No Sean White? No problem for the Auburn Tigers.

In Auburn’s finest game of the year, Jeremy Johnson came back as the starting quarterback to lead the Tigers to a big win on the road at Texas A&M. And while the offense did enough to earn a victory, it was the Auburn defense that looked as though it has finally evolved into the unit it was supposed to be.

Here is an analysis of Auburn’s 26-10 victory over Texas A&M:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • Quick and fresh equals offensive success: The first two Auburn drives of the game were a thing of beauty. They contained an even mix of runs and quick bubble screens, ensuring that Johnson got the ball out quick enough to avoid Myles Garrett and the Aggies’ pass rush. Most importantly, Johnson pushed an up-tempo pace and it kept the Aggies defense on its toes, sometimes barely able to get lined up correctly before the ball was snapped.
  • Red zone woes better, but not gone: After scoring touchdowns on the first two drives, Auburn did not score another one even though it was in the red zone four more times in the second half. It might have been the Aggies defense finally stiffening up, but it also could have been the Tigers’ return to a more traditional offensive scheme at crunch time, with runs on first and second down and then a pass on third. Either way, Auburn had to settle for four field goals.
  • Robinson leads the way: Jovon Robinson raced into the spotlight last week and cemented his place on the Auburn football team this week, performing so well that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook even shouted him out for the win:


    Jovon Robinson hit over 100 yards before the half was over and never looked back, delighting Tiger fans with his ability to lower his shoulder against mutliple defenders and still push for extra yardage. While Malzahn made the mistake of not using Robinson enough last week, especially in the red zone, he may have started using Robinson a little too much against Texas A&M, particularly in the second half when we saw Robinson running on first, second, and third down. He had 27 carries for 159 yards.

  • The defense is back in shape: Last Saturday, Auburn’s defense contained Ole Miss for a half. This Saturday, Auburn’s defense corralled Texas A&M all the way to the end, holding the Aggies to 303 yards, the fewest yards allowed by the Tigers all season. True to what Will Muschamp wanted, Auburn’s defense forced freshman Kyler Murray to play as a traditional quarterback, leading to three interceptions.
  • Bowl game is back in the conversation: With the win, Auburn is now 5-4 and one win away from becoming bowl eligible. The remaining SEC teams on the schedule, Georgia and Alabama, are tough but Auburn does have one more nonconference game against 3-6 Idaho. That should be the Tigers’ ticket into the postseason.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (B-plus) – Auburn’s offense started the game at an A-plus pace, but the level of dynamic playcalling and tempo receded as the game progressed. Auburn’s performance in the red zone during the second half, settling for four field goals, also hurts their grade.

Defense: (A-minus) – The defense targeted Texas A&M’s weakness and exploited it at a high level. Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams, Cassanova McKinzy and a slew of others forced turnovers and punts. Auburn’s secondary also provided quality coverage downfield. The only thing that kept a perfect grade away were several penalties late in the game that kept the Aggies hanging around.  Lawson and Trey Williams were called for facemasks, and Stephen Roberts was called for pass interference. Knowing a win is on the way is no excuse for sloppy execution.

Special teams: (A) – A subplot of this matchup was the battle between the special teams, two of the best units in the league. It showed. Daniel Carlson was perfect, hitting four of four field goals with a long of 35 yards, and none of punter Kevin Phillips’ kicked were returned, taking away a dangerous part of A&M’s game.

Coaching: (A-minus) – On both sides of the ball, Auburn’s coaches well were prepared to attack A&M the best way possible, and the Tigers executed that plan well. While the playcalling on offense got a bit stale in the second half, Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee still sprinkled some trickery into the mix when they had freshman WR Ryan Davis crouch behind the offensive line and then take a handoff and explode out for a 28-yard run. The play is worth a look.

Overall: (A-minus) – Auburn played its most complete game of the season, no question about it, and it provides some hope that this season can end well. Georgia appears to be a winnable game now and at the very least, Idaho should be a pushover to punch that bowl-game ticket. Alabama in the final? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

GAME PLAN

Knowing that Sean White would be unavailable at quarterback, Malzahn planned for a quick and versatile offensive attack with Johnson at the helm. Similar to last week’s game, Malzahn did a good job of spreading the ball around.

On defense, Muschamp drilled into his squad one major tenet, one that he was yelling from the sideline: “Make him play quarterback!” Him refers to freshman Kyler Murray, and Auburn’s defense was successful at forcing him to use his arm during crucial down plays, a tactic that paid off with three interceptions. Murray, who thrashed South Carolina for 156 yards on the ground last week, gained only 37 yards on eight carries Saturday night against Auburn.

GAME BALLS

  • RB Jovon Robinson: He finished the game as Auburn’s leading rusher, with 27 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown.
  • QB Jeremy Johnson: Never thought we’d see him back in this section again, right? Johnson deserves some credit for propelling the offense down the field, and his stats show he was smart and safe with the football. He was 13 of 17 for 132 yards and one touchdown. Most important? No turnovers, no interceptions.
  • DB Carlton Davis: Only in his freshman year, Davis has become someone to watch in future seasons. He made the first big defensive play of the game by picking off Murray on a deep ball near the end zone. He has three interceptions on the year.

INJURY REPORT

  • QB Sean White was questionable with a left knee injury, and did not practice during the week. White was held out of the game  after a shaky pregame warmup.
  • DB Jeremiah Dinson left the game on a cart towards the end of the third quarter after a big hit from Texas A&M WR Ricky Seals-Jones. Originally ruled on the field as a targeting penalty, officials later overturned the call. The injury appears to be related to Dinson’s leg, and Malzahn stated after the game that it didn’t look good.