Nix and the passing game are ‘right there’

[aubiefifty 18,230]

Bo Nix and the Auburn passing game are ‘right there’

Posted Nov 27, 2019

3-4 minutes

There aren’t really words to describe the way quarterback Bo Nix and his receivers have been connecting lately. The best term wide receiver Seth Williams can think of is that they’re “clicking,” and heading into the biggest game yet, Williams feels like Nix and the passing game are on the verge of something great.

“We're like right there,” Williams said.

Since he started the fourth quarter comeback against Georgia, Nix has completed 65 percent of his passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. With quick slant passes to Williams, Eli Stove and Anthony Schwartz, he’s gotten the offense into a rhythm. All it takes is that initial first down, coach Gus Malzahn said, and Nix has started to figure out how to do that.

The learning process wasn’t an easy one for Nix — he had to play four top-10 opponents in close games, three of which resulted in losses. The only three games where Nix completed less than 50 percent of his passes were among those games.

“He’s learned this year against the toughest defenses probably in all of college football, like we talked about with the schedule,” Malzahn said. “That really helps your learning curve. It accelerates learning. I think he’s got a good command of our offense and the personnel he has around him.”

Reading the defenses was the hardest thing for Nix to pick up because college defenses are so much more complicated than high school defenses, but he also had to adjust to the environment. Although Nix felt he handled the challenging environments “as good as I could have,” he had to learn to take control of the game and his emotions.

When Nix played at Florida, one of the loudest, most hostile stadiums in the country, he had one of his worst games of the season, completing 11-of-22 passes for 145 yards with three interceptions. But something sparked for him after that game.

“After the Florida loss, you’ve seen some things change,” Williams said. “He grew as a person more and grew as a player more.”

Since then, Nix has only thrown an interception in one game, and he’s only completed less than 60 percent of his passes in one game. Both were in the 23-20 loss to then-No.2 LSU. In that game, he completed 42 percent of his passes for 157 yards and threw one interception.

“I think that says a lot about his decision-making,” Malzahn said. “That is very impressive, especially for a young quarterback for the defenses that he’s went against.”

Knowing that Nix can protect the football has opened up the playbook. In the next two games, Auburn threw the ball 44 times and then 50 times, the two highest number of pass attempts all season. The number of attempts dropped to 23 against Samford, but Malzahn said the heavy rain had something to do with it.

In the three games since LSU, Nix has completed at least 60 percent of his passes for every game, including against No. 5 Georgia. Although the Tigers comeback fell short, that fourth quarter gave Nix, Malzahn and the receivers more confidence in what Auburn can do through the air.

“I feel like each one of those games has prepared me for this game,” Nix said. “Each one has gotten a little bit bigger and bigger … I’m looking forward to playing and backing our defense up and having fun.”

[bigbird 60,939]

11 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Since he started the fourth quarter comeback against Georgia, Nix has completed 65 percent of his passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns.

Sooooooo, Samford?

[bigbird 60,939]

34 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

With quick slant passes to Williams, Eli Stove and Anthony Schwartz, he’s gotten the offense into a rhythm.

Interesting how play calling can do that.

35 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

All it takes is that initial first down, coach Gus Malzahn said, and Nix has started to figure out how to do that.

More like Gus is starting to figure that out. Now if we can figure out those pesky 3rd and shorts.

[Butthead 525]

And next year there will be regression. And our Groundhog Day begins again. 

[sevenlee36 1,705]

Also quit making so many substitutions, if it’s working go “nascar” “nascar” “nascar”

[Dan-0 479]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

Sooooooo, Samford?

That´s EXACTLY what I thought when I read this! 😂 

I hope our passing game ís ¨right there.¨ But one quarter against GA and Samford is surely not the indicator.

[japantiger 4,116]

This article is depressing.  Someone was really looking for the pony here.  I'm about as excited for this game as I was for any game Doug Barfield coached.   The only things that made those football season bareable were 1) the coeds and 2) a flask of Bourbon Deluxe (it went for $3.35 a half gallon at the time from the State Store).

[gr82be 14,906]

31 minutes ago, japantiger said:

This article is depressing.  Someone was really looking for the pony here.  I'm about as excited for this game as I was for any game Doug Barfield coached.   The only things that made those football season bareable were 1) the coeds and 2) a flask of Bourbon Deluxe (it went for $3.35 a half gallon at the time from the State Store).

And don't forget the occasional orange jersey!

 

 

...sorry, couldn't resist. 

 

 

 

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

[Win4AU 4,182]

Not gonna beat Bama throwing horizontal on 3rd and medium.  The vertical pass game has to be present to back Dbs out of the box and open up the run game.  

[GwillMac6 20,849]

A passing offense under Gus is never almost there or right there or however you want to word it. The service academies have a better passing attack than ours! Lol.

[japantiger 4,116]

3 hours ago, gr82be said:

And don't forget the occasional orange jersey!

 

 

...sorry, couldn't resist. 

 

 

 

Oh man...just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse about Auburn football, you bring up Orange Jersey's.  That's just mean.  Time to crack the Bourbon Deluxe ... ok, I drink better than in those days; but the same reason.  

[Sizzle 3,948]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

Not gonna beat Bama throwing horizontal on 3rd and medium.  The vertical pass game has to be present to back Dbs out of the box and open up the run game.  

Bo just needs to complete passes anyway he can get them. 

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

2 hours ago, Sizzle said:

Bo just needs to complete passes anyway he can get them. 

If history dictates, he'll complete passes.  1 out of ever 2.

[Sizzle 3,948]

2 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

If history dictates, he'll complete passes.  1 out of ever 2.

We’re going to need him to up that to at least 2 out of every 3 passes completed.

[japantiger 4,116]

13 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

If history dictates, he'll complete passes.  1 out of ever 2.

damn math ... 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

18 hours ago, Win4AU said:

Not gonna beat Bama throwing horizontal on 3rd and medium.  The vertical pass game has to be present to back Dbs out of the box and open up the run game.  

True, but we also can't throw it 30 yards down the field on 3rd and medium as Gus is known to do.

[IronMan70 3,321]

When the game is on the line, we need Bo to complete 100% of his passes to wide open receivers on short routes.

[AURealist 2,194]

Sounds like we're really winning the practices...  

[gr82be 14,906]

18 minutes ago, AURealist said:

Sounds like we're really winning the practices...  

Hey, maybe we can practice Saturday during the game. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

2 hours ago, IronMan70 said:

When the game is on the line, we need Bo to complete 100% of his passes to wide open receivers on short routes.

It’d be nice 

[Sizzle 3,948]

6 hours ago, IronMan70 said:

When the game is on the line, we need Bo to complete 100% of his passes to wide open receivers on short routes.

We need him to complete 100% percent passes on all receivers who are wide open short or deep route. Take advantage of all opportunities 

[IronMan70 3,321]

1 hour ago, Sizzle said:

We need him to complete 100% percent passes on all receivers who are wide open short or deep route. Take advantage of all opportunities 

When the game is on the line, first give me 100% completions on wide open short routes on 3rd downs, 4th downs and TDs. Do that and we are 10-1 or 11-0 right now. That will go a long way, then go after the lower % deep routes. But I get your point and agree.