How Mike Bobo and Bryan Harsin will bring more power to Auburn's ground game

Fullbacks. Under-center snaps. I-formation plays. A greater commitment to going downhill. Everything old is new again on the Plains.

OC Mike Bobo (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

Something that can only be described as both old and new happened with the Auburn offense last Saturday.

During a team drill, most of Auburn’s first-team offense lined up in a heavy set against the first-team defense. Freshman quarterback Dematrius Davis, getting more work in this area while returning starter Bo Nix threw the ball to most of the Tigers’ receivers on the other end of the field, took the snap from under center.

Behind Davis was sophomore tight end Luke Deal, lined up at an offset fullback position. Senior running back Shaun Shivers, rotating with star sophomore Tank Bigsby, was behind Deal.

Davis handed the ball to Shivers, who ran behind Deal and waited for his opportunity. When Deal broke into the second level and secured a massive block on a linebacker, Shivers used his track star speed to burst through and find the end zone.

Auburn called and executed an old-school I-formation run to perfection. The snap wasn’t taken out of …