Vanilla AU offense setting off snooze alarm

[DKW 86 7,431]

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/p.../609250302/1002

AUBURN REPORT: Vanilla AU offense setting off snooze alarm

By Jay G. Tate

Montgomery Advertiser

AUBURN -- Borrr-ing.

Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges arrived before the 2004 season and turned the Tigers' offense into a carnival. There were end-arounds, fullback passes, pre-snap shifts, deep throws downfield. It was fun.

Things have changed.

The Tigers have been surprisingly conservative this season so far. It hit a peak in the team's 38-7 win against Buffalo on Saturday, which saw Auburn call for 36 runs and 14 passes.

"We've been pretty basic up to this point. We're going to have to start doing a few more things," coach Tommy Tuberville said. " What we've done has been pretty vanilla."

The coaches say the bland offensive strategies have been a function of game situations. Not design.

In wins against Washington State and Mississippi State, Auburn didn't need to show much creativity. Borges said he doesn't like to unveil sophisticated schemes unless they're necessary components.

The LSU game was the ultimate challenge.

Tuberville said Borges had installed some aggressive formations and plays for the Bayou Bengals, but the game's pace demanded a different approach.

"We saw that the defense was playing well. We left it up to them," Tuberville said. "(The offense) wasn't working a whole lot but it was working enough to where we could run the clock.

Quarterback Brandon Cox was injured during the LSU game. A balky left knee and ankle left Cox with compromised mobility, which Borges said was the reasoning for Auburn's basic play-calling against Buffalo.

So when will the Tigers' offense start showing some innovation?

Soon.

Both Borges and Tuberville said Sunday that Auburn's passing game must play a more central role in the team's offense. Tailback Kenny Irons is one of the nation's most high profile players and the Tigers' offensive line is loaded with experience.

Running makes sense.

Opponents are starting to take advantage of that comfort by piling defenders along the line of scrimmage. Borges said he has a plan to change that.

"Since I've been here, we've been fortunate enough to be a pretty efficient passing team. We're behind in that area (right now)," Borges said. "We're going to get more into our style. What we're going to make an attempt to do here is get more and more balance."

Borges told the offense during Sunday's practice that things will be changing in time for the team's Thursday-night game at South Carolina. That brought a smile to Cox's face.

He's thrown 75 passes in Auburn's four games this season.

" He wanted to start out the season and get in the mindset of being physical and make sure we can win games being physical," Cox said. "I think we've done that. Now we're getting into the heart of the schedule with the SEC coming up, I think he'll start opening it up."

Injury report: Three starters missed the Buffalo game, but the trio practiced on Sunday and are expected to start against South Carolina.

Coach Tommy Tuberville said linebacker Karibi Dede (leg), cornerback Jonathan Wilhite (hamstring) and tailback Kenny Irons (knee, hip) were held out Saturday for precautionary reasons only.

"We wanted to play our younger guys," Tuberville said.

Suspension update: Redshirt freshman Tray Blackmon will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday night.

Tuberville said he hasn't yet lifted Blackmon's indefinite suspension, which is related to an alcohol-related arrest this summer. He was considered Auburn's top option at weak-side linebacker during spring drills.

Meanwhile, wideout Prechae Rodriguez will be back this week. He missed the Buffalo game with what Tuberville identified as an academic-related suspension.

"Prechae is out of the doghouse," Tuberville said.

[TigerOne 1,148]

I would expect to see a wide variety of new stuff Thursday night.

[jc4tigers 0]

I can remember Borges' first year and all of the pre snap movement. I loved it. It was exciting and fun to watch. Don't get me wrong I love my Tigers and they are always exciting to watch to me, even against teams like buffalo. Having said that. I hope we open the playbook up against Visor Boy and his 'Cocks.

[WarTim 3,456]

IF the run is getting the job done, I do not think we will pass a ton this Thursday. IF USC is able to slow down the run...look out..The air will be filled with Footballs! ! !

p.s. We STILL have NOT used TOMMY TROTT as a legit recieving threat this season. Thursday may very well be the night it begins! If you want to slow down a pass rush, the tight end over the middle works very well.

[RadioWryn 0]

p.s. We STILL have NOT used TOMMY TROTT as a legit recieving threat this season. Thursday may very well be the night it begins! If you want to slow down a pass rush, the tight end over the middle works very well.

I think McKenzie is the more athletic of the two and we've looked to him on the goalline in several instances this year.

[quietfan 233]

Tuberville said Borges had installed some aggressive formations and plays for the Bayou Bengals, but the game's pace demanded a different approach.

This means Borges is still able to adjust during the course of the game--one of the main reasons he was hired and one of the reasons he's so good. Did Nallsminger Ball EVER adjust to changing conditions mid-game?

[kingfish 73]

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/p.../609250302/1002

AUBURN REPORT: Vanilla AU offense setting off snooze alarm

By Jay G. Tate

Montgomery Advertiser

Suspension update: Redshirt freshman Tray Blackmon will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday night.

