AU FOOTBALL: Malzahn: Offense lives on adjustments

It’s not as if Gus Malzahn’s offense is brand new to the college football world.

Malzahn has been in the game since 2006, when he arrived at Arkansas as the out-of-nowhere “high school guy.” He put up big numbers there, at Tulsa and now at Auburn.

But after six games in 2009, and directly following the Tigers’ worst offensive performance of the season, is it possible that the book is out on Malzahn’s fast-paced, run-heavy, spread-the-field offense?

That’s a yes and no question, Malzahn said.

“You have to give your guys the best chance of being as successful as possible in doing what you’re good at,” Malzahn said. “You’ve got to keep defenses guessing.”

Malzahn’s offense is based around adapting to the personnel on hand and adapting game-by-game on what opposing defenses are allowing. Within the course of a game, it becomes an adapt-on-the-fly system that has started slow before pouncing and pounding away at a defense’s most vulnerable area.

What’s raised a few eyebrows, though, is how long it took the Tigers to get clicking against an Arkansas defense that came into last week’s game at the bottom of the conference in most defensive categories.

The Razorbacks limited the Tigers to just 29 first-quarter yards and 108 for the half while allowing just a field goal. Nothing was working through the air and the few times Auburn ran the ball, holes were few and far between.

Afterward, Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson told reporters that he picked up on tendencies he saw from Malzahn’s offense at Tulsa in the teams’ 2008 meeting, which allowed him to stifle the attack. Only in the third quarter, when the Tigers rolled up 248 yards of offense — most of them coming on the ground — and put up 20 points, did Robinson say he saw a different look from Malzahn.

Malzahn defended the play-calling, as he said the Tigers were their own worst enemy in the first half.

“At every halftime, you evaluate the first half and you see how they’re playing you, what they’re taking away, what they’re giving you and we were able to do that in the third quarter,” Malzahn said. “Overall, we were just sloppy and that’s my responsibility. I’ve got to make sure that our guys are focused, I’ve got to make sure that our guys are ready to play and we protect that football. That’s the No. 1 thing.”

A few adjustments have been noticeable over the past three games.

Since Wildcat triggerman Kodi Burns left the Ball State game with a bruised quadriceps, the Tigers have run just 11 plays out of the formation. He’s completed just one of four passes and ran the ball seven times for 23 yards after picking up 65 rushing yards and a combined five touchdowns over the first three games.

Malzahn and coach Gene Chizik said some of the reasoning has had to do with what defenses are allowing, but other factors have played a part.

“It’s part of what we do. When we do it isn’t necessarily just what we’re going to do in a game,” Chizik said. “There are certain variables that have not allowed us to be in that situation in the last few games, but we’ve got it and will certainly get back to it.”

Auburn’s wide receivers, particularly Darvin Adams, have had a tougher time getting open, also.

Adams and Terrell Zachery have combined for nine catches, 106 yards and just one touchdown over the past two games. They had combined for 527 yards and six touchdowns over the first four games.

Adams said he’s noticed the perked-up attention he’s received from defenders, particularly safeties, and has even seen a few double-teams.

“Sometimes when you get a double-team or you’re covered well and you can’t get the ball, sometimes it gets you upset,” Adams said. “But sometimes it does help out your teammates to get more catches and helps out your offense. By them focusing on one player, we got too many options on our offense.”

The only problem is the Tigers have yet to have a third wide receiver emerge. Behind Adams and Zachery, the next-best true wide receiver has been walk-on Jay Wisner, who has three catches for 56 yards.

“The longer you go the more you have to have a third guy or even a fourth guy,” Malzahn said. “Some guys to get involved and take some pressure off our main guys. We’re working hard to do that and we’re hoping we have some guys in the wings that can do that.”

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