pass-catching problems 'just a lack of focus'

[aubiefifty 18,236]

Auburn's pass-catching problems 'just a lack of focus'

ByNathan King

4-5 minutes

---

 

Arkansas' Recent Defensive Struggles

AUBURN, Alabama — According to one of Auburn's senior leaders, the team's pass-catching issues are rather simple.

“I’ll just say it’s a lack of focus — that’s it,” said running back Shaun Shivers on Wednesday.

But that doesn't mean Auburn's figured out how to fix it.

After a season-high six drops against Georgia, Auburn leads the SEC  with 22, according to Pro Football Focus. The league’s second-worst team in that department, Mississippi State, has 15, and the Bulldogs have 67 more pass attempts on the season than Auburn.

Auburn has already surpassed its drop total from all of last season (19), and is on pace to more than double it.

“At the end of the day, we have too many (drops),” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said after last Saturday's 34-10 loss to Georgia. “That comes back to a lot of just fundamentals of catching the football. We made some tough catches today. There were some good plays made that we did catch. Now it’s got to be the consistency of it.”

Missed chances are not a positive for an offense, but Auburn’s drops against Georgia seemed to be at more inopportune times than they’ve been all season. Shivers dropped a pass that would have converted a third-and-short — instead, the ball fell into the arms of Nakobe Dean for an interception. Tight end John Samuel Shenker misplayed a ball in the end zone on Auburn’s first drive and was credited with a drop. Senior receivers Shedrick Jackson and Demetris Robertson each dropped passes that would have moved the chains on third- and fourth-and-long in the second half, respectively.

Quarterback Bo Nix finished 21-of-38 for 217 yards and an interception — a stat line that likely would have been significantly improved without the acute drop issues.

“There’s little, small, subtle areas that have to improve that’ll make those big improvements that people kind of see on the outside,” Nix said Saturday.

Shivers said it’s not as if the Tigers are dropping balls all week in practice, either. Something’s just off on game days.

“We do it in practice and we get out there in games and, like I said, it’s just a lack of focus,” Shivers said.

So what’s the plan for Auburn’s staff? Harsin already made waves when he fired receivers coach Cornelius Williams four games into the season, replacing him with analyst and former Boise State offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau. But the lineups at receiver haven’t been altered much, save for a handful of added or subtracted snaps here or there.

Harsin is, however, looking for difference-makers to emerge in practice and possibly be given bigger opportunities in the second half of the season. That’s his philosophy at every position group on the roster — prove yourself during the week and you’ll get a shot on game day — but the competition at receiver has been under the microscope even further, and it will continue to be heading into the Arkansas game this weekend (11 a.m. CST, CBS).

“We’re going to put guys on the field that earn the opportunity to play because of how they practice,” Harsin said after the Georgia game. “That opportunity is there. We need to continue to find guys that will make plays for us. The drop issue, it’s frustrating.”

[Gowebb11 9,871]

Good, it’s just a focus issue. That means it is controllable on the players part. Should be fixed this week. 

[Hank2020 3,355]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

Good, it’s just a focus issue. That means it is controllable on the players part. Should be fixed this week. 

This particular problem is absolutely controllable by the player. I don’t think that means it will be fixed though. Mechanics of catching a moving ball is much more development of good catching techniques that must be habitual.

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

6 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Auburn's pass-catching problems 'just a lack of focus'

ByNathan King

4-5 minutes

---

 

Arkansas' Recent Defensive Struggles

AUBURN, Alabama — According to one of Auburn's senior leaders, the team's pass-catching issues are rather simple.

“I’ll just say it’s a lack of focus — that’s it,” said running back Shaun Shivers on Wednesday.

But that doesn't mean Auburn's figured out how to fix it.

After a season-high six drops against Georgia, Auburn leads the SEC  with 22, according to Pro Football Focus. The league’s second-worst team in that department, Mississippi State, has 15, and the Bulldogs have 67 more pass attempts on the season than Auburn.

Auburn has already surpassed its drop total from all of last season (19), and is on pace to more than double it.

“At the end of the day, we have too many (drops),” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said after last Saturday's 34-10 loss to Georgia. “That comes back to a lot of just fundamentals of catching the football. We made some tough catches today. There were some good plays made that we did catch. Now it’s got to be the consistency of it.”

