Wow, what a difference a couple of weeks can make. Three weeks into the season Auburn was sitting at 1-2 and looking down the barrel of a 5-7 type season. Not something most Tiger fans had envisioned heading into the slog of the SEC stretch. Much gnashing of teeth following 3 straight sub par offensive performances and two losses to what were assumed to be wins in the preseason brought some of the same harpies out of hiding that showed up in force circa September 2003. Granted, it was certainly not without some concern and trepidation that we here at the Cup suggested hard times were not a harbinger of woe and destruction on what was the sound foundation of this program laid by Tubs & Co. Still, we worried. However, at about halftime of the New Mexico State game, some rip in the cosmic space-time continuum occurred that changed the course of the season to date. It then spilled over into Gainesville and has been rolling down hill like a ball of butcher knives ever since. The results of this cosmic fart are plain to see, but the mechanism which put them to play is much harder to dissect. I give you exhibit A:
As we can see here, there is a pretty strong correlation between a decrease in turnovers, an increase in rushing yards from the rbs, Cox's qb rating and an increase in total wins. Granted, it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to come up with this formula for success, but it's amazing to have occurred so quickly given what we know to be true. First, through 3 games Brandon Cox had been inexplicably and absolutely awful. This was something I didn't see coming. I never expected Cox to light the world on fire, but he had proven to me to be a solid SEC quarterback. They kind of guy who could make all the routine throws needed to be successful, and at the same time come through with a clutch play come crunch time. According to Al "Genius/Idiot" Borges, Brandon had been pressing too much early on to make plays, and sitting him down seemed to clear his mind and give him a new perspective on things. Whatever the case, Brandon has been lights out from the 2nd half of the NMSU game on and if anyone deserves success it's this guy. And speaking of Borges, it seems that he is once again a "genius" and "offensive mastermind", so make note of this on all future correspondence. Warning, this is a volatile market, and we here at the BFPC can not guarantee long term returns in this arena. Purchase at your own risk!
Borges, Genius or Idiot? Your opinion may vary (in a direct linear relationship to offensive production and wins). What has also been amazing is the total turnaround in nearly every facet of offensive production. Nothing has really changed as far as game plans or play calling, it's just that the execution has reached a point that it has allowed Borges to utilize more of said playbook to keep defenses from stacking the line. The receivers have gone from liability to asset literally over night. Hell, even Tommy Trott has made some nice plays. Inconceivable! Next thing you know, King Dunlap will be pancaking half of the defensive front on every snap.
All of this in what has likely been the toughest stretch on the injury front in the 9 years of the Tubby regime. This, combined with other factors *cough cough* jetgate/crappy signing class *cough cough* has led to Auburn playing a ridiculous number of underclassmen. Lets take a look at the Vandy game. More specifically, at the starting lineup. Against Vandy, Auburn started 11 freshmen and sophomores. Both of Auburn's kickers also happen to be freshmen. Now we're not talking about providing depth here, these guys are seeing the majority of the snaps. Besides these starters there are other young faces making regular contributions. Kodi Burns, Michael McNeil, Bo Harris, Chris Slaughter, Tim Hawthorne, Antoine Carter, and Michael Goggans, among others, have all seen more snaps that the coaches would most likely be comfortable with under ideal circumstances. This week also saw the cheery popping of two more players. In an effort to give the starters a break from special teams duties and provide some depth, the coaches pulled the redshirts off of DB Ryan Williams and LB Josh Bynes.
The two areas seeing the greatest attrition have been along the offensive line and at linebacker. The play of the three true freshmen along the Oline has been nothing short of remarkable. Lee Ziemba, Chaz Ramsey, and Ryan Pugh have started since the New Mexico State game, and have acquitted themselves admirably. The running game has also come along nicely. Ben Tate and Mario Fannin have improved each and every game, and the return of Brad Lester provided an additional shot in the arm against the 'Dores. Given the injuries to key defensive players, it's going to be imperative that the offense sustains drives in the next two games. Both Arkansas and LSU are more than capable of pounding the ball an wearing out even the hardiest defense (even if someone informs Les Miles that you do, in fact, only get 4 downs per offensive series, not 5).
Tray Blackmon, the best player in Auburn History to never play a snap.What all this means the rest of the way, I'm not sure. In a year which a team is capable of getting "Croomed" at home and turnaround and whip the Gators in the swamp anything is most likely possible. What is certain is that Tuberville is now 5-0 against top 5 teams and has won 9 out of his last 10 against top 10 ranked squads. I don't expect Auburn to win the rest of their games, but I think they'll have a shot in all of them. And given the bleak outlook of a mere 2 weeks ago that is saying a lot.
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