Grading Auburn’s performance against Kentucky

[aubiefifty 18,231]

 

1. Auburn Football

Grading Auburn’s performance against Kentucky

Today 7:00 AM

 

 

 

By Giana Han

In its first test of the season, Auburn graded out better than average with its 29-13 win over Kentucky.

Although the first half featured its share of difficulties including an ejection for targeting, the Tigers were able to come out of halftime with a tightened up game.

On both sides of the ball, the Tigers had untried players. The offensive line, defensive line and secondary all lost a significant number of starters. The offense was also playing with a new coordinator and new system. While there were a number of wrinkles, it was to be expected considering all the question marks coming into the game. The true testament to the team’s potential was the way it adjusted over halftime and dominated the end of the game.

Here’s a look at how each position group did individually:

 

Auburn quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass against Kentucky during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Quarterbacks: B+

 

Bo Nix clearly has entered the next stage of his development. He’s gotten used to the speed of the game and has been freed up to just play. Despite having to learn a new offense, Nix looked very comfortable. He said he spent the offseason studying the system closely, and it looks like it paid off. Nix also completed over 50 percent of his passes, going 16-27 for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He showed off his physical development when he made a first down pass with a defender wrapped around his legs, immobilizing his lower body.

 

Sep 30, 2020; Auburn, AL, USA; Shaun Shivers (8) rushes 8 yards for the first down during the game between Auburn and Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Running backs: C+

 

Nix was Auburn’s leading rusher. He had 34 yards on five carries and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Out of Auburn’s 91 rushing yards, just 50 were from the running backs. The running backs have a lot of experience to draw on – D.J. Williams and Shaun Shivers were both named starters at one point last year – but they rushed below normal Auburn numbers. However, they also rushed behind a very, very inexperienced offensive line that returned just one starter. Additionally, “normal Auburn” is hard to determine after just one game in a new offense, especially one that performed so well in the passing game. It remains to be determined how well the running backs did compared to their abilities.

Sep 11, 2020; Auburn, AL, USA; J.J. Peques (89) reacts to D.J. Williams (3) touchdown during the game between Auburn and Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics

Tight ends: C+

 

Right off the bat, the tight ends made a statement. In the first quarter, as the ball was snapped, J.J. Pegues took off for the edge, throwing a huge block that allowed wide receiver Anthony Schwartz to take the ball 23 yards to the Kentucky 1-yard line. After running back D.J. Williams scored two plays later, tight end John Samuel Shenker made an easy catch for the two-point conversion. After that, though, the tight ends kind of disappeared from receiving game. They still played a big and important part in the passing game by helping block for the receivers, who picked up 233 yards, but they can definitely continue to grow their role as receivers under Morris’s offense.

Wide receivers: B+

As Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said, Seth Williams was an “absolute monster.” With six catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, Williams was a major difference-maker. However, he wasn’t alone in racking up Auburn’s 233 passing yards. Eli Stove made four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown while Schwartz had three catches for 40 yards, one of which was almost a touchdown. Freshman Ze’Vian Capers, who players talked up before the season, also made one catch for 17 yards. Although the wide receivers played well, it seems like this may just be a hint of what they can do, so it’s too early to give them that A.

 

Auburn quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Offensive line: C+

 

Through fall camp, the offensive line was not able to consistently put out the same five guys because of injuries and COVID-19 related issues. As a result, they weren’t able to use the same five guys throughout the game. Instead, they rotated in a number of players. They seemed to work well together considering the ever-moving lineup. The offensive line only gave up one sack and helped Auburn rush for 91 yards. However, it was helped by Nix’s mobility because there were several times he had to scramble. Auburn also usually has a better rushing game than 91 yards, so there’s definitely room for improvement. That will come with experience, though, because all of the linemen except Nick Brahms have never started a game before.

Sep 30, 2020; Auburn, AL, USA; Daquan Newkirk (44) and Owen Pappoe (0) combine for the tackle during the game between Auburn and Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Defensive line: B

 

When Auburn hit the field, it was without one of its biggest defensive leaders, Big Kat Bryant. Kentucky came in with confidence because of the experience it had on the offensive line and in the run game. The Wildcats racked up 120 yards on the ground in the first half alone. That half also saw Derick Hall ejected for targeting. Even with the loss of Hall, Auburn was able to pull together a strong second half. It made adjustments and ended up holding Kentucky to an average of 1.7 yards per carry. Daquan Newkirk, who was not named a starter on Auburn’s first depth chart, stepped up and had six tackles, including two for loss, and one sack.

