JMR

In the minds of most Auburn fans, this one will go down as “an ugly win.”  Not because the score was close, but because most of us are focused on whether our offense is improving at a rate which will allow us to contend for the SEC West in November. Once again, Auburn’s offense looked out of synch and devoid of an identity.

The defense did not completely shut down Arkansas, but in my opinion, they played well overall. There were lots of substitutions throughout the game, especially in the back end, and I thought most of the youngsters acquitted themselves very well.

Here are a few of the things I *think* I saw in the game……
 

• Redshirt freshman Nick Brahms is finally healthy, and got his chance to make his case to move ahead of Kaleb Kim at center. Brahms started slowly, looking a little lost at times, but came on quickly. He generated some genuine movement in the middle, and executed the combo blocks very well. I was pleased to see him “finish” some blocks a few yards downfield. A surprisingly good performance for a kid in his first start on the big stage.
   
• Auburn’s passing game continues to be something of a mystery to me. Fans have bemoaned the lack of an intermediate passing game for a long while now, and in this game, it almost appeared that we were intent on limiting ourselves to a “short” passing game. Of Jarrett Stidham’s 22 pass attempts, 18 were within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. In defense of the play caller, Stidham did have a receiver open on a deep route twice, and overthrew the ball badly both times. When you take a deep shot and don’t come even close to connecting, it sometimes makes you unwilling to call for another one. One particularly obvious point was the fact that when Arkansas sent a I corner blitz, there was no hot receiver. Stidham failed to see the blitz before the snap, but did see it afterward…..but there was no one available to dump the ball to. One of those blitzes resulted in a throwaway, the other in a sack.
   
• It was gratifying to see Auburn go after a couple of Arkansas punts. With a talented punt returner like Ryan Davis, you obviously want to set up a return at times, but there is nothing that shakes up a punter like knowing an all-out rush is coming. Not to mention, a blocked punt can literally change a game. It was also good to see that while showing a ten-man rush, Auburn did have people assigned to Arkansas’ eligible receivers in case of a fake. Well done.
   
• Arkansas was able to hit some relatively big plays offensively. Some of that was because of good execution by their players, and some was due to mistakes by individual defensive players. Both T.D. Moultry and Big Kat Bryant lost outside contain once, leading to a big gain in the run game. I’m not excusing their errors, but unfortunately, experience is a tough teacher.
   
• I thought the pass rush from Auburn’s front four was much improved this week, especially from Derrick Brown. Brown got tremendous push in the middle, and pressure inside complicates things for a quarterback, as there is no “pocket” to step up into. Auburn has speed rushers on the edges, so flushing a QB from a pocket with inside pressure is usually very productive
   
• I don’t know whether it was a personnel situation, with Arkansas starting a new QB, or something Kevin Steele saw in Arkansas’ pass protection, but Auburn blitzed a bunch in this game. Those blitzes were effective, “getting home” more often than not
   
• Deshaun Davis was outstanding for the second week in a row. He mis-fit a couple of run plays, but he was all over the field, just as he was last week vs LSU.
   
• Auburn used a good amount of defensive line stunts when only rushing four on passing downs, and also on some run downs. Mostly slants and twists, but those gave the Arkansas offensive line problems.
   
• Whatever the problem with Anders Carlson, he needs to get it remedied. It’s been a while since Auburn has been without a super-reliable kicker, and with the offense struggling of late, we need him to get in his groove.
   
• Prince Tega played probably his best game yet this week. He is a powerful run blocker, and is beginning to realize what he is capable of. I thought Mike Horton showed improvement over the first three games, although I did notice he ran with a limp much of the time. According to Malzahn, Horton has been “battling an injury” this season. Hopefully he is getting close to 100%.
   
• Enough of the “swinging gate” PAT. That play isn’t fooling anyone anymore, and this week it cost AU a delay-of-game penalty.
   
