Tank Bigsby is off to about a solid of a start as any Auburn supporter could hope for, and coach Gus Malzahn said the freshman is a physical runner who looks like “an Auburn running back to me.”

Bigsby has 50 carries for 303 yards and one touchdown this season, which puts him at No. 6 in the SEC.

“He’s running with great passion,” Malzahn said at his Tuesday press conference. “That’s a good thing. That kind of fits too, being able to run the football effectively, he’s broken tackles. Our offensive line really took the next step with running the football in some zone and some gap and just keep building upon those things.”

That rushing attack has done well lately while also being short-handed, as Malzahn said D.J. Williams continues to bounce back from injuries, along with Shaun Shivers and Mark-Antony Richards.

“We’re starting to get healthier in the running back room,” Malzahn said. “Shaun Shivers is one of our team leaders, you talk about a guy who had a phenomenal fall camp. Really had a good first half against Kentucky and then got hurt. So that’ll definitely help when he gets back.”

Malzahn also puts a lot of stock in the five offensive linemen playing in the same position Tuesday through Thursday last week.

“We can build upon that, so that’s very encouraging, we just need to do it,” Malzahn said.

About the passing game, Malzahn said Auburn needs balance and the last two weeks rushing for 200 yards is a plus.

“When you’re playing good teams, you’ve got to be able to do both,” he said. “So we’ll continue to strive to get better.”