After being drubbed 45-21 on the road in Death Valley against the eighth-ranked LSU Tigers, the Auburn Tigers have been forced to make some major changes in order to salvage their season in arguably the best sub-conference in college football.
Junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson had a very shaky first game as a Tiger playing against a scrappy Louisville Cardinal team, only completing 11-21 passing with three interceptions. Things didn’t get much better for the gunslinger as Auburn survived an overtime scare at Jordan-Hare Stadium against FCS opponent Jacksonville State. Now, after what happened to the Tigers in Baton Rouge, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced at his press conference on Tuesday that Auburn would be going a different direction at quarterback.
Malzahn announced at his press conference that the Tigers will be giving redshirt freshman Sean White the chance to help turn this Auburn Tiger team around offensively.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Ft. Lauderdale native, in 2013, White was the second ranked pocket-passing quarterback prospect out of high school according to ESPN, and he seem to fall in Auburn’s lap for the taking. After flying under the radar, White received an invitation to the Under Armour All-American game, where he received the Offensive Most Valuable Player Award.
White hasn’t played a college snap in his life, but this might be the best option for the Tigers in the long-run.
White shows the accuracy that you want in a quarterback, and he has the strength to heave the ball downfield. However, Auburn could struggle adjusting to White’s lack of mobility. As everyone knows, the Tigers are a fast-paced offense that is known for establishing a run game, and utilizing a dual-threat quarterback. With White, they won’t be able to do so, but they will be able to stretch the field with White’s big arm.
If the Auburn offensive line can hold the pocket, and give White enough time to dish the ball off to the receiver, this Auburn team will have success. But they will also need to show teams that they can effectively run the ball, which is something they have not been able to do in their first three games.
The Tigers face a tough matchup this weekend, as they play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. If the Tigers are able to pull off a big win at home against the Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs, and show some sort of offensive consistency with White at quarterback, this Auburn Tigers team may be able to grow off of this performance and make a run for the SEC West title.