Finebaum: Something is different with Malzahn

[Tiger 8,817]

I personally don't foresee the problem being our offense being unable to score as many touchdowns as we want but moreso our defense not allowing our offense to get in a rhythm by forcing quick punts by GSU. 

For example, what if we sputter our first 1-2 drives and then GSU is able to move the chains. People will start feeling antsy and that could lead to some "pressing" on O making things not look as smooth as we would like. Just a thought...

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 minute ago, Tiger said:

I personally don't foresee the problem being our offense being unable to score as many touchdowns as we want but moreso our defense not allowing our offense to get in a rhythm by forcing quick punts by GSU. 

For example, what if we sputter our first 1-2 drives and then GSU is able to move the chains. People will start feeling antsy and that could lead to some "pressing" on O making things not look as smooth as we would like. Just a thought...

While I would honestly love it if we would force quick 3 and outs, that hasn't been our style.  We let teams move the ball, we just don't let them score. With the triple-option, they are certainly going to get their share of first downs... it's too hard of an offense to defend on a consistent basis. Against that, I'd be happy if we just keep them from crossing mid-field on most drives.

Of course it could be a total blowout, too.  They are breaking in a new QB who was #3 on the roster last year, a new starting running back, a new OC and scheme, and are without their top two tacklers... and they lost by 1, last year, to the Arky State team that we demolished before we found our Kam/Sean groove. As I recall, the Vegas line opened with us as a 5 touchdown favorite.

[Tiger 8,817]

3 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

While I would honestly love it if we would force quick 3 and outs, that hasn't been our style.  We let teams move the ball, we just don't let them score. With the triple-option, they are certainly going to get their share of first downs... it's too hard of an offense to defend on a consistent basis. Against that, I'd be happy if we just keep them from crossing mid-field on most drives.

Of course it could be a total blowout, too.  They are breaking in a new QB who was #3 on the roster last year, a new starting running back, a new OC and scheme, and are without their top two tacklers... and they lost by 1, last year, to the Arky State team that we demolished before we found our Kam/Sean groove. As I recall, the Vegas line opened with us as a 5 touchdown favorite.

If i'm guessing I think it's closer than we'd like at halftime, but in the 2nd half we end up increasing the margin and end up winning by anywhere from 17-28 which shouldn't be unreasonable considering the talent disparity -- especially on the OL and DL. I'm not counting on a 30+ point beat down though. I'm very much "wait and see" and we have a lot of "new" this season so I'm being cautious.

I wouldn't mind being less than stellar in week 1 ramping up our focus for week 2 and coming out and just annihilating Clemson on the road in prime time and keeping their stadium dead silent from start to finish. 

[triangletiger 1,599]

2 hours ago, Tiger said:

If i'm guessing I think it's closer than we'd like at halftime, but in the 2nd half we end up increasing the margin and end up winning by anywhere from 17-28 which shouldn't be unreasonable considering the talent disparity -- especially on the OL and DL. I'm not counting on a 30+ point beat down though. I'm very much "wait and see" and we have a lot of "new" this season so I'm being cautious.

I wouldn't mind being less than stellar in week 1 ramping up our focus for week 2 and coming out and just annihilating Clemson on the road in prime time and keeping their stadium dead silent from start to finish. 

I'm with you.  It always nice to win the first game handily, but to know you could've done better and come out of it with some points to teach and improve upon. 

[Tiger 8,817]

6 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

I'm with you.  It always nice to win the first game handily, but to know you could've done better and come out of it with some points to teach and improve upon. 

"Most improvement happens from week 1 to week 2"...seems like it could be some good timing for us possibly.

[SumterAubie 3,031]

I hope Auburn destroys Ga. Southern. Thus throwing down the gauntlet to Clemson. "We Coming"

[toddc 13,194]

I don't think we need to hold back at all! We have a new qb and offensive coordinator with some added passing plays ,more rpo's, etc... come out and run the offense wide open! At least the first half , and if we have a huge lead maybe you go to more base stuff in the second half to get better at that! imho of course 

[AUBwins 10,064]

2 hours ago, SumterAubie said:

I hope Auburn destroys Ga. Southern. Thus throwing down the gauntlet to Clemson. "We Coming"

Agree.  We could run the spring game offense and hang half a century. 