 

Sep 30, 2020; Auburn, AL, USA; Zakoby McClain (9) tackles Chris Rodriguez Jr. (24) during the game between Auburn and Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Linebackers: B+

 

Although the linebackers struggled at first, like the defensive line, they also tightened their game up in the second half. All three starting linebackers had big time plays. K.J. Britt led the game with 11 tackles with one tackle for loss. Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain each had eight tackles. Pappoe added one sack and one tackle for loss while McClain had half a tackle for loss. The linebackers helped hold the Wildcats to 25 yard rushing yards in the second half.

 

Sep 30, 2020; Auburn, AL, USA; Roger McCreary (23) running back an interception during the game between Auburn and Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Cornerbacks: B

 

If not for a targeting call on Hall, Roger McCreary would have had a 100-yard pick six. McCreary came into the season as one of the most experienced defensive backs. He continued to be a reliable defender, recording four tackles, an interception and a pass breakup. Meanwhile, Jaylin Simpson was more of a question mark coming into the game. As a redshirt freshman, he had limited experience leading up to the 2020 season. However, Simpson also recorded four tackles and a pass breakup. Christian Tutt, Auburn’s nickleback, was beat several times in the second half, but he helped hold together the defense through the rough first half.

Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson (3) fumbles the ball as he is tackled by Auburn defensive back Jamien Sherwood (20) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Safeties: B

 

Early in the game, Kavosiey Smoke breezed past Smoke Monday for Kentucky’s first touchdown. After that, Monday tightened up his game and finished the day with 10 tackles. Jamien Sherwood, the other starting safety, only had three tackles but had a key fumble recovery. Kentucky had a strong passing game against Auburn’s secondary for three quarters, putting up more than 60 passing yards in each. It finished with 239 passing yards.

 

Anders Carlson kicks a pressure field goal to end practice. Auburn Football scrimmage on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2019 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Special teams: A

 

Auburn’s special teams had a solid day on all fronts. It started off the game with a strong 34-yard return from Shivers. Tank Bigsby was also given a chance to return a kick, and he also picked up 30 yards. None of Auburn’s punt returners were tested because Kentucky’s punter performed so well. On the other end, Auburn’s kickers and punters helped Auburn win the field position battle. Three different players, including Nix, punted for Auburn, and all averaged 38.5 yards or better. The coverage teams held solid and didn’t give up any big returns. Kentucky’s kick returner averaged 24 yards per return while its punt returner had one return for six yards.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn before the start of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Coaching: A

 

Auburn went into halftime with a disappointing targeting call and a touchdown that get pulled back. Yet the team was still able to come out and play better in the second half thanks to the coaching adjustments. Both coordinators were able to take the first half performances and tailor them. The defense stopped giving up the run, which made Kentucky’s game more one-dimensional. The offense capitalized on its success in the passing game. Chad Morris’s new offense gave the Kentucky defense on all three levels. And the coaching staff gets extra points for Gus Malzahn’s outfit.

 

[Zeek 16,953]

My biggest concern is the running game. Bo doesn't need to be our leading rusher.

[AUpreacherman22 3,945]

Yes, giving the OL a C+ and the DL a B was generous!  OL has a very long way to go in run blocking!!!

Stoops is right, Seth is a Monster!!!

 I also hope to see more RBs and TEs used in the passing game next week.   My theory is we felt we could run more on UK than we did.   We know next week is going to be a struggle and “saved” some of those plays for uga.   I would LOVE to see 8-10 different players catch passes for AU next week!

[AidiAU 1,270]

I did love Gus’ outfit. 🥰

[japantiger 4,117]

7 hours ago, Zeek said:

My biggest concern is the running game. Bo doesn't need to be our leading rusher.

I think the most generous rating was coaching.  An A?  Maybe for his outfit; but the fact that Auburn, Running Back U; doesn't have a running game isn't on the RBs...it's on the coaching staff.  Glad to see the 2nd half adjustments; and better play.  But we better have a running game; quickly; if we expect to compete in a 10 game SEC schedule.  

I think Nix did much better than I expected; his ultimate completion % was only marginally better than last years numbers (59.3% vs 57.6% last year); but it felt better than that as the game was being played....and he got better.  And he sure made clutch throws; I think his running can even be more impactful part of his game.  He is a good runner and is faster than he gets credit for. I came away more optimistic.  

