Why did Gus insist on running the ball last night? Jarrett Stidham is a very good passer and our secondary is not the best, by any means. Auburn could have done better by challenging our secondary, yet they never stopped trying to run. If we had not had a special teams meltdown…it might have been a ballgame.
I don’t think they are using Stidham to their best advantage. He is an NFL prospect stuck in a running game system, in my view.
I am just surprised Auburn didn’t exploit our poor secondary play.
It was like a spring game for Gus, he knew the game was over in the first quarter and wanted to work on his running game with an O-line that is not vintage for Auburn right now.
It’s my opinion that you need to give the Arkansas defense credit.
Stidham was 15-of-22 for 134 yards while being sacked four times and pressure many early.
At least three of his misses were due to pressure.
He also had two incomplete passes that were wiped out due to offensive penalties.
It wasn’t a let up as he threw 14 passes in quarters two and three.
Auburn called 26 passes and had 36 runs - similar to what they have done this season - 170 runs, 100 passes.
If Coach Malzahn thought he could have got more done vertical, I’m sure he would have.
By the way, it was 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and Auburn did not score again until there was 49 seconds left before half so I don’t think he thought it was over at the end of the first quarter.
Auburn took some shots downfield that Stidham overthrew. I can’t remember where in that game it happened, but he had a receiver well behind the secondary, but he threw the ball five yards over his head in the end zone.
Why did Gus insist on running the ball last night? Jarrett Stidham is a very good passer and our secondary is not the best, by any means. Auburn could have done better by challenging our secondary, yet they never stopped trying to run. If we had not had a special teams meltdown…it might have been a ballgame.
I don’t think they are using Stidham to their best advantage. He is an NFL prospect stuck in a running game system, in my view.
I am just surprised Auburn didn’t exploit our poor secondary play.
[/quote]You answered your own question. He is QB in a running system. Gus has always preferred to run the football. He just does it in a system that spreads you out and makes you worry about the pass and then he runs it. But our defense handled their offense quite well. Had they not started their five scoring drives at our 25 on average (not counting the kickoff return) because of our poor special teams, it might truly have been a game.
I think the main reason was he was concerned about protection… We were getting pressure on him and I think he was concerned that we would cause a turnover