The Auburn Tigers looked like a top-5 team during Saturday’s 24-point dismantling of Arkansas. Gus Malzahn and his staff aren’t as easily impressed.

So where do the Tigers need to improve against San Jose State?

“We need to work on overall execution, offensively, defensively and special teams,” Malzahn said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “The great thing about a first game is you usually improve more from the first game to the second game than you do all year, and that is what we have to do.”

There are areas in all three phases in which Auburn needs to improve. There was some movement on the offensive line in fall camp, causing some communication issues between guys playing new positions.

“There are going to be some growing pains you’re going to go through with communication,” Malzahn said. “Each game, as long as we stay healthy, I feel like we’ll get better and better. You can’t do so much in practice, but in games you don’t know what you’re going to get and so guys have to make adjustments. I think overall for the first game working beside new people, I felt pretty good.”

The uncertainty on the line also caused Auburn not to convert a few 3rd-and-short situations.

“We didn’t execute; that’s the reason they didn’t go our way,” Malzahn said. “They did catch us on a stunt, a pretty good disguise of a stunt. That’s just a matter of our offensive line coming together and getting used to working together, getting experience.”

For Ellis Johnson’s defense, Arkansas gashed the Auburn front in the run game, but Malzahn said the Tigers will work to get better on the defensive front.

“We definitely need to get better at pass rushing,” Malzahn said. “This time last year was really similar.”

The Hogs also exposed some vulnerabilities in the Auburn secondary. Arkansas showed new formations on Saturday, which caught the Tigers out of position at times.

“We had a little trouble lining up early,” Malzahn said. “They had some new wrinkles and they were busting out of the huddle really quick. Our guys settled down in the second half once we figured out what their plan was.”

For Malzahn and his staff, this week is about treating San Jose State like any other opponent and working to get better.

“No, we’re going to do exactly what we feel like gives us the best chance of winning. We’re approaching this game just like it was last week.”