Scrimmage stuff, 8/22
Hey everyone. We're going to do this in stages.STAGE ONE: THE BASICS
- The scrimmage was situational in nature. Drives were staged. No coaches would identify what went well and what didn't. The season is drawing near.
- They apparently did not keep score. No winners were revealed.
- There was no tackling per se. Defenders were instructed to hit, wrap up and let go.
- Both Ted Roof and Gus Malzahn said they're at least "90 percent" sure of their two-deep rotations.
- Ted Roof was in a great mood today. Maybe that means the defense played well.
- Two coaches spent the scrimmage in the press box: Curtis Luper and Phillip Lolley. It's expected to stay that way.
- Chris Todd played, but wouldn't discuss what kind of day he had. The season is drawing near.
- We do know that WR Anthony Gulley made a one-handed catch that wowed the crowd. That's what CB Walt McFadden said and I believe him.
- We do know that TB Onterio McCalebb had a long run. That's what McFadden said and I believe him.
STAGE TWO: POTENT QUOTABLES
- Gus Malzahn on why he coaches from the sideline: "I've always been on the field. And I can at least see the field fairly good because that's what I'm used to. I like being there with that quarterback and looking him in the eye. A lot of times you can really read your quarterback and, for that matter, read your whole offense when you're down there."
- Walt McFadden on Anthony Gulley's memorable grab: ``He made a great a play -- a one-handed catch. It was so pretty. It was like a post-corner ball. Todd put it out there thinking Gulley was 6-foot-7. He reached out with those long arms and made a great play. It looked like two fingers."
- Ted Roof on the scrimmage: ``I thought it was good for us – good for our staff, our kids as far as our awareness and where we fit things, communication and all those things that go into being good. We didn’t take anybody down, but we still swarmed the football and tried to get the ball out."
- Chizik, asked if there were any offensive standouts: ``I don't really look at it that way. I thought we had a couple nice catches in there. I think Gulley had a really nice catch on time during the two-minute drill. But that really wasn't the kind of day it was. A lot of it was against a scout-team look, what we call the berets. It really wasn't a chance or opportunity for that to occur."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
posted by Jay G. Tate at
12:03 PM
107 Comments:
HIT N RUN!!!
drives were staged... that sounds like pro wrasslin!
I've got to run. THanks JAYGT!!!
See ya.
I just totally rocked Kroger in full Auburn gear. Got in several stare-downs with Dawg fans. It was great.
It's clear that the season is drawing near.
"wowed the crowd"
I would assume "crowd" is a relative term.
It always seems that McCalebb has a big run... I expect big things from him this season.
Any sighting of Eric Smith?
Very interesting. Gulley is someone I have heard mentioned as getting time at h-back, which is a bit of a surprise. He is too small to be a blocker. I have heard rumors of McCalebb getting time their too.
More and more I am viewing this season as a season we learn more about the coaches than the players. I judge a coach by how well he is able to fit his system to match his talent. It sounds like it will be a challenge this season.
Crowd is a relative term in tuscaloosa, where the crowd is all relatives.
Also, sorry to hear Trooper isn't going to be in the box. No chest bumps for you Jay G. Sorry.
I expect the Auburn coaches are utilizing the KISS approach for these September games. What good is it putting in a bunch of plays, schemes, fancy-pants stuff, etc if our boys can't run it..?
Give them some simpler stuff and let them get some confidence first, then get sneaky later when we need it. Seems to be the first steps we need esp on the O-side.
Thoughts.?
Today is Scholarship Donor Day.
Monica ...
My hate does not abate.
My disdain does not restrain.
That should nevah, EVAH be questioned.
A little kid stopped Chris Todd for an autograph coming out of the stadium.
After the kid thanked Todd, he yelled: "Beat Alabama!"
I thought it was funny. So did Todd and Gus Malzahn, who was walking with Todd.
