Auburn vs. Vanderbilt
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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Auburn offense vs. Vanderbilt defense Auburn ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing offense (156.4 ypg) but the Tigers should have a strong rushing performance against Vanderbilt for a number of reasons. First, RB Brad Lester, who missed the Tennessee game with a knee injury, is expected to play in this game. Lester is a strong open-field runner and an effective complement to Ben Tate, who is at his best pounding the ball between the tackles. Rotating the two will allow Auburn to keep both fresh as the game wears on. Second, backup QB Kodi Burns spelled starter Chris Todd last week after sitting on the sidelines the previous two games. Burns is very quick and he can exploit the vertical running seams that offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread defense creates for him. In addition, Auburn lined RB/WR Mario Fannin up at quarterback last week as well, and he is also capable of exploiting those running lanes. Finally, the Commodores are giving up an average of 3.9 yards per carry and they lack elite size along the defensive front. A Tigers offensive line that has been up and down should be able to control the line of scrimmage and create better seams for the ball carriers. Auburn's lack of a consistent passing attack will continue to hurt the ground game, however, as Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Bruce Fowler will almost certainly load up against the run. Making matters worse for the Tigers' backs, 212-pound Vanderbilt SS Reshard Langford is a powerful tackler who is big enough to hold his own when he lines up close to the line of scrimmage. While Burns is a far more effective runner than Todd, he is still learning how to read defenses so he has some problems locating the open man. The Commodores need to keep him in the pocket and force him to make plays with his arm. The opposite will be true when Todd is in the game because he's a traditional pocket passer who Vanderbilt wants to disrupt with an effective pass rush and flush out of the pocket. Commodores DE Steven Stone and DT Greg Billinger have both shown the ability to get to the quarterback this year and Fowler will bring pressure from different areas of the field depending on the situation. But there's reason to be optimistic about the Tigers' ability to keep their quarterbacks upright in this one. For starters, the pass protection has been sound, especially considering both quarterbacks have a tendency to hold the ball too long. Also, Auburn WRs Robert Dunn, Rodgeriqus Smith, Montez Billings and Tommy Trott should be able to get open working against a Vanderbilt pass defense that's giving up more passing yards per game (240.0) than any other team in the SEC. Vandy CB D.J. Moore is a shutdown corner, though, and the Tigers would be wise to avoid testing FS Ryan Hamilton often. Hamilton intercepted three passes against Ole Miss and is emerging as a playmaker. The biggest problem for the Commodores is that behind Moore they just don't have enough depth at corner to match up with Auburn's talented receivers when it spreads the field. |
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