This is why I wrote about the Cal game like I did. Nobody else did. The excuses and reasons were flying from other spots but the Cal game was not just another "bad" game. The offense was so bad in it and when you see that it is a bright shining blinking WARNING LIGHT of that which is to come. However obviously even after trying to throw the ball last week our coaches did not heed that warning. It then all crashed down around us yesterday in an epic showing of again offensive incompetence. The numbers speak for themselves, Auburn only had 56 yards passing. Let me say that again... 56 TOTAL YARDS PASSING. The Tigers barely had over 200 yards of total offense and only managed a field goal. It was astonishingly bad and Texas A&M is certainly not one of the better teams in SEC.
First, what is the identity of our offense? You have to have one. I thought we would be a run-based play-action team based on what the players Auburn has. I never said I do not want to be run-based (just maybe not the entire history of the program) but just wanted to have a competent passing game to compliment that running game. Gus Malzahn was hardly ever able to do that. I thought Hugh Freeze could but so far I am not even seeing the basics done right by Freeze and his staff even considering the lack of talent. I was hoping for smart coaching that adapts to the players you have. Auburn has a stable of good running backs and it is easier to run block than pass block. Auburn is severely limited on the line, at quarterback, and at wide receiver. That sure adds up to a run-based team to me but I still do not see an identity in this offense.
I understand that once you get behind or show you cannot pass that running the ball is almost impossible but that does not explain why our first three plays of the game were two Payton Thorne runs and one pass. I do not care about the Samford game, Payton Thorne is not good enough to run against SEC teams! Why would you not start with giving the ball to a proven stud like Jarquez Hunter? The coaches did the next series and it worked great but when it finally came to the point where a pass had to be completed Thorne was immediately sacked on second down and then threw incomplete. It was just more of the same after that. We would have a good run here and there and Thorne had a few completions but we just could not put anything together.
I am not a football genius but I have watched and coached sports at the lower levels for a long time. I think at this point if I was calling the plays at Auburn I would have given my best offensive player who is Hunter more than nine carries. I would have started with sending him out first and using him as much as possible our first two series. I would then look for play-action opportunities here and there. The only way that is going to work though is if you keep pounding the ball and if I am going to do that I would use more multiple tight end big sets. Auburn has several good tight ends and are still very Malzahn-ish from the standpoint of people not respecting our wide receivers AT ALL. This is something that has plagued Auburn for a very long time.
Anyway the point is you have to have an identity and lean on your strengths first and I do not think the coaches are doing that. That is just bad coaching and bad preparation. The team cannot be successful if the coaches cannot even put them in a position to have a chance to be successful. However, not every play was bad but the Tiger offensive line is. That is the next problem. Auburn got what looked like half decent linemen to come but unfortunately they are just not as good as expected. The offensive line got beat badly many times during the game. There were many plays where there was no surge for the running back or Thorne was swarmed immediately after he dropped back. Thorne then threw some pretty bad passes the times he got the ball away. I do not think the receivers are great either but if the coaching, the line, and the quarterback are all really bad it is already over.
I honestly do not know where Auburn goes from here. They really have no chance in their next two games. I am just not sure much can be improved going up against #1 Georgia and going on the road to LSU. At this point again I would lean on Hunter and try to shorten the games. The Auburn defense was good again yesterday but they are getting worn down with no help from the offense and the injuries are mounting. It really does look like there is a good chance of the season coming apart the way things are going. Auburn is not very good and has next to no depth. I think the Tigers will be extremely fortunate to get to six wins. Auburn badly needs to get there though to show some kind of improvement after such a hyped start to this season and to give Freeze credibility on the recruiting trail.
Unfortunately recruiting is the only way off this highway to hell and it takes awhile. In fact, until Auburn can recruit and coach up a good quarterback and some actual good linemen this is not going to end. Auburn is paying and will continue to pay for hiring idiot head coaches who cannot recruit well enough and letting them run the program into the ground. Auburn not only hired them but paid them millions and millions of dollars to kill this program. Auburn has a huge amount of big recruits coming in for the Georgia game. This staff getting some of those big-time recruits to come to Auburn is much more important that the actual game to Auburn's future.
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