... Sean White has been the most consistent performer at the quarterback position the last two years, but his inability to remain healthy has prevented the offense from maximizing its full potential. When White and his cohorts were healthy, the offense produced quality numbers. Here is a breakdown of the two years worth of "healthy" competition. This stretch of 12-games with a healthy Sean White included the Mississippi State game through the Ole Miss game of 2015 and the Arkansas State through Ole Miss period of 2016. I left out the Clemson game because of the irrational game plan subjected against the eventual National Champions. During the 12 games with a healthy Sean White Auburn... Averaged 482-yards and 35 points per game. Averaged 268-yards rushing, primarily with a pocket passer. Converted 49 percent of their third-downs. Averaged 6.21 yards per play on first down. Scored on 50 percent of their offensive possessions with the goal being at least 1/3. Went "3 & out" only 19 percent of the time with the goal of keeping it under 25 percent. Averaged 39.6 yards gained per possession with the statistical goal of at least 30-yards per possession. Scored a touchdown every 19.6 plays with the goal being one every 17 plays. Scored touchdowns inside the red zone during 55.9 percent of their possessions, with the goal being at least 60 percent. Passer rating of 149.1 with the goal being at least 130, completing 64 percent of their passes for an impressive 8.4 yards per pass attempt. Averaged 8.4 impact plays per game with the goal being at least 8 per game. Averaged an impact play every 9.3 plays, with the goal being one every eight plays. The above numbers showed the potential of the offense with a consistent performer at the quarterback position, but there remained a few concerns. Concerns: Though the 482-yards were impressive, Auburn should have averaged closer to 40 points per game with that kind of yardage production than the 35 per game they did average. Part of the problem with the scoring output was the lack of production inside the red zone. The TD percentage of only 55.9 percent inside the red zone was horrible, preventing the Tigers from maximizing their scoring drives. During the 12 games with a healthy Sean White, Auburn ran the ball over 80 percent of the time on first down. Becoming run-heavy on first down was the origin of Auburn's predictability and an example of a lack of confidence in the passing game. Despite Auburn putting up efficient numbers in the passing game, Malzahn elected to be conservative when it came to first down. Auburn's lack of impact plays is a direct result of the passing game rarely being featured. Keep in mind that over 67 percent of the plays of 20-yards or more at the FBS level were pass plays during the 2016 season. The level of Competition: Some will point to the offensive success under a healthy Sean White coming against inferior competition. Though there is validity in this statement, it doesn't change the fact that Auburn was more productive on offense with a healthy Sean White. Some of Auburn's lack of success with a healthy White had more to do with player personnel and play-calling. During the 2015 season with a healthy Sean White, Auburn averaged 3.1 percent more yardage than their opponent generally allowed and scored 8.6 percent more than the opponent allowed. During the 2016 season with a healthy Sean White, the offense gained 28.9 percent more yardage and scored 40.6 percent more than the opponent usually allowed. The offense was much more efficient with a healthy White in 2016 than 2015. Moving Forward: So what will Chip Lindsey bring to the table, Rhett Lashlee could not bring? In all fairness to Coach Lashlee, he was only behind the steering wheel of the offense for about 5-6 games during the 2016 season. Though Gus Malzahn publicly stated he was turning the play-calling duties over to Lashlee, Malzahn became more involved once the injuries mounted later in the season. Once again, Gus Malzahn has publicly committed to turning the reigns of the offense over to Chip Lindsey. Only time will tell how committed Gus Malzahn will be to this concept. Lindsey does appear to have a stronger history in quarterback development than Rhett Lashlee. Coach Lindsey's pass-offense is heavily influenced by the Air-Raid concept, rather than Gus Malzahn's passing schemes. The logical plan is to incorporate Malzahn's