We have to start throwing the football

[AUbritt 611]

The Georgia game will tell us a lot.

[eagle76 1]

I agree that we don't need to throw it if we don't have to. What makes CGM's philosophy so unique is he uses elements of the spread and traditional offenses. We spread people out and go fast, yet we run the ball in a variety of ways and still utilizes power football blocking schemes. It's not as simple as just loading the box to stop our rushing attack.

With that said....(not to overlook GA) but Alabama will be most disciplined and talented defense we will face all year by far. They will be able to at least slow our rushing attack down and will certainly try and make us throw the football. Gus keeps saying that he's confident we can throw the ball, but practice is a lot different than games. Timing issues, dropped balls, and inaccurate throws have all been issues at times. I'm very hopeful though that Gus and his brilliant football mind will have a great game-plan for Bama (and UGA). It just comes down to execution.

I am more concerned with our run D. We are about to face Gurley and Yeldon, and we have been gashed for 5-7 yards a pop by Arkansas and Tennessee. I thought our defense played cleaner and looked more focused today, but we have to be able to stop the run.

I can see both sides - 1) why change what is working and 2) what's working now may not work against uga or uat.

I watched part of the lswho/uat game with a coach friend who has spent several days with the turds in camps. He said that their philosophy is to take away (out) the player on the opposition who could control the game. In our case, he thinks that cns will concentrate on taking the inside run away and put a lb on Marshall and pound him every chance they get - whether he has the ball in his hands or not. No Marshall, game plan changes. Marshall getting hit often will affect how often he keeps the ball and how accurate his passes are. With Johnson, the threat of the read option is minimized and the defense gets easier. Just listening to my friend, he makes a logical argument for how to defend us. Sure, other teams could have done the same thing or tried, but NO ONE has the talent or speed or abiility to do it like uat - not even uga.

Defensively, we have to STOP the run and pressure the qb. We will see maybe the best two backs we have had to defend against the entire year within the next two games. Murray is a very good qb who has had great days against AU in the past so we have to pressure him. McCryon can be frustrated if he gets hit enough.

We haven't had to throw the ball the last several weeks and that's fine. You do what you do best and it has worked fantasticly. But the next two games may be different. The talent will definitely be better on the defensive side of the ball - espectally uat. The lack of throwing the ball the last two weeks is a little worrisome IMHO since we have had very little passing game experience for our qb and wr's.

[Randman5000 4,234]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

[johnjacob 44]

Yea, I love we have been able to run (2) SEC teams out of their own stadium with base O of running the ball. We will have to throw against UGA. I still think we can beat them without showing everything. That, I hope, we save for bama.

Why will we have to throw vs UGA? Their D is dreadful this year. AU will run for 300+ on the dawgs.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

Being one dimensional is going to kill us against tougher opponents like Alabama.

We will throw when someone commits the resources to stop our run game. When they do that we will beat them even worse going deep. Chose your poisin. WDE

[johnjacob 44]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

LSU runs very differently than AU and they stopped them in the second half, but that is because LSU is a poorly conditioned team. LSU ran the ball all over bama in the first half. We will have to throw it vs bama, but not as much as some think.

[JMassie11 1,610]

Like the announcers said at the end of the game...uga and bama should be nervous since gus has so many plays in his pocket we haven't used....as far a bama their lbs are very good but the line allowed lsu rbs to the next level a lot

[bikeriderga 134]

I want us to perform more passing too.

However, if the competition stacks the line and we can still run it the way our Tigers have been able to do, we should not change that formula for success. Running attacks wear defenses out much quicker.

We will pass when we need to. I expect that to be in the Georgia game, but our O-Line is perhaps the best in the SEC as is our backfield when it comes to the run.

Mason, Marshall, Grant, and CAP are an extremely hard combo to stop. Each one has different styles, abilities, and running talents. It is extremely difficult to stop one of them, let alone all four! That is why our running attack has been so potent!

Usually great running attacks have one or two backs to focus on. Auburn is vastly different. You have to prepare and focus on four!

[war eagle6 0]

I really like how CEJ adjusts. I just hope it doesnt take until halftime to do it. We have got to have better LB play. I hope Frost is not hurt, that would kill us.

If I'm not mistaken, he came back into the game after he was banged up. I agree btw that we'll need way better LB play, consistently.

