5 ways Auburn can climb out of the SEC West cellar in 2016
Auburn fans will relish the chance to put the 2015 season in the rear-view mirror.
Coming into the season with high hopes, and even national championship aspirations, the Tigers fizzed, finishing 7-6 overall and 2-6 in the SEC West, last in the division.
This season is bound to be a better one. Here’s five ways Auburn can improve in 2016:
More consistency at the quarterback position. Expectations were sky high for Jeremy Johnson in 2015, as many Tigers fans hoped he’d be the second coming of Cam Newton. That proved not to be the case, and Sean White also struggled with inconsistency when put into the starting role. At least Johnson finished the season on a high note, scoring two second-half touchdowns to help Auburn whip Memphis, 31-10, in the Birmingham Bowl. With more seasoning, and a battle for a grip on the starting position for the season opener on the line, Auburn should see better quarterback play in 2016.
A stronger running game. Offenses click better when they feature a dual threat from the running and passing games, and Auburn’s running game admittedly seemed to run on flat tires at times in 2015. The good news is that the Tigers have a stable of capable running backs to shoulder the load and give their teammates a breather. Jovon Robinson, Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson will all be back, and the H-back position could contribute more as well.
Coach Gus Malzahn would be wise to lean more on Johnson, who was averaging nearly six yards per carry late in the season but was often underutilized in tight games.
A bolstered defensive line. Auburn will be helped greatly if Carl Lawson can stay healthy this year. The 6-foot-2, 257-pound defensive end missed half of 2015 with a hip injury. Auburn ranked 81st against the run and 104th in sacks last year, but fared much better with Lawson in the lineup. Opponents averaged 4.85 yards per play with Lawson on the field, compared to 5.91 without him.
If Auburn can get solid play out of two of its top defensive recruits – four-star defensive end Marlon Davidson and five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown – it could climb up both the defensive rankings and the SEC West ladder.
The Herb Hand show? After J.B. Grimes left for Cincinnati, Malzahn brought in his old running mate Herb Hand to coach the offensive line. At Tulsa in 2007 and 2008, Malzahn and Hand served as co-offensive coordinators. Tulsa led the country in offense both years, relying primarily on the passing game in 2007 and the rushing game in 2008. Now Hand can hopefully bring that spark and the coaches can recapture that magic they had together nearly a decade ago.
Don’t let the schedule get in their heads. The Tigers open the 2016 schedule against the Clemson Tigers, last year’s national title runner-up and one of the favorites to win it all this season. But here’s the rub: While Auburn is bound to be a big underdog in the game it won’t count a lick toward the SEC West title. So even if the Tigers lose the game they’ll still be 0-0 in conference play going into a very winnable home SEC opener against Texas A&M two weeks later.