New philosophies see Tigers, Bulldogs lighting up scoreboards

In just two years, the Auburn and Mississippi State offenses have gone from downright offensive to offensively proficient.

For both teams, it’s been much more fun in the two years after the clock was turned back in an ugly way that fateful night at Davis Wade Stadium. The win went to Auburn that night by a score of 3-2, but it was tough for anyone to come away feeling like something positive had just occurred.

“It was a soccer game, wasn’t it?” offensive tackle Lee Ziemba asked with a smirk. “It was a different time and place. It’s obviously not likely to happen again this week.”

That might be as safe as predicting that the majority of fans at tonight’s game in Starkville won’t forget their cowbells at home.

Auburn put up 52 points and racked up 608 yards of offense Saturday, picking up right where it left off last year when it finished 17th in the nation in total offense. Mississippi State, meanwhile, rolled Memphis to the tune of 49 points on 569 yards of offense, reminding the SEC and college football teams across the nation that this isn’t your Sylvester Croom Bulldogs offense anymore.

“You can tell certainly they have put a great deal of emphasis on being able to throw the ball and balance their attack out,” coach Gene Chizik said. “Without any question, they’re doing that better.”

Since Dan Mullen took over for Croom in 2009, he’s yet to settle on a starting quarterback. That didn’t necessarily kill the Bulldogs last season, when they finished middle of the pack in both the SEC and the nation in total offense, but it didn’t allow them to overcome an equally mediocre defense en route to a 5-7 finish.

This year, at least for the first game, the two-quarterback system of Chris Relf and Tyler Russell might just be what gets Mississippi State out of the SEC West’s basement.

Relf, who gives the Bulldogs something similar to what Cameron Newton gives Auburn, completed seven of his nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 32 yards against Memphis.

Russell, the former Mississippi Mr. Football, hit his receivers 13-of-16 times for 254 yards and four touchdowns. Both quarterbacks completed at least one pass of more than 50 yards.

Relf will start tonight’s game, but Russell will see the field within the first few offensive series, Mullen said Wednesday.

“It wasn’t just the quarterbacks making spectacular plays and throws, but more them doing a good job managing the offense,” Mullen said. “It is that overall understanding of the offense that was very much improved and is a huge advantage for us from Year 1 to Year 2 as a team.“

There’s a new attitude in Starkville under Mullen in Year 2, one that expects bigger things than the nine combined wins Mississippi State has racked up in the past two seasons.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Auburn, even though it’s 16-1 in its past 17 SEC openers thanks in part to Mississippi State arriving first on the schedule of late.

“You can just see an unbelievable amount of improvement in their team,” Chizik said. “I have a very high level of respect for what Coach Mullen is doing over there.”

There’s nothing Auburn’s defense can do but improve if it hopes to escape with a pivotal first SEC victory, defensive coordinator Ted Roof said.

Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin and Phillip Butterfield aren’t nearly the tandem that Relf and Russell are, yet they were able to compile 323 passing yards against Auburn on Saturday.

They didn’t do most of their damage in garbage time, either, picking apart the Tigers’ veterans on numerous occasions.

“I know it bothers a lot of people on defense, probably everybody,” cornerback Neiko Thorpe said. “It’s something we’ve got to work on and get better at.

“Our goal is to be one of the best defenses, and giving up that many yards, it’s really not getting there.”

It’s not as if Mississippi State will catch Auburn off guard, even in what has been a shortened week. The Tigers touched on tonight’s gameplan throughout August before hunkering down for Arkansas State a few days before the season-opening kickoff.

The only thing they’re not expecting is another “baseball score,” as offensive guard Mike Berry called it.

“We just try to do what we do and try to score as many points as we can and try to help our team win,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said. “Whatever that means.”

agribble@oanow.com | 737-2561

Tags: auburn BCS College forum SEC Tigers Western Divison