running schemes with Lindsey's passing schemes to bring about a new evolution to the Auburn offense. Neither passing system has featured the tight end position in the passing game, but Lindsey does feature the running backs more frequently. Under Malzahn, the Auburn offense has averaged 39 receptions at the RB position per season. Under Lindsey, the running backs averaged 78 receptions per season. The Auburn pass-offense is in dire need of a vertical punch, and it remains to be seen whether or not Lindsey can bring this to the offense in 2017. Malzahn's offense has generated plays of 15-yards or more in the passing game 19.8 percent of the time, while Lindsey's pass-offense is currently hitting at 18.8 percent. During this past season, Auburn checked in at 17.6 percent, and the Sun Devils of Arizona State was slightly better at 17.8 percent. In terms of "quantity", Arizona State appeared to be better but not so when it came to "quality". Regarding efficiency, Auburn was No. 54 nationally during 2016, while Arizona State was No. 73 as both teams struggled with injuries at the quarterback position. Despite the injuries, Auburn's 2016 offense did improve overall compared to 2015, which means the offense was not utterly incompetent. Stabilization at the quarterback position should make a significant difference in 2017 regardless of the changes made schematically. If Auburn can remain healthy, I expect the offense to continue to improve and to perform more consistently. Improvement could take place simply because of better quarterback play. Just as the inconsistencies in offense during 2016 was primarily related to injuries, recovery in 2017 doesn't mean all the right moves were made. Even during the record-breaking years on offense witnessed in 2010, 2013 and 2014, Auburn struggled inside the red zone and was extremely predictable on first down. During the past two seasons, Auburn has run the football 79% of the time inside the red zone. During the past two seasons, Chip Lindsey has run the football 63% of the time inside the red zone. Two statistical categories to watch for in 2017 is the percentage of pass plays called on first down and the percentage of pass attempts on third down. During the seven seasons of Malzahn offense at Auburn, the Tigers have passed the ball only 21 percent of the time on first down and 31 percent of their pass attempts have occurred on third down. During Chip Lindsey's three seasons as a collegiate OC, his offense has passed the ball 40 percent of the time on first down and only 25 percent of their overall passes have come on third down. Lindsey's offense passes the ball when they want to more so than when they have to. This is the exact opposite of Malzahn's offense, where the quarterback is placed into way too many obvious passing situations. During the past two seasons, over 33 percent of Auburn's pass attempts have come on third down. With the array of returning talent, the addition of a highly-touted quarterback and the accumulation of some new tweaks in the passing game under Chip Lindsey should make the offense dynamic again. A more productive offense will be cause for celebration, but Coach Malzahn must be willing to adjust his offensive schemes for the offense to reach its full potential. Scoring 35 points per game would be great but not if the potential was there to average 40. The opportunity is there for Auburn to reach its offensive ceiling but only if the man in charge permits it to happen.

During the 2015 season, Auburn's opponent scored on 41 percent of their possessions at least 75-yards away from the Auburn end zone. This season the defense improved to 21.8 percent the best percentage by an Auburn defense since 2008. The Auburn defense forced an average of 6.8 long fields per game in 2015, which increased to 8.6 during 2016. Not only did Auburn force more long field possessions, they cut scoring down by nearly 50 percent from the season before. Auburn allowed 22 touchdowns this season, which was the fewest allowed in 13 games since the 2007 season, when Auburn surrendered 21. Auburn's defense allowed 4.82 yards per play on 1st down, their best average since the 2003 season. Last season the Auburn offense averaged a play of 30-yards or more every 40.5 snaps. The Tigers improved to 1 every 28.3 plays during 2016. Prior to White and Pettway's injury, it was 1 every 24.8 snaps. Malzahn and Auburn are 