For 406 yards of total offense, I was unimpressed.
If this was Al Borges in 2008, I might let it slide, but this is no longer Borges’ offense. This is the offense of the mad genius Tony Franklin.
I’m not going to say the sky is falling, but the kinks need to be worked out because right now our offense has more dents than a ‘76 El Camino.
Kodi Burns, Chris Todd and the receivers seem to be the ones swinging the sledgehammer at this beaten car.
Burns and Todd looked downright lost in the offense. Burns didn’t follow his progressions, and Todd had happier feet than Sammie Davis Jr.
Do you recall how many passes went either downfield or over the middle?
I don’t remember getting to my index counting on my fingers.
That’s a sign Franklin is protecting Burns and Todd from making mistakes by taking safeties and linebackers out of the equation in pass defense.
When Todd or Burns actually found a receiver with some wiggle room, balls were dropped.
Chris Slaughter dropped a picturesque pass down the sideline from Burns that could have gone for six.
Dunn dropped a pass in the flat looking to run before the ball hit his hands.
The offense chose not to help itself.
Well, except for the running game.
Auburn fans had wondered for months where the running game would go in the supposed pass-happy spread offense installed by Franklin this offseason.
Projections went as high as 75 percent passing. Saturday night went quite the opposite, with 80 percent of the 59 plays on the ground.
It wasn’t the aerial attack fans had dreamt about for months.
Franklin said after the game he was going with what was working, but the offense clearly wasn’t producing, despite the 34-0 thrashing of ULM.
It wasn’t a pretty 34 points.
Take away Robert Dunn’s electric punt return and Michael Goggans’ defensive touchdown, and the offense was forced to grind it out against a weaker opponent.
Auburn reached the red zone only five times, and three of those Wes Byrum was called in to try and bail out a stalled offense.
Two field goals to two offensive touchdowns is not a good ratio.
The future of the offense appears in question right now. The running backs are holding up their end of the bargain, and the receivers should come through, but the quarterback situation must resolve itself soon.
Burns and Todd traded possessions for most of the game. Neither could separate themselves as “the man” for an offense clearly searching for an identity.
It may only be one game, but why not expect more?
Franklin didn’t have a problem getting a game plan ready in less than two weeks for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Alex Scarborough-Anderson is the Sports Editor of The Auburn Plainsman. You can reach him at 844-9021.
