Alex Golesh is still searching for the right mix up front, and Auburn’s offensive line remains at the center of the problem.
In his first season, Golesh has watched the Tigers’ offense get bogged down in the trenches. The run game has never really taken hold, even with a mobile quarterback and strong running backs in the mix, and Byrum Brown has been sacked in every game.
Last weekend against Ole Miss, Golesh and offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick made a major change at the line of scrimmage. Cole Best slid back to center, Stanton Ramil moved to left tackle, Kenneth McManus Jr. lined up at left guard, freshman Wilson Zierer made his first start at right tackle and Jacobe Ward got the first start of his career.
With three underclassmen in the starting lineup against a ranked opponent, the results came with both encouraging signs and rough patches.
“Yeah, you know, when we were in rhythm, I thought that group did a solid job,” Golesh said. “I thought for Wilson’s first time going out to tackle, for Jacobe’s first real game action, (it was) inconsistent, but the positives were positive. Again, when we were in rhythm, I thought they did some really good things."
Golesh added that the group gave the offense a chance to have success and, for the most part, held up reasonably well. Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon echoed that view.
“You see that we were able to move the ball at times, put together long drives," Gordon said. "And, obviously, when you’re doing that, those guys up front are doing a good job of just being consistent. Then there were times, specifically in the second half, where we weren’t consistent enough to stay on the field.”
Golesh also pointed to the way the game wore on in the fourth quarter, especially with Auburn facing such a large deficit. He said depth became a factor late and noted that the team has been relying on the same group of players for most of the game.
Even if more changes are coming before the season ends, Auburn does have some young linemen who are starting to show something and earn more snaps.
The Tigers are back in action Saturday with an 11:45 a.m. kickoff against Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will air on SEC Network.
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Cody Sigler has emerged as one of the voices trying to steady that process from inside the locker room. The senior defensive lineman, who is in his first year at Auburn, has been openly supportive of Golesh and is helping push the culture the new staff wants to establish, a sign that the buy-in is still there even as the results have been uneven. [Read more 🡒]
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Wednesdays release also put the broader opening slate in focus, with games involving Butler, Saint Josephs and several other Division I programs spread across TV and streaming platforms. For Auburn, the bigger interest is less about the opponent than the setting: a home opener that starts the season with some clarity, but not all of it, as the rotation begins to take shape in public. [Read more 🡒]