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Where do you stand with Gus?


auburnphan

Where are you at with Gus?  

158 members have voted

  1. 1. Our base seems to be divided on Gus and the offense. Where do you stand?

    • Get rid of Gus he is in over his head
      62
    • Gus is doing a good job, but we need a dual threat QB to run his offense
      31
    • Gus is doing a good job, but we will never get to the next level running his offense and a new offense is needed
      59
    • Everything is perfect as is
      6


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3 minutes ago, tbone4jc said:

I really don't think CGMis to blame. His loyalty is. Our current oline coach, receiver coach and OC are decent at best. He needs to hire offensive coaches that have ice in their veins and have a proven record of coaching big boy football, ( similarly to our defense). Tired of little to no experience of our o coaches.JMHO

I agree Gus’ loyalty is to blame, but it’s not to his current Offesnive staff.  Rather it’s to his own ego and offensive scheme.  He hired those coaches as “YES” men so he would not be questioned on that side of the ball.  The man needs to adjust his thinking, but as of yet, he doesn’t know how because all the people that he goes to for answers think like him.

I know it sounds harsh, but as many a coach has said; a team will either get better or worse each week, it never stays the same.  We’ve regressed each week this season.

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The problem isn't that gus NEEDS a dual threat QB to win. The problem is that he needs to, as all coaches should, adapt their playcalling and play design to their current talent.

Why is JS running the same 1-read rollout throw (play that was intercepted in the 1st quarter of the LSU game) when that play was designed for Nick Marshall or Jeremy Johnson? 

Commit to 4 and 5 wide pocket passing with a guy like Jarrett.

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I've never liked Malzahn teams. They always look like they're either running a script or playing backyard football...offensively. He's recruited well and repaired our defensive issues, but talent evaluation and development seems consistently poor, we struggle against our major rivals, we can't win a bowl game and we always seem to be trying to figure things out nearly midway through the season. All that said, his numbers are pretty standard with our past. He get paid far more than our past standard...I think we could get as good (and considerably more measured and easy to watch) for less. But we're stuck with him. I hope he can maintain around 8 or 9 and not fall apart like the last administration. 

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21 hours ago, auburnphan said:

Our base seems to be divided.  Where do you stand with Gus and his offense?

Personally, I think we will never get to that next level with his offense

Whose offense do we need?

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48 minutes ago, OnthePlains said:
3 hours ago, kevon67 said:

Whose offense do we need?

My problem is I’m not even sure what “his” offense is anymore?

I think that's almost ALL of our problem (as fans).

It's hard to ID what's going on so far...

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12 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

I think that's almost ALL of our problem (as fans).

It's hard to ID what's going on so far...

Gus kept hearing that he needs to let Chip/Rhett run his offense so Gus turned it over.  I’d say the majority of Washington was all Chip.  I see more and more elements of Gus’s signature plays creeping back in.  Gus has a run first to setup the play action and deep passes.  He likes the zone read, jet sweeps, Sugar huddle etc.  Chip is more of a pass first to set up the run.  I think he calls a lot of the 5 wide, slants,  WR screens on 1st down.  Gus will run till you make him throw. That has not occurred enough this season in my opinion.  I’ve seen a lot of 3 & outs that were due to 2 incomplete passes and a 3 & long.  Gus knows to win in the SEC you must establish the run to win.  I think you’ll see a more concentrated effort in the play calling to establish the run the next two weeks before Miss State.

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5 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Gus kept hearing that he needs to let Chip/Rhett run his offense so Gus turned it over.  I’d say the majority of Washington was all Chip.  I see more and more elements of Gus’s signature plays creeping back in.  Gus has a run first to setup the play action and deep passes.  He likes the zone read, jet sweeps, Sugar huddle etc.  Chip is more of a pass first to set up the run.  I think he calls a lot of the 5 wide, slants,  WR screens on 1st down.  Gus will run till you make him throw. That has not occurred enough this season in my opinion.  I’ve seen a lot of 3 & outs that were due to 2 incomplete passes and a 3 & long.  Gus knows to win in the SEC you must establish the run to win.  I think you’ll see a more concentrated effort in the play calling to establish the run the next two weeks before Miss State.

