November 24, 2012; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jonathan Wallace (12) drops back to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The Iron Bowl has been dominated by the Crimson Tide for the past two years, and since Auburn’s 2010 BCS National Championship, things fell apart down on the Plains.
The man that coached Auburn to the BCS Championship in 2010 was fired less than three years later, after leading Auburn to a winless season in the SEC. Now former Auburn offensive coordinator Guz Malzhan has been tapped to rebuild the Auburn program.
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 30; TBA
WHERE: Auburn, AL (Jordan-Hare Stadium)
LAST SEASON: 3-9 (0-8 Southeastern Conference, seventh place in Western Division)
CURRENT PRESEASON RANKING: Consensus unranked
CURRENT BETTING LINE: Alabama by 24
TV: TBA
RADIO: Crimson Tide Sports Network
SERIES HISTORY: Alabama leads 42-34-1 (Last meeting: Alabama defeated Auburn 49-0 in Bryant-Denny Stadium)
OFFENSE: Under Malzhan, quarterback Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 and Auburn led the SEC in offensive production, but there is no Cam Newton on this Auburn offense. Last season Auburn attempted to run a more pro-style offense and things unraveled quickly. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier threw just three touchdowns compared to eight interceptions, and Auburn was near the bottom of the league in almost every offensive statistic. That’s an epic fall for a team that just a couple of years ago was among the leaders in every statistical category in the SEC.
Malzhan actually recruited Frazier to Auburn to run his spread-style offense, but now Frazier has moved over to the defense to play safety. Frazier not being named the starting quarterback for Auburn in is not a shock. Both Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson have moved past Frazier on the depth chart. Those two are doing battle with junior Jonathan Wallace to decide who will be the quarterback for Auburn in 2013. Last year Wallace was 46-80 passing for 720 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions along with 152 yards rushing. Junior college transfer Nick Marshall may actually have the inside track on the starting job. The dual-threat athlete is the type of QB Malzhan prefers for his spread attack.
At Garden City Community College in 2012, Marshall completed 196 of 343 for 3,142 yards and 18 TDs, but threw 20 interceptions as well. On the ground he was dynamic, with 171 rushes for 1,095 yards and 19 TDs. In comparison to Malzhan’s previous big-time JUCO transfer, Cam Newton, Marshall actually threw for more passing yards and ran for rushing yards and TDs. Marshall is electrifying, and Malzhan’s biggest project will be getting him to cut back on the turnovers which killed Auburn last year as well.
Junior tailback Tre Mason was one of the bright spots for the Auburn offense last season, gaining 1,002 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground and averaging nearly 6 yards per carry. He won’t be splitting any carries with Ontererio McCalleb (570 yards, 6 TDs in 2012) in 2013, but junior college transfer Cameron Artis-Payne will likely take over those carries and maybe more. Payne was the sixth-rated JUCO player according to Rivals in the 2013 class, and he gained 2,048 yards with 25 TDs rushing last year for Allan Hancock Community College in California.
Whoever the quarterback ends up being, he’s going to have to break in all new receivers as the top three leading receivers from 2012 are gone. The only wide receiver remaining the time with more than 10 catches is sophomore Quan Bray who had 14 catches for 94 yards in 2012. The other expected starter at receiver is Trovon Reed, who had just 9 catches for 122 yards and one TD last season. Freshmen Jason Smith and Tony Stevens will likely make a push for playing time. Gone is long time tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, and replacing him will be junior CJ Uzomah who had just 7 catches for 136 yards and one score.
Center Reese Dismukes anchors an offensive line that returns tackle Greg Robinson and guard Chad Slade. They will be breaking in new starters Devonte Danzey at guard and Avery Young at tackle. The offensive line should be improved from last year, but last year’s o-line was pretty dismal, sitting at the bottom of the SEC in rushing offense and allowing 37 sacks.
Conclusion: Auburn will likely be improved on offense with a style that’s more suited to their talent, but it’s still going to be a rocky season breaking in all new receivers and tight ends and possibly even a new QB. Malzhan always pulls out trick plays, especially when undermanned, so that will be expected but that hasn’t always had much success against Nick Saban and Kirby Smart’s defense, and they will surely be expecting it again.
DEFENSE: The 2012 defense was near the bottom of the SEC in scoring defense and total defense and dead last in rush defense while they were middle of the pack (eighth) in passing defense. Former South Carolina and Alabama defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has been pegged to take over the Auburn defense bringing in his base 4-2-5 (four down lineman, two linebackers, five defensive backs) defense.
Returning starter at linebacker Jake Holland, who recorded 73 tackles in 2012, will take one linebacker spot while sophomore Kris Forst takes the other spot. All four of the expected starters on the defensive line have experience starting, with Nosa Eguae and Dee Ford on the ends and Angelo Blackson and Jeffrey Whitaker on the inside. Blackson had 26 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss in 2012, while Ford had 34 tackles and a team leading 6.0 sacks.
Playing the hybrid linebacker/defensive back position, Auburn refers to as “spur,” is expected to be junior Justin Garrett, who didn’t get much playing time in 2012. Three of the other four defensive backs are very experienced. Cornerback Ryan White and safeties Demetruce McNeal and Ryan Smith are all seniors. The other starting corner is expected to be talented freshman TJ Davis. McNeal was second on the team in tackles last year with 90 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss. The secondary was probably the best part of the Auburn defense, and if they can learn the new scheme that will likely remain the same this year.
Conclusion: I fully expect Auburn’s defense, under Ellis Johnson, to be greatly improved from last year’s that couldn’t stop a cold. With that said, Alabama’s offense is going to potentially be one of the most prolific offenses in the country, and holding that offense down is going to be a task I don’t believe Auburn will be up for yet.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The special teams is probably the most experienced spot on the Auburn team, with field goal kicker Cody Parker and punter Steven Clark both seniors. Last season Parker was 11 for 14 in field goals, with his long being 46 yards.
Clark averaged under 40 yards a punt last season, but he was busy, punting the ball an SEC-leading 70 times. The electric Quan Bray will handle the punt and kickoff return duties.
Conclusion: Parker will be solid again this year, but Clark needs to improve drastically, though I don’t think he will be on the field quite as much as last year. He will still be asked to do more punting than a lot of teams.
COACHING: There is no question in my mind that Malzhan is an upgrade as head coach over Gene Chizik, and Ellis Johnson will likely be able to bring Auburn’s defense up to being a solid defense sooner rather than later, but Malzhan was also a part of the Chizik coaching staff so how much things will truly change has yet to be seen.
Conclusion: Trick plays won’t get Malzhan by in the Iron Bowl anymore and he probably realizes that. November 30th is going to be another rough day for the Tigers/Eagles (which is it again?).