This is amazing" "Bringing back starting quarterback Nick Marshall offers Malzahn a starting point he's never had before, the first quarterback in Malzahn's eight seasons at the collegiate level to come back for a second season as a starter." He's broken a lot of records with 1 year QBs.
http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2014/01/turn_the_page_auburns_gus_malz.html#incart_flyout_sportsTurn the page: Auburn's Gus Malzahn has 'throttle pressed all the way to the floor'
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The South team practices for the Reese's Senior Bowl on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn draws a crowd of news media at practice. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)
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Joel A. Erickson | jerickson@al.com By Joel A. Erickson | jerickson@al.com
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on January 28, 2014 at 1:00 AM, updated January 28, 2014 at 7:42 AM
MOBILE, Alabama -- The dust has barely settled from the whirlwind Gus Malzahn put together in his first season at Auburn, a turnaround that came up just short of the ultimate prize.
Malzahn and his team are already hard at work on an encore.
With Auburn's coaching staff busy on the recruiting trail, the Tigers have gone back to work in offseason workouts with strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell.
Auburn's Gus Malzahn has high hopes for recruiting, future of team
Gus Malzahn met with the media at the Senior Bowl to talk about the Tigers, where they're headed and how recruiting is going with two weeks left before Signing Day.
In Malzahn's words last week at Senior Bowl practices, Auburn is putting last season behind and moving forward for next season.
"Well, we don't want to get rid of the success, but we want to try to build on the foundation that was laid this past year," Malzahn said. "You know, our guys are a year into the program, the guys are excited about getting back, working out, and that's exciting for me."
Auburn's BCS National Championship loss to Florida State sent Malzahn into overdrive almost as soon as he returned to the Plains.
Famously tireless and driven as a worker, Malzahn might be working even harder this offseason.
"He's having a hard time putting it behind him," Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs said. "It's hard to say he's more resilient now, because of how he was, but he's got the throttle pressed all the way to the floor, trying to push it through the floor. He can't get back there quick enough."
This time last year, Auburn was fighting hard to forget the disappointment of a disastrous 2012 season and what must have felt like too many losses to count.
Now, it's the Tigers' final loss that's driving Auburn into the offseason.
"I think about it a lot," Auburn assistant coach Dameyune Craig said. "It makes you work hard. That's the motivation right now, to get back. ... Even though we didn't win the game, I don't think you can lose sight of us winning the SEC Championship."
Bringing back starting quarterback Nick Marshall offers Malzahn a starting point he's never had before, the first quarterback in Malzahn's eight seasons at the collegiate level to come back for a second season as a starter.
The Tigers also have four starting offensive linemen back, their entire receiving corps and a deep running back group that will have a chance to replace Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason.
On defense, Auburn lost a core of solid playmakers, but the Tigers rotated so many defenders that there are capable replacements already in the fold, plus the makings of an impressive recruiting class.
Malzahn says he's not satisfied.
"You're always trying to improve," Malzahn said. "You're always trying to build more depth."
In terms of losses, Auburn has to fill the holes left by Mason, left tackle Greg Robinson, H-back Jay Prosch, defensive end Dee Ford, cornerback Chris Davis and safeties Ryan Smith and Ryan White. In most of those spots, the Tigers already have logical successors.
And Malzahn has already shown how much improvement a team can take from one season to the next.
"We're hoping we've got quality depth in those positions," Malzahn said. "This spring will be really good for us to see where we're at. ... I can't wait for spring ball."
For the moment, he's hard at work trying to keep the throttle on the floor until then.
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