Auburn’s rushing plan looked one way on paper and played out another against Baylor.
Alex Golesh has been clear since his first press conference as Auburn’s head coach: this offense is going to lean on the ground game. But in the opener, the Tigers never really got that part of the offense rolling, and the result was a messy afternoon that left a lot of questions hanging over the backfield.
Joel Gordon addressed that on Monday, saying the issue wasn’t just production - it was how Auburn distributed the touches.
“It didn't work out exactly like we wanted to,” Gordon said. “We've got to have better balance with who's touching it... That's a huge thing that we've got to fix.”
That lack of balance stood out immediately. Rather than the rotation Golesh talked about earlier in the offseason - RB1 and RB2 alternating by drive, with RB3 mixed in as needed - Auburn leaned heavily on Jeremiah Cobb. He handled 12 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Byrum Brown was next in line, and his workload was even heavier in volume than the stat line suggests: 21 carries for 27 yards and a touchdown. After those two, the rest of the backfield barely registered.
Omar Mabson, who entered the game as RB2, finished with five carries for 19 yards. Bryson Washington, the Baylor transfer who was competing for Mabson’s spot, got only one carry and picked up seven yards.
The most efficient runner Auburn had wasn’t even listed on the offensive depth chart before the game. Bryce Cain took one carry on a double-reverse and turned it into 25 yards, the longest run and best average on the team.
Now the Tigers get a chance to clean things up against Southern Mississippi, a matchup that should give Auburn some room to sort out the rotation and get a better handle on the rushing attack. That matters because the next one is already coming into view: Florida, the week after, is starting to loom large.
In Other News...
Bryce Cain Is Forcing His Way Into Auburns Plans
Bryce Cain has gone from a name on the depth chart to someone Auburns staff is actively trying to get on the field more often. Head coach Alex Golesh said the Tigers plan to keep folding Cain into the game plan after a recent explosive play, and he pointed to the way Cain has handled special teams as part of the reason the coaches are taking a harder look at his role.
For a team still sorting out where its best pieces fit, that kind of production tends to travel. Cain has clearly done enough to earn more opportunities, and Auburn is now working through how to create them in the offense without losing what he already brings on special teams. The next step is less about whether he belongs in the mix and more about how quickly the Tigers can turn that into a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Injury Picture Up Front Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Auburns front was a major concern coming out of the season opener against Baylor, when four trench players went down and left the Tigers waiting on clarity during the early part of the week. Alex Golesh has now provided a much better read on the group, and it points to a healthier rotation heading into the matchup with Southern Mississippi, with the staff getting encouraging signs on both sides of the line.
Cole Skinner and Jacob Strand are expected to be available, and edge rusher Chris Murray is already confirmed healthy, which gives Auburn a stronger baseline up front than it had a few days ago. DaShawn Womack is still working through a lower-body injury and remains day-to-day, though there is at least a chance he could return to practice later in the week, leaving one final question for a unit that suddenly looks far less depleted. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Golesh Sent Auburn Fans An Early Message After Ugly Win
Alex Golesh spent the day after Auburns 17-16 win over Baylor putting the focus on the problems behind it, not the relief of escaping with a victory. The Auburn coach took responsibility for the offensive mistakes, including three interceptions from quarterback Byrum Brown, and said the standard has to be the same for him and the players. In a game that still counted as a win, Golesh made it clear the performance on that side of the ball was not close to where it needs to be.
Golesh pointed to the offenses lack of rhythm as a major issue and stressed that Auburn has to do a better job protecting the quarterback and running the football. It was an early message, but an important one, because ugly wins can hide problems only so long in a season. For Auburn, the concern is not just cleaning up turnovers, but making sure the offense finds something steadier before the next tight game forces the same questions again. [Read more 🡒]