Auburn A-Day 2014

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn watches the first string offense during the first half of the A-Day game Saturday, April 19, 2014, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn's A-Day scrimmage may not have provided some definitive answers, but it did shed some light on the future.

AL.com presented five burning questions before the A-Day game. Some questions deal with the immediate impact of the scrimmage, but many deal with the future. What did we learn? Let's revisit those questions and see if we can provide some answers.



1. Who will replace Heisman finalist Tre Mason as the next running back?

Your guess is as good as ours. The competition is wide open entering the summer. Corey Grant proved he is still the quickest running back on the team, exploding for 128 yards and a touchdown on five carries, but rarely sought contact. Cameron Artis-Payne continues to be proved to again be durable, chewing up 97 yards on 12 carries. The battle, however, was overshadowed by Peyton Barber's injury to his right foot. He crumpled to the turf on his first carry for a 13-yard gain and he also fumbled the ball, leaving fans looking for a third option in the running game empty handed.

The competition will rage through the summer and will not hit its peak until August, when five-star freshman Roc Thomas enters the mix at the start of Auburn's two-a-day practices. The position can be won by any of the four in August.

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) hands off to Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne (44) during the first half of the A-Day game Saturday, April 19, 2014, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

2. Has Nick Marshall improved as a passer?



The second-year starter looked more confident in the pocket and was patient with his reads, but the lack of a pass rush probably had something to do with that. Still, the senior was more accurate on deep balls and led the first-team offense to seven straight scores against the second-team defense to start the scrimmage. He was 13-of-22 passing for 236 yards and four touchdowns, and completed several beautiful passes to receivers down the field. The good news for Marshall is that he now has options in the passing game, especially after D'haquille Williams put on a show by pulling down a touchdown on a fade route early in the game.

Marshall still tends to throw behind receivers, but the quarterback fans saw Saturday is much different from the one that made his debut eight months ago. With an older group of receivers and consistent threats in Williams and Sammie Coates, Marshall should only get better next fall.



3. How will Auburn combat the injuries on defense?

Injuries debilitated the defense in the spring, and it showed in the scrimmage. Five defensive linemen did not play because of injury, forcing players like Gimel President to see extended time against first-team left tackle Shon Coleman. Simply put, it was a mismatch. The defense gave up 61 points, including scores on seven straight possessions against the backups. Safety Robenson Therezie doesn't believe fans or coaches have anything to worry about, but time will tell as defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson once again enters the summer searching for answers and a healthy roster after 13 players missed at least a small portion of time during the spring due to injuries.



4. Will coaches feel good about their new punter and kicker?

Freshman Daniel Carlson made quite the first impression, but his A-Day experience provided mixed results. He drilled a 50-yard field goal to excite the fans, but he missed an extra point. He later missed a 51-yard field goal attempt. Freshman punter Jimmy Hutchinson averaged 40.6 yards on five punts, including a long of 46. The freshmen are set to replace seniors Cody Parkey and Steven Clark, who both played a big part in Auburn's run to an SEC title in 2013, but Gus Malzahn has confidence Carlson and Hutchinson will step up in their absence.



"We really feel like both of those guys are talented and the more they get in that situation the better they are going to get," Malzahn said.

Auburn wide receiver D'haquille Williams (1) hauls in a touchdown pass defended Auburn defensive back Kamryn Melton (37) during the first half of the A-Day game Saturday, April 19, 2014 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

5. What will fans see at A-Day?

The Tigers didn't slow things down, even if the defense's roster was thin because of injuries. Auburn delivered with one promise, too, when Marshall came out firing in the passing game. The Tigers attempted four straight passes before the first run as Malzahn stuck to his plan to showcase the improved passing game with Williams and Co. at center stage. Auburn utilized a running clock in the second half, but by that time Malzahn had already provided fans what they paid to see: a high-flying offense with a few new pieces running up and down the field with relative ease.

The Blue offense, comprised mostly of starters, piled up 657 yards, including 386 through the air, to provide quite the contrast from last season's run-heavy offense. Does that mean Auburn has transitioned into a pass-first team? Hardly, but it sure does help Malzahn as a play caller when he has more options than just the read-zone option.