[jared52 4,354]

On 7/30/2017 at 2:59 PM, homersapien said:

I've said before that hiring Gus would require patience for him to learn how to be successful.  I dreaded the possibility we would invest in that learning  period only to fire him and have someone else reap the benefits.

Hopefully, these are signs he is ready to "graduate" into the ranks of big time, proven coaches.

This is exactly how I felt up until UGA last year. There isn’t a peewee coach in his first year who would have done what Gus did that game. I stopped believing he was going to change his ways after that one. If AU struggles early vs Clemason, I’m almost certain he’s going to do more than meddle. That’s not going to sit well. 

[AURex 1,984]

Ya know, Malzahn was really confident about the Auburn season and blabbering about JJ for Heisman. Malzahn was really positive about the team last year. But ya know whart? That;s his job! To tell donors that the Auburn team is wonderful and will win championships.

Frankly, I don't really put much credence in Malzahn;'s proclamations about the team. I'm looking for actual evidence, and mostly that is on-field performance,not Malzahn's promo blurbs.

 

[AURaptor 1,121]

W/out listening, I sure hope Gus is finally back in his element again. Whether or not he's just fooling himself, or really does feel this good about the upcoming season, remains to be seen.  Results will tell. 

[I_M4_AU 7,768]

11 hours ago, jared52 said:

This is exactly how I felt up until UGA last year. There isn’t a peewee coach in his first year who would have done what Gus did that game. I stopped believing he was going to change his ways after that one. If AU struggles early vs Clemason, I’m almost certain he’s going to do more than meddle. That’s not going to sit well. 

I understand the feeling, I am definitely in the wait and see mode for several reasons.  Gus does not have his echo chamber of coaches like he did last year, he has depth and talent at the QB position, the defense should be improved over last year and Hand has the talent.  That being said, we will not know how Gus will react until he is in a dynamic situation and he has to think on his feet.  Does he let his coaching staff do their job, or revert to his old ways?

Gus does a great job at scripting plays and preparation, his adjustments are not as sharp.  This is where the new OC and staff will add options for Gus to mull over.  I'm actually looking forward to these types of dynamic situations to see how the coaching staff adjusts on the fly.  If we don't have these types of situations, no one will know if Gus has taken the next step as a head coach.  Should be interesting.

[AuburnEagle79 2,163]

Maybe Gus knows that if he isn't aggressive he will have a lot more family time on his hands come December. He needs that 2013 confidence (and maybe a little luck too) again. 

[meh130 1,043]

I am not terribly concerned with GA Southern's triple option because they lost a lot of key players last year, and the triple option will be totally new to these GSU players. GSU used to run the triple option a few years ago, but went away from it. They have run a standard spread offense the last few years, and recruited to that scheme. We don't even know what kind of triple option GSU plans to run. They have been very coy about it, but most expect a GA Tech style flexbone.

Personally I think this is the worst situation GSU can be in. A totally new offense, a loss of player experience, and the first game of the new system is on the road against a likely top 15 team with a chip on its shoulder.

The key will be to shut down the GSU triple option running game early. Like they HUNH, the triple option relies on keeping it close, having modest but consistent success in the running game, and then popping a big play when the defense has a let-down. It also relies on mixing up the triple-option with constraint plays to take advantage of defensive schemes focused on stopping the triple option play.

3rd and long is the bane of the triple option. They do not get enough practice in the passing game, and usually pass blocking is not the strength of triple option team's offensive lines.

For a while I was concerned with GSU, with its new triple option offense followed one week later by Clemson. I wished GSU had remained a standard spread team, where it could be in effect a scout team for us to scrimmage against in preparation for Clemson. I am starting to change my opinion. Defending a triple option with no game film of the actual team running it will force the need for focus and discipline on our defense. That could be a good thing going into Clemson.