• Speaking of delay penalties, Auburn twice was slow getting the play in from the sideline. On one, Malzahn called a timeout, and on the other, we took a delay penalty. That task needs to be smooth and fast, and there is no reason for it to be otherwise.
   
• In case anyone missed it, Ryan Davis had a tremendous block on Stidham’s TD run. Davis still had contact with his man when Stidham crossed the goal line.Obviously, Davis is special with the ball in his hands, as evidenced by his huge returns in this game. But it's great to see a leader doing his job when he isn't carrying the ball.
   
• I was proud of the game Jamel Dean played this  week, after being the recipient of a key PI call last week. Dean defended a couple of passes at critical times, and had the hit of the game on the little pitch play Arkansas ran multiple times. Always great to see a kid bounce back from adversity.
   
• Was great to see Noah Igbinoghene break a kickoff return for a TD. Iggy is a great kid, and plays hard all the time. Always happy to see those kids shine when their opportunity comes.

I think most of us are frustrated and concerned with the offense at this point. Unfortunately, it has been Malzahn’s history to take a while every season to figure out what his team does well. Hopefully improvement will come. If not, it will be a difficult season.

I do believe the defense is improving rapidly, and as strange as it may sound after only producing 225 yards of total offense, I think the offensive line showed some improvement this week.  More to come? Let’s hope so!

WAR EAGLE!!

Things I Think I Saw: Auburn vs LSU….

I call this “Things I Think I Saw” for the simple reason that no matter how many times you watch a game, or even a single play, it’s virtually impossible not to see something a little differently each time. So, I may not have seen something correctly, or the same way you saw it. These are just some impressions I got from watching this game once…..
 

• Auburn got off to a terrible start in the game, with Jarrett Stidham throwing a pick on his first attempt, then going O-fer on his first four passes. Not all those were Stidham’s fault, of course, as AU early in the game dropped at least three balls that should have been caught. LSU on the other hand started the game the way a visiting team needs to, and Joe Burrow was 4-of-5 out of the gate. To underline the awful AU start to the game, our first four offensive possessions accounted for a total of 17 yards.
   
• For most of the game, the LSU secondary was anticipating and jumping Auburn’s routes. I attribute that to the fact that 1. they play very aggressively in the back end, and 2. Auburn is still running many of the same routes we’ve run for a few years now. LSU was well-schooled on those routes, and managed two interceptions, in part because they were willing to jump the route.
   
• The interior of Auburn’s offensive line did not appear to have improved much since the Washington game. Marquell Harrell had some good plays and some very mediocre ones, while Kaleb Kim and Mike Horton continued to under-perform relative to each’s ability. Kim incurred two critical holding penalties, both of which could have been easily averted had he just centered up on a blitzing Devin White, instead of trying to take an angle on him, failing to do so, and grabbing onto the guy. I have no idea what has happened to the Mike Horton we saw prior to his injury last season, but that Horton has been conspicuously absent so far this year. I would not be shocked to see changes at center and right guard in the next game or two.
   
• At the offensive tackle spots, which was a worry heading into the season, run blocking has been fairly good. Both Tega and Driscoll are steadily improving, although Tega still struggles with his footwork against a speed rush. It’s past time for that problem to be corrected.
   
• The inexperience of our defensive secondary continues to be a major problem. I love Igbinoghene, and he is able to run with most wide receivers. But he is a little undersized, and being in his first year as a corner, he’s not yet mastered the fine points of the position. Because it’s his first season back there, he is being picked on to a degree by opposing offenses. Time will fix that situation, but each game involves painful lessons in the meantime. Iggy is hardly the only one having problems in the back end. Virtually all of our corners have similar problems, and all are struggling as the receiver comes out of his first break.
   
• Although he dropped a catchable ball early in the game, freshman wide receiver Seth Williams had a good game, and his talent will make him a key player for us as time goes by.
   
• I felt like Ja’Tarvious Whitlow continued to show improvement this week. Having played at a small school level in high school, he has much to learn, but barring injury, he will be an excellent back. He does tend to carry the ball with one hand when in traffic, and if that continues, some of what he will learn will be costly and painful.
   
