The turning point in Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt was a blocked punt for a touchdown. Running back Omar Mabson II and cornerback Shamar Arnoux rushed through the Commodores protection and got a piece of the ball.
Reserve safety Cade Carlson picked up the loose ball and ran it the final 10 yards to put Auburn up 14-3. Special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski said that situation is less about a called play and more about capitalizing on a flaw in the opponent’s look.
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“For me, when I was watching, I see it,” Bronowski said. “I see our guys communicating, well here we go we got a shot right here. It’s all you can ask for. Then our guys went out there and executed. Obviously, it changed the game which is what you want to do.”
Through four games, the Tigers punt unit has only allowed two returns and neither of those yielded positive yards for the opponent.
Bronowski said he preaches about net putting average rather than how far the punt travels. A lot of that comes from placing the ball in the right spot.
“He’s in a really good spot right now,” Bronowski said of Auburn Punter Hudson Kaak. “You look at him from last year to right now his locations have been a lot better. There’s not a lot of balls in the middle of the field which has been a huge emphasis for him. I think as he gets more comfortable in some of the things we are doing I think you are going to see some of those balls come off his foot better.”
Head Coach Alex Golesh knows his special teams units will have to be sound on Saturday. Against Texas, Tennessee returned a punt for a touchdown and even recovered a controversial onside kick late in the game.
Bronowski touched on preparing for a dangerous return man for Saturday.
“Is there a mismatch with their personnel and our personnel somewhere we can exploit?” Bronowski said. “From there it just comes down to Hudson Kaak doing his job and putting the ball in the right spot. Tennessee’s returner is dynamic and experienced back there. He’s aggressive. We got our hands full but it’s going to be a great opportunity for us for sure.”
Auburn leads the overall series against Tennessee 28-22-3. In the last eight meetings, the Tigers are 7-1 against the Volunteers.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CST from Neyland Stadium.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
