Auburn Football 2011: A Few Questions Answered Part 2

This is installment two in a series aimed at answering lingering questions about the 2011 Auburn Tigers as well as current information allows. Circumstances and facts surrounding any college football team may change from day to day, and this could be the case with these answers as well.

Why was the starting quarterback issue not resolved in spring training?

There seems to be a very simple answer to this question if one simply looks at the pattern the current Auburn staff has followed. Since Gene Chizik arrived at Auburn, the starting quarterback position has never been settled until every player expected to compete for that position in the fall was given ample opportunity to perform.

In 2010 every contender for the starting quarterback slot participated in spring training. This allowed the staff to review film and make their decision only days after spring practice closed. This was not the case in 2009 as Tyrik Rollison and Chris Todd were unable to compete in spring practice and the competition was held over to the fall to allow them ample opportunity to perform.

It appears that Gus Malzahn and Gene Chizik feel it is best to hold the contest over to fall practice and allow Keihl Frazier and possibly a few other prospects to perform. It would be very unfair to lock these players out of the competition without giving them ample opportunity.

Auburn currently has two quarterbacks that the staff feels can competently run the offense. They feel a successful season can be achieved with either behind center in 2011. They have made this very clear.

There is no down side as Auburn is already very solid at quarterback, but there is a very large upside if Keihl Frazier or another competitor raises the level of play from that position. Chris Todd was able to do this in the fall of 2009 and he broke several Auburn passing records as a result of being given that opportunity.

No one should assume that the staff is not confident in the current level of performance at quarterback. Every indication is that Gus Malzahn is more at ease with his overall offense entering this season than at any point in his previous college football career. This does not mean it is ready, but it likely means it is farther along than in previous years.

No one believes that Barrett Trotter or Clint Moseley will be the next Cameron Newton. Both are unique players that bring their own qualities to the table. It would be very presumptive to simply pick one of them before allowing the other contenders to take a single snap in practice.

While it seems that Wisconsin feels that they have Russel Wilson  locked up and they could be right, the system he ran at NC State was similar enough to the Gus Malzahn offense at quarterback to allow for a short learning curve. If he did decide to come to Auburn and compete, he would certainly enhance the competition.

Keihl Frazier is the most talented freshman quarterback prospect according to some. He was picked as the national offensive player of the year out of high school. What some do not know is that he spent his entire high school career operating an offense designed by Gus Malzahn. He is very familiar with the broad scheme of the system and should have a very short learning curve.

I think most fans would agree that if the coaching staff had decided to close the quarterback competition after spring practices it would not have been fair to these two possible competitors. For now fans simply need to know that Auburn is very solid at quarterback and keeping the competition open for now only has an up side.

Will the Auburn Defense return to its former level of play in 2011?

Auburn fans will see the first glimmer of the defense Gene Chizik and Ted Roof have been working toward since arriving at Auburn in 2009. Fans can expect to see multiple defensive front looks and sets this season. This will not only cause problems for opponents reading the Auburn defense, but will actually relieve some pressure on the young but talented secondary.

Every indication is that the Auburn defensive line picked up at the level of play at the end of the 2011 season and is moving forward from there. They are expected to display some 3-4 looks along with the 4-3 fans have become accustomed to.

The defensive line depth is such that Auburn will rotate in defensive linemen to the point that opposition offensive linemen will face fresh players on every play through the fourth quarter. With players like Nosa Eguae and Craig Sanders having picked up the extra muscle needed to play inside this season, fans are likely to see some very quick pass-rushing ability on third and long situations.

This will be a very physical Auburn defense that will most certainly wear down opposing offensive lines. Fans can expect them to be very effective at stuffing the run and tackles for loss should improve over last season.

The pool of linebackers is very solid and can be expected to hold up their end. Some of the expected 3-4 sets from the defensive line will also help the linebackers in passing situations.

The Auburn pass defense has to get better, as it simply could not get worse. The Auburn pass defense looks adequate for 2011, but talent and youth bring the cost of a learning curve.

Fans can expect the Auburn defense to improve in 2011, but they should curb expectations to the level of expecting a 3-4 point per game improvement in scoring defense. The possibility is there for them to be much better, but they are not there at this point.

What will the Auburn offense look like this year?

In short, no one knows at this point and to an extent that includes Gus Malzahn himself. He tailors his offensive strategy to the talent he has available. He does not have all of the starters nailed down at this point, so this is still likely a work in progress and might not be completed until after the first few games this season.

Will Mike Blakely play in 2011?

His unconditional release from Florida and the fact that he never attended practice there makes him eligible for play this season if the NCAA approves. The final decision in this matter belongs to the NCAA and there has been no information on their intent in his case at this point.

Will Angelo Blackson and Tre Mason qualify this season?

There is no definitive answer from the NCAA clearing house on either of these two recruits at this point. Scuttlebutt has it that Tre Mason has the necessary qualifications, it appears that Angelo Blackson is still working toward that goal.