GUS MALZAHNAge: 43 (born 10/2/65)
College: B.A. from Henderson State University, 1990
Playing career: Spent two years as a walk-on wideout at Arkansas; two years as a scholarship wideout at Henderson State.
Coaching career:
Auburn, offensive coordinator (present)
Tulsa, offensive coordinator (2007-08)
Arkansas, offensive coordinator (2006)
Springdale (Ark.) High, head coach (2001-05)
Shiloh Christian (Ark.) High, head coach (1996-2000)
Hughes (Ark.) High, head coach (1992-95)
Hughes (Ark.) High, defensive coordinator (1991)
Mentor:
(I haven't discussed this with him.)
Previous Auburn experience:
None, though he was the man behind Arkansas' 27-10 win at Auburn in 2006. You may remember the fumblerooski Reggie Fish used to preface a fourth-quarter touchdown that day.
Coaching philosophy:
He favors an up-tempo offense. Malzahn's approach differs from many of his contemporaries because it emphasizes deep passes. Most up-tempo offenses rely almost exclusively on swing passes and screens. He has shown the ability to thrive using different areas of emphases.
In general, his offenses feature the run.
There is no question about who is in control of this offense. Malzahn runs the meetings, identifies the skills he wants sharpened and isn't shy about sharing his ideas with assistant coaches. At the same time, he doesn't dabble in the work of those assistants during practice. He trusts that they're handling business as they see fit.
Malzahn, in general, seems tougher on his players than most of his predecessors. Al Borges (2004-07) and Noel Mazzone (1999-2001) were comforters. Tony Franklin (2008) was aloof. Bob Petrino (2002) was neither; he was terse and direct. Malzahn also is very direct with his comments both on the field and in the Athletic Complex. I would not describe him as terse. He has a firm grasp on the habits of players who have been successful in his system. If he sees performance/behavior that doesn't fit with his past experience, Malzahn makes abrupt corrections.
Malzahn isn't afraid of a full playbook. He is not guily of underestimating his players' aptitiude.
Personality profile:
Malzahn, in general, is a quiet person. He isn't someone who tells jokes or seeks the spotlight. I have described him as a bookworm in the past. Malzahn seems shy to me in many ways. That's strange to me because he has been a relatively high-profile guy since, say, 1994. He's been in state championship games, in the middle of innovation at turmoil at Arkansas, behind the scenes of a great offense at Tulsa.
You'd think someone with that kind of resume would embrace the hubbub. He's not. Malzahn is a guy who'd rather be watching film and honing his strategy.
War Eagle Fly down the field
ReplyDeleteGood stuff Jay!
ReplyDeleteI guess what we all really wanna know: is this guy a dumb@$$?
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a whole lot better than the Cheetohs and Fudge Sticks I was eating. I gobbled up every word. Thanks Jay GT!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to curtail my anticipation for the season. I was so burned last year!
ReplyDeleteI'm too stupid to avoid getting burned again. GO TIGERS!!!
ReplyDeleteIt does sort of bother me that we have a zillion players who have that "QB" designation, yet we still don't have a quarterback.
Very interesting the way you describe Malzahn's philosophy, because that is what I have wanted to see out of an offensive coordinator.
ReplyDeleteBeing the offensive coordinator should mean you take ownership of the offense and coach your position coaches as well as your players, although you shouldn't pull a Franklin and embarrass your position coaches at practice.
The offensive coordinator should be held accountable for how the offense performs. It sounds like Malzahn is taking ownership, and I like it.
As for being overly optimistic, I think it wise not to be. A new staff gets a pass the first couple of seasons. While I expect to see an improvement in terms of the team looking prepared offensively, with the number of penalties going down, I don't necessarily expect the number of wins to significanly improve.
ReplyDeleteSteveFC - I suspect you are correct in your prediction, and any injuries to our very thin O-line could negate any progress from last year's offensive disaster. And boy was it offensive.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons for Chizik's record at Iowa State is that he decided to play a lot of young players to build the experience level on the team. I think Chizik said that wasn't as big of a necessity at Auburn, but I do think that may happen at QB if someone doesn't step up.
ReplyDeleteNice work as usual Jay...I like Malzahn..he concerned me initially with the whole mustain deal that happened at Arkansas..I'm still not sure exactly what was going on there..I thought that Nutt just hired him to get Mustain but what do I know??
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support!
ReplyDeleteJay GT - I'm curious how they get the plays called and communicated to the players so fast. The very little I saw of Tulsa last year (vs ECU and the bowl game), it seems like they just ran up to the line and ran another play. I saw little, if any, of that goofy prairie dog stuff.
ReplyDeleteQuarterback communicates stuff.
ReplyDeleteThey occasionally use the Meerkat Manor charade, but it's rare.
I am not really that concerned with what happened between Malzahn and Nutt. Actually, I have the same opinion of Nutt and Malzahn as I had of Tuberville and Franklin. I think Malzahn runs a risk taking offense, just like Franklin. I think both Nutt and Tuberville are win it with defense kinds of guys, both dedicated to a power running game.
ReplyDeleteThe play calling in a fast paced offense is also probably a big part of the issues with Kodi and why Todd was the starter. Both Franklin's and Malzahn's offense require a lot of QB decision making in terms of calling the plays and the reading of the defense before the snap.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't to say I am confusing Malzahn's offense with Franklin's. I don't think they will be similar at all, although both will be referred to as a spread.
