Seven games down and we have a good idea of what the Auburn Football team currently is. In school, it would be termed “mid-terms” but I think it’s a great time to look retrospectively at the season and give grades on how the team has performed thus far.
Offense: D+
Quarterback
The quarterback position is easily the most scrutinized of all of the position groups on any football team. There has been a mixed bag of promise and disappointment thus far from the quarterback play. The season began with a much maligned QB carousel of TJ Finley and Robby Ashford. That led to some puzzling substitutions and very erratic play. TJ was good but far from great early, as the primary passer. He showed some surprising mobility and improved accuracy (up to 62.3%) and chemistry with the pass catchers. However, turnovers plagued him. In the first 3 games, prior to the injury, Finley was responsible for 4 interceptions while only having 1 passing TD (he added an additional rushing TD). As comfortable as he looked with his understanding of the scheme, he struggled, mostly because of the lack of protection (which we will discuss later) and the turnovers killing drives.
After the injury during the Penn State game the team was forced to pick a guy. That guy was Robby Ashford. He was the athletic presence at signal-caller that a lot of Auburn fans clamored for. However, Ashford – again – came with mixed results. While improving the offense’s ability to escape pressure that defenses were constantly able to get (again, due to the lack of protection) and the offense moving the ball better (4 passing TDs and 3 rushing TDs), he struggled with accuracy (47.9%) and did not appear to have the same confidence in the scheme while also having turnover issues (5 INTs).
Overall, the quarterback position has not been the largest issue on the offense, but it has not been the brightest spot either. The turnovers and lack of leadership from that position have been obvious. Robby Ashford, however, gives a lot of hope for the future as the offense evolves to be more compatible with him. The potential is there, but we have yet to see it manifest.
Running Back
This has been a good group. Tank Bigsby has not had the banner year anyone had hoped for, including himself. He came back to Auburn amidst speculation that he would potentially transfer during the off season. It is clear that he was the focal point of the offensive game plan. That has not panned out well. Tank has played well but he has not really had the opportunity to shine. His yards per attempt is slightly higher than last season but his yards per game are down. This points to an offense that has struggled to move the ball and had to pivot away from running the ball often. He will need some big games over the back half of the season to reach 1000 yards again this year. Overall, he has not improved as a pass catcher which limits how effective he can be in other ways to help the offense.
His decreased number of touches also points to the emergence of Jarquez Hunter as a legitimate #2 RB. Hunter has been a bright spot, proving that he has worked in the off season on his vision and ability to understand the offense. He has come in and been a change of pace and shown a relentless nature that makes him a threat every time he comes in the game. He is a good pass catcher and has a couple of “wow” plays this season.
Freshman running back, Damari Alston, has Auburn fans hopeful for the future. He has shown a burst in the run game and the ability to catch that makes him as good as advertised. Though his opportunities have been limited, he has taken advantage of them. He has explosiveness and good vision. The running back room looks to be solid for the foreseeable future.
Wide Receiver
This has been the toughest group to grade because so much of what they can do to impact a game falls outside of their purview. The QB and offensive line all have to do their part and those groups have not held up their end of the bargain. However, from the opportunities presented to them, this group has done well. Last season, drops plagued the wide receiver core. This year, the group is talented, that is clear. Young WRs like Omari Kelly and Camden Brown pass the eye test. Newcomer Koy Moore has had an impact on games. The shining star of the group has been the deep threat of Jar’Varrius Johnson. His 17.6 yards per catch leads the team and top 10 in the SEC. If given more chances, I expect this unit to deliver.
Tight End
This group has been average, at best. With the struggles that the offensive line has had, one would expect the Tight End group to step in and provide some additional stability. This has not been the case. The Tight ends have missed blocking assignments and been plagued by penalties, just like the offensive line group.
John Samuel Shenker has the most reps as tight end and also has been the most puzzling of the group. He has had quite a few penalties this season, has not been particularly good in the run or pass blocking schemes and has had a few drops. So, his productivity, as a pass catcher, has been overshadowed by the poor play in other areas.
Luke Deal has been surprisingly good in the pass game. He has had a few catches this season that have shown that he has grown in that regard. However, his blocking has been “ok” at best. He does give some hope for the future, as he continues to grow into his role.
Offensive Line
I do not think there is a group that has underperformed more than this offensive line. The offense cannot even get going most games because of pre-snap penalties and ineffective run blocking. Then, when in obvious passing situations, the pass blocking has left a lot to be desired. The injuries certainly have played a part, but the guys that are on the field have not produced, plain and simple. The only thing that gives hope for the future are the changes along the front that seemed to produce some better results against Ole Miss. The hope is that this will be a trend.
Be sure to check out our bye week report card on the Auburn Defense, Coaching, & Special Teams.
