Auburn’s rushing attack off to a strong start
Auburn’s rushing attack through two weeks of the season has been nothing short of stellar.
The Tigers rushed for 307 yards against Baylor on the road to open the season and followed that up with a 224-yard performance against Ball State in the home opener. That has led Auburn to sit atop the SEC in rushing yards per game with 265.5, ranking 12th nationally.
Jackson Arnold has been a playmaker with his legs thus far, leading the charge against the Bears with 134 yards on the ground. Jeremiah Cobb has answered the bell in an expanded role and leads the team with 195 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Damari Alston’s status remains uncertain
However, the Tigers will play shorthanded at running back against South Alabama on Saturday when the two teams meet for the first time.
Taking first snaps against Baylor, Damari Alston rushed for 84 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he banged up his shoulder and was held out of the Tigers’ Week 2 matchup for precautionary reasons. Head coach Hugh Freeze stated on Monday that Alston would still be a game-time decision this week.
“Damari will probably be a game-time decision. I know he’s trying. He went through walk-throughs this morning. Until you put the pads on and take a hit on it, you won’t know how it feels, so he’ll be a game-time decision,” Freeze said on Monday.
Durrell Robinson sidelined with injury
The Tigers didn’t need Alston against the Cardinals last week, and it showed as Cobb and the running back room accounted for 206 of Auburn’s 224 yards rushing. It was a great opportunity to get some younger, inexperienced guys in the mix. One of those being UConn transfer Durrell Robinson.
Robinson broke loose for a 54-yard touchdown run last week and showed plenty of burst while doing so. However, the sophomore running back woke up Sunday morning with thigh pain, and was rushed him to a Birmingham hospital for further evaluation.
“Unfortunately, we lost Durell for an extended period of time to a freak injury. We didn’t even know he was hurt after the game. Sunday morning, he had a collection of blood on his thigh like I had never seen in all my years coaching. We had to rush him to Birmingham to open that up and get the blood off. They had to do a pretty big incision on it, so he’ll be out for a while, ” Freeze said on Monday.
Jeremiah Cobb playing with a soft cast
Freeze noted on Wednesday during the SEC Media Teleconference that Cobb is still playing with a soft cast on his hand after dealing with a broken hand injury. He said that it has hindered him in some areas, such as pass protection and receiving.
Freshmen backs could see bigger roles
Once more, the Tigers will take the field on Saturday with a sizable task against a fiery Group of Five opponent. Auburn will be down to three scholarship running backs – Cobb, and true freshmen Omar Mabson II and Alvin Henderson – if Alston does not suit up.
South Alabama’s run defense struggles early
South Alabama has struggled against the run through two weeks of the season. The Jaguars gave up 241 yards on the ground in their 33-31 loss to Tulane last week. They rank 122nd in rush defense entering Saturday’s matchup.
With a thin look in the running back room, Auburn may opt to exploit the Jaguars through the air with its potent weapons outside and continue to refine its passing game before heading to Norman for the SEC opener.
Auburn will kick off at 11:45 a.m. CT Saturday on SECN.
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