Tuberville said he hasn't yet lifted Blackmon's indefinite suspension, which is related to an alcohol-related arrest this summer. He was considered Auburn's top option at weak-side linebacker during spring drills.

.

This will be the fifth [not fourth] consecutive game that Tray Blackmon will have missed.

[Raven_tiger 5]

I would expect to see a wide variety of new stuff Thursday night.

I'm not so sure. We can beat USC with little effort with a vanilla offense. Why show your hand with tough SEC opponents left on the schedule: UF and UGA?

WDE

[TigerOne 1,148]

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Sunday it's time to open up his offense, and that means more passing opportunities for Brandon Cox, who, after four games, has thrown fewer passes than any full-time starting quarterback in the Southeastern Conference.

Cox, who threw just 10 passes Saturday against Buffalo, may get a chance to show off his arm as early as Thursday's prime-time game at South Carolina.

"We've got a stretch with three very good conference games, and that's going to force us to throw the ball more," Tuberville said. "But we can do that. We've got a good quarterback and our offensive line's much improved."

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/in....xml&coll=2

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

My biggest worries:

1. Sidney Rice killing us on the long ball.

2. Cox's seemingly inability to complete the long ball (consistently throws it too short).

[AUHansel 0]

I think we'll be able to run on SC. If we can't, Brandon and someone other than CT needs to step it up. He's the only receiver doing anything this season.

[jwise0022 1]

I think we'll be able to run on SC. If we can't, Brandon and someone other than CT needs to step it up. He's the only receiver doing anything this season.

I can't really argue with you, but I have been pleased with Rod Smith and Prechae Rodriguez. I think Lee Guess is a good possession guy on third and short. The low output from the receivers is impacted by the number of passes called. If we start throwing the ball 25 times a game and running it 40 times I think that is a good mix, especially if 2 or 3 balls are deep. We can't throw the deep ball if Cox doesn't have time to throw though:)

[eagle76 1]

I think we'll be able to run on SC. If we can't, Brandon and someone other than CT needs to step it up. He's the only receiver doing anything this season.

Agree mostly. CT has done a great job. In the 2 games I have been at, some of the other receivers have been open, but BC was looking for CT from the snap. This will have to change. We need more pump fakes and not following the primary receiver from the snap. The other receivers have also not been running very crisp routes. The line also has to step up to give BC more time to find his alternate receivers. It has appeared to me that the other receivers (not all of them) have not been giving it their best efforts down field, either routes or blocking. If BC spreads the ball around more, maybe the other receivers will pick their game up a bit - chicken or egg debate.

[Aufan59 71]

I would expect to see a wide variety of new stuff Thursday night.

I'm not so sure. We can beat USC with little effort with a vanilla offense. Why show your hand with tough SEC opponents left on the schedule: UF and UGA?

WDE

Because that is the only game on Thursday night. Like it or not College Football is a name based beauty contest. They will be impressed if we beat Steve Spurrier by a wide margin, regardless of how good or bad his team is.

[ProgRock 0]

I'll I got to say is YEAH!!! That's music to my ears.Open it up!!!

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[AuNuma1 1]

p.s. We STILL have NOT used TOMMY TROTT as a legit recieving threat this season. Thursday may very well be the night it begins! If you want to slow down a pass rush, the tight end over the middle works very well.

He would have at least one touchdown catch had Stewart not overthrown the ball vs WSU. And he got a couple of catches versus LSU, no?

[LegalEagle 22]

Thursday night games lack competition from other college TV broadcasts. AU's high ranking - but with the possibility of being screwed out of the championship game is starting to generate interest. Spurrier always attacts a crowd. There is a good chance that this wil be a most important game in the ratings war. If we do well it could push us to No. 2 all around. A poor showing could do the opposite. For this reason I think the AU coaches will try to put on a show if USC will let them.

Thursday night - uh, have any of you tried that "Chasers" product they advertise on TV. Friday is a work day in Tennessee - even after an AU game!

[aucanucktiger 1,794]

Frankly, I hope Borges doesn't unveil anything extraordinary, showing it to future opponents, unless he has to (e.g. an opponent starts pulling away) before any of our "showcase" games like UF, UGA and UA. The dull-brained media can just go on being bored w/ our wins.

Base on recent history, we KNOW Borges can be one of the most creative OCs in the game today, and one of his biggest stengths is knowing when to show his hand.

[GalensGhost 0]

Agree mostly. CT has done a great job. In the 2 games I have been at, some of the other receivers have been open, but BC was looking for CT from the snap.

Watch the Buffalo game. Mid second quarter (I think), Courtney's in single coverage. The safety bites on play action and CT jukes his guy, who slips. He's 15 yards downfield with nobody within 20 yards of him. As rusty as I am, I could have thrown it to where he could have caught it and gone to the house. But all this happened to Cox's right. He rarely looks that direction, working his progression from left to right with right as the last option, I guess. Instead of a wide-open TD to Taylor, he throws an eight-yard out into the boundary. Never even looked. You almost wish they had two-way radios so he could let him know.