Auburn’s game of quarterback musical chairs won’t continue in Week 2 against Arkansas State.
Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday that Sean White would be his team’s full-time starter while John Franklin would get the second-team repetitions in practice. White, Franklin and Jeremy Johnson all saw time at QB in Auburn’s 19-13 Week 1 loss to Clemson.
“Offensively, our plan going in was to be aggressive. Our plan was to play all three quarterbacks. We thought it would be successful. Obviously, it wasn’t,” Malzahn said via AuburnSports.com.
Texas showed in its win over Notre Dame that a multi-QB system can be successful with a rhyme and reason to the process. There was seemingly neither a rhyme nor a reason to the way Malzahn used his quarterbacks against Clemson. There were even times when a quarterback would replace another, take one snap and get replaced himself.
“Going into the first game, the plan was we were going to throw a lot at them,” Malzahn said. “We felt like all three quarterbacks had some things they could be successful with. We were going to give them a lot to think about.
“We weren’t as successful as I thought we would be with those, but that was the plan. A little unknown right there throwing a lot at an opponent. We’re moving forward with Sean White and bringing along John Franklin.”
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Based off Week 1 results, choosing White is the right decision. He was the most effective quarterback and Auburn’s late comeback attempt came when he got a majority of the playing time. He’s also clearly the team’s most advanced passer. Franklin has been hailed for his running ability but didn’t record a carry vs. Clemson.
White was 10-21 passing for 140 yards and an interception. Johnson, who opened the 2015 season as the team’s starter, was 4-6 passing for 38 yards and a pick. Franklin’s only pass went for a loss of three.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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