Here at STR I usually post my game reviews using "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" format though I stray from it occasionally. I will stick with it today as it really fits my thoughts on the game and yesterday in general...
THE GOOD
The Auburn offense. I could not get enough of that I-formation running with big Jay Prosch leading the way and the nice play action throws as well. I have been intensely curious to see what our new offense would look like and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the formations we ran and the play calling for the most part. I thought Kiehl Frazier did a decent job for his first real game as a starter in a new offense. He obviously made a lot of mistakes but I saw glimpses of the player he could be. He showed he was the man for the job with his arm on the throws from the seven-step dropbacks. I also thought rookie tackles Greg Robinson and Avery Young played well for their first times out.
The player I may have been the most impressed with was Tre Mason. I was not on that bandwagon and was unsure of how good he was. I do not think he is as good as Michael Dyer but he proved he is a good running back. I really look forward to watching him running behind big Jay Prosch all season. Again, all these young guys are going to go through these growing pains but I see hope down the line. I see an offense that has a future and will help our defense. Unfortunately as I have to keep saying I think these guys will have to take their lumps as they are growing up.
I have only one real critcism of Loeffler and that is his not getting some of the other wide receivers involved. You cannot tell me we could not have run a few plays and got the ball to some of our other wide receivers. Clemson concentrated on Blake and Lutzenkirchen more and more as the game went on but Frazier continued to try and force it to them. YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE OTHER TEAM HONEST. You have to get some of your other wide receivers involved. It helps everyone and Auburn has supposedly recruited some good ones. Unfortunately the only play I remember to other wide receivers was Trovon Reed's horrific gaffe in the end zone. That play was huge as Auburn definitely should have had a touchdown there.
Also on the good side was Auburn's special teams play. Hopefully somewhere down the line Parkey, Clark and good coverage will help get us a big win.
THE BAD
The Auburn defense. The numbers speak for themselves... 528 total yards given up, 320 rushing yards given up with 230 of those yards coming from Andre Ellington, an almost 50% third-down conversion rate and 28 first downs. That is a Ted Roof-type performance. I knew the defense was not near as good as all the sunshine pumpers were saying but even I did not expect that. We pretty much saw a continuation of last year where our defensive tackles seemed invisible and our defensive ends rushed the passer well but did not help stop the run. We then saw our linebackers and secondary miss tackle after tackle after tackle...
I have had it, I would rather get players injured in pre-season practice and have a team that knows how to tackle. Auburn has not played good fundamental defense in so long I have almost forgotten what it looks like. I thought Coach Van Gorder would change some of this and I still have hope he will but he sure did not last night. The players played hard but that performance is just not getting it done. With the kind of defense Chizik wants to run you have to have penetration by the front four. We can rush the passer on long downs but we still get pushed around on short downs. I am really starting to wonder if that will change very much with this group of linemen.
On the positive side, again we will not see many offenses as good as Clemson. I look for a much better performance next week. However for us to even have a chance against some of the better teams on our schedule Auburn has to get a much better push up front and everyone has to tackle better. The two most important fundamentals in football are BLOCKING AND TACKLING and Auburn has not tackled good on defense in a very long time.
THE UGLY
The build up and slobbering over Bama after a good win against a mediocre Michigan team. Apparently, we really do not even need to play this season. We just need to crown Bama now and save everyone the trouble of even playing the season out. They are the greatest team ever under the greatest coach ever and are the greatest program ever. In fact lets just stop playing college football and crown Bama all-time National Champions. Also, I am confused who is the greatest coach now? Bear Bryant or Nick $aban?
I mean good night, Bama is a very good team and program right now but they do not even play for the national championship last year if Oklahoma State doesn't blow it against Iowa State in overtime. I would not think they will get their second chance this year if they lose to LSU. They have to travel to LSU this season and have a tough game at Arkansas as well. Why don't we play the season out first and keep the hyperbole to at least mildly nauseating?
THE LAST WORD
It is a rare season indeed where you play two of your biggest games in your first two games. The game against Mississippi State next week just got bigger. If Auburn is to have any chance at a winning season it must win at Starkville next week. On the other side, if Mississippi State and Dan Mullen is ever going to beat Auburn it is going to be this year. These two truths will collide at Scott Field in Starkville next week. I hope Gene Chizik realizes this and pulls out all the stops. A win against State on the road would be a huge boost for this young team. A loss on the other hand might prolong those growing pains...
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