I see them keeping it simple and playing lots and lots of new people early, both in the season and games. My philosophy would be to play young pups in the first half as long as the game is close and crank it up with the more veteran players in the second half.
so, JG believes what the players say and not the coaches? is that what i'm hearing? the season is drawing near. ha.
SteveFC.
Agree 100% with your assessment. Need to do things your players can do. Who would ever expect Zemba to do anything other than a 'Hulk Smash' style of blocking.???? It is crazy to have that guy dance around from one side of the field to another chasing the point of attack.
Looks like Coach M is smart enough to figure that out..
why am I at work :-( ?
from prior thread...
IV - of course we know who Bryant Harvard is. He's the QB who gave the ball to Pat Dye with moments left in the game, costing AU the SEC Championship in '59. Didn't remember his number, though.
Now, that is a kid to be proud of. His parents obviously brought him up right:)
ok, JayGT, I can see why you may have thought it was funny.
But there should have been no humor in it for Todd & Malzahn. If so, they aren't taking this stuff seriously enough ;-)
that last post didn't quite come out the way it was meant. oh, well.
the coaches speak around things but the players speak the TROOF!
i would've loved to see that kid yell 'beat alabama'. ausome.
i'm a Tigers Unlimited Donor. when's my day? ggrrrr.
I've never been down there for one of these fan day things.
I want to move to Auburn for Aug-Nov every year :-(
Jet - That's good news.
THT... My bad. I retract my shout out. Harvard did do some good things along the way.
So did Eric Smith practice with the first team today?
Sweet deal
RK, from the Chiz comments last night, I doubt we will see much of Eric Smith for a while. From what I had read, he was going to be in the playing rotation with Tate and McCalebb. He was likely the number 2 RB, which is ashame. But when you think there is a guy named Fannin that can step in, not to mention Aycock, we should be fine.
I was being sarcastic, and I feel the only way Eric Smith was going to get any decent playing time this year is if there was an injury to Fannin, Tate and McCaleb.
No retraction needed, IV. I'm sure Mr. Harvard's heart was in the right place.
I haven't seen anywhere where it indicated he might be the # 2 RB. Until yesterday I don't even think I've heard the coaches mention his name.
RK, the coaches were very high on Smith during the spring until he was injured. Until this, I thought Fannin wouldn't see much time at RB. He is very well suited for the H-Back role. As for McCalebb, don't be shocked if he plays some H-Back. No, he isn't a blocker, but the down hill runners will be at RB. Tate wasn't great running parallel to the line of scrimmage, but guys like McCalebb and Gulley will likely be in motion and get handoffs in an option attack.
Smith is a good back. A lot of these players are good. Coaches don't have to tell anybody they are good and this crew doesn't tell. I like it..!
Smith will contribute this season as soon as he runs about 1957 stadiums.
I hate Alerbamer.
Holy damn I hate the Criminal Tahd.
How's P. Lutzenkirkensvensolbaum looking in scrimmages???
Runningback is one of the few positions we are very deep at. If Chiz wants to make a point, Smith could end up watching a lot of games from the stands. It is a shame. I have heard him referred to as little Rudy, although I think it a little misleading. He is a big back. He has been up to around 235 at times, but I think I read he is down in the 220s now.
Smith has balance like RJ did.
He will be back if he pays the price. He'z about to drop a few lbs in the process too.. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is HIS fault.
One of the more interesting things about this year will be the difference between this offense and the Franklin Experience. I see these most obvious differences.
- A lot of motion (which I am not sure why Borges stopped)
- Plenty of deep balls, over half a dozen a game.
- Lots of option football with the H-Back or slot receiver in motion.
- Few screens
And as a prediction, I predict this offense will be hard to watch on TV because of how fast it moves as well as how hard it is to keep up with where the ball is.
McCalebb having a big play seems to be a constant theme from practice reports. I sure hope those big plays continue when the season begins. Long runs from an AU back have been sorely missed for the past several seasons.
