Auburn Tigers All-Decade Offense
In the last ten seasons, the Auburn Tigers have had great highs. It was a decade that saw Auburn win their first National Championship since 1957 when they defeated Oregon 22-19 for the 2010 season title. Three seasons later Auburn was just seconds away from winning another when they fell to Florida State 34-31 in the final BCS National Championship Game. The decade saw Auburn defeat arch-rival Alabama three times at the height of their dynasty and the Tigers made another trip to the SEC Championship Game in 2017. All these highs would have not been made possible without the great players that graced the plains. Let’s take a look at the Auburn Tigers All-Decade Offense.
Quarterback – Cam Newton (2010)
There is no debate on who was the best Auburn quarterback for the Auburn Tigers All-Decade Offense. Actually, one can make the argument that Cam Newton would and should be on the all-time Auburn team as the signal-caller. Auburn caught lightning in a bottle with the arrival of Newton. While the season did go with a shadow cast over it, Newton brought memories Auburn fans would never forget. Newton scored a combined 51 touchdowns (30 pass, 20 rush, 1 receiving) and accumulated 4,369 yards in his one season on the plains. Those numbers plus incredible play in the biggest games led to him winning the 2010 Heisman Trophy. While the national championship was the icing on the cake, the biggest moment was when Auburn rallied from 24 points in the legendary “Cam-back” game.
Running Back – Tre Mason (2011-2013)
Before the 2013 season, no one thought that Auburn Tigers would have come just seconds away from another national championship. The season prior, Auburn had its worse season ever going 3-9 and 0-8 in the SEC. In year one under Gus Malzahn, he brought back the magic that was felt in the 2010 season when he was on staff as the offensive coordinator. The catalyst to that magic was running back Tre Mason. Mason led the SEC in touchdowns with 23 and rushed for 1,816 yards. Those numbers were enough to earn him a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist. Mason also came away with SEC Offensive Player of the Year. His best performance was in the SEC Championship Game against Missouri when he rushed for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the 59-42 win.
H-Back – Jay Prosch (2012-13)
With everything said above about Tre Mason it may not have been possible without the great blocking from Jay Prosch. The Illinois transfer was not an essential ball carrier for the Tigers but he opened up so much for the Auburn running game. Not just with Mason, but with quarterback Nick Marshall as well. That has always been an undervalued element of the Gus Malzahn offensive attack. It has always worked best with a great blocking back like Prosch.
Wide Receiver #1 – Sammie Coates (2012-14)
Sammie Coates was nothing less than a big-pay threat for the Tigers in 2013 and 2014. Those two seasons he averaged 21.5 and 21.8 yards per catch. 2013 was his more productive season with 42 receptions and 902 yards with seven touchdowns. The numbers did decline with the arrival of Duke Williams in 2014 but he was still named second-team All-SEC. The biggest play of his career was the 39-yard touchdown in the 2013 Iron Bowl that tied the game at 28. Then of course shortly after the epic “Kick Six” occurred.
Wide Receiver #2 – Ryan Davis (2015-18)
Ryan Davis was the ultimate safety net for quarterback Jarrett Stidham. It seemed whenever Stidham could not find anyone open he could always rely on Davis. Davis put up some fantastic numbers while at Auburn. That including some record-breaking ones. Davis set the new Auburn record for career receptions with 178. He led the SEC in that category during his junior season in 2017 with 84. He only found the endzone seven times but did throw three touchdown passes as well.
Tight End – Philip Lutzenkirchen (2009-2012)
There are probably tight ends that put up better numbers than what Philip Lutzenkirchen did, but what he meant to Auburn cannot be measured by statistics. His name will always be part of Auburn lore because of his game-winning reception in the 2010 Iron Bowl. Lutzenkirchen was a leader for the team during the highs of a title run and lows of the worse season in Auburn history in 2012. Lutzenkirchen ended his Auburn career with 59 receptions for 628 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Sadly on June 26th in 2014, Lutzenkirchen passed away after being involved in a single-car accident. Following the tragedy, his family set up the Lutzie 43 Foundation in his name in hopes to inspire young people to make better decisions as drivers and friends. The motto of the foundation is “Live like Lutz, Love like Lutz, and Learn from Lutz”.
Offensive Line – The 2013 Auburn Offensive Line
Instead of picking individual offensive lineman, this category belongs to an entire group. There was no better offensive line this past decade than the 2013 edition. The group was highlighted by tackle Greg Robinson, who would be drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 draft. The line also featured steady play from center Reese Dismukes, guards Alex Kozan and Chad Slade, and right tackle Avery Young. Auburn averaged 328.3 yards per game and had a 6.3 yards per rush average. Without this group, Mason and Marshall would not have been able to make the impact that they did. Both Dismukes and Robinson were All-SEC first team.
So what’s the verdict? Do you agree or disagree with the Auburn Tigers All-Decade Offense? Let us know what you think.
