Auburn’s offensive line has become a weekly puzzle, and the numbers tell the story in a hurry: 21 sacks allowed, eight different lineups, and 10 different players rotating through the front in just five games.
That kind of churn has left quarterback Byrum Brown taking far too many hits, and coach Alex Golesh didn’t dodge the issue Monday morning at the quarterback club in Birmingham. He pointed straight at the challenge of building a workable unit out of what Auburn has available right now.
“I think a lot of it has to do with: Can we put those guys in situations where they can be successful -- because we’ve got who we’ve got,” Golesh said. “Can they continue to get better? You saw as that game went, we started to do some more outside zone stuff where those guys were able to get their footing and get going.
“I think it’s on us as coaches to put them in situations -- when you take away the third downs where you truly feel like third downs, you have to drop back, and you put them in situations to be successful. That’s on us. I would tell you they’ve had decently bright spots, and the negative has been catastrophic.”
The early-season setup had Jo Simmons and Stanton Ramil at tackle, with Jacob Strand, Zack Leyer and Cole Skinner at guard and Cole Best at center. By Week 4, Auburn had already started changing the picture, swapping Skinner out for Kenneth McManus, rotating Simmons and Strand at left tackle, and giving freshman Wilson Zierer a shot at guard.
Zierer’s arrival stood out as a positive in that mix, but the group took another hit in last weekend’s 24-14 loss to Tennessee. Auburn’s offensive line was flagged for six pre-snap penalties, surrendered 12 pressures and allowed 10 quarterback hurries in pass protection.
The run game didn’t offer much relief either. According to Pro Football Focus, every Auburn offensive line starter against Tennessee graded below 60% as a run blocker.
Golesh singled out several players when talking through the line’s performance. He said Strand has looked better on the edge than inside, and noted the benefit of rotating him with Jo Simmons so neither player has to carry every snap. He also said McManus and Zierer have both held up reasonably well, with Zierer flashing athleticism and length even while making freshman mistakes.
“I think McManus for the most part has hung in there and I’ve been really impressed. Cole Best, two weeks ago, played his best game.
I think Cole Best played his worst game this weekend. Stanton has been standing out at right.”
Auburn is off this week, giving the staff a chance to sort through the combinations up front before a second straight road game against No. 2 Georgia.
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