Many Auburn fans were unsatisfied with how the offense played going into bye week two weekends ago.
Although the Tigers were still one of the premier offensive teams in the country, underwhelming performances against Kansas State and Mississippi State were impossible to ignore.
In those games, the Tigers scored 20 and 23 points, respectively, and had trouble consistently moving the ball.
Whether it was turnovers, penalties or poor execution, Gus Malzahn's offense could not get into the rhythm his hurry-up offenses are known for.
In Manhattan, Kansas, it was the run game that had trouble. Cameron Artis-Payne and Nick Marshall were held to 109 rushing yards combined and no touchdowns, as the offensive line was unable to get much push against the Wildcats' front.
In Starkville, Mississippi, almost everything went wrong for the offense. Three scoring plays were wiped out because of penalties, they were held to field goals in the red zone and turned the ball over four times.
Just like last year, Malzahn and the Tigers seem to have used the bye week well, as Auburn's offense is hitting its stride at the right time.
Against South Carolina, Auburn scored touchdowns on six of their eight possessions and ran just shy of 400 yards. Marshall and Artis-Payne were unstoppable running the zone-read, looking eerily similar to the Marshall-Mason rushing attack last season.
But their most impressive performance came last weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, where the Tigers rolled up 507 total yards and 35 points against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country.
Marshall looked unfazed in the spotlight once again, Artis-Payne ran with authority, the wide receivers made impressive catches downfield and the offensive line handled one of the best defensive lines in the country.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the team's performance against Ole Miss was the balance of the offense, which could make the Tigers' offense even more deadly in the season's final stretch.
Against the best defense in the SEC, the Tigers put up an almost identical 254 passing yards and 253 rushing yards on the road.
While last season's offense relied heavily on the rushing attack, this year's version has shown the ability to make game-changing plays in the passing game, as evidenced by Duke Williams' and Sammie Coates' performances so far.
With how tough the remaining schedule is for Auburn and how poorly the defense has played recently, the Auburn offense is clicking at the right time and may be the key if the Tigers hope to make the inaugural College Football Playoff.
With Malzahn at the helm, expect the offense to keep rolling.
Andrew Monson is a sports writer for The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com.
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