Spotlighting Tre Mason vs. Clemson

[StatTiger 3,188]

Last season, Onterio McCalebb averaged 8.5 yards per rush, which has dropped to 4.9 yards per carry in 2011. One of the reasons for his drop in production has been the inconsistent blocking on the edge and the perimeter. The loss of Cameron Newton is another factor but Michael Dyer's 7.5 yards per rush in 2011defies the loss of Newton. Tre Mason is slowly being integrated into this year's offense with his obvious athletic ability and speed warranting more involvement in the offense.

The play...

On this play, Auburn displays a new formation involving 2 TE's in the backfield. Auburn comes out in a 3-WR look but Tre Mason will motion into the backfield just before the snap. The play will be a speed-sweep to the right with Philip Lutzenkirchen and Brandon Fulse playing a major role in blocking on the edge and perimeter. Added to the mix will be Emory Blake, who crack-back on the safety, cheating up to defend the run.

At the snap, Barrett Trotter will deal off to Tre Mason. Lutz will take out the OLB on the boundary side as Blake engages the safety. Brandon Mosley will work the DE inside, which helps seal the corner for Tre Mason. Brandon Fulse will work out of the backfield down field to engage the CB on the boundary side. On this play, the edge and perimeter blocking is up to par, allowing Tre Mason to gain 14-yards and an Auburn first down. Mason does an excellent job of giving the appearance he is headed to Fulse's outside shoulder but cuts the play back inside to gain extra yardage.

End Zone view...

Tre Mason has great instincts and lateral movement, making him more of a pure running back than Onterio McCalebb. Mason will make for a great compliment to the combination of Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb. In 2009, McCalebb averaged a 10-yard run every 5.8 attempts. In 2010, he improved his ratio to 1 every 3.4 attempts, which has dropped to 1 every 4.3 runs in 2011. He has yet to register a run play of 20-yards or more after compiling 10 on just 95 carries last year.

The addition of Tre Mason to the running game should be a much needed bonus, especially with his ability to make something from nothing, more so than Onterio McCalebb. As Auburn's blocking improves, so will McCalebb's yards per rush. Until that time, Mason should be able to make the most of minimum daylight but he needs to show better focus as a receiver.

[walker77 0]

Good stuff as usual Stat...

I'm looking for our running game to improve weekly from here on out...

[Auburn4life 24]

maybe this is why they moved Blake Burgess to TE. to be a blocker on these types of plays.

[guerra aguila 0]

Stat,

I think Mason will more hand offs this weekend? less motion and more involvement with running AT the defense.

I believe he will hopefully have his coming out party against Florida Atlantic. If Auburn is able to put them away early, there would be no sense in Dyer having more than 8 carries.

Perfect opportunity to get him rested for the stretch of the next few weeks. We will need all three of them to be at their best.

[BeachEagle 0]

Imagine our backfield next year. TM, MD, and MB. Defensive coordinators will lose sleep over it. Dyer is a beast already, blocking was great on both of Dyer's 52 yard runs. McCalebb is dancing a bit more this year, probably because there is not a gaping hole in front of him like last year. He still makes it to the corner, just nowhere to go. Mason has the ability to do more with less.

[bzlivn 0]

Imagine our backfield next year. TM, MD, and MB. Defensive coordinators will lose sleep over it. Dyer is a beast already, blocking was great on both of Dyer's 52 yard runs. McCalebb is dancing a bit more this year, probably because there is not a gaping hole in front of him like last year. He still makes it to the corner, just nowhere to go. Mason has the ability to do more with less.

I've noticed McCalebb is dancing a bit more.  He should run the play out to the sideline as opposed to attempting the cut backs.

[juscAUse 1]

If we run this play successfully a time or two per game,it will open up a huge play on the backside with the pass.

Nobody will stay home when they see this play start,Trotter fakes,keeps,and hits someone (Blake?) slipping downfield to the left.

[AUSWEN 0]

OMAC seems to just generally have issues this season with making his decision on where to run. To me the problem is that he jukes, as opposed to making a cut. It's like he just doesn't know what he wants to do with the football so he pauses to make a decision, and by then the D has caught up with the play. I honestly think he'd be better off just sprinting to the sideline every time than what he is doing right now. Obviously the best situation is that he learns when to cut and when to get the corner, but it just seems like he should know that by now. He has been kind of disappointing for me this year. I worry that if anything, he may be the one struggling to play next year if he doesn't improve, because we've got some extreme talent coming in the backfield.

[casatiger 514]

OMAC's runs would be more effective if Trotter would keep it every once and a while and gain some positive yards.  OMAC cannot get upfield because the linebackers and safeties are not worried at all about Barrett running it.

