Should Auburn Fans Be Concerned About the Tigers’ Rushing Against Baylor?

After Hugh Freeze’s tenure, in which it felt like the Auburn Tigers never seemed to rush the ball effectively when it mattered, Alex Golesh’s opening message of ‘run the piss out of the ball’ was a welcome sight for the Auburn faithful.

However, the Tigers struggled to effectively rush the ball against Baylor on Saturday night, raising the question: should Tiger fans be concerned? Let’s break it down.

Auburn managed to accumulate 130 yards of total rushing throughout the game, led by Jeremiah Cobb, who carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. From there, it went to quarterback Byrum Brown, who carried the ball 21 times for 27 total yards and a touchdown, averaging 1.3 yards per carry.

Omar Mabson II also found a few reps, though likely not as many as most Tiger fans expected, especially given Golesh’s apparent philosophy of rotating his top two running backs from drive to drive. That did not happen too much throughout the game, as Mabson only carried the ball five times for a total of 19 yards.

Bryson Washington, the Baylor transfer, only carried the ball once for seven yards against his former team, and though there were some concerns about his physical health earlier this month, many expected Washington to see more than just a lone carry.

Bryce Cain, who did not appear on the offensive depth chart ahead of the game, also carried the ball once on a double-reverse play that netted 25 yards, though he did not log another carry or reception on offense. So, why did the Tigers, as a team, average just 3.2 yards per carry?

It starts with the offensive line, which struggled to create gaps for the rushing attack throughout the game. Cobb, Mabson and Brown certainly ran hard throughout the game, but they found themselves colliding with their own linemen on multiple occasions as they tried to squeeze small gaps.

The offensive line has been a point of concern for the Tigers since Golesh was hired, though they will almost certainly improve over the course of the year. After all, Golesh rotated three different players at each of the two guard spots, so the final starting five in the trenches is seemingly still up in the air.

So, though the Tigers struggled to rush the ball against Baylor, I expect the group as a whole–both the backs and the offensive line–to improve significantly throughout the season. The Tigers’ Southern Mississippi matchup next week should prove to be a valuable tune-up for the Tigers’ entire offense, though if things stall there, it may be time to get a little concerned.

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