Nation's Top QB's Collide On The Plains

When Arkansas and Auburn meet up this Saturday the majority of the onlookers will be focused on quarterbacks Ryan Mallet and Cameron Newton.

Mallet's 349.6 passing yards per game trails only Hawaii's Bryant Moniz. He also leads the SEC with 13 touchdown passes. At 6'6" 240 pounds his size compares favorably to Newton's but his style of play is more reminiscent of Drew Bledsoe. He is a statue in the pocket and his ability to throw the ball to any part of the field on a frozen rope is what makes him one of the NFL's most coveted prospects.

Newton, as we all know by now, is simply a freak of an athlete. Despite being bigger than Mallet at 6'6" 250 pounds, he is elusive in the pocket, a threat running or throwing when he gets out of the pocket and when he decides to take it down and run his 4.5 speed and bulldozing style are the last things a defensive coordinator wants to try and defend.

Both quarterbacks, though, have their weaknesses. For Newton it seems as if his decision making ability isn't quite consistent enough. He knows what he should do but occasionally, without being pressured, he throws into coverage he has no business throwing into which has led to his five interceptions this season. In Mallet's case his interceptions occur when under pressure. After being hit a few times Mallet's footwork gets sloppy, he doesn't maintain proper technique and tends to unleash some errant throwswhich has led to six interceptions thus far this season.

Trying to game plan against these two players has to be one of the more disheartening experiences a defensive coordinator will have all season knowing full and well, despite their greatest efforts, they will appear to have failed at their job. Do you blitz? Do you drop seven into zone coverage or do you man up tight on the receivers?

When facing Mallet the obvious approach is to bring heavy pressure because that has seemed to be the only way to knock him off his rhythem. That being said, as the popular saying goes, "when you bring the blitz someone's band is going to play." Auburn's defensive philosophy thus far has been to focus on stopping the run and keep all the passing plays in front of us so as not to give up the big play. The best approach is likely a mix of the two.

No matter what we do they will get their yards. Alabama seemingly has fared the best of any of the Hawg's opponents holding them to a season low 20 points and forcing three Mallet interceptions but he still threw for 357 yards with a 65.8% completion percentage. Those will be the stats Auburn is going to hope for, and it may be more achievable than most think.

Auburn is ranked 19th in the nation (3rd in the SEC) in sacks and 14th in the nation (2nd in the SEC) in rush defense. With that combined with a roaucous home crowd Ted Roof's defense should make Arkansas one dimentional and some timely blitzes could lead to a turnover or two (the only game Mallet didn't throw a pick in was verse Georgia).

Ted Roof likely wont put this game on his highlight reel but as we've done all season long, I expect to be stout against the run, seemingly incompetent against the pass but do just enough to get the win.