Alabama staff previews matchup with Auburn offense

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As Alabama and Auburn enter this year’s Iron Bowl, the two teams are trending in opposite directions.

Though Alabama is 8-3, the Crimson Tide is coming off an embarrassing 24-3 loss to Oklahoma last weekend that ended its SEC title hopes and put its College Football Playoff chances on life support. Auburn, while just 5-6 on the season, is coming off a huge win over then-No. 15 Texas A&M where the Tigers’ offense scored 43 points and played some of its best football of the season.

During his Monday press conference, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack previewed the matchup with the Auburn offense, and the challenges it presents.

“Very impressed with Auburn and the way they’re playing right now,” Wommack said. “My background — I’ve known Hugh Freeze for a long time and know a number of people on that staff. I think they’ve done a really good job of getting their guys to play at a really physical level, and they’re playing really hard. I thought those things showed up the other night against Texas A&M. Like everyone in the SEC, there’s been some ups and downs. It’s about fighting and finding a way to finish. They’re certainly doing that right now.”

Alabama has struggled against the run a fair number of times this season, and Auburn’s rushing attack is where it’s at its best offensively.

Running back Jarquez Hunter is one of the best runners in the SEC. He’s totaled 1,145 yards and eight touchdowns on the year, going over 100 yards in three of his last four games. Quarterback Payton Thorne has been a threat with his legs as well, with 241 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on the season. In last year’s Iron Bowl, Thorne rushed for 57 yards.

“From a run-game standpoint, they present a number of challenges for you,” Wommack said. “I think Jarquez Hunter is a phenomenal ‘back, as tough of a ‘back as we’ve seen. Creates a lot of yards after contact. Does a really good job of finding ways to stay patient so he can create explosive plays in the run game. You’ve got some one-plus style of offense with the quarterback, and you’ve got guys on the perimeter who can make explosive plays down the field.”

Auburn also has a corps of extremely talented young receivers, including a freshman trio consisting of Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson.

“They have multiple threats that I would consider very difficult. But certainly, high-profile guys. Guys that have really produced for both teams as young athletes here at the college level,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “So [Coleman’s] extremely impressive. He’s made a lot of plays for them this year. And yeah, I mean, you’ve gotta not just focus on him, you’ve gotta focus on the other guys that have had big games. And it’s not just the pass game but it’s also the run game. Their quarterback now, Thorne, has done a nice job adding to that, too, with his legs. A lot of threats. And that’s what you wanna be. You wanna be an offense that has a lot of threats, and they have that.”

Of course, Auburn’s offense comes from the mind of head coach Hugh Freeze, who owns two wins over Alabama that came in back-to-back years from his time at Ole Miss.

Freeze is in the midst of acquiring talent to implement his system at Auburn, and has been praised by Wommack for his ability to adapt to his available personnel.

“Like any good coordinator, he has found ways over the years to adjust to his personnel. I think that’s the challenge for everybody as you move to the end of the season, identifying what you do well as a team but also what wrinkles you have to have,” Wommack said. “You have to constantly be mixing things and changing things in the SEC. I think he’s done a really nice job of that the last couple of weeks. They are committed to running the football, and they’re committed to creating explosive plays in their passing game downfield. So those are the things I think would be a staple of who he’s been over the years. He’s done that a number of different ways and a number of different facets with different quarterbacks. Different offensive skill players.

“But ultimately, I think they do a great job of finding ways to establish a run and then using that run game to create explosive plays downfield in the play action game as well. RPOs are certainly a piece of what they do. It always has been. They make you defend the lateral space out of their run game as well. 

“We’ll have our work cut out for us. Looking forward to the challenge and excited to go play in a great rivalry game.”