Big Game Saturday Part Duex 10.11.14

[WiregrassTiger]

Where is the quick out route we used to run? Throw it a couple of times and then fake it and run deep.

We killed people with that in 09 and 10. And NM definitely has  the arm to throw it.

I would much rather wee that than the 42 WR screens we throw.

Duke on the out route for 5 yds would drive a defense crazy.

I bet you like to wee a lot of stuff.

[CCTAU]

I bet you like to wee a lot of stuff.

See dammit. See!

[ssgaufan]

I wonder about his ability to see over the lineman. I wish he would get out of the pocket more and ad lib. We seen to be better with that and don't have the trouble with batted balls.

I've been thinking that this might be his problem, and the reason JJ spread it around more.  I can't remember seeing this many balls batted at the LOS from an AU QB.  Looks like the underneath routes are still there on 3rd and medium, Nick just can't see them, so he goes for the homerun ball each time.

[jmar]

See dammit. See!

We are just one missed tackle away on the perimeter but we seldom challenge the defense enough to know.
I do know Marcus Davis can get open and the one time we threw to Tony Stevens (LSU) he broke two tackles and looked like he was going to run out of the stadium. But those are called plays, not reads.
We can play Montraviousness at WR and if the ball doesn't go his way immediately the defense knows Marshall is either going to run or hurl it fifty/sixty yards downfield.

[jmar]

I've been thinking that this might be his problem, and the reason JJ spread it around more.  I can't remember seeing this many balls batted at the LOS from an AU QB.  Looks like the underneath routes are still there on 3rd and medium, Nick just can't see them, so he goes for the homerun ball each time.

Lashlee discussed the batted ball issue from a question by a media member and said one was due to a missed block and the other wasn't determined to be on Nick either but I can't recall the reason he gave.

[CCTAU]

Lashlee discussed the batted ball issue from a question by a media member and said one was due to a missed block and the other wasn't determined to be on Nick either but I can't recall the reason he gave.

Drew Brees and Russel Wilson laugh at this. This is the difference between a true QB and a talented RB playing QB.

If you are short and want to play QB, you have to learn to see and throw through the lanes. hell at 6'2", I had trouble seeing over a short line. I can't imagine trying to see over 6'4" and 6'6" guys.

But the crossing routes are gold in football. You hit those, you can win at the passing game. You get your balls batted, and you end up like Snags....

I thought the option pass to M. Davis was a great call, NM just panicked a half second early. Hang in there and flick it at the last second, MD is gone. NM seemed to hang in there a fight a bit harder last season. Not addressing any heart issues. We know the kid has heart. I jsut think someone is harping about staying healthy. Just tell the kid to PLAY!

[GH2001]

Drew Brees and Russel Wilson laugh at this. This is the difference between a true QB and a talented RB playing QB.

If you are short and want to play QB, you have to learn to see and throw through the lanes. hell at 6'2", I had trouble seeing over a short line. I can't imagine trying to see over 6'4" and 6'6" guys.

But the crossing routes are gold in football. You hit those, you can win at the passing game. You get your balls batted, and you end up like Snags....

I thought the option pass to M. Davis was a great call, NM just panicked a half second early. Hang in there and flick it at the last second, MD is gone. NM seemed to hang in there a fight a bit harder last season. Not addressing any heart issues. We know the kid has heart. I jsut think someone is harping about staying healthy. Just tell the kid to PLAY!

I think so too (on the staying healthy part). I think the Aggy game last year scared them.

[jmar]

Nick's future at QB is now. As a CB or WR he might get chosen late or be invited for a tryout based on his speed and early backgound as a DB. But CB is much harder to break in at with limited experience whereas there are at least some success stories of college QBs converting to wideout, incl. Randle El and Hines Ward.

The Oregon hot shot didn't make it. Not sure about OMAC though he might make it moreso for his return skills and only be listed as a corner in media guides.

No need to hold back...RUN FOR THE GOLD!

[The Six]

Facts are facts, this is not a physical team. This is a finesse team (Texas A&M is the same way). Can that win in this league? Maybe but we all know the best hope for long term is to get back to pounding people and faking them out with the playaction.

This South Carolina game is going to say a lot. Auburn is a better team and should win convincingly if they show up interested. But I'm not sure this team has played a total package game yet. Here's to hoping that starts next week.

[GH2001]

Facts are facts, this is not a physical team. This is a finesse team (Texas A&M is the same way). Can that win in this league? Maybe but we all know the best hope for long term is to get back to pounding people and faking them out with the playaction.

