AUBURN, Ala. – Gus Malzahn is back calling plays for Auburn this year, and based on Saturday's 56-23 win over Mississippi State where the Tigers racked up eight touchdowns and nearly 600 yards of offense, that's bad news for the rest of the SEC.
Malzahn seemed to dial up the right call time after time Saturday, beginning with his very first call – a run that went 30 yards for a touchdown on Auburn's first offensive snap.
"We did a really good job setting them up," Auburn quarterback Bo Nix said. "Coach Malzahn knew that we were going to get that specific look, and we've been talking all week how the first one could hit for a big play. Sure enough, we got the ball in a really good spot, and the first one went for a touchdown."
Give credit where credit's due. It was a 3-and-out by the Auburn defense and a solid punt return from Christian Tutt that put the offense in such good field position to begin with.
From there, it was all about the play call and the execution.
The play call was vintage Malzahn. The Tigers lined up with three wide receivers out wide to the left, Spencer Nigh on the left side of the line of scrimmage and running back JaTarvious Whitlow to the left of Nix in the backfield. With everybody lined up to the left, it only made sense to run to the right – away from the defense.
As for the execution, it started up front. Jack Driscoll and Mike Horton sealed the right side with a double team, and then both Prince Tega Wanogho and Marquel Harrell pulled from the left side to the right side to clear a path for Whitlow.
"It's one of those things where we are loading up one side of the field, and if we get the right look and ultimately me and Mike or Quel and Tega do a good job (pulling), that just takes two more defenders out of the picture," Driscoll said. "It's one less guy (Whitlow) or whoever the running back is has to make miss. It's a great scheme. We just have to keep it up."
Once Whitlow got to the second level, all he had to do was make one guy miss and then it was a footrace to the front corner of the end zone – a footrace he won.
The biggest contact on the play wasn't a shot Whitlow took but rather one he delivered incidentally. Just as the sophomore running back was crossing the goal line, he took a shove from one of the Mississippi State defenders that sent him flying into the opposite sideline where he slid into Jak, the Mississippi State bulldog.
"The dog took a big shot," Driscoll said. "(Whitlow) was moving when he got hit."
Per the university, Jak was OK and will make a full recovery.
As for Auburn, this wasn't the first time the offense had scored on its first offensive play under Malzahn. The Tigers did it in 2016 when Eli Stove took a jet sweep 78 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas, a game in which they also went on to score 56 points.
"It's confidence," Auburn wide receiver Sal Cannella said. "It gives the whole team confidence that's it's going to be a good game."
"For this offense to score early, especially on the first play with a freshman quarterback, it's huge," added Driscoll. "It's something that if we can keep doing going forward, the sky is the limit."