[Wrights_Mill_Road 2]

What casatiger said

[phillyeagle 149]

OMAC's runs would be more effective if Trotter would keep it every once and a while and gain some positive yards.  OMAC cannot get upfield because the linebackers and safeties are not worried at all about Barrett running it.

Yup, that's a huge part of it. Running the sweep play with Dyer in the Wildcat or Frazier at QB would force the defense to respect the whole field and open up the tiny seams McCalebb needs to break his big runs. I don't think it matters how many times Trotter keeps it and runs--he won't gain more than 10 yards on any designed run play, so the defense isn't going to focus on him no matter what.

*I don't mean to diss Trotter, he's been very good this year, but like anyone he has strengths and weaknesses. 

[sparkey 0]

O-Mac will come on as the season goes. Part of it is due to the offensive being so young and part of it is due to O-Mac seeming to be a late bloomer...I'm hoping anyway. Gus sets things up really well. I keep saying this: Gus is setting things up for future games down the road with his play calling. Some of the stuff against Clemson, well some of that stuff is going to set up stuff against South Carolina. Once this offense can execute the underneath routes effectively, they will be very deadly. You will see the big time talent controlling the game in the next few weeks. The only defenses that can cover Auburn's offense will be LSU and Alabama. I know the defense has issues. That said, this offense will be able to put up massive numbers against everybody else that they play. The underneath route just has to come out with better execution. We do that I think you'll see huge numbers again this time.

[bigbird 60,701]

O-Mac will come on as the season goes. Part of it is due to the offensive being so young and part of it is due to O-Mac seeming to be a late bloomer...I'm hoping anyway. Gus sets things up really well. I keep saying this: Gus is setting things up for future games down the road with his play calling. Some of the stuff against Clemson, well some of that stuff is going to set up stuff against South Carolina. Once this offense can execute the underneath routes effectively, they will be very deadly. You will see the big time talent controlling the game in the next few weeks. The only defenses that can cover Auburn's offense will be LSU and Alabama. I know the defense has issues. That said, this offense will be able to put up massive numbers against everybody else that they play. The underneath route just has to come out with better execution. We do that I think you'll see huge number again this time.

sunshine pumper!

[sparkey 0]

O-Mac will come on as the season goes. Part of it is due to the offensive being so young and part of it is due to O-Mac seeming to be a late bloomer...I'm hoping anyway. Gus sets things up really well. I keep saying this: Gus is setting things up for future games down the road with his play calling. Some of the stuff against Clemson, well some of that stuff is going to set up stuff against South Carolina. Once this offense can execute the underneath routes effectively, they will be very deadly. You will see the big time talent controlling the game in the next few weeks. The only defenses that can cover Auburn's offense will be LSU and Alabama. I know the defense has issues. That said, this offense will be able to put up massive numbers against everybody else that they play. The underneath route just has to come out with better execution. We do that I think you'll see huge number again this time.

sunshine pumper!

Wow, I don't think anybody has ever called me that. Thank you! 

[Vandelay 5]

OMAC seems to just generally have issues this season with making his decision on where to run. To me the problem is that he jukes, as opposed to making a cut. It's like he just doesn't know what he wants to do with the football so he pauses to make a decision, and by then the D has caught up with the play. I honestly think he'd be better off just sprinting to the sideline every time than what he is doing right now. Obviously the best situation is that he learns when to cut and when to get the corner, but it just seems like he should know that by now. He has been kind of disappointing for me this year. I worry that if anything, he may be the one struggling to play next year if he doesn't improve, because we've got some extreme talent coming in the backfield.

Hit the nail on the head. Maybe Bo ought to have another talk with him!

[tigertrax 0]

OMAC seems to just generally have issues this season with making his decision on where to run. To me the problem is that he jukes, as opposed to making a cut. It's like he just doesn't know what he wants to do with the football so he pauses to make a decision, and by then the D has caught up with the play. I honestly think he'd be better off just sprinting to the sideline every time than what he is doing right now. Obviously the best situation is that he learns when to cut and when to get the corner, but it just seems like he should know that by now. He has been kind of disappointing for me this year. I worry that if anything, he may be the one struggling to play next year if he doesn't improve, because we've got some extreme talent coming in the backfield.

I think if our receivers learn to block Omac's decissions will be a lot easier... do I step over the guy laying on the ground or go around him?

[ff4autigers 0]

I'm a huge fan of Tre's, hopefully he worked on his receiving skills this week. Would love for him to be a pass option out of the backfield.

[catch8185 4]

I like Tre alot.  But he dropped those two passes out of the backfield too.  It was the exact same play and he dropped it both times.  It was like dejavu.  I just wish McCalebb would cut it up and make three or four yards sometimes.  It reminds me of how Kodi would try to shift around instead of making a cut upfield and getting a few yards when he was quarterbacking.