[homersapien 12,230]

Coach Steele and staff,  A+.  

The stats from 1st half vs. 2nd half don't lie.

[woodford 3,732]

Poor running game. Same as it ever was'd

 

They would go 8-5 in a regular season.

[Mikey 16,781]

I wouldn't give the coaching an A. That dumb decision to go for it instead take the chip-shot field goal early on could have cost us the game. Those lost three points loomed large until UK's turnovers late in the game.

Also, a B+ for the LB's is very generous. That's an experienced group with a lot of talent. They did well, but they should have done better.

Seth Williams had a monster second half, which tends to make us forget him not catching a couple of catchable balls in the first half. Let's hope for more consistency there.

Overall, I'll give the team a solid B. Good win over a tough opponent, and we still have room for improvement.

[The Freak 2,539]

Gus's outfit = A+

[AUFriction 1,179]

2 hours ago, Mikey said:

I wouldn't give the coaching an A. That dumb decision to go for it instead take the chip-shot field goal early on could have cost us the game. Those lost three points loomed large until UK's turnovers late in the game.

Also, a B+ for the LB's is very generous. That's an experienced group with a lot of talent. They did well, but they should have done better.

Seth Williams had a monster second half, which tends to make us forget him not catching a couple of catchable balls in the first half. Let's hope for more consistency there.

Overall, I'll give the team a solid B. Good win over a tough opponent, and we still have room for improvement.

Come on. Let’s be honest, if he’d kicked the field goal, everyone would’ve been mad we didn’t go for it that far into the redzone with only a yard to go. I watched the game with 3 other people. One of them is always conservative on going for it (never wants them to). Even he was saying we should go for it. It was a toss up decision, and wasn’t even a bad call to run the play we did. Someone missed a block, and Bo was a little slow handing it off. Otherwise, it would’ve worked, and we probably would’ve had 7 points on that drive. 
 

Coaching was a B+. We came out a little sloppy on both sides of the ball. Decisions made during the game though were generally the right ones. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

Run game was expectedly underwhelming. New OL that’s still trying to settle on a starting five trying to block a stout and experienced DL. I was hoping to see a bit better production, but what happened wasn’t surprising. I agree that it needs to be better, and I think it will get there over the next few weeks. Hopefully we have enough to get past UGA, and boy am I glad that their offense is a mess. I’d expect things to possible start clicking with the OL against Arkansas. 

[Beaker 2,457]

2 hours ago, Mikey said:

I wouldn't give the coaching an A. That dumb decision to go for it instead take the chip-shot field goal early on could have cost us the game. Those lost three points loomed large until UK's turnovers late in the game.

Also, a B+ for the LB's is very generous. That's an experienced group with a lot of talent. They did well, but they should have done better.

Seth Williams had a monster second half, which tends to make us forget him not catching a couple of catchable balls in the first half. Let's hope for more consistency there.

Overall, I'll give the team a solid B. Good win over a tough opponent, and we still have room for improvement.

Step aside man, 😃  going for it in game one when the game was in doubt sent a message to the team and conference Auburn is no longer playing 'not to lose', but to win.  Let that sink in - that is a 180 degree change from Gus' past MO....for a moment I was wondering if we hired the high school coach from North Little Rock who never punts!   I think this was a clear sign and I loved it.

Agree, the LBs did not play at B+ level.

QB was definitely an A considering there was no Spring ball.  A couple of those passes were ridiculously accurate.  I couldn't believe what I saw.   And typical smart play by Bo.  he is spoiling us with his decision making.  I hope kid in Texas (DD?) is watching and learning.

I thought the catch by Z Capers was a tough catch and wish Bo had led him on that one. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

I'll agree with a B+ for Bo since it was week 1. Week 2 needs to be much better from him. He made a few wow plays but he also made a few wow mistakes for a 2nd-year guy playing at home. 

Can't really grade the RBs or TEs yet.

Easy A for the WRs. Eaaaasy A.

OL and DL... seems about right. 

I was disappointed in the mental errors from the LBs. But I'm encouraged that the issues we saw were mental and not talent related. At least that's how I saw it. I still have a lot of trust in that group.

Cornerbacks... that's an A for me.

Safeties, I really don't know. Happy to hear what others think.

Special teams were *fantastic*. Really, really encouraging stuff there. And I don't think Gus gets enough credit for how he uses the pooch punt from the QB. 

