Georgia fallout: Gene Chizik speaks

Hey everyone. Hope you're having a swell afternoon. It's sunny and unseasonably warm throughout Alabama today, so perhaps that has given you a chance to get out and feel good.

I'm sure last night may have elicited a headache or two.

Anyway, here's what your head coach had to say about things.

• On Auburn's run defense: We were really playing the run well. When Eltoro went out, that certainly didn't help our cause. That's not an excuse. For a good bit of that game, we were playing the run well. We've got to be able to sustain that through four quarters."
  
  
• On Freeman's health: ``I don't know. We'll have to play that one by ear."
  
  
• On why Auburn's running game wasn't very effective: ``A lot of it was execution on our part. They've got a really good front seven. They got off blocks as well as anybody we've played. We had our chances to hit some runs in there."
  
  
• On the play of freshman LB Jonathan Evans, who took over for Freeman: ``For getting being abruptly thrown in there, he did well. He came in there and did an adequate job."
  
  
• On the late-game penalties: ``It's very disappointing -- and they're by veteran guys. That's really, really disappointing. These are guys you're counting on to win ball games for you. You can't even pinpoint something on a game -- but in those critical situations, without questions, I think it's a lack of concentration and attention to detail."
  
  
• On why Demond Washington didn't return the final kickoff: ``At that point, Demond was pretty blown. He had about had it at that point."
  
  
• On if he knew Washington was that fast: ``I did know he was that fast. He's one of the fastest kids on the football team without question. We had to have a guy who could make a difference back there."
  
  
• On Auburn's plan this week: ``Our plan right now is to practice three days this week and try to give them a day and a half off until Sunday. They need tomorrow and Tuesday off. They need those two days to just regenerate, recharge their batteries. They'll be focused and ready to come back."
  
  
• On the need to get a full signing class next year: ``Strategically, we'll have to be right on. We've got a lot of scholarships to fill."
  
  
• On Auburn's immediate recruiting needs (ie who they're trying to enroll before spring ball): ``We know we need to get an offensive tackle. That's got to happen in January. It's got to be the perfect fit. Maybe two offensive linemen. If it's the right fit, we have no problem with (junior-college kids)."
  
  
• On the need to find more safeties: ``We've got a couple high-school guys in mind. We're pretty good with where we are right now at that position. We'll know more about how we'll proceed when we gather a little more information about the health of our guys here."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

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