28-4, when leading at halftime. Pat Dye's average margin of defeat was 10.4 points. Terry Bowden was 12.4 points and Tommy Tuberville was 13.4. Gene Chizik's average margin of defeat was 20.9 points and Gus Malzahn is currently 11.4 points. The 2016 Auburn defense allowed a TD every 45.1 plays against conference opponents. This was the best ratio by an Auburn defense since 1988. Utilizing an efficiency formula based on yards per game, yards per play, TD ratio, impact plays, 1st down average and strength of schedule, the 2016 Auburn offense had the 6th best rating over the past 25 years of Auburn football. Auburn's defense allowed a TD every 42.2 plays, the highest ratio by an Auburn defense since the 2005 season. Auburn scored only 7 offensive TD's outside the red zone during the 2015 season. This year the Tigers scored 15. Auburn's 2016 offense netted at least 40-yards during 47.4 percent of their possessions. This was the second highest percentage over the past 25 years of Auburn football. Only the 2010 team had a higher percentage. Only 14.1 percent of the possessions defended by the 2016 Auburn defense resulted in a TD. This was the best percentage by an Auburn defense since 2005. The 2016 Auburn run-offense rated out as the 6th best run-offense at Auburn over the past 64 years. This is based on yards per game, yards per attempt and TD ratio. Auburn's 2016 defense allowed only 2 rushing TD's in conference play. This is the fewest rushing TD's allowed during the last 50 years of Auburn football. Based on yards per game, yards per rush and TD ratio, the 2016 Auburn run-offense was the 10th best over the past 50 years of Auburn football in conference play. Auburn's 2016 run-offense was No. 7 nationally generating run plays of 10-yards or more. Prior to being injured, Sean White had a passer rating of 158.9. This would have placed him No. 10 nationally if he had maintained his rating. The 2016 Auburn defense held their opponent to 43.4 percent below their scoring average. This is the best percentage by an Auburn defense since 2004. Prior to the injuries of Sean White and Kamryn Pettway, the Auburn offense was gaining 25 percent more yardage than the opponent normally allowed and was scoring 35 percent more than the opponent allowed. For the season, Auburn finished at 12 percent more in yardage and 19 percent more in points scored. Kamryn Pettway's 122.4 yards per game was the 6th best performance by an Auburn RB (leading rusher). Daniel Carlson set a school record with 28 field goals in one season. During his career, Carlson has connected on 45 of 49 FG's under 40-yards. Auburn's 54 run plays of 15-yards or more was the 3rd most by an Auburn run-offense during the past 30 years. War Eagle!

From 1960-2015, the SEC produced an average of 3.6 teams with a win percentage of at least .700. The 2016 season will mark the first time the SEC produced only 1 team with a win percentage of at least .700 (Alabama). Since the league expanded to 12 teams in 1992, the fewest number of teams with a win pct of .700 was two. It happened in 2000, 2002 and 2009. From 1960-2016, there have been eleven seasons with at least 5 teams with a win pct of .700 or better. There have been only two seasons with six teams, which is the most. It happened in 1971 and 2012.

From 2012-2016 (SEC), the average pass rating during a conference game is 128.4. Here is the frequency of games with a pass rating of at least 129 or better during the past five seasons. Team Num Tot Pct W L Pct Alabama 32 44 72.7% 30 2 0.938 Texas A&M 25 40 62.5% 17 8 0.680 Georgia 24 41 58.5% 17 7 0.708 Miss State 22 40 55.0% 16 6 0.727 Ole Miss 21 40 52.5% 15 6 0.714 South Carolina 21 40 52.5% 15 6 0.714 Arkansas 20 40 50.0% 10 10 0.500 Auburn 20 41 48.8% 17 3 0.850 Tennessee 19 40 47.5% 12 7 0.632 Florida 15 40 37.5% 13 2 0.867 LSU 15 40 37.5% 11 4 0.733 Missouri 14 42 33.3% 10 4 0.714 Vanderbilt 13 40 32.5% 7 6 0.538 Kentucky 11 40 27.5% 5 6 0.455 Totals 272 568 47.9% 195 77 0.717 Alabama is No. 1 with a pass rating of 129 or better in nearly 73% of their conference games. It happens nearly 48% of the time during the past five seasons for the the teams combined. When the goal is reached, the average win percentage is 71.7 percent. Auburn is No. 8 over the past 5 years but should be in the top-5 with the talent level recruited. When Auburn did reach the goal, the Tigers won 85 percent of their conference games.

