With run game established, Auburn looks to expand offense

quote:

---

Offensive coordinator Chad Morris may have brought a new and possibly improved offense to Auburn, but without any sort of run game, it’s been hard for him to demonstrate his changes.

For two straight games Auburn struggled on the ground, so its opponents knew it could lock down on the passing game. In week three, Auburn finally got its run game going against Arkansas. As a result, the Tigers were able to establish some sort of offensive rhythm.

With the rain coming down, the Razorbacks knew that the Tigers would try to run the ball, but they still weren’t able to stop them. That meant that once the skies cleared, the Tigers had both running and passing options available to them.

“We’ve been talking all along about, you know, just needing to be balanced,” coach Gus Malzahn said.

---

quote:

---

As the Tigers started to throw it more in the second half, the numbers on the ground dropped. With both halves skewed heavily towards the passing or rushing game, the Tigers weren’t quite as two-dimensional as they would like to be.

In the first half, they had 215 rushing yards to 45 passing yards, and in the second, they had 44 rushing yards to 142 passing yards.

Even though they were held to 44 rushing yards, the Tigers' rushers still presented a threat, which helped open up the passing game.

Taking away the two times quarterback Bo Nix was sacked, the Tigers ran for 59 yards. Running back Tank Bigsby had four rushes for more seven yards or more, and his presence alone made a difference.

“It makes my job a lot easier when he’s running the ball like that,” Nix said. The Razorbacks had to keep an eye on him, even once Auburn started focusing on its receivers downfield.

---

quote:

---

Tight end J.J. Pegues also adds another element to Morris’s offense. Pegues has lined up in Wildcat multiple times now.

He did it twice to help Auburn gain the yard or two it needed for a first down against Georgia. Against Arkansas, he demonstrated he can make more explosive plays than that. After taking the snap, Pegues spun out wide and picked up 11 yards.

Since that package has proven successful, Auburn will continue to develop it. Pegues also has the ability to block and to make catches, so when he’s on the field, the defense must be wary, even if he’s not lined up in Wildcat.

“He’s a very athletic guy that I think could be a real good piece of the puzzle for us moving forward,” Malzahn said.

---

quote:

---

Another tight end, Brandon Frazier, could add another element to the game once he returns from injury. Although he’s not quite as big as Pegues' 300-pound frame, Frazier is large.

Yet he has really “soft hands,” Malzahn said. He, too, could be a receiving threat. As players return from injury, Morris will have more and more options, Malzahn said.

With a very young team and a new coordinator, the players still have to get used to each other and to their coach.

“We got three games under our belt for coach Morris to know about our guys and everything that goes with that,” Malzahn said.

---

quote:

---

While Nix is in his second year, many of the players he can turn to are not.

Bigsby is a true freshman, as are a number of the receivers Auburn has put on the field. Auburn has used numerous lineups, Malzahn said, and the challenge of that is reflected in Nix’s low completion percentage.

The offensive line is also very inexperienced. They’ve struggled to protect Nix and give him time to go through his reads, and, until the Arkansas game, they’ve struggled to protect the rushers.

Once the young catch up to the speed of the game and become more comfortable in the offense, Morris will be able to get a little more creative. Installing a new system takes time, something that’s been in short supply ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. But with the run game established, things may start to go more smoothly for the rest of the offense.

---