Arkansas Game and a First Half Review

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

-Satayanna

That was fun wasn't it? The maiming that South Carolina started, Arkansas finished. The game reminded me of another one I saw last January.

I know that hindsight is always 20/20. However, in hindsight, you had to see this coming, right? Playing against a team that is built to expose the small Auburn defense and coming in off a bye week. The game was early and Auburn has not shown a quick start ability all year. It was the slow start that doomed Auburn. After going down 10-0 and showing no ability to stop what the Razorbacks were doing on offense, Auburn was in a precarious situation. In the second half down by two touchdowns, the game was essentially over. Auburn doesn’t have the offensive capability to recover when down 14 points. This is especially true when the defense seemed unable to stop the running game.

Since we are now half-way through the season, a little analysis of the game and of the team so far and a few questions that need to be asked and answered by the coaching staff and the team. Oh and to remind you, here is what I thought before the season.

Offense

Why is Auburn reduced to trying trick plays? Especially early in a game. Don’t get me wrong, it is easy to criticize the call because it doesn’t work. I actually don’t have a problem with the call. In fact, you have to do something to get the defense out of the “Must Stop Kenny Irons” mode. However, Arkansas was on its heels and you try a gadget play. I just have a hard time believing that Auburn is less talented on offense than nearly ever single team it plays.

That being said, he is a nice guy and I will never forget what he did against Alabama in 2002, but please no more Tre Smith. He is probably the least talented running back on the team.

Why not use the three timeouts before the half? Granted, you have to stop someone, which didn’t happen, but still use the timeouts because you weren’t getting ball back at the beginning of the second half.

Can someone other than Courtney Taylor get open consistently? A bigger issue is can the offensive line provide protection for Brandon Cox to get the ball to them? It seems to me that Borges doesn’t trust Cox or the receivers or the offensive line. He has opened the offense up in the past two years, but not this year.

Speaking of Al Borges, where is the imaginative play calling that showed up in his first two seasons? In the first half of the game Saturday, I was sitting on the couch basically calling the same plays. If I can guess correctly 60 to 70 percent of the time, I’m pretty sure a college defensive coordinator can as well.


Defense

The most disappointing thing about the Arkansas game? As a defense Auburn knew what was coming and didn’t stop it. I’m okay with the long pass play to Monk and McFadden’s long run. Those two plays hurt, no doubt, but mistakes happen. The bigger issue was continuing to allow Arkansas to dominate the line of scrimmage and not standing up and doing something.

This team just doesn’t seem aggressive enough. I’m not sure it’s scheme, I think it is youth and inexperience. The players look like they are sitting back and waiting for the play to come to them. In previous years, guys flew to the ball with reckless abandon but tackled well and didn’t over run the play. What is the difference? Youth. Except for Herring and Irons, most of those guys are young and haven’t started prior to this year. Inexperience causes guys to worry about what might happen and they haven’t been in enough situations to know what is likely coming at them. One would think this would improve in the second half of the season. I guess we will find out.


Special Teams

Have I mentioned I hate kickers? Kody Bliss or Eddie Gran (or both) you are an idiot. Someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with the regular punt formation. I mean the guy is averaging 50 yards per kick.

Really, overall the special teams have been great. Probably the best part of the team. I still hate kickers though.


Strategy/Coaching

The young defense has to learn how to step up and stop someone, while limiting the big plays. Again, part of this is inexperience, but part of it is scheme as well. Of the remaining games, only two offenses pose a problem to Auburn’s defense. One of those is Florida because of the scheme and the talent that they have on that side of the ball. The other is Alabama. Alabama is essentially the same team as Arkansas. Will Muschamp has his work cut out for him.

Offensively, the offensive line woes have to be eating Hugh Nall up. I’m betting that he hasn’t been getting much sleep recently. Couple that with the lack of another big play threat opposite Courtney Taylor and Al Borges also has his work cut out for him. I’m wondering if one of the results of the loss to Arkansas will be to start playing Tim Hawthorne or Montez Billing or one of the speedsters that are currently slated to play in the secondary. It might not be a bad idea. Oh and if you do that, don’t tell anyone in the media please.

As for the head coach, I don’t buy the thought that Tuberville is reining Borges in with his play calling. The play calling is more likely a product of Borges not being comfortable with the offense being able to produce big plays. I say this because Tuberville has been more daring this year than the last two years. The fake punt against Washington State, the onside kick against South Carolina, and attempting to convert nine fourth downs (one that was fourth and nine) all point to a lack of trust in the defense to make a stop.

I guess Tuberville doesn’t have to worry about polls and playoffs and what not for the rest of this year or next. That’s fine. His biggest job will be to get his team ready to play every freakin’ week and make it to Atlanta. Hoping to make it to the national title game is nice, but winning the SEC is the only goal that Auburn really controls every year. Making it to Atlanta is still possible. I seriously doubt if Arkansas can beat Tennessee and LSU. Throw in a determined effort from another team that surprises a very young Arkansas team and Auburn makes it to Atlanta, if it doesn’t lose another game.