Leard's Logic: The next step for the offense

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Leard's Logic: The next step for the Auburn offense

ByBen Leard

6-7 minutes

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2 Minute Drill: Lot to like in road win vs. Hogs

 

Editor's Note: Former Auburn quarterback Ben Leard is a columnist for Inside the Auburn Tigers and gives his views on the AU football program in Leard's Logic.

In a bye week there is no better feeling for an offense than to come off a game like the one that Auburn played last Saturday in the win over Arkansas. To play that way and do that so well in a hostile environment was a boost for the Tigers because Fayetteville is not an easy place to play. Regardless of how good that football team is in a particular year, that’s a difficult trip to make as a player and it’s one of the most physical games that Auburn plays year in and year out. That’s not even taking into account the amount of buy-in and effort that a Sam Pittman-coached Arkansas team is playing with this year.

Offensively, to watch the way these kids played, they played hard. They contributed in their particular roles. Bo was 21-26 for close to 300 yards and accounted for three touchdowns on the day. All of that is exceptional, but you’ve got to have everybody else doing their jobs in order for those statistics to rear their heads. When it came down to it, guys made plays when they needed to. They were converting third downs. They were making the big plays through the air.

Heck, four tight ends caught the football. Auburn hasn’t done that since I can remember. To be able to do that on the road in what you and I would call a "must win ballgame," I was thoroughly impressed. It makes for an enjoyable Saturday on an 11 a.m. kickoff and most importantly as a player it really makes you feel good going into an off week leading into what’s going to be another tremendous challenge against Ole Miss.

Against Arkansas the Auburn offense used some two and three tight end looks to create some different advantages. Obviously, Mike Bobo and Bryan Harsin understand what is necessary to win the ballgame, first and foremost. I think it’s a situation where they honestly are seeing some things that an opponent’s defense might give them and it’s about the set or personnel that gives them the best chance to be successful. 

I was thoroughly impressed and enjoyed seeing John Samuel Shenker line up at the slot and motion into a fullback. Those types of things, there has to be something that Mike is seeing on film or in the moment that leads him to that particular set of play calls on his play sheet. That’s one thing I love about the way Mike calls plays is that he’s comfortable going back to the well.

Years and years ago when the Tony Franklin experiment went on it looked to me in my untrained eye that Tony Franklin had a call sheet and when he ran a play one time it was like he marked through it on the call sheet and never went back to it again regardless of how successful it was. Football is not that difficult. You do something until they stop you from doing it and even to the point they stop you from doing it, you might want to try it again at some point.

I think that’s what Mike does so well. When he figures out a feel for that particular defense on that particular day he makes a mental note of it and we’re going to go back to that. 

The lynchpin of the running game for Auburn is that boundary toss sweep, that downhill sweep that Jarquez Hunter has done so well. They did that with Tank this past weekend, who was an ankle tackle away from breaking that for about 60. Just going back to it week in and week out, rather than giving the opponent so much credit to think they’re going to stop it every time you do it.

Now it’s about being more consistent running the football. You’ve got to be able to run the football in the SEC and run it with authority to consistently win games and to impose your will on the front seven of a defensive unit. I think Auburn, like everyone did last weekend going into the game thought that based on Ole Miss’ performance in the running game a week prior that Auburn would be able to name their number. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but you have to give Arkansas a little credit. They made some adjustments on the defensive front and went to a four down lineman set. I think that put some added pressure on Auburn in the run game. They did that because Auburn had not shown the ability to catch the football consistently. That essentially exposed their secondary and Auburn was able to take advantage of it. It’s a chess match. Auburn made the plays that really exposed Arkansas defensively. 

I do think the offensive line has to continue to evolve. They have got to continue to gel. They have to continue to be more and more physical, hands down. Auburn has to figure out a way to run the football regardless of who knows when it’s coming and where it’s going. That’s an attitude, just like tackling.

Takeo Spikes said it best, "you either want to do it or you don’t." Ask ZaKoby that. Ask Owen that. Ask Chandler Wooten that. A lot of times it’s not always about your physical abilities to execute something, it’s about whether or not you want to hit that dude in the chin and knock him on his ass. 

21COMMENTS

Running the football is essentially the same mentality. You want to be so confident in your offensive line, in your running backs and your scheme, that you can walk to the line of scrimmage and tell a three-technique "this is where we’re coming, stop us if you can." There have been moments that Auburn has been that way this season, but there have also been moments that you’re scared of them running the ball on third and one. It’s coming. You can feel it. You can see it. The offensive line is protecting well. They’re having flashes of situations that they’re dominating the line of scrimmage. It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together.

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