Pass heavy against Arkansas?

[CodeRocket 410]

Whitlow got a lot of yards after contact. He also endured a lot of contact.

I am not sure if Kmart or Malik Miller can get a lot of yards after getting hit, and I am not sure that they will have to against Arkansas,

meaning that surely our senior O-line can move those guys.

Right now, Gus has lost his "bellcow" and I don't know how he will react. The last time this happened, things did not go well.

It should be an interesting game on Saturday.

[IronMan70 3,277]

We need to be working on getting our playmakers in space, on quick slants, outs and seams. We need to work on blitz check offs using our TEs and that is so overlooked in this offense. All of it will be needed against LSU to keep drives alive and score points, because LSU sure can.

[DAG 33,997]

I still don't understand why we can't open up the the big play with short passes. Both Florida and LSU look great doing it. Also, Oregon has established this framework. Heck, even in the NFL, most teams are doing this. We don't always have to be boom or bust offense.

[AUApostle 7,651]

Gus will try and put our 3 backs in different situations running the ball to get a #1 ready for LSU.  This will be like a preseason game that we’ll just happen to win by 3 TD’s.  I expect an emphasis on DJ at #1 to see how he handles tough situations , then getting Martin and Shivers plenty of touches.  We might pass the ball 15 times.  I’m interested to see if he works on the Gatewood packages...getting them on the field and lined up correctly.

[Mikey 16,640]

I don't think there will be a lot of experimentation in this game, at least not until we have an insurmountable lead. That may not happen as soon as many seem to think it will. Arky is still an SEC opponent playing at home. They may not be such a pushover.

[leglessdan 1,934]

9 hours ago, DAG said:

I still don't understand why we can't open up the the big play with short passes. Both Florida and LSU look great doing it. Also, Oregon has established this framework. Heck, even in the NFL, most teams are doing this. We don't always have to be boom or bust offense.

This. With the talent we have at WR across the board we could dink and dunk down the field with success. It would set up so many other options and open the run game as well. Schwartz could take it to the house on any given play yet he barely gets 4-5 touches a game. It's criminal. Seth and Sal are big bodied receivers that could impose their will on defenses with routes called to utilize that strength. We don't have the OL to do what Gus "likes" to do, but we do have the weapons to do what most teams this day and age are doing with a high success rate. 

[fishepa 1,906]

9 hours ago, IronMan70 said:

We need to be working on getting our playmakers in space, on quick slants, outs and seams. We need to work on blitz check offs using our TEs and that is so overlooked in this offense. All of it will be needed against LSU to keep drives alive and score points, because LSU sure can.

Totally agree...I just don't think our coaches do this.

[keesler 5,925]

12 hours ago, Maverick.AU said:

Going into game 7, if you’re going vanilla something’s wrong. It means that you don’t have faith in your team that they can execute in the big games. We were throwing flea flickers against Kent state for goodness sake lol. Vanilla at this point in the season maybe for a red zone package, an onside kick, a fake on special teams, not your regular offense lol

Amen!

If you are vanilla in game 7, then your schemes & plans have issues and people (coaches AND players) aren't executing the level they should be.

Going vanilla at his point in the season is taking a step back when the team should be full steam ahead gaining speed and ready to kick some ass in the second half of the season.  

[Tiger 8,829]

What are the chances Gus went vanilla vs UF thinking we could beat them with a scaled back playbook?

I mean barely any Seth and Schwartz on the field together? We played the least amount of guys on O to this point in the season vs the Gators IIRC

[jAUSon 2,836]

10 hours ago, DAG said:

I still don't understand why we can't open up the the big play with short passes. Both Florida and LSU look great doing it. Also, Oregon has established this framework. Heck, even in the NFL, most teams are doing this. We don't always have to be boom or bust offense.

Can't. At Auburn, an open receiver is a guy in an empty 5 yard bubble waving his arms. 

[keesler 5,925]

6 minutes ago, Tiger said:

What are the chances Gus went vanilla vs UF thinking we could beat them with a scaled back playbook?

I mean barely any Seth and Schwartz on the field together? We played the least amount of guys on O to this point in the season vs the Gators IIRC

IMO, the term "Vanilla" is an excuse for a watered down and often times ineffective game plan.  You have to spice things up now.

There are teams all over the country that are playing lights out with young, talented players.  They've hired people that can diversify the game plan and schemes, they're getting the most out of their talent and they are putting some high powered offenses on the field.  I see phenomenal highlights with some WR/TE's and QBs showing out every week.

This insistence on forcing a "run first" offense may be death kneel for some teams, if they refuse to evolve and get creative then they may never catch up because they're already behind.   

 

[Gowebb11 9,340]

What we need to do: come out pass heavy and get Bo and the receivers fine tuned for next week. Go up 21-0, then spend the rest of the game working on the run game. 

What we will probably do: come out run heavy and get a big lead. Then not work on our pass game since Gus doesn’t like to run up scores when a game is in hand. 

 

[Randman5000 4,229]

I expect Gus to run the crap out of the ball. No way he throws unless he has too. He's not putting anything on tape against an interior opponent. Imo

[mcgufcm 4,107]

I think viewing "run first" offenses as a death knell is wrong. Flat out. It flies in the face of what is actually happening on the field.