Missed chances are not a positive for an offense, but Auburn’s drops against Georgia seemed to be at more inopportune times than they’ve been all season. Shivers dropped a pass that would have converted a third-and-short — instead, the ball fell into the arms of Nakobe Dean for an interception. Tight end John Samuel Shenker misplayed a ball in the end zone on Auburn’s first drive and was credited with a drop. Senior receivers Shedrick Jackson and Demetris Robertson each dropped passes that would have moved the chains on third- and fourth-and-long in the second half, respectively.

Quarterback Bo Nix finished 21-of-38 for 217 yards and an interception — a stat line that likely would have been significantly improved without the acute drop issues.

“There’s little, small, subtle areas that have to improve that’ll make those big improvements that people kind of see on the outside,” Nix said Saturday.

Shivers said it’s not as if the Tigers are dropping balls all week in practice, either. Something’s just off on game days.

“We do it in practice and we get out there in games and, like I said, it’s just a lack of focus,” Shivers said.

So what’s the plan for Auburn’s staff? Harsin already made waves when he fired receivers coach Cornelius Williams four games into the season, replacing him with analyst and former Boise State offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau. But the lineups at receiver haven’t been altered much, save for a handful of added or subtracted snaps here or there.

Harsin is, however, looking for difference-makers to emerge in practice and possibly be given bigger opportunities in the second half of the season. That’s his philosophy at every position group on the roster — prove yourself during the week and you’ll get a shot on game day — but the competition at receiver has been under the microscope even further, and it will continue to be heading into the Arkansas game this weekend (11 a.m. CST, CBS).

“We’re going to put guys on the field that earn the opportunity to play because of how they practice,” Harsin said after the Georgia game. “That opportunity is there. We need to continue to find guys that will make plays for us. The drop issue, it’s frustrating.”

The one botched by SJ across the middle makes me thinks it's more of an eye sight + muscular coordination + hands problem... but he's prolly right, it's just a concentration problem. 🙄

[AUx 3,165]

Who needs 'em some specs? I'll pay for the eye exams and the specs. Gloves, too. Anything if it'll help. Bryan - call me.

 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

How have you been a receiver for possibly 14-18+ years and you're unable to focus on the one thing a receiver gets paid for 

[LPTiger 5,475]

In high school, there are a lot of "body catchers" meaning they catch the ball with their body and not their hands.  The vast majority of high school qbs don't throw with Division 1 level velocity, and the DB coverage is so poor that floating a ball and body catching it can be productive.  But as the degree of difficulty multiplies, windows get smaller and velocity increases you have to be able to have the hand eye coordination to catch the ball with your hands.   Big Ben broke at least one of Sammy's fingers.  Sammy simply wasn't a pass catcher.  He was guy with elite speed who got away with body catching through high school and college.  It is why he is not in the league today.     I put Julio in almost the same category.  He always has many drops.   We need to start recruiting elite pass catchers. 

[jj3jordan 2,171]

4 hours ago, SRBautigerfan said:

The one botched by SJ across the middle makes me thinks it's more of an eye sight + muscular coordination + hands problem... but he's prolly right, it's just a concentration problem. 🙄

He was hearing footsteps and took his eye off the ball anticipating getting hit.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

11 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Auburn's pass-catching problems 'just a lack of focus'

ByNathan King

4-5 minutes

---

 

Arkansas' Recent Defensive Struggles

AUBURN, Alabama — According to one of Auburn's senior leaders, the team's pass-catching issues are rather simple.

“I’ll just say it’s a lack of focus — that’s it,” said running back Shaun Shivers on Wednesday.

But that doesn't mean Auburn's figured out how to fix it.

After a season-high six drops against Georgia, Auburn leads the SEC  with 22, according to Pro Football Focus. The league’s second-worst team in that department, Mississippi State, has 15, and the Bulldogs have 67 more pass attempts on the season than Auburn.

 

So...maybe the receiver's issues in past season weren't all on Kodi Burns?  

