Reintroducing the Fullback

Every season has some questions of who will start at various positions.  It is even somewhat of a tradition when it comes to Auburn's quarterback.  (Open competition every year since Brandon Cox, 2007.)  But the 2012 season brings some questions about how the offense and defense will run as a whole.  Scot Loeffler is the new offensive coordinator and Brian VanGorder is the new defensive coordinator. While VanGorder's style is better known because of his time with UGA and the Atlanta Falcons, Loeffler's style is more of a mystery.  He is best known for being the quarterbacks' coach at Michigan and Florida.  He was no an OC until last year, at Temple.  But one of things we've heard so far is that the offense will focus on a more physical run game.

The depth chart came out earlier this week, but there was at least one position that was never in doubt.  Jay Prosch at fullback.

Prosch is a transfer from the University of Illinois, where Ron Zook was replaced by Tim Beckman this off-season. And he will help Auburn's offense in several ways. The first of which is obviously in the run game, particularly runs up the middle.

Auburn's previous OC, Gus Malzahn, certainly had run plays up the middle, but the lead blocker position went by a different name, the H-back.  The H-back is usually more of a running back/wide receiver hybrid. This role was played by Eric Smith in 2010 and (to the detriment of the passing game) Philip Lutzenkirchen in 2011.

In the play below, Counter, the right tackle and center double team the defensive tackle.  The left guard blocks the nose tackle and the left tackle aims for the middle linebacker.  Both defensive ends are left alone, for now. Though the strength of the formation is to the right, the DE on that side is completely avoided, leaving him out of the play.  And even though the other DE is ignored by the LT, he is kicked out of the way by the right guard pulling around behind the line of scrimmage.

H/T  http://offensivebreakdown.blogspot.com

Not counting the secondary, this leaves one potential tackler left, the weakside linebacker.  Once the initial window has been opened by the offensive line, the H-back storms in and blocks the WLB out of the way.  This should spring the back into the secondary where his speed and tackle-breaking skills must take over.

Loeffler's offense will use Prosch in a very similar way, though te formation will likely be different.  Below is one of the most straightforward plays from a very common formation, the Iso play from I-formation.  Now the quarterback is under center.  The FB and running back are directly behind him in a line, like the letter I. Notice there is one less receiver, replaced by the tight end on the right side.

H/T  http://www.shakinthesouthland.com

Again, the offensive line tries to open a whole, this time to the right.  (This is not a counter.)  The RG and C double team the DT, but after a second or two, the RG separates and goes for the WLB.  If everyone's blocks are good, then the only man left is the MLB. The FB goes through the hole in the line to block him and the RB follows just behind.


Smith was about 5-10, 240 and Lutzenkirchen was about 6-5, 250, both big enough to handle a WLB, so it isn't the size that makes Prosch at 6-0, 250, exciting.  Specifically, last year Lutzenkirchen was less of a receiving threat because of his blocking duties.  Sure, he was still a target for the QB, but his tended to be shallower, with fewer seam routes between safeties for a touchdown. With Prosch taking over the job as the linebacker smasher, Lutzenkirchen can return to his role as a major red-zone threat.

The use of lead blocker won't be new to Auburn's offense this season, but who it is and where on the field he comes from will be new.  All that to say, as WarBlogle so succinctly put it on this podcast, most people just love big white nasty fullbacks.

(This post was mostly done about 3 weeks ago, but I was hoping to find a video of Prosch flattening people for Illinois.  Unfortunately, there are few highlight videos that spotlight the fullback.  But now that we're just days from the first game of the 2012 season, we can just wait to see him this Saturday.)