Bottled up:

[aubiefifty 17,488]

Bottled up: Auburn looks to uncork explosiveness on offense

ByNathan King

4-5 minutes

---

 

Week 10 Reaction: Texas A&M Beats Auburn, 20-3 (Late Kick Cut)

 

AUBURN, Alabama — The Tigers’ offense exploded in College Station, but not in the good way.

Particularly in the passing game, Auburn was severely limited in a 20-3 loss in College Station, turning in zero explosive plays of 20 yards or more in one of the team’s worst offensive performances in recent years.

First-year coach Bryan Harsin all season has emphasized the importance of creating “shot” plays in Auburn’s offense, and how they open up play-calling options for Mike Bobo, and scheming options for the group as a whole — both running and passing. But nothing Auburn could do — scheme-wise or in terms of an individual performance — could unwind the cork that Texas A&M bottled up the Tigers for 3.2 yards per play with.

“It doesn't just have to come off of a play call,” Harsin said Monday. “That can come from players, too — breaking a tackle, getting out in open space. … You see guys that are tackle-breakers, and then you see guys that are explosive and get one-on-ones, and they win one-on-ones in that situation. That's what a lot of your explosive plays come from.”

Auburn had none of that Saturday in the passing game. Running back Tank Bigsby was Auburn’s best form of offense, with three carries that picked up double-digit yardage and a 4.6-yard average.

But the quarterback-to-receiver connection — which was obviously hindered by Texas A&M’s brutal defensive front, which produced four sacks — was almost nonexistent. Bo Nix threw 41 passes, and only five were completed to wide receivers. The longest completion of the day from Nix to one of his receivers was 10 yards.

“We didn't manufacture it, and it didn't come from, really, any of our players to make that happen,” Harsin said of Auburn’s limitations on offense. “Those things have to happen; those things have got to show up in games. Explosive plays are a big part of offensive success. You're trying to get them, and defenses are trying to eliminate them.”

Nix’s 3.7 yards per attempt at Texas A&M were the fewest for an Auburn quarterback in a game since Jarrett Stidham (3.3) in the 14-6 loss at Clemson in 2017. Stidham was sacked 11 times that game.

But even in that loss — one of the worst offensive performances in recent program history (117 yards) — the Tigers still had one 23-yard completion in the passing game.

Nix on Monday compared Texas A&M’s defensive scheme and talent level to Georgia, which boasts the top defense in college football. But even back in early October, Auburn had six passing plays that gained at least 20 yards against the Bulldogs.

It’s been more than five years — a 13-7 loss at Georgia in 2016, where Auburn didn’t have a single first down in the second half — since the Tigers went without an offensive play of at least 20 yards.

“We have to do a better job being consistent in all aspects of the game — rushing and throwing, then sprinkling in some creativity in there,” Nix said Monday on his weekly appearance on The Next Round radio program in Birmingham.

After kicking a field goal on their second drive, the Tigers only entered Texas A&M territory during three of their final 10 possessions of the game. They missed a field goal in the red zone in the third quarter but had a couple other optimal opportunities in the first half, when a pair of three-and-outs by their defense gave them the ball at their own 47- and 49-yard line.

Nix overthrew Ja'Varrius Johnson on an explosive-play opportunity on the first possession, and Auburn went three-and-out and punted from just across midfield both times.

“Our defense created really good field position for us,” Harsin said. “We were at midfield a lot in that game, and we didn't take advantage of it. We didn't find ways to get down closer to the end zone and put points on the board or find ways to score.”

Auburn now ranks 70th nationally and eighth in SEC on the season in creating explosive plays of 30 yards or more.

9COMMENTS

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***