From 2000-2016, the average pass-efficiency rating is 130.8. During this time period, teams that reached a QB rating of at least 131 during a game, won 83% of their games. Here is a breakdown by season, sorted by overall QB Rating in the SEC. Rnk Year Rating Pct 1 2013 142.2 59.4 2 2010 141.5 62.4 3 2012 139.5 56.4 4 2014 135.9 52.7 5 2001 133.8 50.0 6 2006 133.6 52.2 7 2016 132.5 51.7 8 2015 131.1 48.6 9 2009 130.3 44.5 10 2011 128.6 45.2 11 2003 128.5 44.8 12 2004 128.4 44.3 13 2007 127.0 45.8 14 2005 123.8 40.0 15 2002 122.5 42.8 16 2008 120.7 40.0 17 2000 118.7 33.6 The 2016 season ranks 7th during the past 17 seasons with an overall rating of 132.5. The average rating of 131 was reached in 51.7% of the games this season. The best season was 2010, when the average rating of 131 was reached in over 62% of the games played that year. From 2012-2016, here are the total number of games with a pass rating of 131 or better: Alabama ............ 50 Texas A&M ........ 45 Georgia ............. 42 Miss State ......... 39 Ole Miss ............ 38 Auburn .............. 37 S. Carolina ......... 36 Arkansas ............ 34 Tennessee ......... 32 LSU ................... 29 Missouri ............. 27 Florida ............... 25 Kentucky ........... 22 Vanderbilt .......... 22

If it were agenda driven, why would I mention positive aspects of his coaching career? Since 2009, I have consistently publicized his successes far more than his struggles. His offenses at Auburn during his tenure is the greatest run in the history of the program. It doesn't mean there have been no shortcomings. When his offense is on, it looks great but when it struggles early, it consistently doesn't end well. I never advocated for him to be terminated. I clearly stated WE want him to succeed and it would be in the best interest of the program for this to happen. He has some challenging decisions to make moving forward. I hope he makes them. My agenda is this.... he needs to make some critical changes. I believe he CAN make them but not sure if he WILL unless his hand is forced.

All coaches at this level have some level of ego. Other than being over sensitive over two words, what did I write that wasn't true? I gave the man his due when it comes to the good things he has accomplished and stressed he needs to remain as head coach. Here is a suggestion for you... If you don't like my comments, don't waste your time reading them.

I did not suggest running an entirely knew offense. I suggested someone that utilize his base offense and evolve the passing game.

At the end of this season, Gus needs to be told he has several options: 1) Bring in a new offensive coordinator with experience not affiliated with your coaching tree. It can be spread oriented if you like to expand on what you have already installed in the past. It is time for you to be a head coach and not an offensive coach. 2) If not, your employment will be terminated with five losses or more and fired with four losses if two of the games are against Georgia and Alabama. Going 0-8 against our two biggest rivals is not acceptable. Having witnessed first hand what occurred under Coach Gene Chizik, this should not come as a surprise. 3) We want you to decide Coach Malzahn what you truly believe is in the best interest of the program. If you are obstinate enough to stick with Rhett Lashlee or another OC that will only run your offense, then you will live and die by it during the 2017 season. The ceiling on this offense has been reached under the mutual guidance of you and Coach Lashlee. It is in the best interest for both of you to part ways. Previous Mulligans: We gave you a pass in 2014 because of the defense. You made a change at defensive coordinator, which proved to be a good move. We gave you a pass in 2015 because of Jeremy Johnson, though there must be an issue with quarterback evaluation or development. The fear is it could be a combination of both. You get a pass this season because of the late season injuries. Issues with the quarterback position surfaced again. We give you full credit with the way a healthy Sean White performed this season, but John Franklin III attempting only two passes during nearly 80 mop-up snaps proved to be a colossal lapse in judgment. Even if you win your bowl game, your last three seasons will equate to a 24-15 record over the past three seasons. Auburn expects more than a win percentage of 61.5%. It is important you remember; Gene Chizik was fired for winning only 63.5 percent of his games. You must make changes at offensive coordinator because... 1) It is wretched you run the ball 77% of the time on 1st down. Unless you are operating a triple-option offense, there is no reason for not attempting passes on 1st down 30-35% of the time. We understand you want to be a run-first offense and we support this basic concept. We only hope you comprehend you can still be a power running offense and pass the ball more often on first down. 2) It is ridiculous you have attempted only one pass to a TE during the last 25 games. Any offensive coach worth his salt attempts to utilize all of his skill players in their game plan. Forcing the defense to cover every aspect makes you less predictable. 3) It is distressing many of your passing plays are one man routes set up in the hopes a certain defensive back will react in the same manner from a previous play. 4) It is criminal you don't call better protection for your QB's facing third and long against blitzing defenses. This label was placed on you in 2009, and yet you have failed to recognize the issue. If you are going to place your quarterback in obvious passing situations as frequently as we have witnessed, at least give the young man a chance to throw the football. 