Sloppy But Successful: Auburn vs Kansas State Review
Sep 18, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver D’haquille Williams (1) makes a catch against Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Danzel McDaniel (7) during a 20-14 Tigers win at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
1. Receiving Corps
The Auburn receiving corps gained a weapon this season with the addition of D’haquille “Duke” Williams. With Williams and Sammie Coates on opposite sides, the Auburn offense has the potential to make big things happen. The key word to remember here is “potential.”
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This easily was the worst group on the field for the Tigers versus Kansas State. The Auburn receivers went 17-for-31 against the Wildcats. As mentioned before, Nick Marshall started slow in the game, but this does not account for dropped passes. Coates, Williams, and Ricardo Louis all had their share of drops against the Wildcats. The receiving corps and the rest of the offense picked up after the first half.
As the season continues, Gus Malzahn will address these issues and continue to work on the Tigers tempo. These are big issues that have the potential to hurt the team when in SEC play.
As for Kansas State, they played Auburn tough and missed their share of opportunities. The Wildcats missed three field goals, which would have made Auburn travel home with a loss. Ultimately Auburn nearly beat themselves with mistakes and we will hopefully see improvement throughout the season.
I like the Tigers’ odds against Louisiana Tech, but LSU in the following week is a different story. If Auburn plays with these issues they could be in a world of hurt.