What We Know – Auburn
Oct 6, 2012; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (21) avoids Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Terrell Williams (25) during the second half at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Razorbacks beat the Tigers 24-7. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Over the next few weeks, we will start taking a look at the SEC teams and discuss the apparent strengths and weaknesses of them as the 2013 season nears.
The idea is to identify what we “know” – as much as we can “know” anything about a season that has yet to start. We will also examine what we think we know, what we don’t know and when we might have answers to the biggest questions.
Auburn Tigers
What We Know
Gus Malzahn has pulled off offensive miracles at Auburn before – There isn’t too much that we know about the Tigers before the season starts. Well, nothing positive anyway. What we do know is that this team came apart at the seams in 2012, setting records that haunt defensive coordinators’ nightmares along the way. Auburn proved utterly uncompetitive and incompetent by season’s end – a team without a soul. The Tigers finished by getting slaughtered in consecutive SEC games against Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama by a combined score of 150-21. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide shut the Tigers out to close the SEC season. Then-coach Gene Chizik’s decision to replace Malzahn’s up-tempo spread offense with Scot Loeffler’s pro-style attack never came close to working, with Auburn fielding one of the worst offenses in the league by virtually every metric. Remember, though, that Malzahn inherited an equally dire offensive situation when he took over a desolate group in 2009. He transformed an offense that fizzled a year ago into one that ranked toward the top of the conference. There was talent on that Auburn roster. There is on this one as well – much of which Malzahn had at least a hand in the recruiting process. Don’t underestimate Malzahn’s offensive genius and don’t be surprised if Auburn has an immediate turnaround on offense.
The Tigers will be able to run the ball – RB Tre Mason rushed for 1,000 yards last year despite being dragged down by a disastrous offense. His touches might fall this season but his production could increase dramatically. RB Cameron Artis-Payne has been discussed so much this spring that he can’t even be listed as a potential sleeper breakout star. Mason is undersized but has speed and occasionally packs a punch. Artis-Payne will provide a bruiser presence missing in last year’s offense. Malzahn has a proven record of being able to feed more than one back. A speed option will also likely get opportunities this season, whether it comes from Corey Grant, Johnathan Ford or Peyton Barber. Regardless of how the carry opportunities shake out, the Tigers will have the ability to run in Malzahn’s offense.
What We Think We Know
The Tigers’ defense will be vastly improved – This sure feels like cheating, because it isn’t stating that Auburn will be good on defense. But the unit has to be better than the horrifyingly bad group that took the field over the second half of last season, right? Malzahn hired the right man – Ellis Johnson – to transform Auburn’s defense back into what it was under Tommy Tuberville in the mid-2000s. For those unfamiliar with Johnson’s work, he has helped turn around three SEC defenses – at Alabama in the late 90s, Mississippi State in the mid 2000s and South Carolina from 2008-11. Johnson has proven equally successful at recruiting as he is at developing talent. His typical 4-2-5 defenses put more athleticism on the field while also giving more options of how to apply pressure. As for actual Auburn players seemingly ready to right the ship, Star Justin Garrett became the hype of spring practice. The linebacker-nickelback hybrid has missed a chunk of August practice, though. DE Dee Ford and LB Cassanova McKinzy have drawn positive reviews through spring and August. One player who won’t help the Tigers is last year’s leading tackler, S Demetruce McNeal, who was kicked off the team Saturday after getting arrested for possession of marijuana. How good Auburn can be this year likely hinges on the play of a defensive line that massively underachieved in 2012. Numerous highly recruited players could emerge at the position, including Angelo Blackson, Gabe Wright, Jeff Whitaker and junior-college transfer Ben Bradley.
The Tigers’ defense will be vastly improved – This sure feels like cheating, because it isn’t stating that Auburn will be good on defense. But the unit has to be better than the horrifyingly bad group that took the field over the second half of last season, right? Malzahn hired the right man – Ellis Johnson – to transform Auburn’s defense back into what it was under Tommy Tuberville in the mid-2000s. For those unfamiliar with Johnson’s work, he has helped turn around three SEC defenses – at Alabama in the late 90s, Mississippi State in the mid 2000s and South Carolina from 2008-11. Johnson has proven equally successful at recruiting as he is at developing talent. His typical 4-2-5 defenses put more athleticism on the field while also giving more options of how to apply pressure. As for actual Auburn players seemingly ready to right the ship, Star Justin Garrett became the hype of spring practice. The linebacker-nickelback hybrid has missed a chunk of August practice, though. DE Dee Ford and LB Casanova McKinzy have drawn positive reviews through spring and August. One player who won’t help the Tigers is last year’s leading tackler, S Demetruce McNeal, who was kicked off the team Saturday after getting arrested for possession of marijuana.
What We Don’t Know
How will QB1 Nick Marshall fare? – Marshall officially won the quarterback battle Saturday, with Malzahn ruling that the competition had ended. The junior-college transfer will give Malzahn the running threat he likes to have at the position, though his running style is far more speed and shiftiness than the plow-over-anyone style displayed by Cam Newton. Marshall struggled in JUCO ball last year with turnovers. He threw for 3,142 yards and 18 TDs last year, but also got intercepted 20 times. On the ground, Marshall accumulated 1,095 more yards and an additional 19 TDs. Beating out Jonathan Wallace and Kiehl Frazier won’t exactly scare opponents who watched the duo play last season. Neither appeared to be SEC-quality. Malzahn has a solid history in developing quarterbacks – with the 2011 Auburn team serving as the lone exception – so Marshall should have a great ability to improve throughout the season. When Will We Know? It won’t take long because Malzahn’s offenses typically get off to fast starts if they are going to be good. How Marshall plays against Washington State will tell quite a bit about the remainder of the 2013 season.
Can Auburn’s defensive line correct its 2012 season? – How good Auburn can be this year defensively likely hinges on the play of a defensive line that massively underachieved in 2012. Numerous highly recruited players could emerge at the position, including Angelo Blackson, Gabe Wright, Jeff Whitaker and junior-college transfer Ben Bradley. Bradley, Whitaker and Wright were all four-star recruits coming into Auburn, though – with Whitaker and Wright – that talent hasn’t translated into star power thus far. True freshman Montravius Adams, a five-star recruit, could also push for playing time if the others falter. The Tigers were atrocious against the run last year, ranking last in the SEC in yards allowed per game and yards per carry. Malzahn hired Georgia DL coach Rodney Garner to fix the problems and his ability to do so will play a huge role in Auburn’s attempted turnaround this season. When Will We Know? The Sept. 14 game against Mississippi State should provide a pretty good idea of how Auburn will do against the run this year, but for a clear vision, wait for the following week when the Tigers play at LSU.