D.Miller: Zellweger has 100x the swerve Jen Aniston had at her peak, which was 10 years ago.
OK..Mon...point taken. I've changed my avatar....puh-leazzze change yours. I about threw up.
And then D.Miller erases the post that elicited my reponse.
Well, those are my thoughts on Aniston vs. Zellweger.
I just hope McCalebb's penchant for big plays in practice is an indication of how good he is, and not how bad our D is.
Omnica, your icon is sexist and should be changed.
JG...if you're talkin' Renee'Z...last time I saw.. her face was mishapened and blurry.
And here are some of the things I think you will see with this offense.
D Miller, that is always the good news/bad news part of practicing against yourself. A very valid point you make. Also hard to tell who was on the field for the D at the time of the run.
IV....Re: your Tubs questions from the earlier post. We've sortof reached a truce not to discuss that divisive subject here at the family.
It's like not discussing the ubiquitious controversial relative not present at the Thanksgiving dinner.
Yeah, Mon, I don't recall signing a release for that.
IV ...
I'm with Hoopie on Tubs discussions. Hoop and Steve had acknowledged that we were right and they were wrong, so we don't have to talk about that anymore.
I acknowledge that it was time for a change. The reason that it became time is something that is pointless to discuss.
easy Jet
Just joshin' ya, Hoop.
The Chiz really deserves the spotlight these days, anyway. I think he is doing an excellent job. I like the attitude I am seeing in the players. I think they have bought in to what we are doing. I also haven't seen comments from players that hint at a split in the team, like we saw last season. I don't judge a head coach by simply looking at wins at losses. I look for a HC that is a manager. If there are problems, I look for a head coach willing to make the changes to correct it. We will see how the chiz does.
I was about to copy and paste one of my many PTB diatribes...j/k!!
Speaking of Colonial Bank....We do loans with BB&T...the outlook is very bad for most all senior employees. BB&T purchased the assets, but most likely will shut CB down, move corporate ops to Charlotte, NC and only rehire at local branchs. I'll say delicately....BB&T doesn't trust the corporate culture and nepotism bred by the previous leadership.
Truce so noted and subject changed, but I still wonder what the answer is to my question.
D.Miller: Zellweger has 100x the swerve Jen Aniston had at her peak, which was 10 years ago.
WHAT?
Renee Zelweager?
Hey, as Bobby Brown's wife said - "Crack is whack" --- Lay off it. Just say no.
I wouldn't walk across the street to her nekkid.
Jen Anniston has more sex appeal and is hotter on her WORST day than theat chick they could make hot next to Jerry McGwire.
Anyone who thinks Zellweager is sexier than J. Anniston has brain damage.
War Eagle....hey
Hoop ...
I agree with the outlook for Colonial folks here ... economies of scale translate into "scale back" here. It's sad. Colonial employs something like 600 here in the Gump ... and it was our last business that is HQ'd here that was a publicly traded stock (Alfa Insurance went private last year). The higher up the pole you are at Colonial, the more likely your head is about to be lopped off.
Jet finds Jen ... annoying, as he also found the remainder of the "Friends" cast.
RZell hit her peak in JMcQuire and Cold Mtn. Her pouty look was cute, but that's all she's got.
Having changed the subject, I would like to admit in front of God, the HABOTN family and any lurkers like I was before I got the passion to post, that Coach Chiz has won me over. Before I started to posting and first heard about the hire, I was very, very upset. I thought we would be in for several years of more of the same. I agree with the points that SteveFC made as what I like in a head coach. It appears at this point in time that Coach Chizik is filling the bill in most every one of those points. I truly hope that he continues to do the right things for our football program. I do believe that he has the right stuff to be an Auburn man all the way.
Holy Crap. Brain Damage and on crack... because of your preference of Zellweger vs Anniston.
Also applicable to Milos vs Nestea, McDs vs Wendys and Kroger vs that new place they opened on corner of Glenn and University.
