Film Room: How Auburn's pass-heavy offensive strategy backfired at South Carolina
The Tigers have been airing it out much more with Bo Nix under Chad Morris. But that came at a detriment to the entire offense in Week 4.

QB Bo Nix (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)
Through the first four weeks of the 2020 season, Bo Nix is averaging 35.5 pass attempts per game. That average is 6.5 more than his mark in 2019, which was already the most by an Auburn starting quarterback under Gus Malzahn.
For comparison, Jarrett Stidham averaged 26.4 and 28.7 attempts per game in 2017 and 2018, Nick Marshall averaged 18.4 attempts and 22.5 attempts in 2013 and 2014, Cam Newton averaged 20.0 attempts in 2010, and Chris Todd averaged 25.2 attempts in 2009.
It’s no surprise that Auburn is putting the ball in the air much more in 2020. That was the plan all along, with Nix coming back as one of the few returning starters at quarterback in the SEC, along with a trio of experienced receivers in Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove.
Gus Malzahn also brought in his friend Chad Morris, who has a strong reputation of developing passing attacks at the college level, to oversee the offense and help push the Tigers toward the e…