Georgia Football: Bulldogs coast past Auburn with relative ease

3. Gus Malzahn is coaching with one hand tied behind his back

I get it, it’s fun to poke fun at Gus Malzahn for his constant reliance on trick-plays, especially when he seemingly outsmarts himself every game, particularly when the Tigers get into the redzone.

But even with a potential NFL QB in Jarrett Stidham, it’s difficult for any offense to get on track when you can’t run the football. It doesn’t have anything to do with coaching that the Tigers are 82nd in the country in rushing – the problem is that Auburn’s offensive line has been weak this season. They’ve been unable to get a push for their runners, and have allowed little time for Stidham to make plays down the field.

There’s no Kerryon Johnson to lean on at running back this season as Malzahn has been unable to uncover a consistent replacement for him. This is also a young team at the skill positions, with some of their most promising players being freshmen.

JaTarvious Whitlow, the team’s leading rusher, is a redshirt freshman, and they have a pair of wide receivers – Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams – who are both true freshmen. Malzahn has gotten plenty of heat this season from Auburn underperforming expectations, but their struggles aren’t all that surprising when you see what he’s had to work with. The bread-and-butter of his offense is running the ball, and he’s had trouble adjusting to having that facet of the game completely taken away.

I still maintain that he’s a good coach, and it won’t be long before the Tigers are back as a legitimate contender in the SEC West if the athletic department doesn’t make any rash decisions.