Auburn vs. South Carolina: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Tigers Must Make

It hasn't been pretty in Columbia so far. Turnovers, botched trick plays, failed PATs and plenty of mistakes have marred this huge showdown between Auburn and South Carolina. Neither team has developed any offensive rhythm to speak of, and the game is up for grabs for the first team to get its act together.

Here are five adjustments the Tigers need to make in order to pull away in the second half.

5. Exploit the Aggressive USC Defense: South Carolina has one of the nation's most aggressive defenses, and Auburn needs to use that to its advantage. Screen passes, draw plays and general misdirection have been very effective so far and should be a priority in the second half.

4. Finish Drives: Those last couple of inches are really, really tough. Auburn's found that out the hard way in the first half, with a couple close calls at the goal line and a wasted 1st-and-goal. Malzahn needs to dive deep into his playbook to make sure his Tigers are converting their red-zone opportunities in the first half.

3. Use Kiehl Frazier: The Tigers' first touchdown was a direct result of Frazier's athleticism on a 3rd down conversion. The kid is a special talent, and Auburn should keep putting the ball in his hands in select situations. It's hard for coaches to plan against a change-of-pace QB like this.

2. Pressure Stephen Garcia: South Carolina's controversial quarterback can't be very confident right now. With all due respect to his under-thrown touchdown to Alshon Jeffery, Garcia has been incredibly inconsistent and unimpressive so far today. He has five interceptions in his last six quarters, and the second half is a great opportunity for the Auburn D to add to that number. The Tigers need to capitalize on his struggles with big blitz packages to keep him off balance.

1. Stop Wasting Opportunities: Auburn had 1st-and-goal on its first drive, and was forced to settle on the field goal. Then, after a Lattimore fumble, the Tigers immediately squandered their momentum and field position with a botched trick play. And a missed PAT? Are you kidding me?! The Tigers are the defending national champions—plays like that can't happen.