The cardiac kids did it again. Honestly Auburn, I can’t take this too many more times this season or I am seriously going to have a heart attack. For once I just want to watch a game without having chest pains in the fourth quarter.
I was wrong last week. I thought USC was going to win this game because of the obvious mismatch in the secondary and I thought they may stop our run game. While that mismatch was obvious USC never was able to take full advantage and this was probably due to the pressure applied by Nick Fairley and the rest of the defensive line. Auburn did a great job of stopping Marcus Lattimore and the USC run game and forced the USC QBs to win it through the air. This resulted in Auburn getting 4 turnovers in the 4th quarter and ultimately the win.
5 Observations:
1. Cam Newton is amazing. Let the Heisman talk begin. He is perhaps the most complete QB Auburn has ever had (my apologies to Pat Sullivan and Dameyune Craig). When he took off from the 7 and landed 2 yards in the endzone I was speechless. It was like the feeling you got when Michael Jordan won the dunk contest by taking off from the free throw line. Seriously though if Cam can dive 9 yards why not just give it to him every 1st down and tell him to dive. 2nd and 1 sound good to anyone? (as a side note, that little dive should have drawn a flag and I hope Malzahn corrects that little issue this week).
2. Remember that little rumor I heard last week at the game, the one about a certain TE? Well turns out we do have a TE and he can catch! 3 catches and 1 touchdown. Time to get this guy the ball more often. I called that TD by the way, but just don’t ask me to spell his last name.
3. The defense is improving each week. Nick Fairley is just amazing and Josh Bynes is obviously a beast in the middle against the run game and is one of the best leaders on the field I have ever seen. I still have lots of worries about the secondary but I have been impressed with the overall improvement by the defense as a whole. Can anyone make half-time adjustments better than Ted Roof and Gene Chizik? Amazing!
4. Turnovers and running backs. While we won the turnover battle overall, the turnovers by the running backs have to stop. I was very impressed with Mike Dyer and the way he shrugged the fumble off and came back to run for 100 yards. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on and he and Cam really put the whole team on their shoulders in the 3rd and 4th quarters. If he continues to improve and can share the carries with OMac we will have our version of “Thunder and Lightning” and combined with Cam will make this run game very difficult to stop. Have we seen the last of Fannin at running back?
5. I’m not sure how I feel about Cam carrying the ball 20+ times. On one hand he just has a knack for getting positive yardage and the first down, but on the other the SEC is a physical league. Seriously, that is a lot of hits on the body in the SEC and I personally would like to see him make it until the end of the season. That being said he is built like a defensive end. Have we found our…Tebow?
Overall a great win for the Tigers. I think the last 3 weeks have been statements for this team. They have shown that they can come back from a first-half deficit and they have shown that they can work together to get it done. Sometimes teams just find a way to win and this team has that ability. Does luck play a part? Yes, but make no mistake, South Carolina, Clemson, and MSU are good teams and you always need a little luck on your side. I was real impressed with the improvements this week and you can just tell that this team responds to the great coaching they receive in practice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Auburn team really identify something they will work on and then come out the next week and execute it perfectly like this team has.
If this team can stay humble, keep improving, and keep finding a way to win, then they have a good chance of making that step from “good to great”.
I was wrong last week. I thought USC was going to win this game because of the obvious mismatch in the secondary and I thought they may stop our run game. While that mismatch was obvious USC never was able to take full advantage and this was probably due to the pressure applied by Nick Fairley and the rest of the defensive line. Auburn did a great job of stopping Marcus Lattimore and the USC run game and forced the USC QBs to win it through the air. This resulted in Auburn getting 4 turnovers in the 4th quarter and ultimately the win.
5 Observations:
1. Cam Newton is amazing. Let the Heisman talk begin. He is perhaps the most complete QB Auburn has ever had (my apologies to Pat Sullivan and Dameyune Craig). When he took off from the 7 and landed 2 yards in the endzone I was speechless. It was like the feeling you got when Michael Jordan won the dunk contest by taking off from the free throw line. Seriously though if Cam can dive 9 yards why not just give it to him every 1st down and tell him to dive. 2nd and 1 sound good to anyone? (as a side note, that little dive should have drawn a flag and I hope Malzahn corrects that little issue this week).
2. Remember that little rumor I heard last week at the game, the one about a certain TE? Well turns out we do have a TE and he can catch! 3 catches and 1 touchdown. Time to get this guy the ball more often. I called that TD by the way, but just don’t ask me to spell his last name.
3. The defense is improving each week. Nick Fairley is just amazing and Josh Bynes is obviously a beast in the middle against the run game and is one of the best leaders on the field I have ever seen. I still have lots of worries about the secondary but I have been impressed with the overall improvement by the defense as a whole. Can anyone make half-time adjustments better than Ted Roof and Gene Chizik? Amazing!
4. Turnovers and running backs. While we won the turnover battle overall, the turnovers by the running backs have to stop. I was very impressed with Mike Dyer and the way he shrugged the fumble off and came back to run for 100 yards. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on and he and Cam really put the whole team on their shoulders in the 3rd and 4th quarters. If he continues to improve and can share the carries with OMac we will have our version of “Thunder and Lightning” and combined with Cam will make this run game very difficult to stop. Have we seen the last of Fannin at running back?
5. I’m not sure how I feel about Cam carrying the ball 20+ times. On one hand he just has a knack for getting positive yardage and the first down, but on the other the SEC is a physical league. Seriously, that is a lot of hits on the body in the SEC and I personally would like to see him make it until the end of the season. That being said he is built like a defensive end. Have we found our…Tebow?
Overall a great win for the Tigers. I think the last 3 weeks have been statements for this team. They have shown that they can come back from a first-half deficit and they have shown that they can work together to get it done. Sometimes teams just find a way to win and this team has that ability. Does luck play a part? Yes, but make no mistake, South Carolina, Clemson, and MSU are good teams and you always need a little luck on your side. I was real impressed with the improvements this week and you can just tell that this team responds to the great coaching they receive in practice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Auburn team really identify something they will work on and then come out the next week and execute it perfectly like this team has.
If this team can stay humble, keep improving, and keep finding a way to win, then they have a good chance of making that step from “good to great”.
Great analysis Brad! I look forward to it every week!
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