AU FOOTBALL: Offense struggles as McCalebb fights through pain

The zip has been gone, and with it, so has a major component of the Auburn offense.

Tailback Onterio McCalebb has been playing through pain. He injured his ankle on a fake punt attempt against Ball State in September and reinjured it on a kick return against Arkansas. His production, aside from two dynamic kick returns against Tennessee, has been minimal since a breakout first few weeks of the season.

McCalebb’s appearances on the field have dropped and, even when he’s on the field, the attention directed his way has significantly decreased.

“We try to use him during the game some, and he tries to make a cut,” coach Gene Chizik said. “It’s just tough on him.”

In Auburn’s past three losses, McCalebb has 16 carries for 48 yards and just one catch for 2 yards. It’s a far cry from the beginning of the season, when, after McCalebb piled up back-to-back 100-yard rushing games to start his Auburn career, fans, reporters and opposing coaches heralded the soft-spoken 20-year-old from Fort Meade, Fla., as the “lightning” to Ben Tate’s “thunder.”

Chizik was quick to caution those who built up McCalebb as the next best thing, saying he’ll come to a verdict after he proves he can do it after seven or eight games.

Unfortunately for Auburn fans, his somewhat startling lack of praise was more than just conjecture. 

McCalebb came to the Tigers known for his speed and, aside from a minor hamstring injury that kept him out of one high school game, has never had anything get in the way of him running by would-be tacklers.

When he walks in street clothes, the limp isn’t even noticeable. On the field, though, McCalebb said he’s had a tough time running and cutting to the left, which has prevented him from getting that trademark burst.

The hurdles go beyond a physical nature; it’s become a mental challenge.

“It kind of gets in my head and makes me mad because I’m trying to get out there and do what I got to do to help the team win,” McCalebb said. “Sometimes it brings me down that I’m hurt and not on the field.”

When he’s made it to the field, McCalebb has attracted significantly less attention from linebackers and safeties, who were forced to acknowledge his presence during the first month of the season. One juke, or a brief pause and McCalebb would have no trouble dashing down the sidelines play after play without that attention.

Now that he’s without a spy buddy, the pressure has been amplified on Chris Todd to make throws downfield, which, so far, he’s proven unable to do. After completing 20 passes for 20 or more yards in Auburn’s five wins to start the season, Todd has connected on just three for that distance, none coming Saturday at LSU.

“That’s where it does matter,” Chizik said. “That’s something that I think is taking a little away from what we do.”

The Wildcat formation, where McCalebb plays a key role, has also floundered during that same period.

McCalebb usually serves as the motion man in the formation and has often taken handoffs from Wildcat triggerman Kodi Burns, while moving from one side of the line of scrimmage to the other. Those handoffs, of course, have significantly decreased, and, in turn, so has Burns’ production.

Burns carried the ball six times for 17 yards — 8 coming on one attempt — Saturday against LSU. He’s yet to score a touchdown since the second week of the season and, when the formation has been rolled out recently, defenses have appeared keen on what’s about to happen.

McCalebb has also been taken off kickoff-return duties since he tweaked the injury against the Hogs. His back-to-back returns of 39 and 52 yards in the fourth quarter against Tennessee still serve as the Tigers’ two longest of the season.

McCalebb said he wasn’t able to get much treatment on the ankle heading into the LSU game because of a tough week of classes, but vowed he’d be back at full strength Saturday against Ole Miss.

“I should be ready to roll,” he said.

| 737-2561