Interesting observation.

I agree that the UDub & ASU games felt different (in a good way) and I thought they were on the right track.

LSU I felt was more poor execution and, yes, bad (one sided) officiating didn't help but I didn't feel overly bad about the game plan.  Auburn should have won but I think we (as fans) maybe underestimated LSU a bit so I give them a lot of credit.

Saturday's game though?  It was just like watching the '16 Clemson game (sans Whirlybirds) or the 2nd half of LSU last year.  Thank goodness Arky sucks THAT BAD and at least the Special Teams are rocking right now.

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11 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

Interesting observation.

I agree that the UDub & ASU games felt different (in a good way) and I thought they were on the right track.

LSU I felt was more poor execution and, yes, bad (one sided) officiating didn't help but I didn't feel overly bad about the game plan.  Auburn should have won but I think we (as fans) maybe underestimated LSU a bit so I give them a lot of credit.

Saturday's game though?  It was just like watching the '16 Clemson game (sans Whirlybirds) or the 2nd half of LSU last year.  Thank goodness Arky sucks THAT BAD and at least the Special Teams are rocking right now.

I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I think a run heavy”Gus” offense is the way to go.  Stidham hasn’t looked comfortable since the very beginning of the Washington game. The times Stidham excelled last year was when Kerryon was hitting his stride.  Same with Sean the year before.  When the running game is on the passing game opens up.  Boobie can get 3-4 yrds a carry with the occasional longer run.  Tre Mason was the same way.  Run, run, run them boom big pass play.  Running first mentality also keeps the defense off the field longer even if it’s a 3& out.

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6 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I think a run heavy”Gus” offense is the way to go.  Stidham hasn’t looked comfortable since the very beginning of the Washington game. The times Stidham excelled last year was when Kerryon was hitting his stride.  Same with Sean the year before.  When the running game is on the passing game opens up.  Boobie can get 3-4 yrds a carry with the occasional longer run.  Tre Mason was the same way.  Run, run, run them boom big pass play.  Running first mentality also keeps the defense off the field longer even if it’s a 3& out.

I'm with you.  Actually, I prefer a big time run offense over an air-raid offense anyway.  That's why 2013 was Heaven to me and I was my happiest when the I Formation with a QB under center was "real" football.  But you're right, I think most disagree with that today.

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7 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I think a run heavy”Gus” offense is the way to go.  Stidham hasn’t looked comfortable since the very beginning of the Washington game. The times Stidham excelled last year was when Kerryon was hitting his stride.  Same with Sean the year before.  When the running game is on the passing game opens up.  Boobie can get 3-4 yrds a carry with the occasional longer run.  Tre Mason was the same way.  Run, run, run them boom big pass play.  Running first mentality also keeps the defense off the field longer even if it’s a 3& out.

Those teams had offensive lines who were better at run blocking than pass blocking, RBs who were more talented than the WRs, and QBs who were gamers.

We've currently got an OL who is better in pass pro than run blocking, a fleet of extremely talented WRs compared to RBs who are still learning how to play college ball (and Kam Martin, who must have stolen Gus's leftover hashbrowns out of the break room fridge), and a QB who is built to drop dimes from a clean pocket all game long.

We should be running 4 and 5 wide sets, throwing it all over the field and using the pass to open up the run. #ButGus

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14 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I think a run heavy”Gus” offense is the way to go.  Stidham hasn’t looked comfortable since the very beginning of the Washington game. The times Stidham excelled last year was when Kerryon was hitting his stride.  Same with Sean the year before.  When the running game is on the passing game opens up.  Boobie can get 3-4 yrds a carry with the occasional longer run.  Tre Mason was the same way.  Run, run, run them boom big pass play.  Running first mentality also keeps the defense off the field longer even if it’s a 3& out.

Gus would like that too. He has tried it against are 3 previous power 5 opponents. It’s not working haha.