Just added some quotes to the main blog.
I didn't say Zellweger was hotter.
I don't consider either gal particularly hot when compared to other actresses/models.
I said Zellweger has more swerve than Jen Aniston had at her peak. She's more sophisticated, less pathetic and seemingly more independent.
I like that about a girl.
Alfa insures my residential rental properties. They have good coverages and costs... didn't know they went private.
I'm sure that most of the CB folks would be great rehires, but BB&T won't know who to rehire and will probably just move as much as possible to Charlotte. We rented space to them in one of our shopping centers and their architectural and real estate folks were sharp.
I know many AU folks are endeared to BL b/c of his gifts, but the rest of the south thinks just the opposite and thinks that AU folks have been duped for years. As an out of stater doing bidness...I've heard this many times from bankers and sports folks insiders alike. Whether valid or not, the BL argument has been used when recruiting against AU by other schools as recently as 2008. CMR did not use this tactic, he and CTT were friends and CMR refused to pile on.
I watched the GMAC bowl and watched the clip that SteveFC linked us to recently. It is amazing how college football has changed since my first encounter with it until now. Back in the day, playing both ways, using a full house backfield T-formation, 2 tight end set, no wideouts going against a 6 man line , 2 linebackers and a 2 defensive backs and a safety was the order of the day. I remember the first game I saw Army's lonesome end set, a precursor to the modern day wide receiver set. I knew then that football was on the way to a more exciting product. I am truly ready for some Auburn football to see just how much Gus uses of what we see in the clip.
WAR EAGLE, keep hate fresh.
JayG: My comment was directed at Chris In Inverness, and not you.
I don't even know who is Renee Zwelleger, and I don't particularly like Jennifer Anniston fwiw.
On a side not I can't remember the name of the grocery store on corner of Glenn and University. Good place. I say it's new because they made it after I left Auburn. It was across that car wash / winn dixie?... etc.
Are you talking about Bruno's? It closed down earlier this year. Talk of a Publix coming in.
Jay....sorry about misinterpreting swerve. RZ may have her act together, I detest celeb news, so I don't follow and don't know. I guess you can't help but to have heard about JA's periodic issues.
Arguing over Anniston vs Zellweger is like arguing over if it matters who wins the Army vs Navy game. Yeah, we've all heard of both of them, but unless you've been...
You know, never mind on how I was going to finish that thought, there could be kidos reading this.
Lowered have mercy football can't get here fast enough.
Agreed MONO... when can we start ...
Kick the ball off for goodness sake.
What an array of subjects today.
IV I had to laugh OUT loud when I read your post abot the rat hat. Mine was a little orange benny type with a very short blue bill. Back then a few Frat's had their pledges run by and steal them from unsuspecting freshmen. My got stolen while standing at a pep rally with Shug talking. They had to have a member present to witness.
So were there any additions to the Beat Hack Beatdown pay per view for the month of August today?
I saved the spring game on DVR and planned to watch it about now. Since some of the young defenders, QBs and WRs that played so prominantly in that game haven't made starting roles, there may not be much worth watching.
HABOTN on AUG 22 is like puppet hour without the comedy.
Some people I respect disagreed with my decision to run a transcript of the dust-up.
That will be my last post of that ilk. As Alanis says: You live, you learn.
I won't ask who, but I thought is was hilarious.
I think you should report and let us all decide. If some one doesn't like it they don't have to read it all.
Seriously, who can't look at that situation and have a little laugh?
Even if you were A, B or C involved, you should have sense of humor about it looking back.
Just my thoughts...
Yes!! Brunos. Thank you Cincy.
Relatively good selection of Mediterranean goodies, olives and cheeses etc. Decent food, excellent environment, and they often had some BBQ going on. I loved that joint.
They are going to replace that with a publix? ARGH. I feel the urge to hit somebody.
I'll get a little football fix in a few hours when I actually get to watch my T. R. Miller Tigers vs. Leeds streaming live from Cramton Bowl.
what's the reasoning for their disapproval?