ReplyDeleteSteve- My concern isn't so much to do with the relationship between Nutt and Malzahn as it is for how it went down..it's doesn't really seem relevant anymore but when all that happened I thought of it like Nutt hired Malzahn just to get Mustain and it was just weird.. I mean Nutt hires a high school coach as OC? that's all I'm saying...I agree with your comparison to Tubberville and Franklin tho..great point!
ReplyDeletealso..I think you are right when it comes to Kodi ability for the fast paced..read a defense style..I think Kodi's football intelligence is what's holding him back..that and the throwing problems I keep hearing about...
ReplyDeleteGreat info Jay!! The more I rread about Malzahn, the more I like him!
ReplyDeleteJay, do you think he would start a freshman over some of the older guys if no one steps up?
I'm just glad that there is a chance we might not hear "we've only installed (pick a number)% of the offense right now, because they just aren't catching on, we might even scale it back."
ReplyDeleteIt seems we've heard that far more than enough.
Funny how Nutt took the offense away from Malzhan and Ark went from a 9-1 start and in the top 5 to a finish of 10-4 with Nutt calling the plays.
ReplyDeleteYea, when you hire an Offensive Coordinator, I believe in letting him coordinate the offense. I hope Chizik will do that. So far, it seems like he will. If Malzahn's offense isn't successful, don't let it be because everyone isn't on board with it. I don't think Tuberville made a mistake not letting Franklin hire his guys. I think Franklin should have been able to direct the offense as he chose. I just don't think Franklin had the people skills to deal with the offensive staff. Also, I really think Knox needed to go, but that should have been the OCs decision once he saw how well he coached.
ReplyDeleteTHT.
ReplyDeleteIn the last thread you asked about truphone. I've not experienced truphone itself, but I have tested and used 7 odd voip providers.
I've not found a better and cheaper solution than MagicJack. $20 a year for unlimited to US48 and Canada. I've been using it for 2 years now.
Hi Xaff,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I just stumbled upon TruPhone today when checking out ipod apps.
I read an excellent article on the Nutt/Malzahn mess, but I can't remember the name of the publication(it was from someone in Arkansas.) That article stated basically that Nutt told the three players from Malzahn's HS(and Malzahn) that if they all came to Arkansas, the Razorbacks would run the same type of offense that Malzahn ran in HS. Then, when things were not going well on offense, Nutt took over, he and the other coaches basically ignored or tried to embarass Malzahn and the whole incident with M Mustain and his mother and the other players' parents went down. Malzahn obviously decided to leave after the season was over, and Nutt was forced out afterward for multiple off-the-field reasons. I am sorry to report second-hand information without naming the source, but I read this article shortly after the 05 season. If someone knows the facts to be different, please correct me. And I think Malzahn is the best hire AU has made in years.
ReplyDeleteI just don't see how a true freshman would start at Auburn right now.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry, that article was written after the 06 season, not 05. Great work on the coaches, Jay, I have really enjoyed the information.
ReplyDeleteI like the offensive philosophy. I wonder if we can find the QB and receivers to put it in action.
ReplyDeleteCooper to Auburn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRh3fEhDG2c
ReplyDeletegood work Jay G.... nice read....
ReplyDeletejay, at first, I thought you wrote Tony Franklin was aboob..or maybe I just read it that way. No mention in Gus's bio that his wife and Mon are facebook pals???
ReplyDeleteJay, I wouldn't expect a true freshman to start the first game, but I can definitely see one playing early and taking over as the season goes on. I say this just because I have the impression Malzahn isn't happy with Burns or Caudle. Like I have said in the past, Todd was our best QB last season until his arm went south, but he still was no better than an average SEC QB when he was at his best.
ReplyDeleteI suspect Malzahn has seen the issues with Kodi and was hoping Caudle could be the guy, but Caudle has next to no experience and has to have athletes butt after spending so much time on the bench.
Robert Cooper may end up being an option to. My guess is that, at a minimum, we will have a true freshman as the second or third team QB.
Ah, and I would like to make a wacky prediction. Malzahn will be the head coach at a major division 1 school within the next couple of years.
ReplyDeleteNationalChamps.net is counting down a pre-seaason college football rankings. They have only posted #50-40, but two SEC teams have already shown up here. The names really surprise me.
ReplyDeleteOOps, make that 3 SEC teams ranked in the #50-40 positions.
ReplyDeleteI've said all along that we would only have Malzahn a couple of years. The more success we have, the faster he's gone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Memorial Day (it ain't over yet) Hotties.
ReplyDeleteJGT - I too am enjoying getting to know our coaches. Thanks for this and all your other efforts.
It's been a pretty good day playing with the son while the wife largely took the day off from mommy duties. Tomorrow, it's back to the grind for each of us.
For a taste of home, I've found Conecuh Sausage and am grilling that along with some filets and mine's seasoned with some spices straight from my favorite Montgomery butcher.
THT - there'll be no ice cream as part of this meal. Though I may have a brownie.
Now, time to flip the steaks.
One of the most interesting parts of this coming season is going to be Michigan. Rich Rod's first season was like the olympic diver who hit his head on the diving board. If he does it again, he is a goner.
