Tulane @ Auburn (men)

We're live blogging the Tulane at Auburn men's game ... live from aging Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

FINAL
Auburn wins, 78-53.

1:45 remaining
Jake Drum is in.

FOURTH TO (of the second half) @ 3:40
Auburn leads, 71-52. The Tigers must be shooting 60% or better this half. They look like a very good basketball team right now.

THIRD TO (of the second half) @ 6:14
Auburn leads, 65-51. Reed has been outstanding this half. He has scored 15 points. The Tigers are better than Tulane today -- that's the basic jist of what I'm seeing. Auburn gets more rebounds, makes better passes inside and is playing better defense.

SECOND TO (of the second half) @ 11:41
Auburn leads, 54-43. It was getting close there for a bit. Tulane had it down to five points. A pair of baskets from Speed Reed (a three and a layup) helped Auburn regain its composure.

FIRST TO (of the second half) @ 15:35
Auburn leads, 48-41. Tulane is playing better overall because McQueen, an Auburn High grad, is showing a lot of guile around the basket. He has scored seven points so far this half.

HALFTIME STATS
Shooting: AU -- 11-29 (37.9%); TU -- 10-28 (35.7%)
3 Shooting: AU -- 3-10 (30%); TU -- 2-12 (16.7%)
Rebounding: AU -- 24 (9o, 15d); TU -- 20 (7o, 13d)


HALFTIME
Auburn leads, 40-27. The Tigers play very well during the final 15 minutes of the period. Stats upcoming.

FOURTH MEDIA TO @ 3:41
Auburn leads, 30-24. Big change in Auburn's favor. Not shooting all that well, but they're rebounding aggressively on the offensive end. That's leading to second-chance shots and free throws. Tulane still is having problems with the Tigers' defense.

THIRD MEDIA TO @ 7:38
Tulane leads, 22-20. Game was tied at 17 and 20. It's even. Auburn has missed four of its last six free throws.

SECOND MEDIA TO @ 11:09
Tulane leads, 17-12. Auburn has calmed. They actually cut the lead to one point, then let it get away again. Not sensing much offensive rhythm. The Tigers are being very aggressive with their man-to-man right now. Tulane is having a lot of trouble passing the ball.

FIRST MEDIA TO @ 15:39
Tulane leads, 12-4. DeWayne Reed was subbed out pretty quickly for Frankie Sullivan. He has scored three points already.

AUBURN CALLS TO @ 17:49
Tulane leads, 10-0. Not going well for the home team. They're sloppy and Tulane isn't.

TRIVIA NOTE: Mark Murphy of ITAT, my seatmate today, reports that he once saw the Rolling Stones play a double show here in the mid-1960s. Chuck Berry was the opening act. BEMC used to be a really nice arena.

YOUR AUBURN STARTERS
F/C -- Korvotney Barber, native Georgian
F -- Lucas Hargrove, he of South Carolina pedigree
PG -- DeWayne Reed, known to some as "Speed"
G/F -- Tay Waller, Georgian by birth
SG -- Tez Robertson of Cincinnati

Antonio Coleman makes his decision

Defensive end Antonio Coleman, who considered a jump to the NFL, has told a press-conference crowd at Williamson High that he will stay at Auburn for the 2009 season.

Coleman, who plays on the weak side, was a first-team All-SEC selection for his work last year. He finished the year with 46 tackles including 10 for loss. Coleman was credited with six sacks.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

OK, now for something a little different

Hey everyone. Nearly 700 posts on the Sugar Bowl is pretty big time.

We'll actually have some AUBURN items to discuss today. Isn't that swell.

Auburn women, who are undefeated, play Stephen F. Austin beginning at 2 p.m.

The men's team will play the Green Wave of Tulane beginning at 5 p.m.

I will be attending both contests. Will I live blog the women's game? Not sure yet. Is there interest? Nobody is being accused of sexism here or anything ... just saying that I don't hear much about the women's team from you all. And that's fine.

ALSO OF NOTE: Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, who is 41, said Friday that Auburn has requested permission to speak with OSU assistant Trooper Taylor. The Tigers hired one of Gundy's assistants, Curtis Luper, on Friday. Taylor is a co-coordinator for OSU's offense and a former Tennessee assistant.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Sugar Bowl discussion

We're here watching Alabama struggle play against Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

Come read and enjoy.

