How would you fix...

[leglessdan 1,934]

1. Gotta get the OL figured out and fast. 

2. Get Kam Martin involved more on the edge. 

3. Put KP back at HB...Cox is missing way too many blocks.

Rotate Malik Miller in for Kerryon to spell him some, he looked decent running between the tackles.

4. Need more of the young WRs in. Slayton, R. Davis, NCM and Kyle Davis have better length and have stepped up for the most part when called on. Trust them and let their talent help us. 

5. I'm not sure how good J. Harris has progressed, as we haven't seen him as much as I'd hoped. I think the utilization of a TE is paramount with a QB like Sean. 

6. Red zone...gotta execute better for sure, but I'd like to see the ball in the air more before we get inside the 5-10 UF line. It also wouldn't hurt to bring in JF3 down there . His speed would at least make the defense defend more of the field in an already shrinking environment not to mention creating a bigger gap on the TB dive plays. 

My main gripe is predictability with Gus. My goodness, open it up some. Stop being so damn conservative ALL the time and running a play 5 times in a row. We have the talent and weapons all over our roster, yet they're never used. I think we can win a bunch of games just on talent alone if Gus would open up the playbook and let the boys play ball. JMHO. WDE.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

On 9/25/2016 at 0:10 AM, bigbird said:

...the offense

 1. What plays would you run or not run.

2. Who would you play instead of others.

3. What adjustments would you make to the scheme(how would you attack defenses with our talent/luck of talent)

1.  The single wing/"Cox cat"/pirouette stuff would be permanently mothballed.  So would any play with a WR lined up at the RB slot.

2.  More true zone reads with JF3, more called QB draws for Sean White.

3.  I'd put KJ and Pettway out there together, with KJ coming across the formation for the jet sweep option and Pettway as the battering ram between the tackles.  I'd make our first down play call about 70-30 pass.  Run more buck sweeps.  Add in a pistol formation to better disguise the side the run is likely to go to.  Bring JF3 for a series where he runs 2 or 3 of the zone reads in a row, but then on one we fake it and have one or two fly patterns downfield and just let him uncork one.  Good chance of catching the defense cheating on the run and Kyle Davis or someone can get behind the defenders.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

When we are at the 1, line up over center and qb sneak. That works usually. 

Also try an I-formation with pettway at fb and kj at tailback. That would freak everyone out. 

Or throw to the TE. Nobody will expect it. 

[bikeriderga 134]

The offense is not that far off from being really good. Here are the main issues.

1. First down predictability: On first down, we run almost 100% of the time. It is usually up the middle. Too predictable and defenses know what is coming. Puts us too many times in 2nd and long.

2. Passing game: Sean is an accurate passer. We need to get more 5-15 yard passing plays into the mix. We do not need 30 yard passing plays more than 6 times a game, unless the defense is giving it to us.

3. More wheel routes. We also seemed to do well on wheel routes.

4. More passes to players out of the backfield. All of our RBs and Chandler Cox have good hands. Why not use them more when primary receivers are covered?

5. Short yardage game. For the life of me I do not know why Chandler Cox is not leading the blocking schemes when we run on short yardage situations. Use Pettway behind Chandler on these situations. Also handing off to Chandler more in these situations, would surprise defenses.

6. Red Zone. Simple. Mix it up. Put Sean on a sprint away from the opposing defenses best players and release our RBs and perhaps HBs out of the backfield. Put Chandler at TE and use his ability.

7. Wildcat. We always run out of the wildcat. What would have happened if  JF3 would have come in for the wildcat formation and instead of running, he were to sprint outside and freeze the defense thinking RUN and instead he pulled it up and passed to an open receiver instead (yes I know he was not in but one play against LSU)?

[Strychnine 1,802]

1 hour ago, TitanTiger said:

1.  The single wing/"Cox cat"/pirouette stuff would be permanently mothballed.  So would any play with a WR lined up at the RB slot.

2.  More true zone reads with JF3, more called QB draws for Sean White.

3.  I'd put KJ and Pettway out there together, with KJ coming across the formation for the jet sweep option and Pettway as the battering ram between the tackles.  I'd make our first down play call about 70-30 pass.  Run more buck sweeps.  Add in a pistol formation to better disguise the side the run is likely to go to.  Bring JF3 for a series where he runs 2 or 3 of the zone reads in a row, but then on one we fake it and have one or two fly patterns downfield and just let him uncork one.  Good chance of catching the defense cheating on the run and Kyle Davis or someone can get behind the defenders.

 

1.  I agree fully.  Whoever thought that was a good idea in the first place should not be listened to anymore, about anything.

2.  I disagree on Franklin.  I would accept defeat over the concept of Franklin as my next Nick Marshall and find a way to put him on the field as a playmaker.  His speed has no business being on the sideline.  He should be our new Onterio McCalebb instead of a backup/wildcat QB.  That said, I am not a fan of situational QB substitutions in general, and my thoughts are indeed predicated on that.

