Auburn football: Is a two-quarterback system sustainable?

Are there any notable examples of teams with two-quarterback systems finding success? What has Auburn's history been with the issue?

Author:
Daniel Locke
Publish date:
Sep 6, 2023 2:29 PM EDT

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Auburn Tigers

There's an old saying that goes, "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one."

That is not always the case, however. I used a five-quarterback system in my Rutgers dynasty on NCAA Football 14 and won four straight National Championships.

The idea has been successful in the real world as well.

Coaches such as Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer have benefited from it.

Chris Leak was responsible for getting the 2006 National Championship Florida Gators up the field and Tim Tebow would often come in to finish the drive. Tebow would typically pick up yards on the ground. Sound familiar?

There are also examples of similar systems not working out, a few directly involving Auburn.

In 2015, Jeremy Johnson and Sean White shared snaps for the Tigers. Auburn, who was ranked in the top 10 at the beginning of the season, quickly fell off and ended up finishing 7-6 with a victory over Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.

More often than not, teams that run an offense with two quarterbacks end up falling short of the expectations for them.

If an offense does not have a true identity, they tend to struggle.

With that being said, having a mobile quarterback like Robby Ashford to plug into option packages can greatly benefit a quarterback like Payton Thorne who is more of a pocket passer.

Head coach Hugh Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery have a lot at their disposal to put together a productive offense this season.