• A couple of the things we are asking Kaleb Kim to do are beyond the capability of most college centers. Pulling the backside guard and expecting Kim to pick up that guard’s unblocked 2 or 3 technique is more than he is capable of doing. It may look good on the white board, but in real life, it isn’t happening.
   
• I am not one to believe “the officials are out to get us.” But LSU, which has had problems with their offensive line this season, obviously made a conscious decision to hold until the officials called it. They never did call it, and the holding was rampant on both pass and run plays from beginning to end. I’ll admit, the no-call on Greedy Williams holding Darius Slayton with both hands in clear view of a huge play, followed by the tacky PI call on Jamel Dean, did make me consider jumping over to the conspiracy side of things.
   
• I couldn’t help but question my eyesight when Auburn threw a little bootleg pass to tight end Jalen Harris. Sure enough, it did actually happen, and thus Harris now has 4 receptions in his career at AU.
   
• Jarrett Stidham seems to have regressed a bit since last season. I noticed in the Washington game he was not quite as accurate with his throws, and whereas Ryan Davis could catch the ball without breaking stride or moving to his left or right on the little screens, this season Davis has had to adjust to the ball, thus limiting his ability to run after the catch. Might be wishful thinking on my part, but Stidham seems to be overthrowing more deep balls this season as well. Stidham is also not calmly going through his progressions, and failed to see at least two wide open receivers on critical plays in this one. One was a backside post to Anthony Schwartz which would have likely been a TD, and one was a critical third down conversion attempt. I’m certainly aware that Stidham has been under duress at times, but he is a veteran QB and, I believe, capable of playing better than he has so far.
   
• Had Auburn been able to hang on and win the game, we might have named this one “The True Freshmen Game.”  Shaun Shivers and Anthony Schwartz looked very good for the second consecutive week, and Asa Martin executed that wheel route like he’d been doing it for a while.
   
• DeShaun Davis played an outstanding game. He was everywhere, with intensity, and I believe he had somewhere around 19 total tackles.
   
• Auburn was unable to get much of a pass rush out of the front four. IMO, there were a couple of reasons for that. One, LSU usually kept seven blockers in, and at least once, they actually kept 9, sending out only a single receiver. If the defense is rushing four, and the offense keeps 7 or more in to block, it’s tough to get much pressure. But at the same time, if the offense is sending out three or less receivers, the expectation is that the seven defenders in coverage should be able to cover pretty well. As I mentioned earlier, that goes back to the lack of experience, with three new starters in the secondary. LSU always seemed to have one receiver open “just enough” to convert a key third down.

This was a tough one to stomach. Again. Losing to Ed Orgeron, not once, but twice, is hard to accept, regardless of how it happened. But this one is over, and there’s nothing to be done now but go back to work and get better.  Sorry I’m late getting this out, but it was honestly tough to get myself to sit down and watch the recording. I’m pretty sure next week will be better, but as a longtime AU fan, you never take anything for granted..… WAR EAGLE!!

As expected, we got some answers from the Washington game to questions we’d had through the summer. And, most of the answers were positive in nature. There were few questions to be answered vs an out-manned team like Alabama State, except maybe in the cases of some backup players who got lots of playing time in that one.

The LSU game seems to always be big for Auburn, and this one is certainly no exception. If AU is to maintain its status as “relevant” in the chase for the SEC title, this is one we need to win. While a loss would not eliminate Auburn, it would greatly diminish whatever margin for error exists in that pursuit.

I expect an especially physical game, as that is Orgeron's and LSU’s style, and, I believe, the style of this Auburn defense. Here are some things I will be watching carefully in this one, as we find out more about our 2018 Tigers…..
 