^^ This, I have been begging for better MLB play all yr, hopefully the coaches heard me

[PoetTiger 1,901]

Yeah okay, I'm a "bammer" because I'm afraid of Bama beating Auburn. If anything, you're the "bammers" because of your flawed logic and immaturity!

All I'm saying is that I'm a little concerned with the lack of passing game we've had. Watching Alabama play right now scares me. They will shut down the running game and then we'll have to throw it. I hope we're prepared.

In the last few games has there been a situation where they really needed to pass? The teams could not stop the ground game. So why sling it all over the field? When AU needed passes to move chains they did it. See 3rd down play against A&M and game winning drive against MSU. Like Rhett said - Auburn can pass they do o it all the time in practice....the ground game has just been so dominant there has not been a big need to pass.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

Mettenburger is not really a threat to run much. He's primarily a passer, but NM is a duel-threat QB, and I believe we have a better O-line. Plus we have 3 RBs each with different purpose and LSU doesn't exactly do that in the same way. bammer has more to worry about with AU.

LSU's game plan for the last two meetings wih bammer has been sorely lacking, and I think Gus and CEJ can do a better job of prepping and making adjustments. Les and his coaches have gone stale in that matchup.

[bikeriderga 134]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

Mettenburger is not really a threat to run much. He's primarily a passer, but NM is a duel-threat QB, and I believe we have a better O-line. Plus we have 3 RBs each with different purpose and LSU doesn't exactly do that in the same way. bammer has more to worry about with AU.

LSU's game plan for the last two meetings wih bammer has been sorely lacking, and I think Gus and CEJ can do a better job of prepping and making adjustments. Les and his coaches have gone stale in that matchup.

This ^^^.. I hope Alabama blitzes us like they did LSU. Marshall will kill them if they do this!!

Also LSU took way too long to set up plays on offense. It looked like they were moving in slow motion. The speed on setting up plays on offense is what cost LSU the game. LSU needed a QB in that game to sprint out of the pocket and do rolling pass plays. Mett is not capable of that. Marshall IS!

Any top SEC team has to get the play off in two to four seconds on average, or they are in serious trouble. The speed in the SEC is just too great for teams not to play FAST! Once you establish that kind of speed, every once and a while you can take more time to set up long pass plays, etc. But you have to average getting plays off in 2 - 4 seconds.

Go back and watch how fast AU verses LSU gets plays off. It will tell you a lot.

[IronMan70 3,277]

Seems to me there are two questions here. Can AU pass ? Yes, they have proven they can. The thread title restated is actually the solution. "We have to start throwing the ball" when we have to start throwing the ball.

[AU64 10,122]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

LSU runs very differently than AU and they stopped them in the second half, but that is because LSU is a poorly conditioned team. LSU ran the ball all over bama in the first half. We will have to throw it vs bama, but not as much as some think.

JMO but Bama mostly stopped LSU because they could ignore the QB and only had to keep an eye on the single deep back. There was very little deception by the QB and not much deception built into any of the running plays. Les was trying to beat Bama at their own power game....and could not do it....again.

[DyeHardAllTheWay 0]

I'm not saying we should have gone full out air raid the past few games, but I do believe we should have been incrementally installing more passing plays. We saw what happened to LSU last night when their run was shut down and they had to throw. It wasn't pretty. The logic that "when you don't have to throw you don't" is good for one game, but it will hurt down the stretch when you go against opponents that aren't terrible.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Alabama stopped LSU's run. You know they are going to load up against us. We need confidence in the pass game. Need trust between receiver and qb. So far we have not had that .

Mettenburger is not really a threat to run much. He's primarily a passer, but NM is a duel-threat QB, and I believe we have a better O-line. Plus we have 3 RBs each with different purpose and LSU doesn't exactly do that in the same way. bammer has more to worry about with AU.

LSU's game plan for the last two meetings wih bammer has been sorely lacking, and I think Gus and CEJ can do a better job of prepping and making adjustments. Les and his coaches have gone stale in that matchup.

This ^^^.. I hope Alabama blitzes us like they did LSU. Marshall will kill them if they do this!!

Also LSU took way too long to set up plays on offense. It looked like they were moving in slow motion. The speed on setting up plays on offense is what cost LSU the game. LSU needed a QB in that game to sprint out of the pocket and do rolling pass plays. Mett is not capable of that. Marshall IS!

