Many Auburn fans may not know what to expect when the Tigers play against San Jose State next Saturday, but defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson may be helpful in explaining what type of offensive team the Spartans are.
"They execute as well as any team I've watched on film this year," Johnson said. "They know what they're doing. I think they're a really good football team, especially offensively."
In the last two seasons the Spartans were led by David Fales, the quarterback who threw 4,000-plus yards in both seasons before he went on to being drafted by the Chicago Bears.
This year, fifth-year senior Blake Jurich is taking the snaps and already got off to a quick start with his 22-of-25 for 250 yards and three touchdown pass performance in week one.
"I think the quarterback they have now is a very good player," Johnson said. "The quarterback puts the ball right where it should be."
Johnson raved about their receivers, which is why they play a big part in the recent success of San Jose State quarterbacks putting up big numbers.
"I don't see any of their receivers ever drop anything," Johnson said. "They can make it behind their back, over their head and catch it on the dirt to bail them out. When I say they can catch it over their back shoulder, they catch everything. You literally have to throw it out of reach before those guys miss balls."
Johnson went on to explain exactly why those receivers have already had success this year.
"You can tell they're well coached," Johnson said. "They run very disciplined routes. Their timing is exactly right. They run some deep routes and know how to attack the defenders and create a body shield. They're good football players and they're really good at the system they run."
The Spartan receiver core averaged 356 yards per game last year, compared to their opponents who averaged 244 receiving yards each game. The positive news for Auburn fans is that only two linemen, a receiver and tight end are returning starters. Reigning Mountain West Conference freshman player of the year, Tyler Winston, did have 10 receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns in their season opener though.
"They've had a lot of changes in personnel," Johnson said. "They do return a lot of kids who have played a lot of reps."
Although Johnson is familiar with the type of offense San Jose State runs, their week one 42-10 victory over a Division I-AA North Dakota team may not be the best example of what type of formations and sets they will run against Auburn.
"It's that time of year where you have so many unknowns," Johnson said. "Do they have a new skillset or is their play selection different? Or were they just working on a game plan for that particular game? I think we're going to have to be really prepared for the unexpected. We're going to have to be prepared for anything. They substitute liberally in personnel packages and that's why we've really got to go in with just about anything."
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