Whatever issues Auburn had on offense, they disappeared against Arkansas State. The jittery, head-scratching quarterback rotation that head coach Gus Malzahn rolled out against Clemson was no more, and with only one QB running the offense, the Tigers steamrolled Arkansas State, 51-14.
On the other side, the defense continued its impressive start to 2016. Outside of a couple of busted coverages and a few instances of losing contain on the edge, Auburn stifled the Red Wolves and held them to 326 total yards.
Coaching: A-
- It's not a stretch to say this was one of Malzahn's better-coached games during his time at Auburn. The offense picked up the pace and got into a rhythm similar to the 2013 season, and the Hurry-Up No-Huddle looked like it was rolling for the first time in what seems like forever. Malzahn found a good balance of runs and passes, and those "explosive plays" that Auburn couldn't seem to find in 2015 popped up a couple of times, which bodes well.
- More impressive, though, was how Malzahn dialed back on the unnecessary pre-snap window dressing. The extravagant spinning, multi-player motion, and superfluous fake handoffs weren't there like they were against Clemson, and it was for the better.
Quarterbacks: A
- The only snaps that Sean White didn't receive this game were either: 1) Direct snaps to Kerryon Johnson on short-yardage situations, or 2) to John Franklin III, who only subbed in when White's helmet came off, and and in garbage time at the end of the game.
- White was efficient and poised in his first wire-to-wire start. He finished 17-of-23 for 244 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He consistently found the right receiver to throw the ball to and never really tried to force anything that wasn't there. His job was no doubt made easier thanks to Arkansas State's subpar secondary, but he was still impressive nonetheless.
Running backs: A
- Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway each broke the 100-yard mark. The last time two Auburn players registered their first career 100-yard game on the same day was on Sept. 11, 1982, when Bo Jackson and Lionel James did it against Wake Forest.
- Pettway didn't receive a single carry last week, but he showed he belongs against Arkansas State. Several times Pettway shot through the defense like a cannonball, and twice he was headed for the end zone with nothing but grass in front of him, but he got tripped up by a diving Red Wolf both times. He led Auburn with 152 yards on 15 carries.
- Johnson got the start, and he fumbled on the first possession. After that, though, he turned it on. KJ scored two touchdowns, the first of which was as electrifying a play as you'll see all year. He finished with 124 yards on 18 carries.
Wide Receivers: A
- Not a whole lot to complain about here, either. 10 different receivers caught a pass for Auburn, led by Tony Stevens, who pulled in four catches for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
- The one catch everyone's going to remember, though, came from freshman Kyle Davis late in the first quarter. White launched a throw deep down the middle, and Davis hauled it in with one hand while having a defender draped over him. It looked eerily similar to New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham's now-iconic catch, and it'll be on highlight reels all week.
- The only real negative for the receivers was a minor one. Marcus Davis dropped a ball that hit him right in the hands, the first drop for any Auburn receiver this season.
Offensive Line: A
- After getting manhandled by Clemson, Auburn's front five bounced back nicely. Running lanes opened up, pass protection was solid, and the three QB hurries, five tackles for loss and one sack Arkansas State tallied paled in comparison to the havoc Clemson wreaked in Auburn's backfield a week ago.
Defensive Line: A-
- For the second week in a row, Auburn's D-line showed out. Three out of the four sacks the Tigers registered came from this unit, as did four out of the five QB hurries. Add in a couple of tackles for loss, and it comes out to a solid all-around performance.
- Arkansas State had some success getting to the edges and turning the corner early, but once Auburn had a few possessions to work it out, the Tigers shut it down.
Linebackers: A
- The resurgence of the Auburn linebacking corps continues. Two of the three leading tacklers in the game were linebackers (Tre' and Darrell Williams combined for 14 tackles), and the rotation with those two and Deshaun Davis has performed extremely well in back-to-back games.
Secondary: B
- One of the biggest positives that defensive coordinator Kevin Steele — and the defense as a whole — took away from the Clemson game was the lack of explosive plays they allowed. Arkansas State managed to something Clemson couldn't, generating a handful of big plays basically because of blown coverage, and ASU's two touchdowns were almost direct results of these miscues.
Special Teams: A+
- Only Daniel Carlson gets a grade here, because Auburn didn't punt a single time all game, so Kevin Phillips gets an N/A.
- Carlson went 3 for 3 on field goals and 6 for 6 on PATs, but his shining moment wasn't a kick. Midway through the second quarter, Auburn lined up for a field goal at the Arkansas State 20. Then, straight out of Les Miles' playbook, holder Tyler Stovall tossed the ball behind his head to Carlson, who took the fake field goal 20 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.
Overall: A
- The concerns about Auburn's offensive woes were coming to a head, and Gus Malzahn and the Tigers quieted them, at least for a week. Sticking with one quarterback paid dividends, and the offense finally started to look like the well-oiled machine from a few years ago. It came against a clearly overmatched opponent, but Auburn needed a win, and it got one while looking mighty impressive in the process.
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