Auburn adds a third assistant coach

Oklahoma State assistant coach Curtis Luper has accepted an offer to join the Auburn staff.

Luper has spent the past four seasons coaching tailbacks. He will fill the same role at Auburn.

Luper and head coach Gene Chizik won't need an introduction. They worked together during the mid-1990s at Stephen F. Austin, where Chizik served as a position assistant while Luper broke into coaching as a graduate assistant.

``The opportunity to reconnect with my mentor in Coach Chizik and have the chance coach at a program known as `Running Back U.', was something that I could not pass up," Luper said. ``My coaching philosophy and foundation was established with Coach Chizik 13 years ago at Stephen F. Austin, where we took our initial jobs and arm-in-arm helped the program to the national semifinals."

Auburn now has three assistant coaches on staff: Luper, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and linebackers coach James Willis.

``Curtis Luper is a tremendous coach, who I’ve had the pleasure of watching blossom from a player to the successful individual that he is today,” Chizik said. “I had a great amount of respect for him as a player and while mentoring him in the beginning of his coaching career. Curtis has done an outstanding job coaching running backs and I am excited to coach with him again."

CURTIS LUPER CURRICULUM VITAE
Oklahoma State, 2005-present (RBs/Asst. Head Coach)
New Mexico, 2002-2004 (RBs)
Texas A&M-Commerce, 1999-2001 (DBs/Asst. Head Coach)
McKinney (TX) HS, 1998 (RBs)
Stephen F. Austin, 1997 (RBs)
Stephen F. Austin, 1995-96 (Graduate assistant/DBs)

Photo credit: Rivals.com

Happy New Year from the HABOTN

Hey everyone. Welcome to 2009!

I plan to share our silly-crazy December numbers with you all in a bit. We broke every record available in terms of traffic. I never thought we would gauge pageviews by the 100,000s, but that's where we are.

Lots of football on the tube today. What are you watching?

Terry Bowden is back

The Florence Times-Daily's Jeff McIntyre, one of the good guys, is reporting that Terry Bowden will be the next coach at North Alabama.

Jeff's source? It's a secret.

Terry Bowden, the Division I coach of the year in 1993 while at Auburn, has been hired as head football coach at the University of North Alabama, the TimesDaily has learned.

Bowden, 52, will be officially introduced to the media Thursday morning during a news conference at 11 a.m., sources say.

He will replace Mark Hudspeth, who left UNA on Dec. 13 to become passing game coordinator at Mississippi State.

Bowden posted a 46-16-1 record in six seasons at Auburn. The Tigers were a perfect 11-0 in 1993, his first season at Auburn. At the end of the season, he was chosen the Division I national coach of the year by several organizations.

Thanks to Kathy for altering us to this.

New Orleans shots

Hey everyone. Here are a few images from my trip to New Orleans.

OF NOTE: The HOTTIES know how badly I want a Lotus. I saw one today. Yummy.

My top 10 list

Hey everyone. I'm pretty doggone enthusiastic about getting 2008 behind us.

Mama always said you got to put the past behind you before you can move on.

It was a rocky year for everyone in a lot of ways. The upside, of course, is that the HABOTN expanded well beyond my expectations. You all have made my job significantly more enjoyable. Without that jolt of enthusiasm, I probably would be out of the business by now. You guys make my job fun.

OK. Enough with that. Let's talk about something ... fun.

MY OFFICIAL TOP 10 AUBURN MOMENTS OF THE YEAR

• The two hours after Tuberville resigned. (11/3/08)
  
  
• Tony Franklin saying he would boo himself.
  "Well, they should. Hell, if I was them, I'd boo. I'd boo me. I'd be angry. Everybody's expectations were high. My expectations were high. Hell, if I was a paying fan I'd be pissed. This product has not been good, and it was my product. I don't blame them for being upset. I don't take it personal. When they said how wonderful you were, I didn't take that personal because I knew it wasn't true. I said all along that I wasn't very smart and y'all thought I was joking. Now you know. It's pretty true." (9/28/08)
  