ReplyDeletehope all have had a great memorial day weekend. i managed to wrok my way through the entire thing. my whole take on the malzahn thing is that, while au may not have a dominant group of offensive players, we certainly have enough talent to have an interesting product on the field.
ReplyDeleteNone of you seriously believe Tyrik Rollison is going to roll in here and start his first season, right?
ReplyDeleteI really like this series of articles JGT.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Rollinson.....you never know! (but I doubt it too)
My money, if I had any, is on Caudle. I don't think Rollison plays much if any this year.
ReplyDeleteTrue freshmen QB's that I can recall getting decent playing time at Auburn are few and far between...Gabe Gross and maybe Jeff Klein (he might have been a redshirt) are the two the come to mind. Kodi got one start as a true freshman.
ReplyDeleteNone of the above were ready, and all of the above didn't do so well.
I seriously doubt that Rollinson will get any quaility playing time this year, and I figure he'll probably get redshirted, unless he somehow is much better than his hype coming out of HS.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteWhy would UT, Ark or SC surprise you being ranked between 40-50...all have more questions than answers.
Norm...
ReplyDeleteWell, how were the steaks and sausage? I want details.
Norm ...
ReplyDeletePeppertree and Conecuh.
Wow.
That's all. Wow.
SC will be much improved. I bet they end up second or third in the East. Arkansas will be improved, but likely 4th in the west. Tennesse has a lot of talent, altough my guess for them is 3rd of 4th in the East.
ReplyDeleteI expect an incoming QB to get significant playing time and possibly actually start sometime during the season. It might not be Rollison. Cooper or Moseley could also be the guy. I just don't believe Malzahn likes Caudle or Burns. Any news on Todd. My guess is if his arm is healed and he has decent strength, he will be the starter in the opener. If not, it is likely Burns, but possible Caudle.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe that Rollison has a chance to start as a true freshman. If he is close to the other QB's, I believe he will start.
ReplyDeleteJay G ...
ReplyDeleteIn re Rollison. Will he start at any point this season? I doubt it ... it would have to be close to disaster zone to consider that.
We can only go on what we know:
1. One QB had shoulder surgery, and we don't know what his status will be.
2. Another QB is injury prone and hasn't played significantly in five years.
3. Another QB has had perpetually problems with mechanics and decision making.
If Todd is not ready, and Caudle gets hurt again, then all bets are off as to him playing.
Steve...
ReplyDeleteI think you just managed to name every QB on the roster as a possible starter.
Wow, Jay G getting props on his blog entry on "The Bunker" on rivals.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but i'm not impressed with Auburn's QB's. I believe we don't have 1 SEC caliber QB on our roster at the finish of spring practice.
ReplyDeleteWhat is disaster zone? I think 8 wins this year would be awesome and that 7 is probably more realistic.
ehyou,
ReplyDeleteThat unfortunately seems to sum up the current QB situation. Everyone has significant drawbacks.
Eddie ...
ReplyDeleteI would view a 1-3 or 1-4 start as a disaster zone worthy of contemplating using a freshman.
Without having a set of eyes at practice, I don't know what to make of our QBs except what I saw last year, and that's not good.
Perhaps this explains the gap between our opinions and Jay's more circumspect thoughts regarding the freshman QBs. Remember, he gets to talk to coaches and those who been at practice -- on the record or off.
Jet- Agreed for the mos6 part. I just believe that the fact that this QB race is wide open says alot about how the coaches feel about the QB's on the roster. I also don't see how Chris Todd can be a factor in the fall. I'm sure he can, but I highly doubt it.
ReplyDeleteOK ...
ReplyDeleteI don't watch the NBA ... it's not my thing, but there's not much on ... but it's taking 10 minutes to introduce the lineups in Denver.
If Chris Todd is a factor, I'll be stunned. Absolutely stunned.
ReplyDeleteI've made this point before. Noel Mazzone helped turned on the light for Ben Leard. Petrino did for Campbell to a certain extent, and Borges definitely finished it off for Campbell. Let's hope that Malzahn can for Kodi or Neil or whoever.
ehyou - quite well done. And by that I do not mean the end-state, I mean the quality.
ReplyDeleteApparently, Conecuh Sausage has been sold around here for awhile but since it's not sold at the store exactly on my way home, this was news to me.
Jet - so we're clear, the steak was not a Peppertree original. It's from your average, run of the mill Publix. The seasoning however, that's a Montgomery original.
I had hoped Burns would have been the clear leader coming out of the spring. He was competing with a guy with next to no experience.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't have a lot of hope for Todd returning with a healthy shoulder, if he does I bet he is the starter.
The danger would be if a semi-healthy Todd returns and he is done after 3 or 4 games. If that is the case, we would do better to just pick someone else and go with him.
Who might have been a dark horse candidate this season was Trotter, if he hadn't gotten injured.
ReplyDeleteHowdy Hotties,
ReplyDeleteI just returned from a neighborhood get together next door. Dessert was definitely the highlight. Chocolate iced brownies made from scratch buried under homemade ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It almost made the torture of socializing worthwhile. Almost.
Franklin- Turned off the light for Burns and stole the light bulb.