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

I would’ve loved to see Kodi get a shot under this new regime, esp if they got Corn for essentially the same reasons (youth, recruiting connections). 
Someone else put it better than me, but there’s not much a coach can do to help with route running (which was many folks’s biggest problem with Kodi), if the system around them doesn’t put much emphasis on a variety of routes. Not to mention about the scheme’s designer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gus put very little emphasis on improving route running 

Edited October 14, 2021 by Dual-Threat Rigby

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

16 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I would’ve loved to see Kodi get a shot under this new regime, esp if they got Corn for essentially the same reasons (youth, recruiting connections). 
Someone else put it better than me, but there’s not much a coach can do to help with route running (which was many folks’s biggest problem with Kodi), if the system around them doesn’t put much emphasis on a variety of routes. Not to mention about the scheme’s designer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gus put very little emphasis on improving route running 

I'm not near the critic of Malzahn's passing attack as many here. In 2009 he took Chris Todd off the ash heap and Todd broke Sullivan's single season TD record for passing. And I may be be mistaken but I'm reasonably sure that some of the best passing games in AU history came with Malzahn as OC or HC. I think it's just a different perspective for me. Some folks talk in terms of getting receivers prepared for the NFL, but I just have always been of the opinion that a college OC or HC has a primary focus on winning games in college.

Regardless of perspective, we have a different staff and issues remain. I hope we see them fixed.

[Hank2020 3,355]

7 minutes ago, CleCoTiger said:

I'm not near the critic of Malzahn's passing attack as many here. In 2009 he took Chris Todd off the ash heap and Todd broke Sullivan's single season TD record for passing. And I may be be mistaken but I'm reasonably sure that some of the best passing games in AU history came with Malzahn as OC or HC. I think it's just a different perspective for me. Some folks talk in terms of getting receivers prepared for the NFL, but I just have always been of the opinion that a college OC or HC has a primary focus on winning games in college.

Regardless of perspective, we have a different staff and issues remain. I hope we see them fixed.

Always bewilders me that Malzahn gets credit for good offense when he was OC. It makes sense to me that the HC influenced his game plan and calls which is why he left to AS.

[AUreo 764]

No doubt it’s a (lack of) focus issue. However, it’s basically the entire unit (and not just a few players), so coaches are mostly to blame here.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

31 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Always bewilders me that Malzahn gets credit for good offense when he was OC. It makes sense to me that the HC influenced his game plan and calls which is why he left to AS.

Chiz decided he wanted to go "ground and pound" in the style of Alabama at that time. That change is why Malzahn left, as was widely reported at the time.

[Win4AU 4,182]

A lot of folks pointed to drops as a reason for Corn getting canned but I’m not sure a coach can do a lot to fix that.  Maybe I’m wrong about that but I feel like that’s something that comes natural.  Would have been great if Auburn could have held onto to Seth and Stove.  Don’t really know what’s going on in practice but would be nice if a couple guys light bulbs turned on.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

1 hour ago, CleCoTiger said:

I'm not near the critic of Malzahn's passing attack as many here. In 2009 he took Chris Todd off the ash heap and Todd broke Sullivan's single season TD record for passing. And I may be be mistaken but I'm reasonably sure that some of the best passing games in AU history came with Malzahn as OC or HC. I think it's just a different perspective for me. Some folks talk in terms of getting receivers prepared for the NFL, but I just have always been of the opinion that a college OC or HC has a primary focus on winning games in college.

Regardless of perspective, we have a different staff and issues remain. I hope we see them fixed.

I think he was a relatively great passing mind up until the mid 2010s or so. More teams implemented NFL concepts (and passing trees) and he never caught up to that. 
 

people unfortunately just live in dualities where he was either lucky the whole time and overachieved or…didn’t. it’s a sliding scale 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

54 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Always bewilders me that Malzahn gets credit for good offense when he was OC. It makes sense to me that the HC influenced his game plan and calls which is why he left to AS.

Chizik wasn’t even an offensive mind or specialist, why would he get credit for that? Saban doesn’t get credit for Sark or BoB 

[Hank2020 3,355]

4 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Chizik wasn’t even an offensive mind or specialist, why would he get credit for that? Saban doesn’t get credit for Sark or BoB 

I guarantee Saban agreed to overall game plans. Also when Alabama started opening up the offense Saban definitely got credit for that.

[imaolgatiger 525]

Get rid of the gloves in practice.

[AuCivilEng1 12,100]

Why is it that no matter what coaching staff we have, Auburn’s football team is always riddled with head cases that all of a sudden lose their sense of fundamentals once they come play here. It’s ridiculous. Most of the time it’s a QB, but now we have receivers who can’t catch a football. If you’re an SEC WR and have 2 or more drops a game, you don’t deserve to play. It’s that simple. Harsin should just say “if you have more than 2 drops in a game, I’m hitting you with the 1 game suspension”. 

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

12 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

He was hearing footsteps and took his eye off the ball anticipating getting hit.

I didn't notice that but it was easy to see he wasn't trying to catch it with his hands but rather his body.