  
• Watching Tony Franklin pack his car in front of the complex after being fired.
  *The grad/student assistants later chided us for taking Franklin's "dignity" by taking pictures of the situation. Franklin DID THAT ON PURPOSE, fellas. (10/8/08)
  
  
• Realizing that Gene Chizik was Auburn's choice.
  I knew the "winner" would be someone off the map, but I didn't know just how far off the map Auburn would go. (12/13/08)
  
  
• Ryan Pugh's interview about the offense after the Vanderbilt game.
  "Just getting away from what we were successful at in the game is just frustrating as a player. But we have no control over that." (10/5/08)
  
  
• Ben Tate's interview about the quarterback situation.
  "Everybody's got their own opinions on it. I'm not really going to say mine. I think everybody can pretty much see who should be the guy out there." (8/24/08)
  
  
• Tony Franklin calling himself a "dumbass" after the Tennessee game.
  "It might be the dumbest call I've made in 10 years. It's a third-and-short call, not a third-and-long call. I was being a total dumbass. That's what I was." (9/27/08)
  
  
• Getting caught in the media tent during a two-a-days rainstorm.
  *Goldberg has footage of this debacle. Everyone (wisely) left just before the rain came. I thought being under a tent was a good idea when the rain came. Goldberg and Jeffrey Lee concurred. Then wind toppled the tent and we were had lads.(8/14/08)
  
  
• Tez Robertson on Frank Tolbert being posterized on a dunk against Xavier.
  "You just have to own up to it." (1/6/08)
  
  
• Tez Robertson on what he'll do after ditching the headband that covered his forehead gash.
  "I'll be regular ol' Tez without a headband."

Barkley busted

The Arizona Republic is reporting that Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of DUI early this morning.

Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving in Old Town Scottsdale Tuesday morning.

Gilbert Police pulled Barkley over at 1:30 a.m. for running a stop sign near 75th Street and 6th Avenue, Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said.

Barkley was given a blood test after showing signs and symptoms of impairment along with a strong odor of liquor on his breath. After the arrest, he was cited and released the same day but was not booked, Shuhandler said. He left in a cab.

Richard Quick diagnosed with brain tumor

I have confirmed that the Tigers' swim coach, Richard Quick, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He's 65 years old.

UPDATE: The Swimming World story included this tidbit I found interesting:

A Prayer Pager has been set up for Coach Quick at 334-742-5224. Whenever someone says a prayer for him, they can send a page to that number anonymously to cause his pager to vibrate. This will allow him to know when a prayer is said for him.

Here is Auburn's official release.

AUBURN—Auburn men’s and women’s head swimming and diving coach Richard Quick has been diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous brain tumor. One of the most recognizable names in the swimming and diving community, Quick is a six-time United States Olympic coach who has directed 12 teams to NCAA titles.

“We’re currently in the process of looking for the best care
possible to fight this,” Quick said. “I want to thank the countless
individuals that have passed along their well wishes, thoughts and
prayers.”

Quick, who served as Auburn’s head coach from 1978-82, took
over the Tiger program for a second time in 2007. He is in his second
season and sixth overall at Auburn.

“Richard is such an energetic person, has an incredibly
positive attitude, and is bound by his faith,” Auburn Athletics
Director Jay Jacobs said. “I know that he’s going to meet this
challenge head on, just as he has done with every endeavor he’s
encountered. We ask the Auburn Family to keep Richard and his family in
their thoughts and prayers.”

While the head coach of both the men's and women's programs at
Auburn from 1978-82, Quick built the foundation for where the program is
today, leading both programs to a combined four top-10 finishes on the
national level.

Quick captured seven NCAA titles at Stanford and five at Texas,
which is tied for the most in the history of Division I coaching.
Internationally, Quick was the head coach of the United States team at
the 1988, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games and also served as an assistant
at the 1984, `92, and 2004 Olympics.

Quick served as the head women's swimming and diving coach
at Stanford for 17 seasons from 1988-2005. Prior to his arrival at
Stanford, Quick led the Texas women to a then-unprecedented five
straight NCAA titles (1984-88), a string he extended to six in a row in
his first season at Stanford.

In the interim under Quick’s direction, Brett Hawke will
oversee the men’s team, while Dorsey Tierney-Walker will run the
women’s program.