• LSU Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda, following the Faux Tigers’ dismantling of #8 Miami, said, “They have no intermediate passing game, which makes them easy to defend”. After a dearth of intermediate passing throughout the 2017 season, Auburn showed both the intent and the ability to make that a part of their offense this time around, exploiting holes in a good Washington defense. We still haven’t involved the tight end at all, but the running backs and H-backs appear to be a part of the plan. We also still seem reluctant to attack the middle of the field. I’m curious to see if the trend toward more intermediate throws and involving multiple receivers will continue this week. LSU’s defensive secondary is excellent, and it will be critical to stretch their coverage to the max.

 

• We all approached the season knowing that multiple new starters on the offensive line meant that group would take some time to begin playing well together. While I wouldn’t characterize the OL performance vs Washington as a “failure,” it was also not one I’d qualify as a “Here’s how it’s done” performance. Lots of uncertainty showed up, and that tends to limit aggressiveness. Those guys have had another two weeks together now, and I’m anxious to see how much improvement has been made. In the run game, the linemen were slow coming off the combo blocks and getting to the second level, allowing the linebackers to make lots of plays. LSU has better linebackers than UW in my opinion, and I’m anxious to see if that seeming small, yet critical, problem has been corrected. That combo block is NOT a double-team; all the second guy is supposed to do is “shock” the defender enough the other blocker can get his head across the defender. That only takes a step or two, and then it’s on to the linebacker. I think this is a critical factor in Auburn’s run game, and I really want to see what kind of progress has been made there.

 

• There was kind of a “lull” in the second and third quarters of the Washington game where Auburn seemed to lose some of its pass rush. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is a good passer, but is not nearly as effective when moved off his spot. I don’t know what kind of game plan LSU OC Steve Ensminger will bring, but if AU can make him one-dimensional, I like our chances. I think with the typical strength of the LSU running game, Kevin Steele will be inclined to limit blitzes on first and second downs, and focus on stopping the run. But on obvious passing downs, I’m curious to see whether Steele will stick mostly with rushing four, or if he’ll try to confuse what looks to be a pretty decent LSU OL. That offensive line allowed two sacks vs Southeastern Louisiana last week, and will be without it’s starting right tackle. Their strength is run blocking, and pass protection is at least questionable.

 

• After waiting anxiously all summer for his arrival, Aussie punter Arryn Siposs has been neither “poor” nor “great” in his few attempts. Being a punter is a very nervous existence until you’ve done it a few times. You worry about fielding the snap cleanly, taking your steps, not taking too long, dropping the ball properly, and extending through the ball. I am hoping Siposs has gotten rid of his butterflies by now, and will step up and provide Auburn with a field position advantage in this one. I believe field position will be a big factor in this game.

 

• One of the few things we got to see in the ASU game was the talents of Anthony Schwartz and Shaun Shivers, two freshmen with big-time speed. I thought Schwartz showed that he is not just “a track guy playing football”, but a football player with world-class speed. Shivers is also exceptionally fast, runs hard, and has good hands. A coach’s opinion of a player changes as they get to know each other and assess skills. I’m curious to see if Chip Lindsey comes up with ways to get the ball to Shivers and Schwartz in space against a very good LSU defense.

 

• The Washington game was big, no question. Pretty much all of the freshmen who played in that one are a good bet to not redshirt this season. But almost every player who dressed for last week’s game got to play. Some showed that they aren’t ready to contribute anytime soon, but some may well have shown that they can help right away. I think it’s safe to assume that any who play in this one, whether they played against UW or not, will not be redshirting this year. I’ll be curious to see if any youngsters or backups impressed their coach enough last week to change his mind.

 

• LSU-Auburn games in recent years have been particularly physical, especially in the trenches. I think how our offensive and defensive lines handle their part of that physicality in this game will tell us a lot about the character of our team. I’m looking forward to seeing our guys welcome LSU to Jordan-Hare once again.

 

• Aranda is an excellent defensive game-planner, and he will have scouted the Auburn offense thoroughly. I would hope to see AU break some major offensive tendencies and upset LSU’s defensive schemes that are doubtless based on those tendencies.

