Tommy Tuberville figured he could continue winning around six conference games per season with his usual consistency, occasionally play in Atlanta for the SEC title and spend New Year’s at a bowl game. He could keep running the moribund two-back set, use a conservative game plan to keep the opponent’s offense off the field and win at the end, like Auburn did against Florida last year.
Sure, every season, a team like Georgia or LSU would score too quickly for the Tigers to keep pace. But with the fourth-most wins, 42, in the country over the last four seasons, few Auburn fans could demand a change.
Tuberville, who will turn 54 two days before Auburn plays LSU, did demand change. The degree of difficulty in the SEC was rising. And the flaw in Tuberville’s system was becoming more obvious and glaring every season.
It was not the defense. Auburn’s national ranking in scoring defense since 2003: ninth, first, sixth, seventh, sixth. The running game, with Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Kenny Irons handling the ball, was certainly not the problem.
But the passing game, under offensive coordinator Al Borges and quarterback Brandon Cox, was gradually getting worse. Cox threw 15 touchdown passes in 2005, 14 the following year and just nine last season. His interception total rose every year, from eight to nine to 13. Last year, Auburn averaged a meek 11.1 yards per completion.
“I was just looking for a way to help this football team score a few more points on average,” Tuberville said.
Tuberville hired Tony Franklin from Troy, which scored 34 against Georgia, 31 vs. Florida and 26 against Arkansas last season, to install his version of the spread. The faster-paced game will certainly allow opponents to run more plays. But if the Tigers add a few more points on average, like Tuberville said, they could soon get their delayed trip — now four years and counting — to the national title game.
And this is a typical Auburn defense: fast, smaller, a nightmare for offensive tackles and perfect for Tuberville’s scheme, not necessarily in the recruiting rankings.
Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks was a two-star, unranked prospect. Now, he’s a potential first-round draft pick if he leaves early. Defensive end Antonio Coleman was rated three stars and also unranked at his position. He recorded 14.5 tackles for loss in the last nine games of 2007.
At middle linebacker is Tray Blackmon, finally healthy, out of trouble and ready to match the expectations he received as a five-star prospect.
“If he can get a full year under his belt, we’ll probably be national champions, to tell you the truth,” Coleman said. “He’s the best middle linebacker I’ve ever seen.”
The new coordinator for the defense is former Pitt assistant Paul Rhoads, who replaces the popular Will Muschamp. But the players, who said last year they enjoyed Muschamp’s animation, said Rhoads isn’t exactly dull.
“It’s a lot different than last year, but there’s still a lot of intensity,” Marks said. “There’s more coaching on the field. He’ll stop practice to come out there and coach.”
There won’t be much stopping during the game for Auburn’s defense, not with the offense in hurry-up mode. Tuberville isn’t planning to keep the game close and rely on his defense. He’s planning to accomplish a little bit more than six SEC wins and a bowl game on New Year’s Day.
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