5) Your pass-offense lacks slants, crossing routes, swing passes, and RB screens. What we have seen are WR-screens, outs, square-in, deep posts and wheel routes. Yes, there have been other routes, but you rarely attack the middle of the field vacated by LB's set on defending the run. 6) In six of seven seasons, your pass offense has attempted more passes on third down than first down. Once again, this is a strong indicator of how predictable your offense is to defend. 7) For a QB at this level to not have the ability to check out of certain situations shows how barbaric your offense can be. 8) You are now 4-11 against Power-5 teams, when your running game is held to 150-yards or less, scoring an average of 18 points. We believe in the running game too, but you have to know you cannot always rush for 250-yards week in and week out. Your running game has been tremendous but not unstoppable. 9) You are now 5-14 against Power-5 teams, when you are held to under 10 points by halftime, averaging just 15 PPG, when it happens. This clearly shows the lack of ability to adjust your game plan. 10) As a head coach, you are now 5-11 in games against Power-5 teams, when trailing at halftime and 0-6 when trailing by 10 or more points at halftime. Once again, this is an indicator of your failures to adjust. 11) During the 21 games your offense was held to just 6 points or less during the first period against Power-5 competition, your teams averaged only 22 PPG, winning only 9 of the 21 games. 12) While other offensive coaches change up their play-calling, schemes, and formations to regulate their offense during trying times, you only change out who is taking snaps at the QB position. For the record, this is not an "adjustment," it is called desperation. 13) We want to see an offense ready for action on opening day. Utilizing the first 3-4 games of the season to figure out what you have seems such a waste. Looking back at the Clemson and Texas A&M games, this team could have been undefeated before the injuries began to add up. Spring and Fall camps are when coaches should learn and discover their strengths and weaknesses leading up to the season. We want you to succeed at Auburn because it means "WE" are successful. This is one of the reasons why you are one of the highest paid head coaches in the country. We believed in you enough to hire you on two separate occasions, as an offensive coordinator and now as a head coach. We gave you a substantial raise when you put a championship team on the field and have continued paying you well even when you struggled. You made a change at the defensive coordinator position when the job was not being done. It is time to recognize the job is not being completed on the offensive side of the football. What you have accomplished since arriving at the collegiate level has been remarkable. You have blazed a trail for many high school coaches to break into the collegiate ranks. You implemented a new brand of offense that many copied because it was so successful. Your offense at Auburn has nearly rewritten the entire record book. For these accomplishments, we commend you. Long term success in coaching means the ability to adjust, adapt and change. What might have worked five years ago is no longer vogue, and has now become stagnant and anticipated. When the defense failed in 2014, you had the foresight to make a change. It was a sign of growth on your part as a head coach, and we are now reaping the rewards. Can you not see a change is needed on offense? The time has come for you to be accountable at Auburn and for you to return to the University in the manner, it gave to you. If this is too much to ask and you elect to resign, please let us know, and we will write a check for half your buyout. Your job is to place your players in the best position to be successful, and you have failed the last two years. We have wanted this to be your driving ambition since your hiring, and now we demand it to be the theme moving forward. We expect you to be the head coach at Auburn and to demand the best from your assistants. The Auburn fan base has supported you, and we had hoped you would recognize and overcome your shortcomings. Change for anyone can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to the ego of a head coach at a major program. Next year will be your fifth season on the Plains as head coach, and we only request you do what is in the best interest of a very proud program. We believe you can be a better head coach and we want you to succeed at Auburn. Recruiting has improved under your watch and it appears you have the defense pointed in the right direction, something Gene Chizik could not do despite being an accomplished defensive coordinator. Off the field distractions have been minimal and most importantly, your players have fought hard for you and your staff. The only glaring weakness right now looks to be the offense and the need to evolve. Changing and adjusting your offense will make for a better team and in the end, will make you a better head coach. Good or bad, everything that occurs under your watch, reflects the kind of head coach you are. We believe in you Gus, we just believe you can do more for the sake of the program. Good luck moving forward and War Eagle!