Auburn Football: What Tigers Must Fix During Bye Week

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn told reporters that this upcoming bye week is a time for him and his team to "catch our breath."

That quote is fitting because this seems like the perfect time for the Tigers to take a deep breath after a few tense weeks on the Plains.

Auburn improved to 3-2 (0-2 SEC) on the season on Saturday with a sloppy but ultimately successful homecoming victory over San Jose State. Like the Tigers' earlier wins, the 35-21 result was a mixed bag of results for Malzahn and his players, who are still far from impressive on both sides of the ball.

But with a Thursday-night matchup against SEC East opponent Kentucky looming, Auburn will take some extra rest this week and look to get better ahead of a tough stretch to end 2015.

Of course, all areas could be improved in this all-important bye week for Auburn. With that said, here are four major problems that the Tigers need to fix as they approach their only breather on the schedule.

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Lack of Offensive Consistency

Auburn finally created some more explosive plays last Saturday, although they mostly came at the end of the game against a tired Mountain West defense.

The lack of consistency is making a Malzahn offense look, well, anti-Malzahn.

"The [explosive plays] that we had were timely and that’s the way we've always been," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said, per Tom Green of the Opelika-Auburn News. "Right now we're starting to execute at a better level; we're just not explosive enough and that's something we’ll continue to work on in getting those playmakers the ball that need it."

Auburn needs to build on any forward momentum it created against San Jose State in the bye week. Like Lashlee said, the opportunities for big plays were there, but there are just not enough of them.

A part of that improvement will come from the continued development of redshirt freshman quarterback Sean White. Since his first drive against Mississippi State, White has been highly accurate and hasn't made too many mistakes.

If the running game can progress toward Malzahn-level quality behind an offensive line that is starting to find its footing again, White should get more opportunities to hit big plays downfield.

His arm definitely looks capable of doing what Auburn needs in this offense.

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Ball Control

The Tigers didn't turn the ball over against San Jose State last Saturday, but they were dangerously close multiple times.

"Fumble luck" has swung right back in Auburn's direction this season, as the offense put the ball on the turf four times against the Spartans but recovered them all. The Tigers also recovered three of their own fumbles in the home loss to Mississippi State in the previous week.

White had a pair of those fumbles against SJSU, with Kerryon Johnson and Peyton Barber getting charged for the other two.

"There is no doubt we have to correct that," Malzahn said, per Wesley Sinor of AL.com. "I think our quarterback had something to do with a couple of them. He has to protect the football. At the same time, like I told him, he is not a running back. You get what you can and try to get down."

With Auburn opting for more of a power-running game with the red-hot Barber, cutting down on the fumbles is paramount for this offense.

The Tigers have been fortunate the last two games, but the streak of recoveries will eventually run out—and any missed opportunity will be magnified with the way they've started the season.

Credit: 247Sports

The Lawson-less Pass Rush

It's starting to sound like a broken record for Auburn, but without the talents of star defensive end Carl Lawson, the defense just isn't generating enough pressure on quarterbacks.

The experiment with senior linebacker Cassanova McKinzy at Lawson's position—the hybrid "Buck" role—was a modest success against San Jose State. McKinzy had four tackles, three quarterback hurries and one sack that came on the Spartans' final drive of the game.

"It’s a position where you are freer to make plays because you see things clearer, but I’m not done at the (middle) linebacker position at all," McKinzy said, per Matthew Stevens of the Montgomery Advertiser. "No matter where I’m lined up, I’ve got to help turning those pressures into sacks."

Auburn coaches and players are still "hoping" Lawson returns from his hip injury sometime this season, per Ryan Black of 247Sports.

But one absence can't kill an entire defense, and the Tigers need to develop their pass rush for what could be a second straight season without him, save for the first half of the opener against Louisville.

Sacks will be there for the taking in Auburn's next game, as Kentucky has allowed the seventh-most nationally. The defensive front needs to develop a solution to its pass-rushing woes with this off week and make the Wildcats pay.

Michael Chang/Getty Images

Overall Health

Lawson isn't the only player Auburn missed on Saturday against San Jose State.

As cornerback T.J. Davis moves closer to his comeback attempt from ACL surgery, injuries have limited linebacker Tre' Williams, running back Jovon Robinson and defensive back Tim Irvin.

"Getting extra time and knowing our fits in different situations and really getting healthy is a big thing for us," linebacker Kris Frost said, per Sinor. "I feel like (the bye week) is extremely important. We're fortunate that it fell on that week and it's going to be good for us to rest up and get healthy before that Thursday-night game."

The Tigers will need to use this bye week to get closer to 100 percent health on both sides of the ball. Williams is a key figure at linebacker, Robinson potentially adds a new weapon on a run-heavier offense and Irvin has logged major minutes in the secondary.

Auburn doesn't get another breather after this bye week—the Tigers will face seven straight weekends of action, starting with the Thursday-night game against Kentucky.

With the struggles the program has had to start the season, there's no better time to get refueled, refocused and refined in several areas.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.