Time to Man Up - It's LSU Week

[djsimp]

Spin continues to start of the local news sports segment with a last few words of what Ford really meant. Typical. Got to get dem ratings before the truth be told.

[AUChizad]

Hope?

Link from last year.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2014/08/18/analysis-auburn-tigers-gus-malzahn-nick-marshall/14255825/

Circumstances may change, but Auburn's potency won't
 George Schroeder, USA TODAY Sports 1:04 a.m.

AUBURN, Ala. — The notion makes Gus Malzahn bristle. Auburn's run last season was a great story. It produced fantastic moments that will linger forever in college football's collective memory. But could it have been, well, a fluke?

This season, as the narrative goes, the schedule flips. Rivals will catch up to the Tigers' uptempo offense. Luck won't bounce their way. And – well, if you want to get Malzahn started, start with those premises.

"Sometimes it just gets the best of me," the usually stoic coach says — and he doesn't go further.

But the idea that in 2014 opponents will turn things around and get the best of Auburn? Malzahn clearly doesn't expect that to go far, either.

Not many saw the Tigers' turnaround, from 0-8 in the SEC to the BCS national championship game, coming. Even Malzahn says at this time last year, Auburn's coaches were still learning what they had and had no idea what might be possible.


That included at quarterback. Nick Marshall had just arrived on campus. He was just beginning to learn the offense. Coaches were just starting to figure out what the former defensive back could (and maybe couldn't) do.

Now, Marshall is seen as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, despite his offseason citation for marijuana possession (as punishment, he won't start the opener against Arkansas). He'll lead a talented bunch that fully expects to pick up where last season left off — and, according to Malzahn, is motivated by what was almost accomplished.

"The fact we went to the national championship game and came up that close, came up short — you don't think about anything else except how you felt that last game," Malzahn says.

The "Kick-Six" is immortalized in several photographs around the Auburn Athletic Complex — including in the indoor practice facility, where a super-sized photo of the mosh pit Jordan-Hare Stadium became afterward.

"It's always gonna be part of our tradition," Malzahn says. "It is what it is."

What it wasn't, Malzahn insists, was a fluke. If it had gone to overtime?

Auburn had momentum and the home crowd and had put up 296 rushing yards against Alabama. "You rush for 300 yards in this league," he says, "you're gonna win."


For a lucky bounce, there was the scene two weeks earlier, when Marshall's desperation heave was deflected by two Georgia defensive backs into the hands of Ricardo Louis for a 73-yard touchdown. But Malzahn won't go there, either.

"There was a lot of hard work last year," he says. "We have a lot of guys back with experience, and big-game experience — numerous times, they found ways to win."

They'll have to find more ways. Based on preseason polls (Auburn is ranked No. 5 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the Associated Press media poll), not many expect a significant decline. But there are questions.

Although the bulk of the depth chart returns, notable losses include running back Tre Mason, a Heisman finalist last season whose emergence as one of the nation's best running backs fueled the Tigers' run, as well as offensive tackle Greg Robinson and defensive lineman Dee Ford. Although the bulk of the nucleus returns, as many as five returning starters could miss at least part of the season opener against Arkansas because of injury, suspension or other issues.

More critical, Auburn will face seven opponents who are currently ranked in the preseason polls. And, where the Tigers hosted Alabama and Georgia last season, they must go on the road for those games this fall. Tennessee rotates off the schedule, replaced by South Carolina, which along with Georgia is considered a favorite to win the SEC East. And there's also a nonconference game at Kansas State.

"It's unbelievable," Malzahn told SiriusXM Radio on Monday. "It's the 'who's who.' ... We're going to have to earn it."

There's also the continuing question of whether defenses will catch the Tigers, or at least slow them down. First, though, we should ask: What is the offense? Last year, Auburn led the nation in rushing — oddly, becoming the first SEC team to achieve that feat (which Malzahn says is "a testament to the defenses in this league"). But at Tulsa, Malzahn's quarterbacks passed their way to success.

Aside from prolific yards and points, there has been only one offensive consistent in Malzahn's eight seasons as a college coach. The goal, Malzahn says, is always "execution at a faster rate."

Even before last season had ended, Malzahn and others were privately saying they would pass much more this season. Malzahn says Marshall "learned the offense on Saturdays" last fall. It worked fairly well, but there was a fairly significant early-season revision. After a September loss to LSU, coaches retooled the offense. After throwing 103 passes in Auburn's first four games, Marshall threw 109 in their final eight of the regular season.

Turned out, Marshall ran the zone read very well. Mason emerged as one of the nation's best players. The Tigers gradually morphed into a nearly unstoppable unit.