Oklahoma. This year's version. Run-first offense without question. Fifth in the country in rushing. They are built around the QB/RB battery. Their entire pass scheme is based around play action passing and RPOs. Both of those give defenses a run-first look to frees up their WRs. They have great success in the passing game, but everything in the offense is built on running first. 

Ohio State. This year's version. Run-first offense. Third in the nation in rushing. Again, that offense is built around JK Dobbins, Master Teague, and Justin Fields' legs. They run the ball 64% of the time (which is a higher clip than Auburn).

Wisconsin. They are a successful offense built around a traditional run game, not one with a mobile QB. They run 66% of the time. 

Then, you have traditional offenses like Clemson and UGA that are a pure mix. Both are running more than they pass it. Both are built on physical running games with pro-style QBs and passing schemes. 

Again, I think saying a team cannot be successful with a run-first offense is just wrong. I know what Bama and LSU are doing is flashy. I know Dan Mullen has restructured his traditionally run-heavy offense toward the passing game to fit his personnel, but there are a TON of coaches winning a LOT of football games with a run-first and run-often approach.

[C'viewTiger 242]

11 hours ago, CodeRocket said:

 

Right now, Gus has lost his "bellcow" and I don't know how he will react. The last time this happened, things did not go well  

At least he has some time to figure it out rather than running an injured back. He has an opportunity to grow and move forward from previous seasons. 

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

13 hours ago, DAG said:

Gus Tendencies

• 2006 Arkansas: 302 vs. 546 (64% run)
• 2007 Tulsa: 564 vs. 562 (50%)
• 2008 Tulsa: 432 vs. 674 (61% run)
• 2009 Auburn: 364 vs. 550 (61% run)
• 2010 Auburn: 296 vs. 652 (69% run)
• 2011 Auburn: 292 vs. 536 (65% run)
• 2012 Arkansas State: 411 vs. 540 (57% run)
• 2013 Auburn: 285 vs. 729 (72% run)
• 2014 Auburn: 332 vs. 607 (65% run)
• 2015 Auburn: 306 vs. 587 (66% run)
• 2016 Auburn: 201 vs. 482 (71% run)
• 2017 Auburn: 382 vs. 642 (63% run)
• 2018 Auburn: 382 vs. 512 (57% run)

 

He will never go pass happy. This is not what he does.

I'm not hung up on being a pass-happy offense...I would just like to see some diversity and consistency in play-calling again.  He's done it before.

[McLoofus 35,182]

24 minutes ago, mcgufcm said:

Again, that offense is built around JK Dobbins, Master Teague, and Justin Fields' legs.

Sigh. 

[atl-tiger 655]

No, it will be a run heavy day as Gus doesn't want any film on the complex route tree he installed over the bye week that utilizes short to intermediate passes, sometimes the middle of the field, that don't have 3 fake handoffs and that should help out our weak offensive line.

Well thats what I hope.

[Zeek 16,657]

If we run for 600 or pass for 600 it won't mean much against the pigs. I'm sure Gus runs the hell out of it for like 450 yards.

[leglessdan 1,934]

3 hours ago, Tiger said:

What are the chances Gus went vanilla vs UF thinking we could beat them with a scaled back playbook?

I mean barely any Seth and Schwartz on the field together? We played the least amount of guys on O to this point in the season vs the Gators IIRC

If that were the case, then tbh,  he deserves to be fired. You can't afford to sandbag in this league unless you're just crazy dominant as a team, which we are not.

[SumterAubie 3,031]

It is a sad tell on Auburn when the fastest man in college football is involved in only sweeps and bombs. And the second fastest is not even that involved in the offense.

[Tiger 8,829]

3 minutes ago, leglessdan said:

If that were the case, then tbh,  he deserves to be fired. You can't afford to sandbag in this league unless you're just crazy dominant as a team, which we are not.

It wouldn't surprise me. And the fact that this is even plausible is part of why I'm in favor of new leadership 

[SumterAubie 3,031]

3 hours ago, Tiger said:

What are the chances Gus went vanilla vs UF thinking we could beat them with a scaled back playbook?

I mean barely any Seth and Schwartz on the field together? We played the least amount of guys on O to this point in the season vs the Gators IIRC

I had not thought of this specifically. But did mention to my son, the playcalling did not seem as dynamic against uf as it did against State or A&M.  I attributed it to uf's better defense an/or Malzahn falling back into old habits when the pressure started to build. Not to intentionally holding back. Either way, something was different against uf vs A&M/Sate.

[I_M4_AU 7,865]

2 hours ago, mcgufcm said:

I think viewing "run first" offenses as a death knell is wrong

It is if you don’t have a “run first” OL that can dominate the LOS.  The teams you mentioned all have excellent OLs.  Wisconsin has always had a dominate OL.

[Tiger 8,829]

8 minutes ago, SumterAubie said:

I had not thought of this specifically. But did mention to my son, the playcalling did not seem as dynamic against uf as it did against State or A&M.  I attributed it to uf's better defense an/or Malzahn falling back into old habits when the pressure started to build. Not to intentionally holding back. Either way, something was different against uf vs A&M/Sate.

I've seen enough from Gus to know he hides major portions of his playbook. With how everyone thought we had that game it would not surprise me at all if Gus had been trying to keep things low key for LSU.

Not saying that's definitely what happened but it looked like 2 different people calling the O in prior weeks.