I give coaching an A. Really have to put it in context of the whole season. This is a game where we had a clear, significant talent advantage and we coached it accordingly. Steele made the adjustments at half and shut them down. Offense didn't exactly soar but I'm certain they could have done plenty more if needed. Tempting to deduct points for some sloppy mental errors but I doubt many teams were without them in week 1. We do need more from the OL going forward but I liked everything else I saw. 

 

[AUFriction 1,179]

22 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I'll agree with a B+ for Bo since it was week 1. Week 2 needs to be much better from him. He made a few wow plays but he also made a few wow mistakes for a 2nd-year guy playing at home. 

Can't really grade the RBs or TEs yet.

Easy A for the WRs. Eaaaasy A.

OL and DL... seems about right. 

I was disappointed in the mental errors from the LBs. But I'm encouraged that the issues we saw were mental and not talent related. At least that's how I saw it. I still have a lot of trust in that group.

Cornerbacks... that's an A for me.

Safeties, I really don't know. Happy to hear what others think.

Special teams were *fantastic*. Really, really encouraging stuff there. And I don't think Gus gets enough credit for how he uses the pooch punt from the QB. 

I give coaching an A. Really have to put it in context of the whole season. This is a game where we had a clear, significant talent advantage and we coached it accordingly. Steele made the adjustments at half and shut them down. Offense didn't exactly soar but I'm certain they could have done plenty more if needed. Tempting to deduct points for some sloppy mental errors but I doubt many teams were without them in week 1. We do need more from the OL going forward but I liked everything else I saw. 

 

I didn’t see much from the safeties either. Just a guess, but that probably means that they did their job. I’m usually not great at evaluating defensive alignment in a live game (too distracted by watching the ball). But it seemed like we rushed four and played a lot of man for most of the game. That means the safeties were probably in zone coverage to prevent big plays. 
I think the only real explosive play was the run for the first TD, and I’d put that more on the front seven. The play was designed well to pull the safeties toward the other side of the field, and our linebackers/DL lost contain. 
Someone else might have better insight here though. Like I said, I get hyper focused on watching the ball when we’re on defense and don’t alway catch our coverage.

[gr82be 14,910]

30 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Easy A for the WRs. Eaaaasy A.

Oh to be young again and a wide receiver. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, gr82be said:

Oh to be young again and a wide receiver. 

 

Wide receive 'er?! I barely know 'er!!!!

(But I would gladly trade all my material possessions to change that.) 

((Also, wildly underrated movie.))

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

few wow mistakes for a 2nd-year guy playing at home. 

I am curious as to what "wow" mistakes you are referring to. I am not saying Bo played perfect by any means and there is definitely room for improvement i think mainly in stepping up in the pocket....but I saw him step up today in the pocket a few times...which was better than last year. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I am curious as to what "wow" mistakes you are referring to. I am not saying Bo played perfect by any means and there is definitely room for improvement i think mainly in stepping up in the pocket....but I saw him step up today in the pocket a few times...which was better than last year. 

Bailing from a clean pocket at the first hint of pressure a few times was the main thing. He did also step up in the pocket a few times, you're right. I believe the phrase I used in real time while watching the game was that he was a mixed bag. 

He was fine but he's going to have to be better for us to beat good teams this year. 

[gr82b4au 5,576]

25 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

 

He was fine but he's going to have to be better for us to beat good teams this year. 

Agree. Keying on Seth and bailing from the clean pocket were things he did last year. I was hoping this was a thing of the past but it is hard to get rid of habits. He must play better or we will lose this week. Along with the OL. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

59 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Bailing from a clean pocket at the first hint of pressure a few times was the main thing. He did also step up in the pocket a few times, you're right. I believe the phrase I used in real time while watching the game was that he was a mixed bag. 

He was fine but he's going to have to be better for us to beat good teams this year.

That's fair. I just saw improvement in that area so I was pleased. The thing that really made me happy was his accuracy. Most balls were right on target..I don't remember seeing a single pass and being like "Did that ball slip" like we would see last year with overthrows and throws behind receiver. Very accurate. If he can be accurate like he was Saturday, the pocket presence will continue to improve. It seemed like when he bailed it was after first progression. If you go back and watch his HS film, he made a living doing just that and with just Gus coaching him last year...hell he was probably coached to look at the one WR who is even allowed to have the ball thrown his way on that play....and if not there then tuck and go. I did see him keep his eyes downfield though when he scrambled. He will continue to improve I believe. 

