Auburn played pretty good in the neutral field opener against Louisville. There were clearly some things that need to be addressed, but they were all correctable problems and can easily be fixed. The best coaching staff in college football can get the kinks worked out.
The defense played well against Louisville, but the offense was inconsistent at times and kept them out there too long. The defense had been overworked by the end of the 3rd quarter. Auburn fans know that the defense has improved by leaps and bounds. That was a tough Louisville offense. They were young but also very athletic.
Jeremy Johnson
There has been a ton of talk about Jeremy Johnson's performance. It was the first game of the season against a tough Louisville team. He forced some passes as he appeared to lock into his first option. He didn't look comfortable at times, but other times he did. As he gains experience and takes more reps the offense will come easier to to him.
Non-Auburn fans call Malzahn's offense a high school offense, and a lot of that probably comes from Gus once coaching high school. The truth is the offense is complicated and has a lot of moving pieces. One play is made to look like several others so the opponent gets the same look.
Johnson was getting more praise than he deserved prior to the season. He was being compared to Cam Newton and some were calling him a front runner for the Heisman Trophy. Things were not what they made them then, and they're not as bad as everyone is making him to be now.
Auburn vs Jacksonville St.
Jacksonville St. should present enough challenges for Auburn to get some serious work in. Troymaine Pope rushed for 173 yards on 15 carries. His performance helped the Gamecocks come from behind to beat Chattanooga. Quarterback Eli Jenkins threw for 113 yard, a touchdown, and no interceptions. Jenkins rushed the ball 10 time for 33 yards. Jacksonville St. has a strong defensive from with size, and they should provide a test Jeremy Johnson must pass.
We've seen Jeremy Johnson start before, and we've seen him come in late when the game was in hand. He's better than what we saw against Louisville.
He tried to force the ball and mostly to Ricardo Louis. I'm sure he's watched the video and the coaches have went over the mistakes with him. I'm sure the neutral site game being his to navigate brought on immense pressure. He'll turn it around.
Prediction:
Auburn - 69
J. State - 7
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