Since coming back to The Plains last December, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has developed a reputation of repeating phrases in press conferences and interviews.
"It's a new day."
"We're taking things one game at a time."
"We've got a big challenge ahead of us this week."
Following his team's 35-17 victory against Arkansas-- a rare SEC road win that featured only nine passes from the former Razorback's patented hurry-up, no-huddle offense -- Malzahn used another familiar phrase to describe his offensive strategy in Fayetteville.
"Well, we're a run-first football team."
When the Tigers travel north to Knoxville for their final road game of the season, the offensive game plan is expected to stay the same against the SEC's worst rush defense.
"That is where it starts with us," Malzahn said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. "We have to establish the run."
Auburn's running backs have thrived in recent weeks behind a steadily improving offensive line, and they are now part of the sixth-best rushing attack in the country. At 306 yards per game, the closest SEC foe to Auburn's run production is SEC East leaders Missouri, who trail by 70 yards.
Junior running back Tre Mason, fresh off his SEC Offensive Player of the Week performance in Fayetteville, is 79 yards away from his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Four of his workman-like 32 carries against Arkansas ended in the end zone, giving him the conference lead in rushing touchdown runs.
"He wanted the ball the other night," Malzahn said. "You could tell that he was real explosive. He was breaking tackles. He's a veteran guy and was wanting the football, and we just kept giving it to him."
Malzahn attributed Mason's large carry total to him being "hot" against the Razorbacks, and the plan moving forward is to return to Auburn's three-headed rushing attack of Mason, Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant.
The Tigers' three weapons at running back will reload in time for their trip to Neyland Stadium, where the Tennessee Volunteers have struggled against the run. Tennessee allows an average of 201 yards per game on the ground, and opposing running backs average five yards per carry against the Vols.
"We want to be the best rushing team in college football," Mason said Tuesday. "We're working towards that goal every game."
Quarterback Nick Marshall will also bring a running threat to Knoxville, and while Malzahn is continuing to think run-first for the road trip, the junior could get some more opportunities through the air.
"Our quarterback really didn't practice during the week," Malzahn said. "It was his shoulder that we were worried about and the run was working."
Malzahn said he expects Nick Marshall to go full speed in practice ahead of the Tennessee game, but he is confident if true freshman Jeremy Johnson is forced to start.
"Jeremy was prepared to start the (Arkansas) game," Malzahn said. "It's hard to come into the game and throw the football two weeks in a row and complete both of them. That says a lot about him... We've got a lot of confidence in him. If he's called upon, we feel like he can run our entire offense."
Whoever takes the snaps and whoever gets handed the ball the most against the Volunteers will have the confidence of playing behind an offensive line that coaches have called a key part of Auburn's historic turnaround in 2013.
According to junior center Reese Dismukes, Auburn's offensive line enjoys being relied on during important offensive drives this season.
"When you're leading the SEC in rushing, you've got the picture in the back of your head that you're a part of all that," Dismukes said. "I think that has given us a lot of confidence. However we perform is how the game is going to end up -- that's where games are won and lost, in the trenches."
When asked about the relationship with the offensive line and one of the nation's top rushing units, Dismukes said Auburn's star running back has promised a unique way of showing his appreciation for the five up front.
"Tre said he was going to bake us a cake," Dismukes said. "And I don't like chocolate, so I hope it's vanilla."
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