Fall Camp: Day 7 - First Scrimmage (8/8)

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

https://omny.fm/shows/3-man-front/rob-pate-recaps-auburns-scrimmage-and-his-worst-fo/embed?source=twitter&size=square&style=cover some good intel. Worth the listen 

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

5 hours ago, aujeff11 said:

A goodies post from the rant says we struggled on the O line. 

I’m not surprised. Even if our o line is better than last year, look at the mammoths they are having to block. Our D line is going to help this o line tremendously.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

A little concerned to hear Joey wasn't very effective, but there also was no threat of the quarterback running and having to be tackled today so I'm sure that contributes to a part of the lack of production. Seems like Nix's INTs weren't all his fault, but even if they were all his fault, Tom Brady has thrown interceptions before... all QBs do at some point. We know the kid is talented, just give the quys a few weeks methinks...

[Win4AU 4,054]

Joiner had a 65 yrd TD run against the 2nd team and Hill brought in a TD as well.  I guess Nix was the Qb on that throw.

[bigbird 60,571]

8 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Joiner had a 65 yrd TD run against the 2nd team and Hill brought in a TD as well.  I guess Nix was the Qb on that throw.

...And that run

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Ok. I can’t believe I am saying this because I was so against it, but these QBs may need to go live next scrimmage. Gus might not have a choice if he wants to see how they perform with the ability to run the full offense under true pressure. 

Of course that means if one gets hurt it might derail the entire season and we are then toast. 

Decisions decisions decisions 

 

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

7 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

Ok. I can’t believe I am saying this because I was so against it, but these QBs may need to go live next scrimmage. Gus might not have a choice if he wants to see how they perform with the ability to run the full offense under true pressure. 

Of course that means if one gets hurt it might derail the entire season and we are then toast. 

Decisions decisions decisions 

 

Not gonna happen 

[tigeraddikt 1,615]

They'll both go live against QuackerU. Gus uses the 1st game of every season as an offensive test-lab. I think they each get possessions, which may not or may not be a good thing lol.

[AUGunsmith 666]

1 hour ago, aujeff11 said:

He should get over not being able to utilize his primary asset?  lol okay 

His primary asset should be his arm. Otherwise change positions. His job isn't to run. 

[80Tiger 899]

48 minutes ago, bigbird said:

A QB has to be able to pass 1st and foremost. Otherwise, a dual threat QB isn't very dual. 

The best passer will win this competition. Not sure which one that is yet.

[Auburn Kev 1,653]

Quote

Quarterbacks, offense struggle in first preseason scrimmage

ByBRANDON MARCELLO 44 minutes ag

AUBURN, Alabama — Auburn’s quarterback battle did not end Thursday a victor.

In fact, it was a struggle for Joey Gatewood and Bo Nix to get much of anything going on offense during Auburn’s first preseason scrimmage inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The offense scored two touchdowns, combined, but the first-team offense was dominated by the first-team defense, which forced three-and-outs and picked off three passes (all by Nix) during the 84-play scrimmage, sources told Auburn Undercover.

So, safe to say Auburn coach Gus Malzahn will need at least one more scrimmage to review before potentially announcing a starting quarterback?

“Oh, 100 percent. Yeah,” the seventh-year Auburn coach said. “They’re going to need as many reps as they can get back there. They’re going to need to feel that.”

Auburn practiced for a short period of time Thursday morning before transitioning to the scrimmage in 90-degree heat, just before a thunderstorm rolled into the area and dropped the temperatures into the 70s.

Quarterbacks were not allowed to be tackled, but they still struggled and several whistles were blown to signify a sack by the defense.

“With the orange group there wasn’t enough first downs to even see [separation], so that’s a credit to the defense,” Malzahn said. “But at the same time we’ve gotta be better. Offensively we have to be better, really, as a whole, that’s really what stood out to me. Not just one group. We just, they didn’t move the ball very well.”

Auburn receivers dropped several passes, and two deflected passes off receivers led to interceptions, a source said. Starting cornerback Javaris Davis turned one of those mistakes into a pick-six touchdown, and backup safety Smoke Monday had the play of the day with an athletic interception that required him to tip-toe the sideline.

“The defense dominated,” Buck pass rusher and defensive tackle Nick Coe said. “… It shows the improvement that the defense still has and the offense still needs to improve, and we can still develop and everything.”

Receiver Matthew Hill scored midway through the scrimmage on an 18-yard pass, and Harold Joinerbroke free for a 65-yard touchdown run late during the session against the second-team defense. Marquis McClain also caught a touchdown. Nix and Gatewood both took reps with the first-team offense, but Nix was the first quarterback on the field and threw two touchdowns against three interceptions, a source said. Nix was also on the field for the touchdown run by Joiner.

Joiner's touchdown run late in the scrimmage was the highlight of the day for the offense.