 

• Will Auburn use tempo? It will be hot, but both teams are accustomed to the heat. However, as talented as LSU is on defense, they are not deep. Tempo will not only help wear down the LSU defense, it will also cause some difficulties for Aranda. IF Auburn uses a lot of tempo in the game, will we finally get away from running the same inside zone play after getting a first down?

Auburn has the talent to win this important game. But, they had the talent to jump out to a 20-point lead last year, and lost. That one was mostly a case of Gus Malzahn going conservative and allowing LSU to seize the momentum. That win was huge for Ed Orgeron and LSU, and almost cost Malzahn his job. I am curious to see if Auburn and Malzahn remember all that, and how they will approach the game this time around. As always, a lot to look forward to in this one!  WAR EAGLE!!

Things I'll Be Looking For: AU vs Washington....

Every football season, I find myself curious about certain aspects of Auburn football. That curiosity is obviously more prevalent in the weeks leading up to the first game, as there has been sufficient time to make wholesale changes if the coaching staff wishes to do so. The “curiosities” become fewer and more focused on a game-to-game basis once we’ve gotten a look at this year’s version of AU football. As a new opponent rolls onto the schedule each week, there are always questions about how Auburn plans to attack that particular opponent, and how the staff plans to correct whatever deficiencies or problems presented themselves in the previous game(s), or earlier in the season.

I plan to make this a weekly column, and the “list” should be considerably shorter from week to week as the season rolls along and we fans have more hard data to process. With that in mind, here are some of the things I hope to find answers to in the Washington game. Let’s hope most of those answers are positive….

Jarrett Stidham: Designated Driver....
 

• Gus has said that “Stidham will have more freedom within the offense.”  While there are coaches, analysts, etc. up in the press box with an excellent view of the entire field below, no one in the stadium has a better, more timely view of the opposing defense than the quarterback. More and more these days, defensive coordinators are having their players make last-second changes just as (or even just after) the ball is snapped. There will certainly be times when the QB has no opportunity to change the play, but more often, the opportunity will be there. If the called play has little chance of working against the “final” defensive alignment, the QB can make a change to a play that should work. Will Jarrett Stidham have the freedom to do that? If he does, how effective will he be in making changes?

 

• A very talented Jarrett Stidham arrived at Auburn last season after a season out of football following his transfer from Baylor. New to Auburn and the Southeastern Conference, he took over quickly as the starting quarterback. In a new offense, surrounded by new teammates and led by a new Offensive Coordinator, Stidham was quickly introduced to Auburn’s offense, being sacked 11 times in Game Two of the season. He performed reasonably well, although by the end of the season, he was playing with a bad shoulder, a result of poor pass protection and more contact than he could have reasonably expected. Now healthy, and with a year in Auburn’s program under his belt, he is the unquestioned leader of the 2018 Tigers. How different will his play be? Is he comfortable to the point of being able to execute the offense in the face of the pass rush he is likely to see? Will he be able to improvise when a play breaks down? This team has plenty of talent, but will only go as far as Stidham can take it. I’m excited to see Jarrett Saidham drive the bus with the knowledge he’s gained over the past year.

Chip Lindsey, Release 2.0….
 

• Auburn has exceptional speed at certain positions this year. Anthony Schwartz is a world-class sprinter, and Shaun Shivers is less than a step slower. When Auburn fans think of utilizing speed, they think of the speed sweep, mainly because that has been a staple of the Malzahn offense. But there are other ways to get the ball in the hands of a super-fast player in space, primarily by throwing the ball. Will Chip Lindsey find ways to get Schwartz and Shivers the ball with a chance to run?

