No. 7 Auburn went into its home opener against Alabama State fresh off of its big win over Washington, and the Tigers were in control the entire game.
In a game that served more or less as a tune-up for the SEC opener against LSU next week, the Tigers worked on tightening things up and getting injured players returning back into the fray. Working freshman into rotations was also a big part of the game plan.
Here's the plays that stood out in the film.
Auburn freshman receiver Anthony Schwartz is known for his speed, which Auburn utilized to the max Saturday. On this play, both the running back and fullback stay in pass protection in order to give quarterback Jarrett Stidham the time he needs to make the throw. This play is designed for Schwartz all the way, and his elite speed puts him well past every defender. Stidham makes a perfect throw, and the result is an easy six points.
When Auburn runs plays like that, it opens up the whole field for the offense. If the defense has to worry about an elite deep threat, in this case Schwartz, they cannot be as focused on stopping the run, and may even keep extra secondary personnel on the field to make sure they do not get burned again. That play most likely was a dress rehearsal for when it is used against LSU next week.
A concept Auburn used repeatedly in this game was keeping both a running back and fullback back in pass protection and sending a tight end out on a pass route. This was used several times in order to give Stidham the time necessary for long pass plays. The downside to this is that there is no dump off route should no receiver be open. That did not prove to be a problem this week, as Auburn continually exploited the gaps in ASU’s zone defense. On this play, Auburn receiver Ryan Davis manages to find the soft spot in the defense, and is wide open for a large gain on the play.
Auburn safety Daniel Thomas had a huge game, coming up with two interceptions, one of which he ran in for a touchdown. However, the more impressive interception was his second one.
Auburn loves to play Thomas as a “box safety”. A box safety is when a safety lines up in the box, close to the line of scrimmage, in order to essentially serve as a linebacker/safety hybrid.
On this play, Thomas is lined up as a box safety, and makes a perfect read on the play. As soon as ASU’s players start moving, Thomas has already realized exactly what is happening. He crashes down, and splits the two blockers and is able to make a diving interception. That is as perfect as you can get when it comes to stopping a screen pass, and Thomas will most likely be lined up as a box safety for a large amount of the game against LSU. (2nd, 7:10)
The last play to be looked at is Schwartz's other touchdown of the day, coming off a reverse. The reverse is run picture perfectly, with Schwartz's speed making the entire thing possible. The interesting thing about this play is all the variations of it that Auburn has. Wide receiver Will Hastings is running in the backfield ready for a pass.
This means that Stidham could have faked the reverse, and then thrown the screen to Hastings. The receivers explode off the line and go deep, and this serves two purposes. One, with a reverse or screen it takes the defenders that are lined up on them out of the play. However, if Auburn were to fake the reverse, or run a flea flicker, the actions the receivers would take would be no different, confusing the defense.
This play is very versatile and could be run in any number of ways, giving the offense a chance to deceive the defense.
Auburn will need to keep up its offensive creativity to beat LSU. The No. 12 Bayou Bengals will kick off with the orange and blue Tigers inside Jordan-Hare Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CST, broadcast on CBS.
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