ReplyDeleteI actually didn't have any bbq for the first time on a summer holiday for as long as I can remember!!..instead I had fish..Haddock..never even heard of haddock til today...great stuff..it was fried and delicious..anyway just thought I'd share..
ReplyDeleteAs far as a freshman starting a QB goes..no I don't think we'll be starting one this year unless we hit the "disaster zone"...3 or 4 straight losses being that zone..I am still putting my money on Kodi as the starter..I know I know..
Happy Memorial Day to you all!! WAR EAGLE!!
If anyone cares, this is my thought about the QB situation:
ReplyDeletewww.auburnfootballinsider.com
Sorry, no link.
Mrs. Jet made poppy seed (almost typed poopy seed) chicken, corn on the cob, garlic mashed taters, and salad.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly, cookout fare, but it was fine.
Actually, I don't think it was Franklin that initially noticed the problems with Burns. I think it was Borges.
ReplyDeletenicely done Eddie..very impressive blog...
ReplyDeleteThank you Wartiger. Appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting my money on it being Burns taking the first snap. Beyond that, who knows? I think Todd is doubtful and highly suspect. It probably would not surprise me at all if I see Caudle getting a decent amount of time in the games.
ReplyDeleteI really hate Bammers.
ReplyDeleteLatest Reason.
Give me a freaking break!
I respect what Bear Bryant did in his time and all that jazz..I won't even call him a cousin humper but let the poor old guy go..for the love of all that is good and holy..LET HIM GO!!..ridiculous..I HATE BAMA!!
ReplyDeleteYou won't, but I will.
ReplyDeleteAt the UAT family reunion, where there is no shade because the tree has no branches, he is the patriarch.
Sensi- That is crazy. Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteSensi - nice find. Cudos again on your performance Friday. I missed the last hour, who won?
ReplyDeleteSensi- You have mail.
ReplyDeleteIs there supposed to be an 'e' added in there to make the plural spelling of 'cudo' correct? If only Monica were here. Or, I suppose I could look it up but I just don't care that much.
ReplyDeleteI'm outta here Hotties..g'night ya'll..WAR EAGLE!!
ReplyDeleteNorm,
ReplyDeleteThanks. V.I.P. won with an outstanding call. I applaud him for not going yuck to win it. I did get an honorable mention from JD for having the most sports call outs in my call. It was fun. I may have to do that again some time.
Sensi - I heard VIP's call, and I suspected he had it in the bag. You should call in more often. I especially liked your remark about JL never paying for anything.
ReplyDeleteFolks, I do believe we have an incredible 7 QBs on scholarship: Todd, Burns, Caudle, Trotter, Moseley, Rollison, and Robert Cooper. Cooper was going to be a grey shirt, but due to others not qualifying, he gets his full ride. Yea, it sounds insane, but it looks to be the case.
ReplyDelete7 QBs, but not a single starting quarterback. That's sad.
ReplyDeleteRollison 2009. Join the winning ticket :)!!!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed THT. One of the failures of this new coaching staff with recruiting seems to be that they didn't recruit to our needs, but you can't really blame them. They came in late in the game, but having 7 QBs is ridiculous. Add about 100 pouunds to a couple of them and make them linemen.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Cooper is destined for another position... perhaps OL ;-)
ReplyDeleteRats, I had another Human Deer and didn't know it.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of confidence in this staff, but I don't see a lot of confidence in our current QBs. We will just have to wait and see what happens. Conceptually, I don't like the idea of starting a freshman QB. I prefer that they get in for a series or two to get experience. We will just have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteGood night Hotties.
ReplyDeleteGood night, Norm.
ReplyDeleteJay-Great job on the coach info. Malzahn is interesting to me. Around the WVU game I remember stating that if there was a change he was the man I wanted for OC.
ReplyDeleteI think he will do a very good job for AU in the coming years.
As for a freshamn starting at QB-I don;t think that will happen. I do think the staff is open to seeing what Rollinson and Moseley can do witht this offense. I have felt all along that if healthy TOdd is the starter until any of the others get a grasp of the offense.(I really thought Trotter would be the #2 guy and come in as the season progressed)
ReplyDeleteKB has seen is last days at QB. I look fora position change for him.
My concern has been that Gus would be out the door in a hurry to be a head coach.
ReplyDeleteIf he's successful, he'll be hard to keep -- either as a future head coach, or a higher bidder.
Cooper will also not see any time at QB. he will probably be a TE/HB in this offense. Big but a little slow for QB. He is a winner though. I like having him and Moseley on the team. both guys have been winners at their sports in HS. I hope it transfers over to the college level.
ReplyDeleteThat is the price you pay for winning. notice how many other schools cam calling at the end of each season for the last bunch AU had. I would rather have other schools wanting AU coaches than no one looking there way due to their performance.
ReplyDeleteJet-grilled some chicken today and Mrs WTC added some pasta salad, mac & cheese with crushed goldfish as a topping (great) and finished it of with chocolate melting cake.
ReplyDeleteWTC ...
ReplyDeleteI agree ... in regard to the coaches.
I thought that one or more of the QBs would be gone by the fall. But Trotter's injury essentially removes one from contention.
Well, I've placed ElTurbo's girlfriend on double secret probation.
ReplyDeleteThe young lady broke in to my hidden stash of kettle chips.