 

• Many Auburn fans believe Gus Malzahn kept a tight reign on Lindsey last season when it came to calling plays. I don’t know if that was the case or not, but regardless, Gus surely has more confidence in Lindsey in this second season together. When Lindsey was at Southern Miss, he threw the ball around, especially using his running backs as receivers. When he was at Arizona State, forced to use 5 different quarterbacks due to injuries, he managed to cobble together an offense each week that utilized the particular strengths of that week’s quarterback. They even used their tight end in the passing game on occasion. With an experienced QB and increased trust from his head coach, I’m curious to see what kind of game Lindsey will call vs the best defense in the PAC-12.

 

• In 2017, Jarrett Stidham was often affected by the pass rush, and especially by blitzes. There are many ways to beat a blitz, depending on how well it’s executed, but Auburn didn’t employ many of those in 2017. With what appears to be an exceptionally talented group of wide receivers, will Chip Lindsey include more “blitz beaters” in his offense? Will Jarrett Stidham be able to execute those he has in his arsenal? A scheme that takes advantage of a blitzing defense can lighten the load on a young offensive line in a major way. With a re-tooled offensive line and a stable of unproven running backs, Auburn’s offense may be required to lean heavily on it’s passing game at times this season. Controlling the pass rush will almost certainly be a key component of that circumstance.

   

• Jarrett Stidham was one of the most prolific passers in college football last year when attempting deep passes. He was also very effective in the short passing game, being very accurate on the bubble screens, tunnel screens, and the small handful of drag routes and crossing routes AU ran. But the intermediate game has been largely absent from the Chip Lindsey/Gus Malzahn offense. With the objective being to stretch the defense both vertically and horizontally to create space between defenders, will that part of the Auburn passing game show up in this big opening game? Or in this opportunity-filled season?

Special Teams: Special Enough?….
 

• How will Malzahn and his staff approach special teams this season? One of the decisions coaches must make every year is who will play on special teams. Some coaches keep their starters on the field; others use special teams as a way to 1. rest their starters, and 2. Let other players have a role in the game. Auburn’s special teams have been, overall, less than great in recent years, despite having some outstanding individuals like Daniel Carlson. A blocked punt or field goal can be a game-changer. And in the 2013 Championship game vs FSU, a successful fake punt by FSU may very well have prevented AU from pulling away in the game and locking down the national championship. Who will play on special teams for Auburn, and will the staff devote the practice time required to make that phase of the game “special”? Often, young players earn a spot on special teams, due mainly to their athleticism. A youngster may not have experience executing the offense or defense in a game setting, but he can quickly learn and master his responsibilities as a part of special teams.

 

• On the subject of special teams, how will Auburn use the unique skills of punter Arryn Siposs? Malzahn has said, “We will not be using the rugby-style punt”. I have always thought that punting style was a little risky, but it seems to have been awfully effective for the teams that use it. Regardless, whether to allow Siposs to do that or not is certainly Malzahn’s call. But Siposs is an exceptional athlete, with decent speed and good size. Will Auburn use him in ways other than as a pure punter? That will be interesting to see. On the other hand, Malzahn has been profuse in his praise of the “new” Aiden Marshall. Might the Tigers go with Marshall as the starting punter? If they do, will Siposs be used “situationally”?

 

• Anders Carlson will finally get his chance to step in for his older brother, the SEC’s all-timleading scorer as Auburn’s place kicker. Observers say Anders is every bit as talented as Daniel, but the youngster will get his first test in the big time this week.

J.B. Grimes, Part Deux: The Sequel....
 

• There are a number of questions to be answered regarding AU’s re-tooled offensive line. One of those is Prince Tega Wanogho at left tackle. Tega has prototypical size for an offensive tackle, and was a starter early last season before being pulled due to problems in pass protection. J.B. Grimes has said those same problems exist in this year’s fall camp. Will Tega learn to use his considerable length and strength effectively? That one situation may have the single biggest impact on the OL’s performance this season.

 

• I don’t think it’s so much a “question” as it is a curiosity, but I’m anxious to see how grad transfer Jack Driscoll performs at right tackle. I watched some video of his play at UMass, and was honestly fairly impressed with his effort and his technique. The video I saw was from a game vs Florida, so there’s good reason to believe Driscoll can play at the SEC level.

