Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear football beat reporter
It’s an important question, but it’s also one that can’t be answered until the dust settles after 60 minutes of football:
‘How will SJSU fare against Auburn in the run game?’
A smiling SJSU head coach Brent Brennan shook his head and replied, “That’s a great question, everyone keeps asking about that. I keep telling them, ‘You’ll see on Saturday.’”
On paper, they are physically outmatched.
The Tigers’ frontlines are boasted by players whose DNA is closer to that of rhinos than humans.
This is the SEC after all.
Auburn’s starting offensive line averages out at 6’5 and 314-pounds, while SJSU doesn’t have a defensive lineman over 300 pounds.
Flip the sides of the ball and you get a similar mismatch.
Colby Wooden, Jayson Jones, Marcus Harris, and Eku Leota form a vicious attack that personifies mass carnage. In Auburn’s opener, they held Mercer University to 74 rushing yards, although most came once the game was already put away.
Leading into the season, the Spartans’ offensive line was the biggest question mark. Three of the five starters hadn’t played a down of college football before the season opener against Portland State and it showed.
Running back Kairee Robinson ran for 35 yards on 10 carries as the Spartans finished with 29 attempts for 49 yards.
“A little bit of that was kind of how the game unfolded. There wasn’t really an opportunity to get into a rhythm running the football,” said SJSU offensive line coach Josh Oglesby. “Which is probably the most important thing when it comes to running the ball.”
Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro did have success running the ball, punching in two rushing touchdowns, but neither was on a designed running play.
Cordeiro was also sacked seven times and had to maneuver inside a pocket that was constantly collapsing on him.
“Obviously we need to be better in protection,” said Oglesby. “That’s a skill that comes with reps. You need to feel what it is to truly have an idea of what it is.”
Defensively, the Spartans will have to limit Tiger’s running back Tank Bigsby.
The name alone is enough to strike terror into the hearts of opponents.
And then there’s his ability to slice, cut and wipe away arm tackles as if he’s the human ShamWow.
Bigsby shows shades of 2015-16 LSU running back Leonard Fournette during this touchdown run. His initial patience and lethal field vision allowed his physical attribute to take over. In this particular play, he cuts between multiple defenders like a Chinese throwing star, allowing himself to hit first gear and leave defenders in the dust.
Bigsby rushed for 147 total yards, 115 of which came after contact, and led all FBS running backs with 13 missed tackles in week one.
But the buck doesn’t stop at Bigsby as Auburn rushed for 285 yards against Mercer.
Quarterback Robbie Ashford—who will be splitting reps with T.J. Finley—has a major set of wheels, too.
Ashford could only exacerbate the headaches Portland State’s dual-threat quarterback Dante Chachere gave the Spartans.
Controlling the line of scrimmage won’t be easy. The Spartans won’t be able to a single play off.
But if SJSU wants to wear the glass slipper and play Cinderella, they’ll have to win this physically grueling match of tug-of-war.