Sen'Derrick Marks speaks, 12/30

Hey everyone. I was on my way out of town for a little get-away this morning when I learned about Sen'Derrick's decision to go pro. For reasons perhaps we'll discuss at a later date, I wasn't able to hit the HABOTN until now.

The upside: I have talked with Sen'Derrick. So let's get to business.

• How did you come to this decision?: "I've been thinking about it for a while. I probably figured it out during the past few days after going back and forth about it."
  
  
• So what was the determining factor?: "I don't want to say playing college football is easy ... because it isn't. I get ready just like everyone else, but I knew that I had gotten pretty good playing college ball. I just realized that I'm ready for that next challege -- to play on that next level."
  
  
• You making this decision just after Gene Chizik was hired makes it look like maybe you don't like him. What about that?: "I'm not much into believing you stay because of this coach or you leave because of this coach. I don't really know Coach Chizik, but that doesn't matter. Football is football to me. I'm leaving because I feel like I'm ready. It's the next thing for me to do."
  
  
• So what did the NFL tell you?: "I actually haven't heard from them yet."
  
  
• So you're going into this basically blind?: "I've got a good feeling about it. I think people know who I am."
  
  
• Are you going to graduate?: "I probably can't get that right now. I'm definitely going to graduate. I promised Kenny -- that's what I call (my dad) -- that I'd get that degree. I changed majors three semesters ago and I lost some credits. I'm still a year away."

ALSO OF NOTE: The Iowa State affiliate of Scout.com reports that Terry Price, the Tigers' former defensive ends coach, will join Paul Rhoads at Iowa State. The Auburn-ISU swap continues ...

Malzahn overview

Hey everyone. So we got our first look at Gus Malzahn, the Tigers' new offensive coordinator, on Monday night. He said the things Auburn fans wanted to hear.

Let's review those points:

• Malzahn plans to play "smash-mouth" football. He didn't play that way at Tulsa in 2007 because, as he said, the team didn't have the linemen to make that happen. Does Auburn have that kind of line? Things didn't work last season. Maybe that was talent. Maybe that was scheme. Maybe that was a fluke. If we learned anything from Tony Franklin, it's this: Don't judge an offense until it works against an opponent during the fall.
  
  
• Malzahn will have a say in hiring the team's offensive staff. Head coach Gene Chizik made that point clearly on Monday. He said assistants can't be "strong-armed in there," which makes a lot of sense. Of course, Tommy Tuberville had no problem doing that.
  
  
• Malzahn spent Monday assessing recruits and his own players via video review. That had to be an interesting process. Auburn doesn't exactly have an excess of skill-position talent these days.
  
  
• Malzahn will continue to coach with Tulsa through its bowl game on Jan. 6. He's doing that because, he said, leaving those players so abruptly didn't feel right. His decision also will allow Auburn recruits -- both current and future targets -- to see how this system works. Auburn will be discussing this game as much or more than anyone in Oklahoma.

Photo credit: Dave Martin/AP

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn beats Alabama A&M, 82-40

We're now live here at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn wins, 82-40.

SHOOTING
Auburn 31-59 (52.5%)
Ala A&M 11-50 (22.0%)

3-POINT SHOOTING
Auburn 9-19 (47.4%)
Ala A&M 6-19 (31.6%)

REBOUNDING
Auburn 49 (17o/32d)
Ala A&M 24 (8o/16d)

AUBURN'S TOP PLAYERS
G Frankie Sullivan -- 12 points, 6 rebounds
SG Tez Robertson -- 8 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
F/C Korvotney Barber -- 11 points, 8 rebounds


FOURTH TO @ 3:32
Auburn leads, 74-36. Francis Aihe has been in for more than three minutes already. Still not close.

SECOND TO @ 11:39
Auburn leads, 66-32. Still not close.

FIRST TO @ 15:26
Auburn leads, 54-30. Not close.

Video report, Malzahn speaks his mind

Enjoy.

Until we get the auto-play situation rectified, here is our workaround: A link to the video at the Advertiser's site.

Malzahn and Chizik speak, 12/29

Hey everyone. I am here inside the bowels of Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, where new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will make his first public comments as an Auburn employee.

I'll be live blogging the event. It begins at 5:30 p.m. CST.

