Florida State will try to do what no team in the SEC could do this season: slow down the Auburn rushing attack.
The Seminoles are giving up 3.90 yards a carry this season against I-A opponents while the Auburn Tigers have the nations best rushing attack averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
In Auburn’s last three games they faced defenses that are comparable to the Seminole defense in Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri. Before Georgia played Auburn they were giving up 4.15 yards a carry. Auburn rushed for 6.07 yards a carry on 55 attempts. Before Alabama faced Auburn the Tide was giving up just 3.52 yards a carry, which is much better than the Noles. Against the Tide, Auburn averaged 6.55 yards per carry gaining 321 yards on 49 carries. Missouri, another team that many pundits said would stop the Auburn running attack, gave up 4.58 yards a carry before they faced the Tigers. Auburn ran over the Missouri defense averaging a massive 7.55 yards a carry while gaining 551 yards on 73 carries.
Coach Gus Malzhan’s read option rushing attack has proven unstoppable all season. Even though Auburn is a spread team they run the ball with a physicality that is unmatched. The offensive line rarely misses a block while knocking defenders off the line of scrimmage. Nick Marshall has mastered this read option and knows exactly when to pull the ball and run it himself or give it to the Heisman finalist Tre Mason.
FSU has stopped every team they have faced this season. Auburn is on a completely different level than those teams FSU has faced. Expect Auburn to rack up the rushing yards again in the BCS National Championship Game.