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Auburn Football vs Arkansas State: 5 Things to Watch for in Game 2

By Jake Mastroianni

Sep 3, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Sean White (13) speaks to his teammates on the field during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Sean White (13) speaks to his teammates on the field during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Kerryon Johnson (21) carries up the field past Clemson Tigers linebacker Ben Boulware (10) during the third quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Kerryon Johnson (21) carries up the field past Clemson Tigers linebacker Ben Boulware (10) during the third quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

Running Back Depth

One of the many head scratching decisions from the Clemson game was the distribution of carries.

Kerryon Johnson got his fair share with 23 carries, which I’m happy with. I would love to see him get 20 carries against Arkansas State this weekend. If he does, I think he eclipses 100 yards.

What I don’t understand, is how none of the other 18 carries actually went to a running back?

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Wide receiver Stanton Truitt got four carries, fullback Chandler Cox got four carries, quarterback Sean White had four carries and quarterback Jeremy Johnson had six carries.

Running backs Kamryn Pettway, Malik Miller and Kam Martin did not receive a single carry in the game!

Remember that fourth down inside the 10 when Jeremy Johnson was at quarterback with an empty backfield and ran the ball up the middle for no gain? A play that everyone in the world knew was coming.

Why not have your bruising, 240 pound tailback try and ram it up the middle?

It still would have been an obvious play choice, but at least you have an actual running back carrying the ball with some lead blockers.

I can understand to a certain extent why Miller and Martin didn’t receive any carries.

However, I would expect both of them to get some touches against Arkansas State. In fact, it’s very important that they do so we’ll know what kind of depth we have at running back before the Texas A&M and LSU games.

Next: Improvements on the Offensive Line

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