3.  I like your idea with Johnson and Pettway.

[leglessdan 1,934]

50 minutes ago, bikeriderga said:

The offense is not that far off from being really good. Here are the main issues.

1. First down predictability: On first down, we run almost 100% of the time. It is usually up the middle. Too predictable and defenses know what is coming. Puts us too many times in 2nd and long.

2. Passing game: Sean is an accurate passer. We need to get more 5-15 yard passing plays into the mix. We do not need 30 yard passing plays more than 6 times a game, unless the defense is giving it to us.

3. More wheel routes. We also seemed to do well on wheel routes.

4. More passes to players out of the backfield. All of our RBs and Chandler Cox have good hands. Why not use them more when primary receivers are covered?

5. Short yardage game. For the life of me I do not know why Chandler Cox is not leading the blocking schemes when we run on short yardage situations. Use Pettway behind Chandler on these situations. Also handing off to Chandler more in these situations, would surprise defenses.

6. Red Zone. Simple. Mix it up. Put Sean on a sprint away from the opposing defenses best players and release our RBs and perhaps HBs out of the backfield. Put Chandler at TE and use his ability.

7. Wildcat. We always run out of the wildcat. What would have happened if  JF3 would have come in for the wildcat formation and instead of running, he were to sprint outside and freeze the defense thinking RUN and instead he pulled it up and passed to an open receiver instead (yes I know he was not in but one play against LSU)?

The problem with this:

Posted 51 minutes ago · Report post

The offense is not that far off from being really good. Here are the main issues.

1. First down predictability: On first down, we run almost 100% of the time. It is usually up the middle. Too predictable and defenses know what is coming. Puts us too many times in 2nd and long.

is......A high percentage of the time...we run the exact same play after it's stopped the 1st time. Putting us in obvious 3rd and long passing situations. Our OL isnt gelling enough to give Sean time on those throws. Hopefully the OL will improve in that area. It really all starts with them.

[Jgarrett7 957]

2 hours ago, bikeriderga said:

The offense is not that far off from being really good. Here are the main issues.

1. First down predictability: On first down, we run almost 100% of the time. It is usually up the middle. Too predictable and defenses know what is coming. Puts us too many times in 2nd and long.

2. Passing game: Sean is an accurate passer. We need to get more 5-15 yard passing plays into the mix. We do not need 30 yard passing plays more than 6 times a game, unless the defense is giving it to us.

3. More wheel routes. We also seemed to do well on wheel routes.

4. More passes to players out of the backfield. All of our RBs and Chandler Cox have good hands. Why not use them more when primary receivers are covered?

5. Short yardage game. For the life of me I do not know why Chandler Cox is not leading the blocking schemes when we run on short yardage situations. Use Pettway behind Chandler on these situations. Also handing off to Chandler more in these situations, would surprise defenses.

6. Red Zone. Simple. Mix it up. Put Sean on a sprint away from the opposing defenses best players and release our RBs and perhaps HBs out of the backfield. Put Chandler at TE and use his ability.

7. Wildcat. We always run out of the wildcat. What would have happened if  JF3 would have come in for the wildcat formation and instead of running, he were to sprint outside and freeze the defense thinking RUN and instead he pulled it up and passed to an open receiver instead (yes I know he was not in but one play against LSU)?

This x1000 and I would like to see more outside runs with pulling guards/lead blockers ala buck sweep. 

[lutzcammed 469]

#1.  The fact that we run the ball over 80% of the time on 1st down makes it awful easy to defend us.   We have to throw the ball more on first down.

 

#2. I would like to see us take more down the field shots. They certainly will not be expecting it on 1st down will they.

 

#3. In the red zone.  JF3 is a big play waiting you happen. They may stuff him for a loss on a play or 2 but my gut says his speed will get get him in the end zone with enough chances.

 

#4. If we send the tight end out to catch a pass, it will work. The defense is gona be like, "who the he'll was that?"

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

Give me the controller and let me call the plays/audibles  

[icanthearyou 4,463]

I think the solutions are fairly simple.

Stop running the ridiculously slow developing plays.  We simply do not have the blocking necessary and, Sean does not have the kind of speed that will cause an unblocked DE to hesitate.  Eliminate the negative play nonsense.

We need to pick up the tempo in the red zone.  I think tempo was part of our success in the past.  Defenses who are "gassed" and, still trying to get into position when the ball is snapped, seem to be much easier to score on.

 

[WinForAuburn 128]

The main thing I would do to fix it, or at least start heading in the right direction;

Stop running on first down 80% of the time.

Stop running a dive play up the middle.

I'm not a coach or analyst.  I don't know enough to claim to have a right to even criticize Gus, but these runs up the middle that get 1-3 yards at best have got to stop.  

