Franklin wants more from Fannin

Before the season started, Auburn’s coaches looked at Mario Fannin and saw nothing but possibility.

Fannin, who moved from running back to wide receiver before the start of preseason practice, appeared destined for a multi-faceted role.

Four days before the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe, head coach Tommy Tuberville told reporters that Fannin “will play several positions during the season.”

That was then. Now, the plans have changed.

Fannin lined up at several different positions against Louisiana-Monroe — at inside receiver, outside receiver and in the backfield. He touched the ball three times: Two rushes — one on an end-around — and one reception.

Those touches resulted in a grand total of 21 yards and one highlight: A 19-yard run in the third quarter which set up AU’s first offensive touchdown.

In the eyes of offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, that wasn’t nearly enough. Franklin was far from satisfied with Fannin’s performance, and he wasted no time letting the sophomore know.

“Mario has just got to get better,” Franklin said Sunday, after watching film of the Louisiana-Monroe game. “He’s got to do a better job for us. He’s got to practice better.”

The key, according to Franklin, isn’t necessarily for Fannin to be more effective when he has the ball. It’s for him to make the most of plays when he isn’t the primary target.

“He’s not very good without the ball right now,” Franklin said. “We have to coach him better without the ball, he’s got to play better without the ball and he’s got to show us he can be a good football player when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.

“Everybody knows he’s good when he has it in his hands, but we can’t put him in just to give him the ball. He’s going to have to do the other stuff, too, and he hasn’t done that.”

Fannin — Auburn’s third-leading rusher last season — admitted he was surprised when he first heard Franklin’s reaction.

“I felt like I had a good game,” Fannin said. “It’s always when you think you had a good game, there’s something you’ve done wrong. He basically brought it to my attention and challenged me.”

But he got the message. This week, he’s focusing on improving himself at his new position.

“If I want more snaps, I have to get better at the small things,” he said. “He knows what I can do with the ball, now he wants to see what I can do without the ball.”

To help that process, Auburn’s coaches are streamlining Fannin’s role. The plans to frustrate defenses by playing him at multiple positions are on hold. His new focus is being the best receiver he can be.

This week, he’s listed as the third-teamer at the “X” receiver position. But that doesn’t mean his role has diminished. It’s just different.

“We’ve cut back on all he’s going to do,” Tuberville said. “We’d like him to play 40-50 plays and not move him around to so many different positions where everything is different.”

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