looking to find consistency

[aubiefifty 18,231]

Auburn Football

Auburn looking to find consistency, ‘settle’ on offensive line group

Updated Oct 05, 2020; Posted Oct 05, 2020

Oct 3, 2020; Athens, GA, USA; Austin Troxell (68) reacts during the game between Auburn and Georgia at Samford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Time is of the essence for Auburn’s offensive line, but it also has not been on the Tigers' side.

The biggest question surrounding Auburn on the offensive side of the ball this offseason was how the Tigers would handle replacing four senior starters up front — returning only redshirt junior Nick Brahms — and how well that unit would jell early on in 2020.

Without the benefit of spring practices and with the position group impacted by COVID-19 protocols during fall camp, the answer has been murky at best for Auburn through its first two games. The unit had its issues against Kentucky and Georgia, even as Gus Malzahn continued to rotate players in search of a cohesive and consistent five-man lineup.

Entering an important bounceback opportunity against Arkansas this weekend, however, Malzahn plans to get the offensive line sorted out — and hopeful that doing so will help establish some consistency up front for an offense coming off one of its worst performances in the last four seasons.

“We talked the last two weeks about trying to settle in with five,” Malzahn said. “I think we’ll be able to do that.”

Auburn started the same five along the offensive line in each of its first two games this season, with Alec Jackson at left tackle, Tashawn Manning at left guard, Brahms at center, Brandon Council at right guard and Brodarious Hamm at right tackle. The Tigers have also rotated in Austin Troxell at left tackle, as well as Keiondre Jones at right guard while moving Council to the left side of the line. Troxell saw time at right tackle against Georgia too following a second-half injury to Hamm.

“We’ve got seven guys and we’re rotating,” Malzahn said Saturday night. “We need to kind of get that narrowed down. This will be really good information for us to do that -- because when you play against a quality front, you can really learn a lot. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that.”

After having some issues against Kentucky in the opener, Auburn’s offensive line was manhandled by a dominant and more talented Georgia defensive front. The Tigers were able to rush for just 39 yards on 22 carries—averaging a paltry 1.77 yards per attempt— as the offensive line failed to get any sort of push up front. As a result, Auburn was forced to all but abandon the run after falling behind so fast on the road.

The unit didn’t fare much better in pass protection, as Bo Nix was pressured on 22 of his 44 drop-backs, according to Pro Football Focus analysis, and was sacked three times. The sophomore quarterback, who again struggled away from the confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, completed 21-of-40 passes for 177 yards and an interception while constantly being forced out of the pocket by an aggressive Georgia defense.

“We got off to a tough start,” Malzahn said. “We got behind. And we’ve got to be able to run the football and throw it. We’ve got to be able to do both. So, I feel good about our offense getting better. They will get better. They’ll improve. We’ve got some playmakers, and I think once we get our offensive line settled, which we’re real close, and I think we’ll have a chance to be a good offense before it’s all said and done.”

The sooner Auburn can settle in on a five-man grouping along the offensive line, the better the Tigers' chances will be of turning things around after that unsettling loss between the hedges. Auburn this weekend will welcome to town a hungry Arkansas team that is coming off its first SEC win in two and a half years and showed it has no intentions of rolling over under first-year coach Sam Pittman.

When Auburn squares off with Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Saturday, don’t be surprised if there are some changes with the starting offensive line, either. Malzahn said he was impressed with the play at tackle of Troxell, who is coming off a third ACL injury but showed a lot of “savviness” and improved trust in the stability of his surgically repaired knee. The eighth-year coach was also pleased with the job at guard performed by Jones, who showed some promise against Georgia after missing a couple of weeks during fall camp and being set back as a result.

“We’re going to settle in with five guys and start having some continuity,” Malzahn said.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Auburn is consistently the laughing stock in Alabama. As we continue to hang to Mr. hurry spread which gets no where, we look across watch Alabama not being afraid of spending big dollars for a proven winning football coach. How national championsgips has Alabama won since they hired Nick Saban? 5 or 6? He knows how to win. I hope sure Auburn's BOTs, the AD and president truly enjoy watching Gus Malzahn pulling off his magic in game after game as he is in his 8th years.

[jAUSon 2,836]

It will be perfect consistency tbh. Slow start opening day. Bad loss for the first top 10 road game. Then grossly overcompensate on the return home unloading on a little guy. Use that momentum to whip some teams and build momentum. Lose one heartbreaker. Win one heartbreaker. Get killed in a new years bowl. 

[Carnell 600]

The only thing consistent at Auburn is inconsistency.  I expect that if things dont improve significantly against Arkansas, then Gus will further aggravate the inconsistency problem by taking playcalling function back.

[Win4AU 4,182]

The good news is after this week Auburn doesn’t face a decent defense till LSU and they gave up 600 yards passing to Miss State.  Then you have another 3 weeks till we play Tennessee who has a decent defense.  Bama will crush Auburn.  Texas A&M doesn’t have a killer defense so we’ll see how much cohesion the Oline can find before Halloween and strengthen that before Tennessee.

[Eagle-1 3,821]

At least 4 losses a year every year. I'd say that's pretty consistent.

[nixtosanders94 2,180]

I’d say we’re pretty consistent.  We consistently lose 4 or more games a year, we consistently lose bowl games, we consistently get polly whopped by UGA, we consistently look profoundly inept on offense, we consistently give up 3rd down conversions, we consistently lose to all our rivals on the road(in fact we’re perfectly consistent at this under Gus), we consistently recruit poorly on the O line, we consistently here our coach say “no doubt”...I’d say we’re the most consistent program in college football.

[TigerOne 1,231]

“Without the benefit of spring practices and with the position group impacted by COVID-19 protocols during fall camp, the answer has been murky at best for Auburn through its first two games.”

there it is the excuses, meanwhile everyone else knows who can play and who can’t.

Gus can’t make a decision, a correct decision. He suffers what most of us deal with , did I make the right decision. That’s why 99% of us aren’t coaches 

[nixtosanders94 2,180]

Just now, TigerOne said:

“Without the benefit of spring practices and with the position group impacted by COVID-19 protocols during fall camp, the answer has been murky at best for Auburn through its first two games.”

there it is the excuses, meanwhile everyone else knows who can play and who can’t.

Gus can’t make a decision, a correct decision. He suffers what most of us deal with , did I make the right decision. That’s why 99% of us aren’t coaches 

Yeah I’m inclined to give some leeway due to lack of spring, covid etc. and then I think, well other teams had the same issue.  And UGA made a giant leap FORWARD in week 2 while we made a leap backwards the distance of which could be measured in light years...