Any top SEC team has to get the play off in two to four seconds on average, or they are in serious trouble. The speed in the SEC is just too great for teams not to play FAST! Once you establish that kind of speed, every once and a while you can take more time to set up long pass plays, etc. But you have to average getting plays off in 2 - 4 seconds.

Go back and watch how fast AU verses LSU gets plays off. It will tell you a lot.

AU was like lightening at times in the TN game.

[aubfaninga 16]

I'm not saying we should have gone full out air raid the past few games, but I do believe we should have been incrementally installing more passing plays. We saw what happened to LSU last night when their run was shut down and they had to throw. It wasn't pretty. The logic that "when you don't have to throw you don't" is good for one game, but it will hurt down the stretch when you go against opponents that aren't terrible.

They did not do it very often but did anyone notice what happened the few times LSU ran no huddle pace. They did it a few times on the drive that Copeland fumbled. LSU had positive yardage everytime they ran plays with a little urgency in the first half. Then Zack would try and be cute and make a bunch of adjustments at the line which only gives Saban more time to do what he does. Gus and aTm has given the blueprint to chopping down bamas defense. Keep them fat boys on the field, don't let them sub certain packages, and keep Saban out of the game. It WORKS!!!

[DyeHardAllTheWay 0]

I'm not saying we should have gone full out air raid the past few games, but I do believe we should have been incrementally installing more passing plays. We saw what happened to LSU last night when their run was shut down and they had to throw. It wasn't pretty. The logic that "when you don't have to throw you don't" is good for one game, but it will hurt down the stretch when you go against opponents that aren't terrible.

They did not do it very often but did anyone notice what happened the few times LSU ran no huddle pace. They did it a few times on the drive that Copeland fumbled. LSU had positive yardage everytime they ran plays with a little urgency in the first half. Then Zack would try and be cute and make a bunch of adjustments at the line which only gives Saban more time to do what he does. Gus and aTm has given the blueprint to chopping down bamas defense. Keep them fat boys on the field, don't let them sub certain packages, and keep Saban out of the game. It WORKS!!!

With all due respect, Texas A&M has the best offense in the country because they are multi-dimensional. We've only run the ball.

[aubfaninga 16]

I'm not saying we should have gone full out air raid the past few games, but I do believe we should have been incrementally installing more passing plays. We saw what happened to LSU last night when their run was shut down and they had to throw. It wasn't pretty. The logic that "when you don't have to throw you don't" is good for one game, but it will hurt down the stretch when you go against opponents that aren't terrible.

They did not do it very often but did anyone notice what happened the few times LSU ran no huddle pace. They did it a few times on the drive that Copeland fumbled. LSU had positive yardage everytime they ran plays with a little urgency in the first half. Then Zack would try and be cute and make a bunch of adjustments at the line which only gives Saban more time to do what he does. Gus and aTm has given the blueprint to chopping down bamas defense. Keep them fat boys on the field, don't let them sub certain packages, and keep Saban out of the game. It WORKS!!!

With all due respect, Texas A&M has the best offense in the country because they are multi-dimensional. We've only run the ball.

With all due respect, Auburn's defense has a pulse!!!

Kind of makes up for that 70 extra yards per game that aTm averages.

I am not going to try and downplay aTm and their offense but how can you say that aTm is "multi-dimensional" and we are not?

Stats show we are their "mirror image". aTm has 1988 yards rushing and 3792 yards passing

Auburn has 1733 yards passing and 3200 yards rushing

We average 7 yards per play and they average 7.5 yards per play. We run first, they pass first. We smash you in the mouth and try to break your will... they scramble and throw prayers to a great receiver.

We run pace and they run pace!!! Which is what my comment was about. Pace is a great equalizer to a Saban coached defense.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

By the way for all those worried about the passing game. Rhett said they passed a lot in practice last week and were prepared to pass if needed. Problem was that it was not needed. This by no means is an indication that AU has a problem passing the ball. By the way for those that are worried about the last two games here is something to ponder. Uga is not that great against the run on defense. In case most missed it just a few weeks ago they had to come from behind at the end to beat UT team that we beat 55 to 23. We will be able to run well against uga. As for uat we will run the ball well against them also. This is not the razzle dazzel offense that pundits make it out. Our OL does a good job of pulling and trapping. In fact I expect it to work well against uat, just like it did in 2009 and 2010. uat tends to play aggressive and that plays into the hand of Gus's offense. Remember with the runners we have the hole only has to open for a second. I'll go out on a limb here and say we will probably put more than 300 yards on the ground against uga and at least 250 more on uat. WDE.