Adjusted for throwaways, Bo had a completion percentage of 69.5% and a QBR of 168.4 which is a career best when going against ranked competition. 

[Barnacle 9,107]

43 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

i think mainly in stepping up in the pocket....but I saw him step up today in the pocket a few times...which was better than last year. 

Totally agreed. There was one 3rd and like 15 play that Jordan Rodgers made a big deal of, when everyone including his check down were covered, so he bailed right and threw it away. It's hard for me to make hay about a play like that, where he ultimately protected the football with a lead, and when he demonstrated throughout the game his ability to hang tough. You can win a lot of football games with a guy who knows when and when not to force the football down the field. Again, I'm not saying there's nothing that needs to be cleaned up in the pocket, and there's been plenty of talk about his tendency to throw off of his back foot, but I didn't see pocket presence as a glaring problem area Saturday. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

12 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

That's fair. I just saw improvement in that area so I was pleased. The thing that really made me happy was his accuracy. Most balls were right on target..I don't remember seeing a single pass and being like "Did that ball slip" like we would see last year with overthrows and throws behind receiver. Very accurate. If he can be accurate like he was Saturday, the pocket presence will continue to improve. It seemed like when he bailed it was after first progression. If you go back and watch his HS film, he made a living doing just that and with just Gus coaching him last year...hell he was probably coached to look at the one WR who is even allowed to have the ball thrown his way on that play....and if not there then tuck and go. I did see him keep his eyes downfield though when he scrambled. He will continue to improve I believe. 

Adjusted for throwaways, Bo had a completion percentage of 69.5% and a QBR of 168.4 which is a career best when going against ranked competition. 

He was also graded as Nation's best downfield passer by PFF ( I hate PFF but it is nice to see some love) ahead of Mac Jones and Kyle Trask. On throws of 20+ yards, Bo was 4-5 for 104 yards.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 minute ago, Barnacle said:

Totally agreed. There was one 3rd and like 15 play that Jordan Rodgers made a big deal of, when everyone including his check down were covered, so he bailed right and threw it away. It's hard for me to make hay about a play like that, where he ultimately protected the football with a lead, and when he demonstrated throughout the game his ability to hang tough. You can win a lot of football games with a guy who knows when and when not to force the football down the field. Again, I'm not saying there's nothing that needs to be cleaned up in the pocket, and there's been plenty of talk about his tendency to throw off of his back foot, but I didn't see pocket presence as a glaring problem area Saturday. 

Oh, If Stidham had understood that better, We walk out with a win against Clemson. Bo has been great minus 2 games, when it comes to protecting the football and not taking sacks. If that means having him bail early a little more than he should I will take it. Risk vs Reward type of thing. 

[Barnacle 9,107]

13 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Oh, If Stidham had understood that better, We walk out with a win against Clemson. Bo has been great minus 2 games, when it comes to protecting the football and not taking sacks. If that means having him bail early a little more than he should I will take it. Risk vs Reward type of thing. 

I just think that context matters, and at least on that particular play, I thought Bo was being reasonable. There are times where he will drift or back pedal, which puts him on his back foot. 

The big mistake that younger quarterbacks make is taking their eyes off of the play in front of them, onto the pass rush, and then bailing as a result. We saw some of that last year. I saw none of it Saturday. Now, what will get him in trouble against a team like Georgia and what I'm sure posters like @McLoofusare probably foreseeing, are plays against a team like Georgia with elite speed. They will punish him for drifting outside of the pocket, and those 8 yard losses are absolute drive killers. I just thought that, far more often than not against Kentucky, he showed great presence in the pocket.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

2 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

The big mistake that younger quarterbacks make is taking their eyes off of the play in front of them, onto the pass rush, and then bailing as a result. We saw some of that last year. I saw none of it Saturday. Now, what will get him in trouble against a team like Georgia and what I'm sure posters like @McLoofusare probably foreseeing, are plays against a team like Georgia with elite speed. They will punish him for drifting outside of the pocket, and those 8 yard losses are absolute drive killers. I just thought that, far more often than not against Kentucky, he showed great presence in the pocket.

Very well said, my friend. I thought he did a terrific job Saturday overall. Improvement....that is what I wanted to see and that is what I got. Was it perfect..no, but will he continue to improve? I think so. That is all we can ask.