For the first time in what feels like a decade, the Auburn Tigers can actually field a highly athletic offense with the intent of being fast and scoring more points than their opponents. In 2023, the Tigers averaged 26.2 points per game, ranking them 74th among FBS programs.

You won’t be afraid of getting into a shootout in 2024.

Fast forward to the present and you see the makings of a powerful offense. With that in mind, playing with tempo becomes a key point and a potential focus. Auburn can play faster, but will it? Also, which players will immediately benefit from the change in tempo that will allow for bigger plays that will lead to more wins for The Plains in 2024?

Jeremiah Cobb

Granted, Cobb is probably third on the list right now, but with his long-range speed and ability to make big plays, you can see the wheels turning. Everyone knows Auburn wants to give All-SEC running back Jarquez Hunter most of the snaps, and they should.

Still, the option to send Cobb up the field after the second attempt seems like the right approach. On a third-and-three, for example, it will confuse the defense to either lock up Hunter or drop a wideout while sprinting to the line. Seeing two running backs in the backfield, neither of whom is a fullback, will make the defense nervous.

Three yards is no man’s land even for SEC defenses. Now add sprinting to the ball to grab it. The entire playbook looks open. If the defense wants to attack the run, Cobb needs to force into the flat. Against a defender or defender, he should let them run into space and score the first down. Worst case scenario, that’s a fourth down where you have to consider whether to go for it.

Payton Thorne

In the world of Spades, a card game that many enjoy, there is a unique saying: If you learn too long, you learn wrong. With Thorne, you can see the gears turning and he becomes less of a passer and more of a passive shooter. The offense needs to get the ball forward, as mentioned everywhere, Thorne needs to get rid of the ball faster.

Holding it allows the defense to set up and execute. Instead, you should run a play, target the ball as quickly as possible, and get it out of your hands, whether it’s a run or a pass. As a result, the defense has a decision to make: Do they send an extra rusher? Or do they back off and play conservatively? Either way, that speaks in Thorne’s favor. Making the defense take what he gives them is a welcome change.

With a much larger and more talented group of receivers, Thorne has a chance to become the player he was at Michigan State in 2021, not what Auburn saw in the passing game last year.

Reservation

To play faster on offense, Auburn needs to understand a few key points. First and foremost, they want to control the line of scrimmage by passing the ball directly to the defense. In that circumstance, they should play faster in bursts, a change of pace that keeps the defense guessing and off balance.

Auburn wants to combine that with an offensively oriented, similarly improved defense that passes them the ball more often.

If used correctly, Auburn’s offense can see tremendous statistical improvements that could translate into wins.