This South Carolina game is going to say a lot. Auburn is a better team and should win convincingly if they show up interested. But I'm not sure this team has played a total package game yet. Here's to hoping that starts next week.

But is it out of necessity? I think it may be. OL - Kozan and Robinson = more narrow lanes, less push at LOS. Its pretty obvious. I like Fulse but he doesnt plow lanes like Prosch either.

[The Six]

But is it out of necessity? I think it may be. OL - Kozan and Robinson = more narrow lanes, less push at LOS. Its pretty obvious. I like Fulse but he doesnt plow lanes like Prosch either.

Exactly. This line without Kozan just can't do that stuff this year. Which is why there are a lot more wide runs and a lot less success on the ground.

[WiregrassTiger]

Facts are facts, this is not a physical team. This is a finesse team (Texas A&M is the same way). Can that win in this league? Maybe but we all know the best hope for long term is to get back to pounding people and faking them out with the playaction.

This South Carolina game is going to say a lot. Auburn is a better team and should win convincingly if they show up interested. But I'm not sure this team has played a total package game yet. Here's to hoping that starts next week.

You know, I always thought that when we had Buster Brown as coach, we lost our running game because of the mentality that seems to go with a pass happy team. Not saying that we are there yet but it looks as if lineman start thinking, "o.k., if we don't get anything on this first down, no biggie. Dameyune will bail us out with a spectacular escape and throw." VS the knock the defense on their ass for 3 downs and get a first, like last year. It's like we're in the midst of an identity crisis.

[Snaggletiger]

A few stats from Joel Erickson at the dot  I am a gay twerker that has no balls!!!!  I also have no idea how to use the quote function to post stories, so I annoy the piss out of others.  I like male genatalia in and around my mouth. of the al.  Like I said earlier, I'm not that worried about the offense. Would like to see Roc, Uzmanababa and Grant get more involved but the problems for me were simply the bolded parts. We had chance after chance after chance but for various reasons, kept shooting ourselves in the foot. 

Auburn's mistakes on the road kept piling up on Saturday night, thwarting the Tigers' chances to come back after a disastrous start.

And after the weekly examination of the statistics, Mississippi State held off the Tigers by forcing Auburn to falter in previous areas of strength.

For example, Auburn's defense hadn't given up any points off turnovers this season. The Bulldogs turned the first two into touchdowns. Dak Prescott gashed the previously stout Tigers' run defense for 121 yards, and on third downs and in the red zone -- two key areas of emphasis for Auburn on both sides of the ball -- Mississippi State kept the Tigers from living up to their previous statistical profile.

With that in mind, here's a look at where Auburn stands halfway through the season.

RUSHING OFFENSE

Last week: 268.0 yards per game (4th SEC, 15th nationally)

This week: 262.0 yards per game (3rd SEC, 15th nationally)

Why: Led by 100 yards from quarterback Nick Marshall, Auburn posted 232 rushing yards, by far the most allowed by Mississippi State's defense this season.

PASSING OFFENSE 

Last week: 229.2 yards per game (8th, 72nd)

This week: 225.8 yards per game (8th, 78th)

Why: Marshall threw for 209 yards, but the Tigers had 101 passing yards wiped out by their own penalties.

PASS EFFICIENCY OFFENSE

Last week: 168.74 (2nd, 6th)

This week: 154.88 (5th, 17th)

Why: Marshall tossed two touchdown passes, but he also completed only 17-of-35 passes and threw two interceptions, both deflections

TOTAL OFFENSE

Last week: 497.2 yards per game (4th, 25th)

This week: 487.8 yards per game (4th, 24th)

Why: Auburn finished with 441 yards of total offense, its second-lowest output of the season.

SCORING OFFENSE

Last week: 42.0 points per game (5th, 15th)

This week: 38.8 points per game (5th, 22nd)

Why: Auburn settled for four field-goal attempts on drives, Daniel Carlson's biggest workload of the season.

SACKS ALLOWED

Last week: 3 sacks, 0.6 per game (2nd, t-5th)

This week: 6 sacks, 1 per game (t-3rd, t-17th)

Why: Not only did Mississippi State double the number of sacks Auburn's allowed this season, but the Bulldogs recorded 13 quarterback hurries, by far the most the Tigers have allowed in the Gus Malzahn era.

THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS

Last week: 56.94 percent (1st, 2nd)

This week: 54.02 percent (1st, 2nd)

Why: Auburn converted 6 of its 15 chances on third down, or 40 percent, its lowest of the season after converting 42.86 percent against Louisiana Tech.

RED ZONE OFFENSE

Last week: 100 percent (t-1st, t-1st)

This week: 92.59 percent (2nd, t-14th)

Why: Auburn missed its first two chances of the season, a field goal by Carlson and a late interception by Marshall, but more importantly, the Tigers converted only two of their six chances into touchdowns, dropping their red-zone touchdown percentage to 70.37 percent and 22 spots nationally.

[Townhallsavoy]

Nice stats.  I think a lot of the worriments are unfounded.  We are a VERY good football team, and that was not our typical football team on Saturday. 

Miss State beat us by 15 points and we gave them 14 points within the first two minutes.  21 within the first five.  We GAVE them those points.  Yes, those mistakes count.  No, I'm not saying Miss State didn't deserve to win.

But they didn't whip our ass up and down the field.  It was a pretty good back-and-forth football game once we found our footing. 

I don't think much needs to be changed.  Marshall is still a better passer than last season.  CAP is a pretty good running back.  He's third in the SEC with 110 yards per game.  We have one of the best receivers in the country.  Our defense is twice as good as last season. 

We aren't perfect, but how many teams are?

2010, we had a defense that gave up huge chunks of yards.  2011 Alabama could run up the middle on offense and that was about it.  2013 Auburn couldn't pass the ball very well and gave up huge chunks of yards on pass defense. 

Am I the only one not worried at all?  Outside of not being up for two away games, I don't think there's anything impossible for this team. 

[WiregrassTiger]

Nice stats.  I think a lot of the worriments are unfounded.  We are a VERY good football team, and that was not our typical football team on Saturday. 

Am I supposed to yell out very when reading this post?

[Snaggletiger]

Nice stats.  I think a lot of the worriments are unfounded.  We are a VERY good football team, and that was not our typical football team on Saturday. 

Miss State beat us by 15 points and we gave them 14 points within the first two minutes.  21 within the first five.  We GAVE them those points.  Yes, those mistakes count.  No, I'm not saying Miss State didn't deserve to win.

But they didn't whip our ass up and down the field.  It was a pretty good back-and-forth football game once we found our footing. 

I don't think much needs to be changed.  Marshall is still a better passer than last season.  CAP is a pretty good running back.  He's third in the SEC with 110 yards per game.  We have one of the best receivers in the country.  Our defense is twice as good as last season. 

We aren't perfect, but how many teams are?

2010, we had a defense that gave up huge chunks of yards.  2011 Alabama could run up the middle on offense and that was about it.  2013 Auburn couldn't pass the ball very well and gave up huge chunks of yards on pass defense. 

Am I the only one not worried at all?  Outside of not being up for two away games, I don't think there's anything impossible for this team.

I'm witcha' 100%.  Was not a fan of what Marshall was doing a few weeks ago but I've come around and think he gives us the best chance to win.  Saturday was about execution that was lacking in several areas.  Just get more discipline across the board and we can run the table. 

[jmar]

Johnson didn't have a safety in the middle of the field on several successful 2nd half QB draws.
Gary pointed it out and I doubt it happens again.
We were defensing the sideline successfully in the second half because of that safety help and Prescott made us pay up the middle. Still, he failed several times trying to force throws into the boundary toward receivers that were adequately covered. Robinson broke free a few times as well due to the attention given to their receivers.

[WiregrassTiger]

Am I the only one not worried at all?  Outside of not being up for two away games, I don't think there's anything impossible for this team.

I agree that anything is possible and we have a realistic shot at getting to the playoffs and esp winning it all if we make it. I am disappointed that we played the way that we did more than the fact that we lost. If we had lost without the turnovers and the d still played adequate, I'm good with it.

It doesn't take long to spoil a fan base. Never forget 2012.

[Godfather]

I agree that anything is possible and we have a realistic shot at getting to the playoffs and esp winning it all if we make it. I am disappointed that we played the way that we did more than the fact that we lost. If we had lost without the turnovers and the d still played adequate, I'm good with it.

It doesn't take long to spoil a fan base. Never forget 2012.

Dis.  I don't mind getting beaten by a better team, they are not a better team.  Much like FSU last year.

[WiregrassTiger]

Dis.  I don't mind getting beaten by a better team, they are not a better team.  Much like FSU last year.

Don't dis me. I come from the streets. I have killed mofo's for less than this. You dis me, I dis you mofo.