How about that?
Auburn looked like a favorite considering it entered last weekend's game as the No. 8 team in America, but the Aggies actually were favored by four points. This was a game that had many Tigers fans anxious — largely over concerns that Gus Malzahn's offense lacked the brawn and the administrative foresight to overcome one of the SEC's most improved defenses.
Those concerns were eased during and after Auburn's 28-20 victory.
Conventional wisdom is that A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who calls plays, will abandon his run game if it's not successful early. Auburn's defensive line and linebackers did a number on the Aggies' run game, effectively shutting it down. And what did Fisher do? He abandoned the run game in favor of letting quarterback Kellen Mond throw 49 passes.
Some will say Fisher's plan nearly worked because the Aggies were making up ground during the fourth quarter. The truth is that Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was in a bend-don't-break protocol, which conceded shorter passes in favor of not ceding deep completions. The plan worked; Auburn won.
Let's take a closer look at some numbers and trends from Auburn's win ...
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS GRADES: OFFENSE (at least 15 snaps played)
1. WR Anthony Schwartz, 94.4
2. TE John Samuel Shenker, 76.0
3. WR Seth Williams, 75.7
4. RB Boobee Whitlow, 69.2
5. RT Jack Driscoll, 68.8
6. FB/WR Jay Jay Wilson, 68.1
7. LT Prince Tega Wanogho, 64.6
8. FB Spencer Nigh, 64.6
9. WR Eli Stove, 61.0
10. QB Bo Nix, 60.9
• Schwartz played just 16 snaps Saturday, but made three really big plays. His long touchdown run was the most obvious of them, but he also took another end-around for 13 yards and converted a third down with a nifty catch at the sticks during the second half. He was terrific. Williams played 54 snaps despite not being close to 100 percent with the shoulder injury. He was there when his team needed him. Though Driscoll was the team's highest-rated lineman this week, Wanogho was at his most physical this week. That's a big reason why the Tigers were willing to run left more often in College Station.
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS GRADES: DEFENSE (at least 15 snaps played)
1. LB K.J. Britt, 84.0
2. DE Marlon Davidson, 82.4
3. DT Derrick Brown, 80.0
4. LB Zakoby McClain, 78.8
5. CB Javaris Davis, 75.8
6. DE Nick Coe, 71.2
7. S Jeremiah Dinson, 70.1
8. S Daniel Thomas, 67.7
9. STAR Christian Tutt, 66.4
10. DT Daquan Newkirk, 65.0
• After two mediocre games, Britt was back as the defensive linchpin. He was a big reason why Jimbo Fisher abandoned the run; Britt and McClain flowed aggressively against the run and used their spatial awareness to work through the muck to make firm contact with ball-carriers. That happened all day long. Brown had a terrific game — three tackles for loss including two sacks — but Davidson was more valuable due to his edge-setting against the run and his ability to create B-gap penetration against the pass. Nick Coe was more disciplined with his movement this weekend; he didn't overpursue often and reduced width when rushing the passer.
A VERY IMPORTANT DRIVE
Auburn's offense slid into a funk during the third quarter and into the fourth quarter, but that ended with a 12-play drive that emasculated the Aggies' defense and stoked the Tigers' hopes.
It was a vintage Malzahn drive — complete with a physical, run-first attitude and just enough wrinkles to keep Texas A&M guessing. In fact, the Tigers had run just two pitches during their first three games of the season. They ran three pitches on this drive alone.
Take a gander ...
That's 11 runs and one pass.
That's six different formations — including a variation of their (rare) "deuce" formation on Play Nine.
That's three different ball-carriers. (Matthew Hill's misalignment late in the drive ruined what would have guaranteed a fourth.)
That's an average of 5.6 yards on first down.
That touchdown put Auburn ahead 28-10 with 8:33 to go and all but ended A&M's hopes.
That's the kind of offense Malzahn promised during the offseason. And, at least in this case, he delivered.
OUT THERE HITTIN'
Auburn's defense has been quite good this season — slow starts against Tulane and Kent State aside — and a big part of that has been its ability to avoid missed tackles.
When the Tigers arrive on the scene, they tend to get the job done.
That trend was on display in a big way in College Station, where the Tigers finished with just four missed tackles. Some of those MADE tackles were pretty spectacular. I have GIF'd two of my favorites below — Christian Tutt with a well-timed blow to a tight end (check out his acceleration into that hit!) and then Javaris Davis preserving a third-down stop with a terrific takedown in the open field.
That's good football. Really good football.
WORKING SMART AT LINEBACKER
Auburn held Texas A&M to 56 rushing yards last weekend. Putting together an defensive performance like that requires great play up front — sticking with gaps and forcing runners to go places they don't want to go. After that, it's often up to linebackers to attack frustrated running backs and get them to the ground.
Those two operations were working together fluidly in College Station.
I put together a little highlight tape of five plays where Auburn linebackers K.J. Britt, Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain attacked downhill and made a spectacle in run defense. In particular, watch how decisively these players move once they formulate their plan. This is aggressive, take-no-prisoners ball.
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