When Gus Malzahn and Herb Hand were co-offensive coordinators at Tulsa from 2007-08, they helped the Golden Hurricane go 21-7 while averaging 557 yards and 44 points per game as the top-ranked offense in college football over those two years.

The two went their separate ways after the 2008 season, but these days, Hand – Auburn’s new offensive line coach – has to answer to Malzahn, his new boss.

The question is, can this reunion get Auburn’s offense back on track? To begin to answer that, let’s take a look at what they had at their disposal at Tulsa.

When they worked together the first time, Malzahn called the plays while Hand coached the offensive line. The most impressive thing about their two-year stint with the Golden Hurricane is that Tulsa racked up its impressive numbers with two different quarterbacks.

In 2007, Paul Smith completed 327-of-544 passes for 5,065 yards, 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. A year later, David Johnson was nearly as prolific with 258 completions in 400 attempts for 4,059 yards, 46 TDs and 18 INTs.

One constant over those two seasons was running back Tarrion Adams, who totaled nearly 2,800 rushing yards. He had 466 carries over 2007-08, so yes, he was the Golden Hurricane’s workhorse back.

Three years ago, Auburn executed Malzahn’s hurry up, no huddle offense — the same attack he used at Tulsa — so well the Tigers were able to reach the BCS National Championship Game. Here’s a look at the personnel he and Hand will be coaching this season.

Offensive line

The good news for Hand is that he inherits an O-line with three returning starters. Alex Kozan and Braden Smith make up the best pair of guards in the SEC, and Austin Golson started 11 games at center a year ago.

The rest of the line features some moving parts. Xavier Dampeer, who has been mostly a reserve over the last two seasons, looks to have the inside track at Golson’s starting center spot. Golson, meanwhile, has moved over to left tackle, while Robert Leff will apparently man the right side.

It obviously remains to be seen how this quintet will jell under Hand’s tutelage. But he does have 26 years of experience as a college football assistant, including his last two stops at Vanderbilt and Penn State.

Running backs

Peyton Barber led Auburn with 1,017 rushing yards last season, but he’s moved on to the NFL. Roc Thomas, who rushed for 261 yards in 2015, transferred to Jacksonville State.

Jovon Robinson, the leading candidate to replace Barber as the Tigers’ primary running back, has been dismissed from the team. All of these departures prompt a key question: does Auburn currently have a 200-carry back on its roster?

Kerryon Johnson has flashed the potential to be one, but he might not have the size. The 6-foot, 211-pounder rushed 52 times last season for 208 yards and 3 TDs.

Other possible options include Johnson’s high school teammate Malik Miller and Kameron Martin, a four-star member of Auburn’s latest recruiting class. The Tigers’ lack of depth at this position could be a major issue for Hand and running backs coach Tim Horton.

Wide receivers

How about this for a little perspective? During the Malzahn-Hand years at Tulsa, 14 Golden Hurricane players caught at least 20 passes, and four of them had at least 1,000 receiving yards.

In 2015, only three Auburn wideouts — Ricardo Louis, Marcus Davis and Melvin Ray — made at least 20 catches, and only Davis returns. Plus, the Tigers have had only two 1,000-yard receivers in their history: Ronney Daniels, who had a school-record 1,068 yards in 1999, and Terry Beasley, who had 1,051 in 1970.

Tony Stevens and Jason Smith are expected to join Davis as Auburn’s starting wide receivers this season. But their production depends upon who will throw them the football, and Malzahn has finally picked the Tigers’ starting QB.

Quarterbacks

Sean White, the redshirt sophomore who appeared in seven games last season after replacing Jeremy Johnson, will take the opening day snaps on Sept. 3 when Auburn takes on Clemson at home. He beat out Johnson and JUCO recruit John Franklin III for the job after completing 83-of-143 passes for 1,166 yards, 1 TD and 4 INTs a season ago.

White’s one touchdown pass is somewhat alarming, and so is his lack of mobility: He gained just 35 yards on 30 carries a year ago. In 2007, Tulsa’s Smith rushed for 13 TDs but ran for only 119 yards on 105 attempts.

A year later, Johnson ran 92 times for 186 yards and 3 TDs, so Malzahn and Hand apparently didn’t need a dual-threat QB to successfully run their Tulsa offense. It’s somewhat interesting that Malzahn went with White despite the fact that Franklin is a dual threat.

Considering White’s lack of mobility, maybe Malzahn and Hand can come up with some wrinkles. If for some reason they don’t view Kerryon Johnson as an every-down back, perhaps they can give him some snaps as a Wildcat QB.

In any event, Auburn’s starting offense is finally in place. But more than 7,000 total yards, including at least 4,000 in the air, are unreasonable expectations for this year’s Tigers.

However, starting with how he molds the offensive line, Hand just might be the wild card Malzahn and Auburn need to snap out of their recent offensive funk. Without a doubt, Malzahn is counting on 2016 to resemble his days with Hand at Tulsa, at least a little.