Lutz

[ssgaufan]

From the Forde yard dash on ESPN.


The Dash is worried about the self-image of one player in college football: Philip Lutzenkirchen (17) of Auburn. The tight end apparently cannot get a single opposing defense to believe he's any good.

• EnlargeButch Dill/Getty Images

Philip Lutzenkirchen is Auburn's go-to guy for game-winning scores.
Lutzenkirchen has caught 21 passes in his career. Ten are for touchdowns, and several of those have been crucial. On almost all of those 10 TD catches, the junior has slipped away so totally uncovered that you'd swear he was invisible.

Forget last year, when he beat Alabama for the winning score. This year alone, it happened in the fourth quarter against Utah State. It happened in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State. And it happened in the fourth quarter Saturday against South Carolina, when he caught the game winner.

And so The Dash wonders: How do teams so routinely fail to cover the most obvious red zone target Auburn has?

Credit offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn with some great misdirection plays to free the polysyllabic terror. But condemn the opposing teams that so regularly forget about him, too.

If it's a passing down in scoring territory, The Dash would cover Lutzenkirchen with two defenders, three student managers and four members of the marching band. The Dash would be on him so hard, local authorities could file stalking charges. The Dash would invite any other player with an "AU" on his helmet to get open, but would not be beaten by Philip Lutzenkirchen.

[War Eagle!!!]

I hate this kind of stupid fucking logic. This is why I can't stand Forde.

Maybe he is being sarcastic, but this is why he writes, and doesn't fucking coach.

[AWK]

I hate this kind of stupid fucking logic. This is why I can't stand Forde.

Maybe he is being sarcastic, but this is why he writes, and doesn't fucking coach.

It's called sarcasm.  Mooooosefraba.  Smoke a cigarette or something.

[Tiger Wench]

He's right.  That Iron Bowl play is the stuff of legend (as is the Lutzie dance after) and we run that play often in the red zone with success.  How can opposing coaches not be prepared for that knowing it is a TD scoring machine?

[djsimp]

He's right.  That Iron Bowl play is the stuff of legend (as is the Lutzie dance after) and we run that play often in the red zone with success.  How can opposing coaches not be prepared for that knowing it is a TD scoring machine?

Maybe Malzahn fucks'em up that bad in the head.

[AUChizad]

How can opposing coaches not be prepared for that knowing it is a TD scoring machine?

They must not speak German.

[GH2001]

I hate this kind of stupid fucking logic. This is why I can't stand Forde.

Maybe he is being sarcastic, but this is why he writes, and doesn't fucking coach.

Pretty sure he was being a smart ass.

[JR4AU]

Pretty sure he was being a smart ass.

I'm thinkin' yeah. 

The play Lutz scored on in the IB, and last Sat.?  Almost always will be open as long as you don't go to the well too often.  Keep it in your pocket for absolutely crucial times.  He appears to block for a 2 count, while the entire offense rolls right, and he sneaks out to the left while the entire defense is now finding everyone that is in the pattern, and looking the way the offense is rolling.  Hell, even under Tubs we ran the "TE falls down" play a few times with the same success.  Same play really.  The play to the FB sneaking out underneath like Bammer scored on us in '09 is the same type of play.  Everyfuckingbody knows about that play, and yet it almost always works. 

[Snaggletiger]

Did he really use "polysyllabic" in a sentence?

Do I have a frickin' clue what polysyllabic means?

[No Huddle]

What I like is that Gus uses it late when the defense is not fresh and will have a mental lapse. You know teams pratice how to defend it.

[JR4AU]

What I like is that Gus uses it late when the defense is not fresh and will have a mental lapse. You know teams pratice how to defend it.

If not practice it, they at least see it on film and remind the team it's a possibility.  Defending it isn't the problem, it's knowing it's coming, and realizing it when it's shown.

[War Eagle!!!]

I'm thinkin' yeah. 

The play Lutz scored on in the IB, and last Sat.?  Almost always will be open as long as you don't go to the well too often.  Keep it in your pocket for absolutely crucial times.  He appears to block for a 2 count, while the entire offense rolls right, and he sneaks out to the left while the entire defense is now finding everyone that is in the pattern, and looking the way the offense is rolling.  Hell, even under Tubs we ran the "TE falls down" play a few times with the same success.  Same play really.  The play to the FB sneaking out underneath like Bammer scored on us in '09 is the same type of play.  Everyfuckingbody knows about that play, and yet it almost always works.

This is what I meant...

And no...I don't think he is being too much of a smart ass...

[No Huddle]

If not practice it, they at least see it on film and remind the team it's a possibility.  Defending it isn't the problem, it's knowing it's coming, and realizing it when it's shown.

No, I know teams (Alabama) practices to stop it and it still gets open.

[JR4AU]

No, I know teams (Alabama) practices to stop it and it still gets open.

I'm sure they do.  Not LOTS of practice time, but yeah, they do.