"There were some bad plays on our part, the receivers, the quarterbacks, running backs, but for us to kind of get that touchdown, you know, gives us a little bit of confidence," right tackle Jack Driscollsaid. "Credit to the [first-team] defense, they played great today, they shut everything down and it felt like they were all over the field."

Still, it wasn’t a great day for the quarterbacks, particularly with receivers dropping passes. The Tigers also conducted the scrimmage without, arguably, their top four receivers because of injuries: Anthony Schwartz, Will Hastings, Eli Stove and Seth Williams.

“Like I told them, I mean, the whole key is, you look at film, you look at the corrections, and then you come back and the next time, you improve,” Malzahn said. “If you don’t improve. that’s when things get concerning. But my experience is, the guys that can do it, they figure it out and the next time, they don’t make the same mistakes.

“But you got to understand, too, that they’re back there as a freshman the first time and those live bullets are going — we’ve got some guys who can get after the quarterback, too. So it’s that feeling. And also, it’s a trust. It’s a trust of the line, the backs, the receivers and everything that goes with it. I think, for the first scrimmage, there’s so much kind of rotation with receivers and backs, that first one, it kind of takes a bit to get the same guys in the same positions so the quarterback and receivers are on the same page. So a little bit of that goes in with that on a day like this, too.”

Auburn is expected to conduct its second scrimmage of preseason camp Wednesday morning inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

 

[aujeff11 6,243]

2 minutes ago, AUGunsmith said:

His primary asset should be his arm. Otherwise change positions. His job isn't to run. 

His job is move the ball. 

 

Did you say Cam, Dak, Hurts, or Marshall should change positions?

[ellitor 33,108]

1 hour ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

Heard Nix threw the only TD of the day to Shedrick Jackson. 

The reports are crazy. I've seen from 3 to now down to one. FWIW Hill did get a TD catch. The only TD the 1st team scored & it was near the end of the scrimmage.

[TigerFanAU 586]

24 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

these QBs may need to go live next scrimmage

will never happen. Expect to see both against Oregon imo.

[ellitor 33,108]

1 hour ago, aujeff11 said:

Could’ve had a heckuva lot more information  if Joey went live. Nix too. Hate to beat this dead horse but you just cannot evaluate Joey’s performance without it. 

 

Joey in particular is being asked to play scrabble when his strength is chess. 

It hurt both of them TBH. Whistles blew anytime defensive players got remotely close to the QBs. A lot of the plays weren't over yet.

[toddc 13,194]

It seems like some are putting all the onus on the qbs for the turnovers, but it reads more like the receiver missed a catchable ball,; and the other interception was just a great play. I’m not sure the qbs deserves too much blame for anything in today’s scrimmage.

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

Speaking of the defense 

[ellitor 33,108]

1 hour ago, aujeff11 said:

His feet opens up passing lanes and extends plays that were blown dead just saying.

Same for Bo. Bo is also great at scrambling to throw.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Just now, ellitor said:

It hurt both of them TBH. Whistles blew anytime defensive players got remotely close to the QBs. A lot of the plays weren't over yet.

I can’t say I’m surprised they struggled. Can’t go live, apparently all top four receivers were  out, and the defense already saw the plays a thousand times in practice. 

More worried about the OL.

[Barnacle 9,064]

4 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Same for Bo. Bo is also great at scrambling to throw.

Agreed. I don't think it's the unfair advantage for Bo that some posters are making it out to be. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

3 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Same for Bo. Bo is also great at scrambling to throw.

Yeah well I was talking about Gatewood. I already said Nix was more balanced so it doesn’t affect him as bad

Deshaun Davis said himself Gatewood turns into a different player when they go live. That player never showed up. 

[Win4AU 4,054]

WRs struggled a lot as well per the reports.  Doesn’t matter how good your Qb is if the receiver drops it.

[AUGunsmith 666]

2 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

His job is move the ball. 

 

Did you say Cam, Dak, Hurts, or Marshall should change positions?

Well Marshall changed as soon as he had to play in a real offense(NFL) cam is a generation talent. Hurts skipped the draft because he wasn't good enough yet and went to play with a NFL qb creating wizard. We can play the what about this statistical anomaly game all day but the fact is that a QB has to pass first and foremost. 

 

Of course the RBs and WR job is to move the ball, should we also make sure they can throw? Gotta pressure the D, amiright?

[ellitor 33,108]

1 minute ago, aujeff11 said:

More worried about the OL.

Yup! I was about to post on this but if the reports of Brown & Davidson only taking 10 snaps while the 1st team was out there is true then & I'm worried since that implied the 1st team OL was actually dominated by some 2nd teamers.

[ellitor 33,108]

3 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

Yeah well I was talking about Gatewood. I already said Nix was more balanced so it doesn’t affect him as bad

I wasn't speaking specifically to you. Barnacle hit the nose on the head as to what my post meant.