Then, yesterday, she went to Bham and went to the Cheesecake Factory, and, while she ordered a piece to go for him, she didn't get me any.
With Trooter out, that leaves Burns,Todd,Caudle,Rollinson,Moseley, and Cooper.
ReplyDeleteI think Cooper is out at QB. If there was no injury, I thought Burns would be out. IMO it is Todd and Caudle for the starter and one of the freshmen getting some reps throughout the season.
She has all summer to make that up. However, these kids today (sounds like my dad) do not know how to think past themselves (not all of them but a lot of them).
ReplyDeleteChange networks on Elturbp's cell phone so they are on different networks and she will get the message.
She is actually a dream ... from a parental perspective. I think Mrs. Jet was a co-conspirator in trying to prevent me from getting my chips.
ReplyDeleteHeaded off to bed. Started training for a road race and 5:30am comes early for road work.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Hotties. Time to start the grind of a short work week and get ready for a trip to Florence at the end of the week. Where did the long weekend go?????
ReplyDeleteGood morning Eddie and all the Hotties.
ReplyDeleteWARRRRRRRRRRRRR EAGLE!!!
wtc, most of the coaches that left got other jobs. Keeping assistant coaches at Auburn has always been a struggle.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Hotties! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend.
ReplyDeleteJay G, thanks for your insight into the coaches. In years past, I knew nothing about players or the coaches. Your blog gives me a whole new perspective.
THT, is that an Auburn hockey jersey? If so, I have never seen one. Seems kind of weird, like an Eskimo beach volleyball team or the Jamaican bobsled team.
ReplyDeleteUndecover has an interesting article about Auburn recruiting since 2005. They break it down on a state by state basis. A couple of things stand out. First, we recruited more people from Florida than from Georgia, which I found surprising.
ReplyDeleteThe second thing is that the percentage of players that left the team is large for players from Florida and Louisiana. While we got the most players from Alabama, there weren't nearly as many defections.
As a matter of fact, the none of the four players we got from Louisiana even ended up playing. Hopefully Benton and Stallworth will break that trend.
Morning Hotties - nice to see everyone here.
ReplyDeleteGoodmorning Norm.
ReplyDeleteUnless someone steps up, our offense will go as far as Tate, McCaleb, and the other RB's will carry us.
ReplyDeleteI just don't see us having a pedestrian QB right now, much less a productive one.
RK, I agree. At best, I think Todd could be solid if his arm is healed, but I find that highly unlikely. Burns has had numerous chances and really hasn't shown us much in being a leader or passer. Yea, he can run. Caudle is the invisible man so far. One of the good indications is that Trotter was considered a possible replacement last season even though he is less highly rated than Caudle or Burns. That says something. I am under the impression that Malzahn doesn't see a starter in Caudle or Burns. Trotter is injured. Todd is likely not going to be able to last and I really don't want to see him start the season and last a few games.
ReplyDeleteYes, QB is a problem with this team. My hope has to be that Burn's decision making improves or Caudle steps up. My gut is telling me it will be Caudle, but I have no clue. If Todd appears healthy, it will likely be him, but I am doubting his arm will be ready.
Jay, any status on Todd?
SteveFC,
ReplyDeleteI think the Todd thing is over, man. I understand he is receiving a first-rate education. I am not sure what his plans are post graduation, but I think the QB dream is over for him.
It's not all bad though. Many former QBs have gone on to interesting other careers:
Ron Jaworski - noted NFL analyst
John Elway - owner in the Arena league
Johnny Utah - former FBI agent, semi-pro surfer
See, there are opportunities.
Steve-My point aboutthe coaches is that, as far as I know, there was any nlise about other schools calling on JJ to speak with the AU assistants about changing jobs. I know they got other jobs after they were terminated, but that is different than someone actively seeking you out while employed.
ReplyDeleteI am glad for them, it doesn't seem they were highly sought after while at AU or at least the public was never informed they were being sought after by other schools.
I love Malzahn for the reasons you mention Jay. He believes in a downhill power running game, but balances it with the deep ball.
ReplyDeleteI believe that what makes UF so hard to stop offensively. They force you to respect the deep ball, but what they'd really rather be doing is running right at you.
Bama and OU had great defensive game plans against UF. They stacked the box to stop the run. That gave the Gators some problems, but the deep ball is what separates them from an offense like GA Tech's. Once you stop their run (not an easy task, but if you do), they're toast.
Malzahn's offense is going to be an immediate improvement. I suspect we'll start out strong, but our lack of depth (on both sides) will hurt us as the season wears on.
Jason Crawford makes some good points. However, Florida was able to rack up yards in both games.
ReplyDeleteSECCG - 42 rushes, 142 yds. linkBCSCG - 44 rushes, 249 yds. link.
The interesting thing to note is the number of rushes. They clearly stick with it even when it doesn't garner much to start with. That's impressive - unity in the plan.
So from reading this Jay, it sounds like you believe Malzahn will do really well at AU.
ReplyDeleteIs that an accurate statement?
SteveFC -
ReplyDeleteyes, it is an Auburn hockey sweater. I've never seen one, either. I just stumbled on the image while googling.
WAR EAGLE and GO PENS!!!
Gabe Gross at QB was basically an emergency situation; Ben Leard had completely lost his swerve.
