Balanced attack
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AUBURN, Ala. | Sean WhiteClick [rl]Here to view this Link. attempted just 10 passes in Auburn's 35-21 win over San Jose State Saturday. Would the redshirt freshman, in only his second college start, liked to have thrown more?
"Uh, I mean, that's, uh, I just want to win and Coach thought it was best, especially in the second half to run the ball and it worked," White said. "We scored touchdowns so I'm happy with that."
White is now the starting quarterback for an offense that ranks 116th in the nation averaging just 153.8 passing yards per game. Overall, the Tigers are 109th in total offense averaging 343.8 yards per game and are yet to hit the meat of the SEC schedule.
"I am very confident (in White), we just didn't need to (throw) today," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "We ran the football, and we had short fields. If we had to throw the football, I feel as good as you can about a guy who is in his second start."
Auburn ran the ball 48 times against the Spartans finishing with a season-high 234 yards. Peyton Barber had the bulk of those carries and yards finishing with five rushing touchdowns.
White finished 6-of-10 for 108 yards including a 42-yard pass to Roc Thomas to start a touchdown drive in the first quarter and a 31-yard strike to Ricardo Louis late in the second quarter to set up another touchdown and give the Tigers a 21-7 halftime lead.
White attempted just two passes in the second half.
Somewhat surprisingly, Malzahn called his offense balanced in his postgame interview despite more than 80-20 ratio of run plays.
"We are a run to play-action team and to be a really good offense, you have to be balanced, and balanced means that you take what they give you," Malzahn said. "If they are giving you the throw, you have be able to execute and if they are giving you the run, you have to execute that.
"We are still working toward that, but there were some bright spots today that we can take for the rest of the year."
White replaced Jeremy Johnson as the starter after a 45-21 loss at LSU. But Malzahn has yet to commit to White as the team's starting quarterback.
"I think he did some good things. He competed and did some good things," Malzahn said. "We will keep taking this thing week-to-week like we have been doing it."
Malzahn's only criticism of White after the SJSU game was ball security. He fumbled twice on quarterback runs and there was another fumbled snap exchange. Overall, Auburn fumbled four times Saturday, recovering all four.
"I think I have to have a little bit better ball security when I run," White said. "I let a couple get away trying to reach for a first down."
Through two starts White has completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 296 yards with one interception. He's yet to throw a touchdown pass.
"I think I played fine," White said after the SJSU win. "I think when we threw the ball I did a solid job delivering the ball.
"We won the game and as a quarterback you're always going to be happy when we win."
Auburn has a week off before a Thursday night game at Kentucky Oct. 15. Assuming he starts for a third-straight game, is White hoping to get more passing opportunities against the Wildcats?
"It's up to Coach Malzahn and Coach Lashlee, obviously, but I'll be ready to go," he said.
