Despite a few costly penalties, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee believed his offense performed well in Auburn's 45-21 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
"Overall, it was a solid effort," Lashlee said "There are still a lot of areas we can get better in, especially detailed areas."
The Tigers had minor setbacks offensively, including two failed third and short attempts and two fumbles, one resulting in a turnover.
Lashlee and the coaching staff took blame for some of the early errors due to poor personnel communication, but also understood that the offense still has plenty of room for improvement.
Regardless, Auburn's offense was able to overcome adversity and managed to move the ball with relative ease, evident in three straight scoring drives to start the game, and finishing the contest with 595 yards of total offense.
Filling in for the suspended Nick Marshall, Jeremy Johnson completed 12-of-16 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Lashlee believed Johnson competed with great poise and praised his sophomore quarterback.
"He just played like a kid out there having a blast, I was really proud of the way he responded," Lashlee said.
Auburn was still able to find success running the football in the first half despite the absence of Marshall. Marshall added a dimension to Auburns rushing attack and production on the ground increased when he returned in the 3rd quarter.
Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for a career-high 177 yards and Corey Grant averaged 8.7 yards per carry on 10 attempts.
Freshman running back Rock Thomas did not receive any carries Saturday due to the success of Artis-Payne and Grant, but is expected to see the field soon according to Lashlee.
When asked who would become the feature back of the offense, Lashlee told reporters that he considers the two backs (Artis-Payne and Grant) co-starters and the coaching staff will continue to evaluate the situation as the season continues.
Lashlee was impressed by the performances of D'haquille Williams and Melvin Ray. According to Lashlee, Ray, a former minor league baseball player, was the most impressive receiver during fall camp, and his versatility could lead to an expanded role.
Williams, the JUCO transfer, caught nine passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and did well playing without the ball blocking for the running backs.
Lashlee plans to continue using offensive schemes to get his receivers in favorable match-ups in order to aid the development of Marshall as a passer and compliment the running game.
Lashlee spoke very highly of San Jose State coach Greg Robinson and expects the Tigers to compete with a higher level of execution against a sound, fundamental Spartan defense Saturday night in Jordan-Hare stadium.
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