ReplyDeleteSame for Klein (redshirt), though that was because Ben has lost consciousness the week before.
I expect Malzahn to be very good at Auburn for a year or two. Then he's off to get his own HC gig.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Jay G. I just hope at least one of the assts. stays behind to run this thing though I realize these guys (for the most part) are on the way up and this is not long term for many of them.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they go to Gabe Gross in 1998, did they lose confidence in the legendary Mieko Collier who started the year as the back up?
ReplyDeleteJet,
ReplyDeletewe may need to reschedule plans for the King on Friday... scheduling conflict. I will not be in the Gump that day.
Malzahn won rivals OC of the year award his first year of college coaching. I don't know if he won more awards after that.
ReplyDeleteQB situation is not my biggest worry. Even mediocre QBs can look good behind a solid OL. That is the area I'm concerned about. And I'm concerned about depth issue on certain positions. Barring any injuries OL should hold up. 1st string DL and LB are fine but they are bound to get tired, and managing a good defense in 3rd and 4th quarters could be a problem.
I've heard how bammers OL lacked depth. Yes, bammers had a dream season last year. The OL went injury free, however bammer defense was strong and deep. They had a magical combination, however they lost to Utah when the first key was removed from the OL.
I don't think that Auburn's offense would have enough firepower to make up for a worn-down defense.
Sorry about the very long post.
Mieko was the best thing since sliced bread and if you didn't believe it, just ask him.
ReplyDeleteGabe Gross was the better of the two, at least at practice in 1998, so I'm sure that is why Gabe got the starting nod when we were desperate for anything good to happen.
JayGT, I wish the paper could afford to send you down to Destin this week. This Hottie would appreciate your insight. Is Slive going to reprimand the coaches for acting like 5th graders?
ReplyDeleteXaff....I agree that that our season depends more on the OL depth than anything.
ReplyDeleteAre we still analyzing QBs? Nothing has changed since spring drills and QB opinions seem to morph daily for some folks.
Hurry up....August....at least then the QB opinions can morph based on the latest player interviews....haha. For the record..my QB opinions won't change until the coaches announce a starter. In fact, unless someone is at the fall practices and watching, I'm trying to figger out how anyone's QB opinion could validly change.
Eddie,
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like early in 1998 Mieko was the # 2, even getting in the Virginia game when Leard was struggling, which made me curious as to why we went to Gross in the Tennessee game after Leard struggled/got banged up on our horrible goal line offense where UT stopped us 4 times from the 1.
Bowden couldn't be convinced that Meiko was worth even a third-string role. He was not a fan.
ReplyDeleteI think Jim Bob Striplin had a better shot at playing time.
Could you please refrain talking about 1998? I have a headache.
ReplyDeleteSonia Sotomayor?
ReplyDeleteAt the 1998 Egg Bowl game, which obviously had nothing to do with Auburn, Charles Goldberg made me laugh with something related to Collier.
ReplyDeleteHe took a plastic knife, wrote "Meiko" on one side of the blade and "Jim Bob" on the other.
A double-edged sword of excellence ...
Open door for political talk! Open door for political talk!
ReplyDeleteIf she's going to be on SCOTUS, Jet ...
ReplyDeletei don't know nuttin about no politickin'
ReplyDeleteDaddy says it's OK!
ReplyDeleteDaddy says it's OK!
funny jay, I wrote thos enames onto a fork and then jabbed it into my eye in 1998
ReplyDeleteI got an email alert today from my Catholic peeps that "we" had earned a nomination to SCOTUS.
ReplyDeleteI was like: We? I don't even have a law degree.
I'm NOT opening the door to political talk.
ReplyDeleteLegal talk? I could be persuaded.
What about the legal ramifications of politics?
ReplyDeleteBWAHAHAHAHAHA.
ReplyDeleteSupreme Court appointments somehow different than politics!
You slay me.
That Jay is such a card.
ReplyDeleteOr the political ramifications of law?
ReplyDeleteAntonin Scalia scoffs at you.
Wait a minute, I say we start, right here and now, the HABOTN School of Law. Its first order of business is to give Jay an honorary doctorate in law.
ReplyDeleteNo, he doesn't, Jay G.
ReplyDeleteHe smiles at me every night as his poster is in my bedroom.
I second the motion...
ReplyDeleteJet, did you see my post regarding the Friday luncheon?
ReplyDeleteBored in my youth, I took a graduate-level law class during my senior year at UK.
ReplyDeleteI flunked the midterm. Actually flunked it. Got an F, which was unprecedented. Had no idea what to expect.
I got an 89 on the final. Professor gave me an A- based on overall improvement, told me to stick with journalism.
Here I am.
I still monitor SCOTUS decisions from Cornell's "lii bulletin." Fascinating at times.
RK- Just to harp on what Jay G just said, Bowden..Not a Fan, Jimbo...Not a Fan. Oliver..A FAN. Tuberville...Not a Fan and ran him off the team.
ReplyDeleteD. Miller, your dog looks like he/she's smiling!
ReplyDeleteIf Oliver was a fan, they why did we have to struggle through Gross those last 4 games?
ReplyDeleteTo move it into more modern times, was our QB situation worse in 1998 or 2008-2009?
Luv,
ReplyDeletehe's a happy pup...
