We have to start throwing the football

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

We will throw the ball if we need to throw the ball. I love the fact that we haven't thrown much the last two games. Keeps our opponents from being able to prepare for it. They won't know what hit them when we start throwing.

While this is certainly a bonus,

I'm most impressed with the (obvious) underlying fact that it hasn't even been needed of late.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I just don't want us to come out throwing to prove we can, or to try and break tendencies like we did to open the TN game with 4 straight passes and then a punt. If we come out passing because that is what uga is giving us then so be it.

Uga and uat will both try and get us out of our comfort zone. But if we are running at will on them, you better believe that we will keep on running - even if it means not passing 1 time. Once Gus finds a weakness, he will keep hitting it until they adjust.

That is the sign of a good coach.

[texasautiger 0]

I have to agree with the folks that have pointed out that we haven't given Bama or UGA much to plan against in the passing game. The last time NM threw the ball more than 8 times in a game was Oct. 19th! That'll be almost a month ago come Saturday. Can you imagine how many more passing plays Gus might have squeezed into the playbook since then, all while giving NM a month to rep them without UGA or Bama having a clue what is coming?

[mom2kid 216]

We were more balanced against A&M and I think we will be more balanced against UGA. The Oline needs to play great and give Nick the time to pass. Our D really needs to step up and put pressure on Murray. Our LBs need to minimize long runs. If we continue to play well as a team we will win. But let's continue the excellent special teams play, few penalties, and few turnovers. I really think our guys have more to play for and our Georgia players see this as a win they really want.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

You guys understand that we've been able to run it against 9 man fronts and still score in less than 2 minutes, right? Honestly, I know how good Alabama's defense is but if we go in to that game and put up 300+ rushing on them and win...Bammers won't talk for a straight 364 days.

^^^

Recall that the forward pass was invented as a sop to the offense, to keep the game interesting in a (safety-related) change to the 10-yds/1^st-down requirement.

“…What should be done to produce a more open, less dangerous, more

interesting game of football? Remember that the old mass game had

resulted from five yards in three downs. The first fundamental

suggestion was the requirement of _ten_ yards to gain. This could never

be made by mass attack. Consequently the forward pass was given to the

offense--practically the one great occasion of legislation favoring the

offense. In 1912 a fourth down was added…”

Elmer Berry, The Forward Pass in Football,1921

http://archive.org/stream/theforwardpassin33120gut/pg33120.txt

Granted, Coach Malzahn mostly runs from the shotgun (ball has to move through the air at some point), but that is generally a better-protected aerial exchange than is a pass.

Granted further, there are some defenses that may well shut/slow down even Coach Malzahn’s innovative run schemes (maybe some that we still face this year).

But IFF (mathematically/logically – “if and only if”) you can run the ball at a pace of 35-yds/minute of offensive clock time, why throw?

[murpjf88 506]

We will throw the ball if we need to throw the ball. I love the fact that we haven't thrown much the last two games. Keeps our opponents from being able to prepare for it. They won't know what hit them when we start throwing.

It might be that Auburn won't know what hit them if they start throwing it. Better stick to what works. This is why teams lose big games. They try to get cute and fancy and it leads to turnovers and stalled drives.

[bwillaub 0]

We will throw the ball if we need to throw the ball. I love the fact that we haven't thrown much the last two games. Keeps our opponents from being able to prepare for it. They won't know what hit them when we start throwing.

It might be that Auburn won't know what hit them if they start throwing it. Better stick to what works. This is why teams lose big games. They try to get cute and fancy and it leads to turnovers and stalled drives.

Wasn't saying we WOULD throw, only that we CAN throw. Don't change a thing unless it's not working. I hope we can run it down their throats like we did against Arky and UT.

[C'viewTiger 242]

You guys understand that we've been able to run it against 9 man fronts and still score in less than 2 minutes, right? Honestly, I know how good Alabama's defense is but if we go in to that game and put up 300+ rushing on them and win...Bammers won't talk for a straight 364 days.

As long as they breathe they will talk and make excuses. There's just too much bammer in them.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,762]

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.

a. Unless you're back from the future, you don't know if they will shut down the running game.

b. We haven't had to pass

c. We haven't had to pass

d. What kind of Auburn fan gets scared watching Alabama? (unless we're like 3-9 or something)

e. WE HAVEN'T HAD TO PASS

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,762]

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.

Texas A&M has one of the best offenses in the country because of Johnny Football and Mike Evans, period!

That IS their offense. Not balanced at all. Without Johnny football, they are a 6-6 team at best!

AND THE SEC KNOWS THIS

[AuburnNTexas 7,175]

As a few others have said run till they stop it. We can throw but why should we if the run is working. As you have seen in some of STATS posts even when people put 8 -9 in the box as long as we get the block at the point of attack we can still run and because teams over commit to stopping the run we get more big plays as once you pass the point of attack you are already past the second level and are at the third level one wide receiver block and you have a big play maybe even take it to the house.

We have proven we can throw and when a team stops the run it will probably open up the pass. I have faith in our O-Line. I know BAMA has a very good Defense but I think our O-line can handle it. Everybody says we haven't played a defense like Bama's that is true but they haven't played an offense like ours with an O-Line like ours.