GENE CHIZIK SPEAKS

• "The hires have to be part of your plan. One of the guys I was very adamant about was Gus. It was really neat how the plan unfold exactly the ways the steps were ordered."
  
  
• "He's a guy who can relate to players. He can take a group of players, evaluate those players and get them in a position to win."
  
  
• "Philosophically, we had to be on the same page for what I feel like is important for Auburn. In this league ... we've got to start with the running game. That's very important to me. As Gus and I talked through this process, it was clear that I had the right guy in all ways."
  
  
• "As this process unfolded, I was extremely excited about Gus Malzahn."
  
  
• "Over the course of the past two years, I've had a chance to watch Tulsa on film. There was no previous relationship between Gus and myself. I can speak semi-intelligently about him because I've seen him on tape so many times."
  
  
• Will Malzahn pick assistants?: "We're going to be on the same page about that. I want the transition for Gus ... to be as comfortable as can be. You can't strong-arm guys in there."
  
  
• "What's more important to me is finding the right fit now. Does that mean someone who is more familiar with the system? I'm going for the right fit. There is no timeline. Gus will be in on every facet."
  
  
• "When you hire great people, you let them do their thing. I will havea working knowledge of everything. I don't want to micro-manage. That's why you hire great people. With Gus, I know what I'm getting. I've done the homework. I feel good about Gus running the offense."
  
  
• On Antonio Coleman and Sen'Derrick Marks: "We've had some conversations. At the end of the day, they have to do the best thing for them. We'd love to have them back."
  
  
• Need more coaches named immediately?: "What you can't let happen is letting the urgency override you getting the right fit. If I could, I'd have them all here already. That's not realistic. I'm not putting a timeline. I've got to get the right guy."
  

GUS MALZAHN SPEAKS

• "A lot of people categorize me as a spread team. We're going to be smash-mouth. We're going to throw the ball vertically down the field. We're going to do that quite often."
  
  
• "That's what I did today -- spent time evaluating our strengths."
  
  
• "I'm also working on recruiting to fill our needs. We started looking at film, assessing things, assessing our needs."
  
  
• On the season at Arkansas: "I got a chance to see the actual speed of the SEC. That's very important when you're out looking for players."
  
  
• On Ziemba and Burns: "I recruited both of them at Arkansas." He talked with Burns today.
  
  
• Will this be like Tulsa?: "You'll see a lot of similarities. We'll assess our strengths, see what we have here. You'll see the same philosophies, same pace, same play-action."
  
  
• Play calling?: "Well, you got to be balanced, and you've got to take what the defense gives you. People tell me, hey, do you want to run more than throw? Really, it matters on what the defense is going to give you. Obviously, like I said earlier, you've got to be able to run the football. We are a run-play action team. You won't see a whole lot of straight drop-back pass. It's just not who we're going to be. We're going to run downhill. We're going to have a physical, hard-nosed approach. I'm not talking about just the offensive line and just the backs. I'm talking about the receivers and quarterbacks, and I think that's very important to establish that early."
  
  
• "This situation was ideal for me. This is one of those dream fits for me personally. It's a chance to coach in the SEC. There are certain places you go away from and say: That's an awesome place. We actually won that game. It was a classy place. I knew it was something special. Anytime you hear anything about Auburn, it's positive. That's part of it."
  
  
• Does Auburn have talent?: "There definitely are some strengths. It's early. I've been on this for only about 8 hours now."
  
  
• When did you hear from Auburn initially?: "Just before Christmas."
  
  
• How long did that decision take?: "About an hour."
  
  
• What are your plans?: He's assessing Auburn recruits tonight, back to Tulsa tomorrow and will stick with them until the bowl.
  
  
• On Tony Franklin: "I've never met him. I don't know much about (his system)."
  
  
• "I'll be explaining everything we'll do. We'll have a good, sound plan. We'll have extremely high goals. We're going to achieve them and achieve them quickly."
  
  
• On Burns: "I know a lot about him. I know his family well. We know each other well. I really think he's got a lot of potential."
  
  
• He said it's important to be in on the "front" of a coaching change and not have to meld into an existing staff.
  

THAT'S A WRAP

Malzahn not leaving Tulsa immediately

Here are a few items discussed in the comments section that probably need front-page status:

• Gus Malzahn, hired Sunday as the Tigers' new offensive coordinator, will stick with his current employer (University of Tulsa) until the conclusion of its Jan. 6 bowl game.
  