D. Miller ...
ReplyDeleteSad news. Mrs. Jet and fam will be out of town ... open season, and no one to go to the King with me without detection.
Seeing how you made an A in a graduate level law class, that makes you qualified to serve as a judge in several Alabama counties, your honor.
ReplyDeleteJet, how about tomorrow? or Tuesday?
ReplyDeleteI thought my sister's graduation was on Saturday for some reason... but it is on Friday evening. So, I will be in Arab attending her high school graduation/birthday bonanza. Therefore, I won't be in the Gump on Friday.
Jay G. et.al.,
ReplyDeleteIs Ben Tate on tap to be the featured back in this offense? Does this offense have such a thing?
OK DL is going to go out on a limb here... (as if my prior days actions were not enough)..
ReplyDeleteI actually think the Offence will be one of the better O's int he SEC.
Why you ask?
We have a good solid line... with most linemen having plenty of playing time... if they stay healthy the sky is the limit.
We have REALLY good players on O, not an abundance of Stars but an abundance GOOD player.
With a good line and a solid running game even an average quarterback will look good. I gotta play the odds here, 1 out of 7 has to show up next year.
But Most important, these kids (and that’s what they are) have something and someone to believe in…. That goes farther than any stars….
D will hold its own…..
That is my prediction… and I am sticking too it.
Do we need to have a HABOTN Security Council meeting to contemplate additional sanctions against Dear Leader?
ReplyDeleteMake him wear clothing? Something?
i don't know Jet. I'm a big proponent of not wearing pants. I think he's got something there
ReplyDeleteMy hubby's dream job is to sit around the house in his underwear and have his company mail him checks. Looks like DL has it!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, ...
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, better not share.
Nevermind.
As for comparing 1998 and now, in a sense we are in worse shape now simply due to my frustration with the QB situation. Gabe Gross looks like a good option at this point.
ReplyDeleteIf you consider that both Caudle and Burns were highly regarded coming out of high school, it just adds to the frustration.
As far as talent, I see a lot of talent on this offense. We just got an F in team chemistry last season.
I expect the offensive line will be okay as long as we don't get an unusual number of injuries. They don't usually substitute a lot on the offensive line anyway.
The linebackers are probably where the lack of depth is most likely to cause issues. We have a good starting 3, but that is about it.
Then ends on defense should be fine, but we can't take to many hits at the tackle spots before the level will fall off.
As for Todd being done, that is what I suspect. I doubt his shoulder would be good to go. He is just the only solid choice I see at QB.
As for what we have seen with the QBs in the spring that changed things, we saw the coaches say they wanted to name a starter before the end of spring practice. We saw them finding it hard to chose between three, and I don't think it was a good problem to have. I think each has obvious flaws.
cincy
ReplyDeleteThat's been my dream job for years. Still haven't made it happen:-(
THT,
ReplyDeleteMy son during his sophomore year at AU was doing computer work for a company in Cincinnati. He called his dad and said "Hey, guess, what i"m doing? Yep, working in my underwear and getting paid for it!" Sad day for his dad.
Is there a link to the Cliff's Notes version of the Habotn for the last couple of days?
ReplyDeleteCliff Notes:
ReplyDelete- Malzahn good
- QB's bad
- No depth on offensive line
- No depth at linebacker
- No depth at defensive tackle
- THT has a cool avatar
- 1998 gives people headaches
Monica,
ReplyDeletei gave up trying to catch up. I have been in Scottsboro staging my sister's house to prepare it for selling. I haven't seen news, TV, my computer, in days! I'm sure there are many jewels we have missed on HABOTN, but I just don't have that kind of time!
HABOTN Cliff's Notes
ReplyDeleteChiz and Gus are men of few, direct words.
UK player changes supplements, ruins career
Most of us really hate Bammer
WTC, Jet, and others attended graduations
Jay G. does not think a Frosh at QB is a viable option at this point; Eddie and I seem to think it may happen
Hoopie, et. al. long for August to arrive.
Happy Belated Anniversary to you and Greg
Oh, John Longshore is still talking about my strong first showing in the tourney Friday (no one is posting about this, but I am in to beating my own drum these days)
We are in the middle of the dead period where sports news is hard to come by. I did read something about Billings not being as questionable a while back, but who knows. At one point I read where Troop was assuming he wouldn't be back.
ReplyDeleteAs for a true freshman at QB, if you are talking the first game, I doubt it. If you are talking four or five games into the season, it is possible. I hope to see one of these guys get some playing time early. If that happens, if the top two QBs aren't Burns and Caudle, look for a change sometime during the season.
ReplyDeleteSensi! Those were delightful notes. Grazi!
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that might trigger a change in QB would be a loss in one of our first two games. Lose one of those and get ready for a wild ride.
ReplyDeleteI listened to a great conversation with Marc Richt last week where he was asked about recruiting and th * system. His reply was:
ReplyDeleteIt is for the fans only. He and his staff do not read that material as the guys that write that stuff have never coached and some never played football. UGA evaluates the players they want and they go after them. If they have a high * rating then OK if not, then OK.
I also read an article where the recruting guy at South Caolina discussed the same thing. (must have been beat up on the recruiting website week)
ReplyDeleteHe said he could most 3* players and get them to play like a 4 or 5 * and he could also take a 5* and watch him play like a 3* player.