It's been said on here countless times.  So, to me, the issue starts right there.  And it hasn't been corrected.  It doesn't matter if we change play callers, or players on the field, if we keep calling the same junk.  We are throwing away too many plays on calls that amount to nothing more than giving us a second or third and long.  There is no way anyone can convince me that calling a dive play on first down is going to produce anything nor do our coaches expect it to.  I cant figure out why they keep doing it. 

I would like to see us establish Pettway early, but for goodness sake, design something that at least has a chance to be effective. 

[AURealist 2,185]

Teach JF3 to catch. 

Use him as a WR to burn coverage and to keep the opposing D honest or set him in the backfield and throw him dinks when the O line is breached.  He is speed incarnate.  Put him on the field and get him the damned ball.

[gravejd 3,270]

As every one else said mix it up more on first down. Also, when you have a defense on their heels and you are cramming it down their throat...mix in a pass down the field to put them off balance. This is not the 2013 team where we can just run the same thing over and over and make the other team like it. Don't run the same thing until they stop it. Once they stop it they are no longer looking for it and the defense can look for other things. 

A lot more 15-30 yard throws......either by slant, slant and go, crossing patterns......anything just do something other than at the line of scrimmage and 50 yards down field. Make them cover the whole field. 

I would love to see a TE but i've given up on as long as Malzahn is here. He apparently see's little value in that passing option. 

I would also play the young WRs more. Though Truit's hard run there on the jet sweep was good to see. You could tell he wanted it. 

Love the idea of KP and KJ out there together. 

I actually thought RZ was called ok in this game and nothing too crazy. I thought TD issues were more a execution problem versus a play calling problem. We've got to get that figured out though.....our D is better this year but we're not great by any stretch. We won't win too many games scoring less than 20 points so got to figure out a way to punch it in.

[AURex 2,016]

In answer to Bigbird's original question --

It all begins up front. The OL/blocking is IMO the only real weakness in the offense.

SW completed 73% of his passes and had a QB rating of 148.7. Passing game averaged 12.3 yards per catch (19 completions for 234 yards). That is very good productivity in the passing game. Just think how good SW would be if the OL could give him more time in the pocket for the longer pass routes to open up.

The running game is struggling, especially in the red zone, not because KJ and KP are mediocre backs, but because the blocking is just not good enough to let them break into the secondary. They averaged 3.1 yards per carry against LSU. KJ's longest run was 14 yards, KP's longest was 9.

Hand has a track record of weak offensive lines. I know he is a long time buddy of CGM, but he needs to go.

As for 1st down plays, Auburn passed 10 times on first down and rushed 7 times. Just sayin'.

 

 

[I_M4_AU 7,865]

3 minutes ago, AURex said:

It all begins up front. The OL/blocking is IMO the only real weakness in the offense.

SW completed 73% of his passes and had a QB rating of 148.7. Passing game averaged 12.3 yards per catch (19 completions for 234 yards). That is very good productivity in the passing game. Just think how good SW would be if the OL could give him more time in the pocket for the longer pass routes to open up.

The running game is struggling, not because KJ and KP are mediocre backs, but because the blocking is just not good enough to let them break into the secondary. They averaged 3.1 yards per carry against LSU. KJ's longest run was 14 yards, KP's longest was 9.

Hand has a track record of weak offensive lines. I know he is a long time buddy of CGM, but he needs to go.

As for 1st down plays, Auburn passed 10 times on first down and rushed 7 times. Just sayin'.

 

 

Gus has had some similarities to Les in some ways, being stubborn is one of them.  Another is hiring his buddies, Cam Cammeron and Les go back a long way and held on to him even though he was feeling the heat.  Gus has held on to CRL and now has hired Hand.  Are going down the same path as LSU?

[ArgoEagle 1,791]

7 hours ago, gr82b4au said:

When we are at the 1, line up over center and qb sneak. That works usually. 

Also try an I-formation with pettway at fb and kj at tailback. That would freak everyone out. 

Or throw to the TE. Nobody will expect it. 

Good call here. I am soooo frustrated with teams lining up in shotgun formation inside the 5 yard line. This accomplishes nothing but to give the defense time to get penetration and blow up the play in the backfield. Line QB under center, and if not have 2 backs behind him, then at least only be about 1 yard behind the QB, turn directly around and hand the ball to the back, which will not give the D-line and linebackers time to plug the holes. No way anybody in the whole nation should stop us from getting 1-3 yards ever on a goal line stand!

If they do, tip your hat and say well done to them, but shouldn't happen. If we are inside the 1 yard line, quick snap and QB sneak please from now on!

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

On 9/25/2016 at 10:06 AM, trout54 said:

wouldn't this proposed formation put 12 men on the field?  5 linemen + 3 TE's + 2 FB's + 1 RB + 1 QB = 12. I could see how that might be effective, but not very legal.  lol  I do, however, get your point.  run heavy for short yardage.

No QB put fridge in the shotgun. LOL