I fail to see the harm in it, since you didn't name names... If those people are embarrassed by their actions then maybe they should look in the mirror.
isn't Brunos essentially a Kroger?
Publix is good.
There is a Publix being built out past Moores Mill on Ogletree Rd, I believe. There is also a sign announcing another Publix coming soon at the corner of N.
College and East University Dr.
I don't think they are going to move into the old Bruno's building, even though it would seem to be an ideal location.
Football has come a long way. In my time the only way you knew what happened at a high school game was be there. No radio no newspaper stories no nothing. Even college you had to be at the right place to get it on radio. Streaming a high school game WOW
I actually watched some of the Falcons preseason last night after Mrs Hoopie and I got back from seeing "Inglorious Basterds". That movie was a quasi, tongue-in-cheek fictional drama set in an historical setting. The old school directing and storytelling fit the settings. A definite for hard core movie go-ers.
The company that owns Brunos tried to take over Kroger a few years back, but failed.
Kroger and Brunos are not related.
If they didn't keep score, who's turn was it to bring the juice boxes and orange slices?
With Coach Chiz's blessing, I'm going to redouble ministry to Eric Smith.
Running the steps at Jordan Hare would minister enough for him.
But go for it Brother Jet
Digger..I'm 54 and in the early 60's my dad and I would drive the car to a high point and angle the car just right to pick up a college football broadcast.
Our local cable now runs HS game replays on Sunday nites.
You had to do some crazy things if you didn't live in the right place. CSS carries live High School games. Go figure
Digger,
Always follow the chastening of the rod with love.
Translated, run him till his @$$ falls off, then give him a Gatorade.
Digger - I'm pretty shocked about a high school game being streamed live, too. My Goddaughter is talking with me via text from her location on the school bus somewhere on I-65. She's reminding me that I may be able to see her twirling during the halftime of the TRM game.
Technology = good
LOL Right on.
In HS we had a kid get caught smoking. Coach gave him the choice of quitting or running the gauntlet. The gauntlet consisted of lining up 2 tacklers on each of the 5 yard lines, then giving the ball to the offender. Said offender ran 5 yards, got tackled, got up and did it again...all the way down and back for 200 yds. Thats around 40 times. The offender chose the gauntlet and any other smokers..quit.
RK (in re 2:48 p.m. transmission) ...
I would imagine A, B, and C (and I don't know who they are for sure, but I've got a dang good suspicion) are guilty of the same thing many of us are guilty of ...
We often take ourselves waaaaay too seriously.
Hoopie ...
That's tough love ... train up a child in the way he should go ... bull in the ring ... Oklahomas.
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." -- Proverbs 22:15.
I just came home from playing golf in Annapolis, MD with my son. We played with a very nice couple that are originally from Mobile, AL.
One was a Tider and the woman was an Auburn Fan. She had an Aubie head cover. My son saw it and yelled War Eagle.
Small world.
Back in the day high school coaches were very cruel. If you screwed up we had a red clay/rocky bank. Coach would put the biggest guys usually OL at the top and you had to climb the bank and try to reach the top through these guys who were told to knock your scrawny butt all the way back down if they could. And they usuallycould.
It was a one-time thing. It was meant to be funny.
Mission accomplished I still think it was funny as hell.
The gauntlet was brutal, but really built team discipline. The offender was the fullback and was tuff. By the time he was coming back up the gauntlet, he was staggering. It ate your guts to have to crush your buddy, but any tackler let that let up on him would be subject to the gauntlet also.
The fear of running the gauntlet was a deterrent. The peer pressure on each other to not have your teammate screw up and then have to crush him was a greater deterrent.
Video will be up shortly.
JGT..in your defense, you were being lobbyied heavily by several of the media-interested members of the HABOTN family.
Jay, I thought it was funny. I think the folks you respect will forget about it quickly and understand that.
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