I do like getting the higher rated players, but in the end you have to get kids that fit your program no matter how they are ranked.
sotomayor has a great personal story, but is definitely a political pick (and a good one). do arizona's (rep) senators vote against her? at their great peril. i'd heard her name bandied about, so it's no great surprise. she's a shoo in, barring some clarence thomas-like revelations.
ReplyDeletewtc, I think that how it is at most successful programs. There are always players that are over or under rated. For instance, Pat Sims and Senderick Marks are guys that play on Sundays. All you really need to do is look at the pros and the schools that send players to the NFL. Some of the schools I have never heard of. John Stallworth played for Alabama A&M. I suspect his star rating wasn't through the roof.
ReplyDeletei hate it when the "habotn pc" at work doesn't work. reboot, reboot, reboot.
ReplyDeleteI switched to Mac at home last fall and haven't regretted it for a nanosecond.
How desperate am I for football? I am watching Michigan vs Wisconsin from last year on the big 10 network.
ReplyDeleteTHT,
ReplyDeleteMy son switched me to the mini mac a couple of years ago. This year I went to the 24" iMac. I LOVE it! I hope to never use a PC again.
Since I started using Google Chrome as my browser I have MUCH fewer problems with reboots, etc. Just a thought for those still pc'in it.
ReplyDeletePC vs Mac isn't really the question. It is the OS that is the think. Mac OS is obviously a more stable critter than Winblows. I am a Linux guy, which is unix, which is basically what is under the hood of the Mac OS. I will put up my quad core linux box against any home computer.
ReplyDeleteI rarely ever do reboots. At one point I have a couple of linux boxes that had run for nearly a year without reboot.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else experiencing problems with Sportsradio 740's streams today?
ReplyDeleteI can't remember my last reboot.
ReplyDeleteIt's been years.
I use a MacBook Pro (2008 version) and a MacBook (2007 version) and an iMac (2005 version).
Sorry for the delayed response, Cincy. I was having to reboot this PC (Piece o' Crap) yet again. I have never had to reboot my Mac.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to own an iPhone, but it ain't happening anytime soon. AT&T signal is horrible.
Dear Leader needs to learn to keep his rockets in his pockets...of course he's not wearing any clothes, soooooo....now we have another international incident.
ReplyDeleteI had to reboot this past Christmas. My sister gave me this UGLY pair of lizard skins...I rebooted them to my brother
ReplyDeleteSensi- I have a dead stream today on 740am. I cannot get it to work.
ReplyDeleteMust be the rain, Eddie.
ReplyDeleteWhat team are you all dreading to see Auburn face this year?
ReplyDeleteHere's a dang-ole blogger who thinks Auburn is going to sink.
ReplyDeletelinkFor those who can't click the link, here's the hooey he wrote:
Hunter Ansley, Publisher, DraftZoo.com
Q: Lane Kiffin, Gene Chizik, or Dan Mullen ... which one will make the greatest immediate impact on the SEC
A: Lane Kiffin has the early lead in this department, but I'm going with Chizik. Tennessee will always be Tennessee. They'll be a strong program that underachieves in spurts and surprises when no one's looking. They're a Capital One bowl team nearly every year no matter who's coaching. Mississippi State has been off an on for years, and while Mullen may turn them into a semi-consistent Independence Bowl team, that's not exactly a huge impact.
But Auburn, a team that was basically in the SEC West discussion every year under Tommy Tuberville, will undergo a drastic change. I think the days of Auburn being a near lock for top 25 status are over. Is there really anyone out there that thinks Chizik's Auburn teams can compete with Nick Saban at Bama, the talent at LSU, the things Houston Nutt is doing at Ole Miss, or even the direction Bobby Petrino has Arkansas headed? That's the biggest impact I see here -- Auburn fading into obscurity.
And that fade will start immediately. After an awful year running a spread attack, they are now trying to do it again with yet another coordinator coaching the same players who just don't fit the system. If Tuberville couldn't win with this team, then I don't think Chizik can, especially when he insists on making the same mistakes.
I don't think I am dreading seeing Auburn play anyone this year. I think we will have a legit shot against everyone. My biggest concern would likely be West Virginia because of their speed, but without White, that looks much doable. LSU will be tough and Ole Miss will likely be tougher.
ReplyDeleteAnd that article was from who at where?
ReplyDeleteWest Virginia scares you more than any SEC team?
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure I'd agree with that one.
It was on the Scout Roundtable.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bunch of garbage, RK. I agree.
SteveFC, West Virginia has to replace the whole O-line. That's huge in my book.
Sensi, the blogger that wrote that stuff is full of crap. He obviously knows nothing about Malzahn, Franklin, or their offenses. They are not the same. Yes, both are called spread, but these are different critters.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that Auburn won't be the contender that it would have been under Tuberville this year and next, I think there is reason to be optimistic about the future. Chizik appears to have made good decisions so far. It will take a while to stabalize the staff and correct some problems caused by departing players, coaches, and this recruiting class, but I look for us to be very competitive once things have a chance to settle down.
Agreed, Steve. I just was passing that along because it is the down time and we need something new to chew on around here.
ReplyDeleteTime to flip the HABOTN burger.
ReplyDelete