Auburn offense 'a little above average' in season opener

AUBURN – It takes a lot to satisfy Rhett Lashlee.

Even when the Auburn offense puts up 595 yards, 12th highest in the country in the opening week of the season, with nearly dead-even split between run (302) and pass (293), two quarterbacks playing as close to perfect as can be expected, and a running back and receiver each with spectacular days in a 45-21 rout of a conference opponent, the Tigers offensive coordinator sees "plenty" of room for improvement.

"I just think from the O-line to the receivers to running backs to quarterbacks, the whole (offense), we were a little above average," Lashlee said. "C-plus, B-minus. We played well. We did not have a lot of busts. At the same time we could have executed at a better level."

Lashlee cited two penalties in the first half, a holding call against Sammie Coates and a face mask call against Patrick Miller, as mistakes that need to be corrected.

"Fortunately, in both cases, we were able to convert the third down and still score the touchdown and usually that doesn't happen," Lashlee said. "The statistics will tell you that most times when you have a touchdown called back it won't end well. We've got to clean that up."

Lashlee called two failed third-and-one attempts during the second quarter the "most disappointing" part of the first half and coach Gus Malzahn was equally displeased.

"We didn't execute is the reason they didn't go our way," Malzahn said. "Two of the things offensively that kind of stuck with me after the game is the third-and-shorts had a couple of breakdowns. But here's the thing about it, that they're both correctable.

"They did catch us on a stunt, a pretty good disguise of a stunt on the second one right there. That's just a matter of our line coming together, getting used to working together, getting experience. … But that was probably one of the sore spots from my standpoint, the two third-and-shorts, but we'll get it corrected."

C.J. Uzomah was to blame on one of the plays, an error that resulted in Malzahn chewing him out on the field, and Uzomah performing 20 up-downs at practice.

"I didn't even want to look at his reaction, because it was a base play that we had worked a lot, and Reese made a call, I just stepped down too much," Uzomah said. "We ended up running the play later in the game, and it didn't happen, so that was a positive, but he wasn't too happy about that at all."

Auburn's two fumbles, one by Cameron Artis-Payne that was lost, which Lashlee called "not acceptable" were other issues the offensive coordinator is looking to address.

Lashlee said the fast start to the game, second half and after the rain delay, as well as no pre-snap penalties were all bright sports for the offense.

"Overall it was a solid effort, but a lot of areas we can get better in," he said, "especially a lot of detailed areas."