 

• Auburn’s offensive line started poorly in 2017, giving up 4 and 11 sacks in the first two games respectively. In his second stint at AU, offensive line coach J.B. Grimes is tasked withpreventing such a scenario in 2018. Known as a strong teacher of fundamentals, Grimes has a tough assignment, replacing 4 starters up front. Can J.B. teach run blocking and pass protection, all while breaking in some relatively inexperienced starters? It will be a challenge.

AU Defense: From Good to Great?....
 

• Possibly the biggest difference between Auburn and the PAC-12 teams Washington plays throughout their season is the overall quality of the defensive line. Looking back at the 2010 BCS Championship game between AU and Oregon, the biggest differentiator in that game was the quality of Auburn’s defensive line. Oregon could not block Nick Fairley and the rest of the AU front, and therefore could not establish their run game. This year’s AU defensive front is one of the best and deepest in all of college football. Washington sees great players in their conference, but not from end-to-end like they will see in this game. With an air-conditioned stadium, heat will obviously not be a factor, but even if you’re playing in 50-degree weather, fatigue is always there. Auburn’s depth and speed up front might prove to be the difference in the game. Hard to play against something you haven’t seen before, and to my knowledge, there are no teams in the PAC-12 with a defensive front as fast and talented as Auburn’s. Will Auburn’s talent and depth wear down the Huskies?

 

• There are some noteworthy changes in the defensive secondary. For one, outstanding safeties Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts are gone. For another, wide receiver Noah Igbinoghene has moved to cornerback. And lastly, AU chose to use it’s newly-allowed 10th on-field coaching position to hire Marcus Woodson as corners coach, with Coach Greg Brown now focusing on the safeties. I am anxious to see how Iggy performs at corner, and also to see what kind of technique Woodson has the corners playing. Washington has an outstanding QB in Jake Browning, and even with a group of inexperienced wide receivers,the Huskies will surely test the Auburn secondary.

 

• One of the traits of a Chris Petersen offense is a relatively few plays out of lots of formations.I am curious to see how Auburn’s veteran front and rebuilt secondary will react to the variety of formations shown by the Huskies. Petersen and his offensive staff run a handful of plays, but run those out of a wide variety of formations. The intent is to create an assignment bust by the defense, in both the run game and the passing game. Will AU be prepared mentally to make appropriate adjustments?

Newcomers: Big Eyes and Butterflies, or Poise and Confidence?….
 

• I’m curious to see which true freshman play in this opening game. With the new rule allowing players to participate in up to four games and still redshirt, there will be a number of young players who see action this season, but still end up with a redshirt year to preserve an extra season of eligibility. But in this particular game, given the quality of the opponent, it’s likely that any true freshmen who play will not redshirt this season, and are thought by the staff to be capable of helping already. With top wide receivers Will Hastings and Eli Stove out with injuries, who among the freshman wideouts will play, and how will they be used?

 

• Another “question” going into Game One is the running back position. With Kam Martin and JaTarvious Whitlow leading at the turn, that situation more or less screams “by committee” approaching the opener. But throughout Malzahn’s tenure at Auburn, there has usually been a primary running back, at least prior to the midpoint of the season. Freshman Asa Martin has impressed in fall practices. One of his strengths is pass protection, which is uncommon for a kid coming out of high school. Might Asa get meaningful action in the first game of his college career? Will Auburn use Shaun Shivers as a true running back?

It’s unlikely that all of the questions listed above will be answered fully in the opener. Certainly, situations that present themselves as the game unfolds will dictate some tactical decisions. But if we watch carefully, we may very well get a feel for at least some of the answers we are looking for. There are a number of things we’ve all been anxious to see for ourselves, and your list may well be different from mine. In any case, we are about to have many of our questions answered. Hopefully what we see will be sufficient to raise our hopes and expectations for this season even higher than they already are. War Eagle!!