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Inside the numbers: What trends you should know about Auburn entering Week 1 game

By Rob Maxwell

Gus Malzahn takes the No. 9 Tigers into a huge Week 1 game Saturday. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
Gus Malzahn takes the No. 9 Tigers into a huge Week 1 game Saturday. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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Ryan Davis and the Auburn offense scored 41 points in the opener vs. Georgia Southern last season despite multiple turnovers. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /

About Malzahn’s offense … 

A lot of talk this week has revolved around Auburn’s slow starts in season openers. While the Tigers are 4-1 in season openers with Gus Malzahn as head coach, the offensive results haven’t always been great.

At least one writer this week gave the Huskies the edge over Auburn on Saturday because their defensive front is better than Auburn’s offensive line and will make it difficult to pick up yards on the ground. That’s a valid argument.

But to that point, you should know that Auburn has run the ball very well under Malzahn.

  • Under Malzahn, the Tigers have produced four of the top five rushing seasons in Auburn football history.
  • Ranking Auburn rushing attacks by yardage since 2013, it looks like this: 328.4 (2013), 271.3 (2016), 255.5 (2014), 218.3 (2017) and 196.3 (2015).
  • Auburn has at least one 1,000-yard rusher in every season under Malzahn and that streak dates back nine seasons. In 2013, QB Nick Marshall and RB Tre Mason both topped 1,000 yards.

If you include Malzahn’s three seasons at offensive coordinator (2009 to 2011), his offenses occupy the six overall top offensive seasons in Auburn football history.

Auburn is averaging 32.2 points per game in its five openers with Malzahn as head coach with a high of 45 vs. Arkansas in 2014 and low of 13 against Clemson in 2016.

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