Injuries have plagued Auburn's football team in the latter portion of the 2016 season, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. However, almost a month without game action has allowed many of the key injured Tigers to heal, which is crucial for Gus Malzahn's squad. A now-healthy backfield that includes quarterback Sean White and running backs Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson presents the challenge to Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops of stopping the Tiger rushing attack.
"Yeah. It's a challenge," Stoops said. "They got a lot of motion. A lot of distractions to try to get you out of your space or get your eyes in the wrong place, with a big, strong physical back also that is back and healthy, that's another challenge just with his strength and size. So, it will take a lot of discipline defensively to be where we need to be, and then we're going to need to tackle well and be physical."
The Sooners will be facing Malzahn's offensive schemes that are somewhat foreign to Big 12 conference defenses, and will have to adjust.
"You know, you can only change so much. But every team that you play is a little bit different in different ways. You know, this team and the way they try and run the football with the quarterback as well as all of the different motions and the number of running backs they get in the backfield at one time, you're going to see three of them back there or motioning a receiver back there a lot. They just have different methods of doing it. In the end, you practice it and it still gets down to blocking, tackling, and executing, regardless of the style that you play."
Oklahoma has struggled at times defensively this season, especially defending the pass, and Stoops said the moving parts of the Auburn offense will force the Sooners to play "disciplined."
"Just very creative with all of the different formations, personnel groupings, motions, you know, they give you a lot to read and to figure out, you know, as they try and create their seams and their gaps to run the football," Stoops said. "So you have just got to be very disciplined to be able to handle it all."
Auburn and Oklahoma will face off on Monday night in the Sugar Bowl. Coverage can be seen on ESPN, and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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