Auburn Football: The need for speed (and experience)
August 31, 2019
Jason Kilgro
I received a witty text a couple weeks ago from a friend that pledges allegiance to Saban and the Crimson Tide. It simply read, “happy Gus Malzahn day.” Unaware of the punchline, I didn’t respond for a minute – not the reaction the sender was hoping for.
That prompted the follow-up, “it’s August 5th, 8-5.” Have to admit, he got me.
As much as I didn’t like it, he was simply regurgitating the perception of fans and media around the SEC and those in the national college football scene.
But after looking at two key factors, returning experience and an infusion of speed on defense, I believe this season will be different. 8 wins should be the floor, not the ceiling for this 2019 Auburn Tigers team.
Much has been made this offseason about the QB battle – and rightfully so, quarterback is the most important position in sports – but I don’t see either player drastically affecting the win/loss total for the full scope of the season. That might be a surprising statement, but Auburn has had several successful seasons with a myriad of quarterbacking talents at the helm. My belief is that neither Bo Nix nor Joey Gatewood will “drive the bus” in 2019 – this year the team’s fate lies in the O-line’s hands.
To make my point: the same quarterback that led Auburn to 10 wins in 2017 led the Tigers to a 7-5 record in the regular season in 2018. Did Stidham regress? Did he have his sights set on the NFL too early? Did Gus leave himself without a suitable replacement to Kerryon Johnson? To be fair – yes, in all counts.
But the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and one could draw a straight line from the from the drop off on offense to the 5 guys up front. However, that same group who were scorned in 2018 will be the ones catalyzing change and willing Auburn into more wins in 2019.
Rarely was the offensive line out-manned throughout last season, but equally as rare were the instances where the unit seemed in sync and cohesive throughout all four quarters. Experience was to blame then and experience is to be leaned-on now.
Fine American and Auburn Man Justin Ferguson of The Athletic summed it up in a recent tweet:
Auburn’s 104 returning starts on the offensive line are far and away the most in conference, with the Bulldogs of the East (strongly prefer not to name our rivals if I can help it) totaling a second-best 83 starts. Kirby’s bunch are widely considered the best offensive line in the country, but our Tigers bring even more experience to the table.
For comparison’s sake, Auburn returned a league-low 40 starts going into last season.
The Auburn offensive lines that fit the bill of the above tweet were in 2010, 2013 and 2017, and in those three years, Auburn played in two national championship games after winning two of three SEC Championships.
But in 2017 especially, Malzahn didn’t feature a manchild or magician at QB, and the effectiveness of a balanced, experienced offense truly showed itself.
When Stidham needed time to carry out a fake and find Slayton deep, he had it. When Kerryon needed a crease to gain the necessary yardage on a crucial 3rd down, he had it. When Coach Malzahn needed a small schematic advantage with an unbalanced line or quick “sugar huddle,” he had it.
Look for this Auburn team to expect the same kind of results from their current OL group.
Bookends Prince Tega Wanogho and Jack Driscoll will be counted on specifically to provide more of the same consistency from last season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tega and Driscoll give Auburn the best returning pass-blocking duo in the conference, as they graded out at 89.6 and 86.7, respectively.
For comparison, 1st team All-American Jonah Williams posted an 88.6 against the pass rush last season. If both players stay healthy throughout 2019, it’s fair to expect an electric passing game that attacks down the field frequently.
Turning our attention towards the defense, experience won’t be a calling card for a key area of Kevin Steele’s unit, but speed will be in its place.
Stalwarts Deshaun Davis and Darrell Williams served incredibly well as linebackers over the years, despite not having overwhelming size (Davis was barely 5’10) or speed (Williams ran a meager 4.91 40 at AU Pro Day). Recall to mind the play that turned the tides in the LSU game last season, in which Joe Burrow snuck a pass inches over the out-stretched hand of Deshaun that ended in a 71-yard TD pass. It’s my belief that that play would’ve been made by either Britt or Pappoe.
Their leadership will certainly be missed, but the rangy speed and raw athleticism of the 2019 linebacker group will not disappoint.
Longtime first-man-up K.J. Britt has frequently displayed more fluidity and flexibility at the MLB position, despite being 6-foot, 240. He’s earned the nickname “Downhill Britt” because coming at you in a hurry and he’s bringing a full set of pads with him. The Junior from Oxford, AL, has patiently waited for his seat at the table and is now eager to display his talents.
True freshman Owen Pappoe is recognized as being one of the fastest players on the team at 6-foot-1, 225-pounds. Unsurprisingly, he’s pound-for-pound one of the strongest, too. 247Sports just named him to their preseason “True Freshman All-American” team due to the impact he’s made in his short time on the Plains.
When Pappoe signed with Auburn, the program got a star in the making, an extraordinary talent who has approached his craft as a consummate professional since he first arrived on the Plains. Proof of that could come in the form of a start in his very first game under the prime time lights against Oregon – a rare feat for a freshman.
The #1 OLB in the country coming out of Grayson High School has been compared by 247Sports to the 2017 Butkus Award winner, former UGA LB Roquan Smith, a guy that you were just as likely to see batting down a pass 25 yards downfield as you were tackling a running back 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Twitchy athlete who translates the testing explosion onto the field. Uses his outstanding closing speed to disrupt opposing offenses both as a blitzer and striker in space. Strong at the point of attack with the ability to take on and shed blocks as a run defender.
Scouting evaluation from Charles Power, 247Sports
The great news for Auburn fans is that it appears that Pappoe – as well as QB Bo Nix – seems to living up to their five-star billing after being the crown jewels of the 2019 recruiting class. It’s uncharted waters for the Tigers to see such unguarded optimism this early toward its highly-regarded prospects.
Regarding the unit as a whole, not-yet-household names like Britt, Pappoe, Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten will offer a sleek, playmaking alternative to the 2018 LB unit.
This move was intentional and made in response to the growing RPO game that continues to flourish across the conference and throughout many championship-caliber programs.
Opposing teams use those concepts to consistently put defenders in space and force them to react to multiple reads at once, so without elite quickness and agility of a top tier defense, the middle of the field can appear wide open.
To their credit, Malzahn, Steele and the defensive staff made a quick reaction when the opportunity presented itself and now will feature the fastest linebacker unit since the mid-2000s.
Three of the past five seasons have ended with bland 8-5 records. Will that change in 2019? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, history is on Auburn’s side when it comes to rolling out a veteran offensive line. Additionally, the modern game demands that you defend with adaptive, rangy athletes. Luckily, our Tigers will bring both to the table this season, making it truly different from years past.