  
• Malzahn will be in Auburn on Monday. He'll be meeting with Chizik and The Peeps. He'll also huddle with the media at some point.
  
  
• Malzahn will coach quarterbacks. There was some confusion here because he coached receivers at Tulsa. Auburn still is in the market for a receivers coach.
  
  
• Tulsa head coach Todd Graham had this to say about Malzahn's situation:

  “We wish Gus much success at Auburn and it is with mixed emotions that we send him off,” Graham said. “He has done an outstanding job for us. I know it was a tough decision for him to leave Tulsa, but we wish him nothing but the best in his new position.” (Tulsa World)

Photo credit: University of Tulsa

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Malzahn making his way to Auburn

Hey everyone. We now have official confirmation that Gene Chizik has elected to hire Gus Malzahn as Auburn's next offensive coordinator.

``Gus is one of the great offensive minds in college football and we are very excited to having him join the Auburn staff,” Chizik said. ``His track record at all levels of coaching is remarkable and his offenses have been extremely successful both running and passing the ball. It’s truly impressive that he oversees an offense that is in the top 10 nationally in all five major offensive statistical categories. We’re looking forward to having Gus on board."

WHO IS GUS MALZAHN? He's a former high school coach from Springdale, Ark., who moved into college ball at Arkansas during the 2006 season. After one year with the Razorbacks, Malzahn left to run Tulsa's offense. That's where he is now. He is 43 years old.

WHAT DOES HE RUN? It's a spread offense in spirit. Malzahn likes to spread the field, run wide, run inside, pass quickly at times. It has a spread pace. This is not a passing offense. It's a blend, though Malzahn's Tulsa teams ran the ball far more often than they passed. This is the most run-oriented strain of spread offense.

SO IT'S SHOTGUN STUFF? Yes, in some ways. Shotgun is a common formation, but the backs are used more creatively than what you saw with Tony Franklin's offense. You'll see backs in motion, end arounds, more driving runs between the tackles. There is an emphasis on quick reads and quick passes. It moves at a quick pace once the ball is snapped.

Malzahn also liked to use the team's quickest wideout, A.J. Whitmore, in Tulsa's version of the "Wildcat" formation. That's one of the new trends in football -- using a skill-position guy at quarterback occasionally. Malzahn was doing that with Darren McFadden during his Arkansas days as well. He wasn't the first coach to use that formation, but he brought it back to the mainstream in 2006.

Many fans know the formation from watching the Miami Dolphins run it so successfully this season with former Auburn tailback Ronnie Brown. That system was installed by the Dolphins' quarterbacks coach, David Lee. He worked with Malzahn at Arkansas.

BUT JAY, I HATE THE SHORT PASSING GAME: That shouldn't be an issue with Malzahn. He likes throwing deep. His 2007 quarterback, Paul Smith, was the first quarterback in college history to throw for at least 300 yards in 14 consecutive games. You don't generate those kinds of numbers by throwing screen passes. Tulsa's 2008 quarterback, David Johnson, didn't put up the same kinds of numbers. That's because the Golden Hurricane ran far more often.

Still, Johnson was throwing deep. Tulsa's receivers averaged 15.8 yards per catch this season. That's slightly more than when Smith went on his 300-yard binge in 2007.

Auburn's receivers, by comparison, averaged 10.8 yards per catch this season.

CAN I SEE THE NUMBERS? Absolutely.

TULSA (2008)
Total plays: 1007
Run/pass: 610/397
Run percentage: 61

TULSA (2007)
Total plays: 1126
Run/pass: 562/564
Run percentage: 50
*He inherited a senior quarterback who was highly efficient. Malzahn played to his team's strengths here.

ARKANSAS (2006)
Total plays: 841
Run/pass: 539/302
Run percentage: 64

WAS THIS OFFENSE WORKING AT TULSA? Definitely. Take a look at how the Golden Hurricane ranked among the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision teams.

Rushing offense: 8th (255 ypg)
Passing offense: 7th (310 ypg)
Total offense: 2nd (565 ypg)
Scoring offense: 2nd (47.4 ppg)

Photo credit: Arkansas Times