[aubfaninga 16]

By the way for all those worried about the passing game. Rhett said they passed a lot in practice last week and were prepared to pass if needed. Problem was that it was not needed. This by no means is an indication that AU has a problem passing the ball. By the way for those that are worried about the last two games here is something to ponder. Uga is not that great against the run on defense. In case most missed it just a few weeks ago they had to come from behind at the end to beat UT team that we beat 55 to 23. We will be able to run well against uga. As for uat we will run the ball well against them also. This is not the razzle dazzel offense that pundits make it out. Our OL does a good job of pulling and trapping. In fact I expect it to work well against uat, just like it did in 2009 and 2010. uat tends to play aggressive and that plays into the hand of Gus's offense. Remember with the runners we have the hole only has to open for a second. I'll go out on a limb here and say we will probably put more than 300 yards on the ground against uga and at least 250 more on uat. WDE.

I am wanting to say we will gash uga on the ground as well. Missouri had their defense gassed late in their game so that might be another advantage for us.

I see Saban throwing the kitchen sink at our rushing attack so it will be tough sledding for Mason and Nick. BUTTTTT, once Satan does, Uzomah and Coates should get a chance to earn a easy paycheck if Nick can get the ball close to them!!! Remember 2010 when Satan used his power to stop Cam and Dyer, how Lutzie sneaked out into the endzone? Well... our little muscle ball of a fullback CAN ACTUALLY CATCH as well but there is not much gamefilm out there to keep it fresh on their minds.

[WarEagle84 0]

By the way for all those worried about the passing game. Rhett said they passed a lot in practice last week and were prepared to pass if needed. Problem was that it was not needed. This by no means is an indication that AU has a problem passing the ball. By the way for those that are worried about the last two games here is something to ponder. Uga is not that great against the run on defense. In case most missed it just a few weeks ago they had to come from behind at the end to beat UT team that we beat 55 to 23. We will be able to run well against uga. As for uat we will run the ball well against them also. This is not the razzle dazzel offense that pundits make it out. Our OL does a good job of pulling and trapping. In fact I expect it to work well against uat, just like it did in 2009 and 2010. uat tends to play aggressive and that plays into the hand of Gus's offense. Remember with the runners we have the hole only has to open for a second. I'll go out on a limb here and say we will probably put more than 300 yards on the ground against uga and at least 250 more on uat. WDE.

This worries me. I know we've passed a lot in practice, but there's a big difference between doing it in practice and doing it in a game. If you doubt that, go back and re-watch AU's first offensive series against TN. If we get forced into a few 3-and-outs and a pick-6 because our passing game isn't in sync, we will have trouble winning the next two games.

[doc4aday 1,887]

By the way for all those worried about the passing game. Rhett said they passed a lot in practice last week and were prepared to pass if needed. Problem was that it was not needed. This by no means is an indication that AU has a problem passing the ball. By the way for those that are worried about the last two games here is something to ponder. Uga is not that great against the run on defense. In case most missed it just a few weeks ago they had to come from behind at the end to beat UT team that we beat 55 to 23. We will be able to run well against uga. As for uat we will run the ball well against them also. This is not the razzle dazzel offense that pundits make it out. Our OL does a good job of pulling and trapping. In fact I expect it to work well against uat, just like it did in 2009 and 2010. uat tends to play aggressive and that plays into the hand of Gus's offense. Remember with the runners we have the hole only has to open for a second. I'll go out on a limb here and say we will probably put more than 300 yards on the ground against uga and at least 250 more on uat. WDE.

Your logic is very sound. Our fun and run offense is simple, but can be very complex to those who have to defend it. The way we are clicking now, the DCs for Uga, Uat, and Mizzou will be up late trying to figure out how to face the big blue monster that Gus has created in his lab of horrors.

One thing, NM has a much stronger arm than JM. I am not saying that JM has a weak arm; in that we all know JM has a strong enough arm to beat most teams. What I am is that NM is a very dangerous offensive weapon each and every play. If NM finds his groove, he will beat you no doubt regardless of the team he is facing.

[JDUBB4AU 5,126]

We are going to have to play out of our minds to win out. No mistakes . Tackle. Play assignments ..no turnovers.. We haven't played a complete game yet..

[wdefromtx 3,159]

As long as Gus can find an extra gear to shift the bus into, I don't care what plays he dials up.