Tigers need to fix pass-coverage

[aubiefifty 17,487]

Harsin: Tigers need to fix pass-coverage shortcomings

ByMark Murphy

4-6 minutes

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2 Minute Drill: Auburn comes up short at Penn State

 

AUBURN, Alabama–Three games into the Bryan Harsin Era of Auburn football the pass coverage has left a lot to be desired. In fact, in this week’s FBS statistics the Tigers are ranked 130th. For those not familiar with the current roster of teams competing in college football’s top division, Auburn’s ranking is dead last.

After allowing Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford to complete 87.5 percent of his throws in Auburn’s 28-20 road loss to the Nittany Lions on Saturday night, that pushed the AU defense’s average for the season up to a seldom-seen level of 78.7 percent. Going into the game Clifford was connecting on 62.5 percent of his passes.

Counting a pass thrown by wide receiver Jahan Dotson, the Nittany Lions finished the game vs. Auburn with 396 total yards with 302 on passing plays.

Asked if the problem relates to personnel or adjusting to the new schemes installed by new defensive coordinator Derek Mason and an entirely new coaching staff on that side of the line of scrimmage, Harsin said, “I think it is a combination of, you know, our opponents doing a good job of executing their pass game so guys actually catching the ball and doing that, but we have got to come up and challenge them.

“That's too high of a completion percentage that you want to see against the defense so there are things that we have to do as far as putting ourselves in zone coverage in better positions,” the coach said.

“We have got to create some pass rush and be able to make the quarterback have to move in the pocket, and, so create some opportunities there. That is an area that we know we can improve on and then lower that percentage as the season goes on from what the quarterbacks are able to do.”

Harsin added, “Even on the scrambles when a guy gets out of the pocket, we have to plaster and cover and stay in coverage a little bit longer and be able to make some plays on the ball so those are all things that are a work-in-progress every single week.”

Asked to explain what he means by the term “plaster” as related to his team’s defense, the coach said, “That means just to cover--like to stay on. If there is a guy scrambling or moving, you know you need to stay on your man.

“That's always something you work that in camp, you work that as the season goes on, you see it in games, but keeping your eyes on your man when the quarterback is scrambling and there’s eyes on the QB at times, you know, when he does finally break the line of scrimmage. He is going to be able to converge on him and tackle him...keeping eyes on your man as you cover down the field and he scrambles.”

Next on the schedule for the Tigers is a 3 p.m. CDT home contest vs. Georgia State, which will be making its first-ever appearance on an Auburn football schedule. It will be Auburn’s final non-conference game of the regular season and it will be televised on the SEC Network. The Panthers are not expected to throw the ball a lot vs. the Tigers after making a change last Saturday at quarterback to Darren Grainger, whose strength is running the ball. He threw just a dozen passes last Saturday in a 20-9 win over Charlotte.

Jahan Dotson caught 10 passes for 78 yards in Penn State's victory over Auburn. Cornerback Nehemiah tackles Dotson on Saturday night. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

Asked if the defense is going through growing pains learning a new system, Harsin said, “You want to protect yourself from big-play opportunities at times, but we are trying to be aggressive throughout the game plan. I don’t think we’re trying to just play soft and give up those throws. We haven’t executed the way that we could and should.”

Commenting on the plan moving forward, Harsin said, “We just have to continue to keep working and putting ourselves in a position to have the right personnel out there, absolutely, but also be able to play those techniques properly.

43COMMENTS

“A fundamental of the game is covering, and we have got to be able to really work through the techniques and improve in those areas as we move forward and we get those numbers down, for sure.”

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

AUBURN, Alabama–Three games into the Bryan Harsin Era of Auburn football the pass coverage has left a lot to be desired. In fact, in this week’s FBS statistics the Tigers are ranked 130th. For those not familiar with the current roster of teams competing in college football’s top division, Auburn’s ranking is dead last.

 

Dead last, with two of our three games being against powerhouses Akron and Alabama State. Yeah...something needs to be fixed.

[Cardin Drake 1,961]

The most frustrating, actually maddening, thing about it all was Penn State was flawlessly running the passing attack I want to see us run. Short high percentage passes featuring backs and tight ends. Couple that with our run game and you've got something.

[gravejd 3,281]

Tigers need to fix the pass rush.....no coverage will work if we can't pressure the QB

[casatiger 514]

Our defense appears to be all about not giving up the big play by making sure the play stays in front of us.   It appears most of the big plays we gave up were due to assignment issues specifically on the tight ends.  The guys were uncovered.  To me that is very fixable.  I hope it is at least.  

[aubiefifty 17,487]

28 minutes ago, CleCoTiger said:

Dead last, with two of our three games being against powerhouses Akron and Alabama State. Yeah...something needs to be fixed.

this shocks me more than anything. i thought coach mason would be lights out and it is baffling to me. like the kid db from west virginia is supposed to be a monster and yet he has not played very much. i have very few seasons left to give coaches a pass on and i want to see a winner dammit. i am old. the only thing i can think of is they have had to work so hard on fundamentals it has slowed things down as far as scheming goes. maybe the whiteout does work and hampers the visiting team. right now i do not see any easy fixes. and i wish we had better receiving coaches. or maybe we need better players. i know it is first year and growing pains but it does little good having a real route tree if we drop passes like we have been. i hate to say it but i think penn state had better players and they wanted it worse than we did. we need to get some fixes in this weekemd and have a great shot as lsu and the night game.