Malzahn sees no reason why it can't happen again. The questions won't be answered for a few more weeks. In the end, there's at least this:

"Last year, we weren't even getting talked about," Malzahn says. "We have our program back where it needs to be. In the mix. In the discussion."

[Godfather]

Hope?

Link from last year.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2014/08/18/analysis-auburn-tigers-gus-malzahn-nick-marshall/14255825/

So you are saying you hope Jeremy gets hurt during LSU?   











Ha ha I keed......or do I? 

[GH2001]

Hope?

Link from last year.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2014/08/18/analysis-auburn-tigers-gus-malzahn-nick-marshall/14255825/

Except JJ has tried the read option and failed horribly. NM ran it to a T. They hit on something with him. JJ is a pure drop back passer and is failing at that also. NM did something well , and they rolled with it. Just not sure I see that opportunity here.

[Catphish Tilly]

Chris Todd was slow as pond water but had a pump fake that broke ankles. Cam and Nick mastered the read option. Trotter and Mosley the fetal position. Surely JJ has SOME knack, besides saving the punter's leg, that the coaches can roll with to some consistency. Though I would've expected that to be determined prior to the season.

[Godfather]

Except JJ has tried the read option and failed horribly. NM ran it to a T. They hit on something with him. JJ is a pure drop back passer and is failing at that also. NM did something well , and they rolled with it. Just not sure I see that opportunity here.

??

[GH2001]

??

Exactly.

As Catphish said, I thought they would have found his sweet spot by now. Its troubling that he has no identity. They hit gold with NM after LSU. Watching he and Cam run that thing was something of beauty. I just dont see what JJ's strength is, and by Gus trying to get him to run NM's offensive set, it tells me he doesnt know what it is either. The kid makes bad decisions. If the last two games were against Bama and LSU, I would slow my roll some. But if he is getting rattled by FCS teams and having issues with the "speed of the game" against them? Fuck sakes, shoot me now. Thats Moseley/Frazier-esque. I DO HOPE he turns it around. I just dont have much hope. Stranger things have happened.

[jmar]

I want JJ to look at recvs. A and B then run it. He might fuck up and misread some and carry if 10-12 times a game even until he sees things better but this offense will be far better if he has to be accounted for. His handler's just need to use this as a condition for staying on the field. The guy just has too much talent to fail him as a coach. And that's what it would be!

Moreover I'm all but certain Gus and Lashlee are in agreement that if they can't get good QB play out of this guy, they oughta get out of coaching.

[WiregrassTiger]

I want JJ to look at recvs. A and B then run it. He might fuck up and misread some and carry if 10-12 times a game even until he sees things better but this offense will be far better if he has to be accounted for. His handler's just need to use this as a condition for staying on the field. The guy just has too much talent to fail him as a coach. And that's what it would be!

Moreover I'm all but certain Gus and Lashlee are in agreement that if they can't get good QB play out of this guy, they oughta get out of coaching.

I think the biggest difference in Cam/Nick running the zone read and JJ running it is that when they made the right decision to keep it was either a long gain or TD. With JJ, it will be a 2 yrd. gain. Just not much upside in his running a lot of zone read, imo.

[jmar]

I think the biggest difference in Cam/Nick running the zone read and JJ running it is that when they made the right decision to keep it was either a long gain or TD. With JJ, it will be a 2 yrd. gain. Just not much upside in his running a lot of zone read, imo.

Don't have personnel to run zone read effectively where we could consistently move the chains.
Hell our defensive front is much better suited to rush a passer.
We have some real challenges beyond depth and health.

[GH2001]

Don't have personnel to run zone read effectively where we could consistently move the chains.
Hell our defensive front is much better suited to rush a passer.
We have some real challenges beyond depth and health.

yes we do. just isnt on the 2 deep at qb

[WiregrassTiger]

yes we do. just isnt on the 2 deep at qb

So, 3 deep? Hey, Queeeeen!!! Or, guys that aren't even on the depth chart, I assume, with Smith or Wallace? I would assume you're talking about Smith.

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see some of him on Saturday. Wouldn't mind that at all.

[GH2001]

So, 3 deep? Hey, Queeeeen!!! Or, guys that aren't even on the depth chart, I assume, with Smith or Wallace? I would assume you're talking about Smith.

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see some of him on Saturday. Wouldn't mind that at all.

Smith is a helluva athlete. NM caliber type athlete.

[smooth_operator]

So, 3 deep? Hey, Queeeeen!!! Or, guys that aren't even on the depth chart, I assume, with Smith or Wallace? I would assume you're talking about Smith.

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see some of him on Saturday. Wouldn't mind that at all.

Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace? Baller

[Snaggletiger]

Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace? Baller

Don't forget that D'Glester Hardunkichud has really been pushing Smoochie-Wallace.  Many say he's the next Ozamatz Buckshank.