STARKVILLE — The Auburn and Mississippi State defenses see rushing games that have speed and power every day.
“(Onterio) McCalebb and (Michael) Dyer isn”t anything we haven”t seen when we line up good versus good and we see Vick Ballard and LaDarius Perkins,” MSU junior linebacker Brandon Wilson said. “It”s amazing on film how similar they are.”
No matter how similar both team”s 1-2 punches are at tailback, both camps understand winning the offensive running game will impact the final score when the teams meet at 11:21 a.m. Saturday (WCBI).
“To win on the road in SEC play, you have to win the line of scrimmage battle,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “That”s always going to be a key component. Look at the games we lost at home last year. Arkansas and Auburn came in and did it on us.”
Mullen”s spread offense, which is thought to be designed to be an aerial attack, has had most of its success running the football with numerous weapons, including senior quarterback Chris Relf.
“They are an extremely physical, downhill football team,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “The running backs and the quarterback are extremely physical when it comes to running the football, as evidenced (by) all the yards they rushed for (vs. Memphis).”
On Monday, MSU senior tailback Vick Ballard became the first MSU player since all-time leading rusher Anthony Dixon to win the Southeastern Conference”s Offensive Player of the Week following his season-opening performance at Memphis. Ballard, who last season broke the school record for touchdowns, had 10 carries for 166 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-14 victory against Memphis.
“Offensively, our tailbacks have all put up pretty good numbers since we”ve been here, starting when Dixon was here, and that”s a compliment to what we”re doing schematically,” MSU offensive coordinator Les Koenning said. “Our quarterback is always a run threat, and it takes a little pressure off Vick in a sense. Vick is a such a quiet, well-mannered young man that you enjoy being around.”
Last season against Auburn, MSU was still trying to find its rhythm at tailback, and Ballard had only five carries in a 17-14 loss.
Ballard”s impact on the Bulldogs” offense isn”t lost on Chizik when he watched film of MSU”s offense.
“I don”t think anybody that”s watched their film would say he”s underrated,” Chizik said. “This running back is extremely talented and they”ve found a weapon they can rely on.”
The only thing that seemed lost was Perkins, a sophomore, who touched the ball five times and had 3 yards against the Tigers.
Perkins, who committed to Auburn three years ago but re-opened his recruiting after then-coach Tommy Tubberville was fired, had a team-leading 1,110 all-purpose yards.
In an attempt to correct the defensive errors last week that allowed Utah State to gain 227 rushing yards, Chizik has gone back to fundamentals with the middle of his young line.
“The problem is coming from our inside defensive linemen, (and) when you play high down there on the inside a lot of times you are
encountering double teams, so you have 600 pounds versus your 290,” Chizik said. “The higher you are, the less chance you have of being able to set and hold a point at the line of scrimmage.”
Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn might need to address concerns up front, too. McCalebb and Dyer accounted for just 101 rushing yards in the season opener.
“The majority of our carries will be between Onterio, Michael Dyer, and Tre Mason,” Chizik said. “Don”t read into who is the starter, who”s not. That”s not the deal. We will use those guys and utilize them at the right spots and the right times to do whatever we need to get accomplished.”
Despite beating Memphis by 45 points, MSU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson said he needs his young linebackers cut down on the missed assignments and tackles that allowed Memphis to score two touchdowns.
“We expected the first game would show some mistakes guys would make in their first start or first game,” Wilson said. “What we”ve seen on film is everything we failed to do at Memphis is correctable after one solid day of practice.”
While Auburn quarterback Barrett Trotter threw for 261 yards in his first college start, the Tigers likely won”t depend on Trotter to use his right arm to move them up and down the field. Malzahn may ask the quarterback from Birmingham, Ala., to keep the MSU defense honest with his legs in some designed runs, which is what 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton did last season in gaining 70 rushing yards against the Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium last season.
“I don”t feel one bit reluctant to run him at quarterback because I think he can pick up some yards,” Chizik said.
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