Jimbo Fisher breaks down challenges in Auburn's running game

During his coach’s show this week, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher previewed the dangerous matchup the Aggie defense faces vs. Auburn’s run game.

The Tigers struck oil with quarterback Payton Thorne as a runner in the recent win over Samford. The Michigan State import wasn’t much of a threat on the ground in the first couple games of the year but exploded in game No. 3. Thorne set season-highs in passing as well with 282 yards and a touchdown while running for 123 yards and two more TDs on just 11 carries.

With Thorne and backup dual-threat QB Robby Ashford, Auburn always has a running threat under center, per Fisher.

“You know, I tell you what, you don’t realize how much they get out of their quarterbacks,” remarked during the coach’s show. “Their tailbacks are getting a lot of it, but their quarterback Ashford is — when they put him in, they have a special package. And last week, the starter to kid from Michigan State (Payton Thorne) ran for 123 yards as a quarterback.”

Beyond just having quarterbacks who can break free on the ground, Jimbo Fisher credited Auburn for its variety of play designs in the run game. “There’s some zone runs, but there’s some designed runs, some speed runs on the edges.”

He specifically pointed out how impactful designed QB runs can be since an extra blocker is added to the equation.

“Then when Ashford’s in there, they have a lot of designed runs that are very hard. Because when you run the quarterback, you get up a guy, your numbers change. You don’t realize, when the quarterback runs the football in designed runs, that means you have a hat for a hat with a ball carrier. Which, in other words, if the offense does what it’s supposed to do, it’s almost impossible to stop.”

On designed QB runs, every other offensive player is blocking when normally the quarterback himself is out of the equation on a handoff. Per Fisher, that means the defenders have to shed blockers to get to the ball carrier.

“Defensively, you got to beat blocks. Because when a back runs it, no matter what they do, you can get an unblocked guy to the point eventually. Now he may have to come from depth and that’s where the RPO game comes in. But the way they do it, it’s very dangerous.”

In review, Auburn’s run game will certainly be tough to contain, says Jimbo Fisher, since they have skilled running backs and dual-threat quarterbacks.

“A lot of their yards, half or more, come from the quarterback, along with very good tailbacks and some speed sweeps. So it’s going to be very challenging,” he added.