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12 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Those teams had offensive lines who were better at run blocking than pass blocking, RBs who were more talented than the WRs, and QBs who were gamers.

We've currently got an OL who is better in pass pro than run blocking, a fleet of extremely talented WRs compared to RBs who are still learning how to play college ball (and Kam Martin, who must have stolen Gus's leftover hashbrowns out of the break room fridge), and a QB who is built to drop dimes from a clean pocket all game long.

We should be running 4 and 5 wide sets, throwing it all over the field and using the pass to open up the run. #ButGus

From what I saw Saturday night, they aren't all that great at pass protection.

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Just now, triangletiger said:

From what I saw Saturday night, they aren't all that great at pass protection.

True. Perhaps I should have said they're not as bad at pass pro as they are at run blocking. 

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38 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I think a run heavy”Gus” offense is the way to go.  Stidham hasn’t looked comfortable since the very beginning of the Washington game. The times Stidham excelled last year was when Kerryon was hitting his stride.  Same with Sean the year before.  When the running game is on the passing game opens up.  Boobie can get 3-4 yrds a carry with the occasional longer run.  Tre Mason was the same way.  Run, run, run them boom big pass play.  Running first mentality also keeps the defense off the field longer even if it’s a 3& out.

That is exactly what Gus wants - he just doesn't have the soldiers (oline/RBs) in the trenches to execute that battle plan.  After 6 yrs as the commander, I'm not sure why he hasn't been able to muster the required platoon.

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10 minutes ago, keesler said:

That is exactly what Gus wants - he just doesn't have the soldiers (oline/RBs) in the trenches to execute that battle plan.  After 6 yrs as the commander, I'm not sure why he hasn't been able to muster the required platoon.

And when he doesn't have what he needs to do one thing, he can't do something else. Preseason Heisman candidate returning for his 2nd year at QB. 2-deep across the WR corps w/ 4* talent. Can't muster up a competent passing offense. Absolutely unreal. 

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Just my two cents: I wish option 3 could actually happen. That would be my choice. I think Gus has done some good things for the program. We've recruited pretty well during his tenure. He's put a significant importance on defense, which is something he had to change after his first two years. He's kept the program fairly relevant and in the conversation for SEC and playoff berths in most years. 

BUT... I don't think he can get out of the way of the offense. I don't think he can bring someone else in and let them run their system without interference from him. Yet, I don't think his offensive scheme is good enough anymore to beat the best teams in the conference without a generational type mobile QB, which don't really grow on trees. And even with that type of QB, I think defenses have adjusted significantly to take away what made his offense so effective. So, because I believe the offense will never truly improve, moving on is the only option I can pick. 

IMO Gus's biggest issues are: he doesn't have a true offensive identity that we recruit to and develop around and his system isn't sophisticated enough for this level. Gus's expertise at the HS seems to be a hindrance at this level. The "figure things out four games in" seems like such a HS approach. In HS, you have to make things work with what you have. In college, IMO you should have an identity, a mold you recruit to and roll out every year knowing who you are in game one. And I think you have to have the knowledge and ability to be flexible and adjust if what you want to do isn't your strength or isn't working. The idea that "we need to execute better" is a narcissistic and seriously short-sighted view of coaching at this level IMO. It says to me that he thinks everything we do should work if the players do it right, which is crazy talk in my eyes. It takes scheming on top of great execution to beat these great defensive minds. IMO we don't do that well, at least not for more than a few scripted plays. 

Unfortunately, I don't think Gus will change, which is why I think the only choice is to move on (which won't happen for 3-4 years because of the contract he has). He's the offensive guru, and more than anything, we should never have to have this much worry and problematic play out of his side of the ball.

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29 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

And when he doesn't have what he needs to do one thing, he can't do something else. Preseason Heisman candidate returning for his 2nd year at QB. 2-deep across the WR corps w/ 4* talent. Can't muster up a competent passing offense. Absolutely unreal. 

Quite frankly, I give Lindsey equal blame unless CGM is just down right overriding and bulldozing him to the point where he can't do his job.  Lindsey is more creative than this, and I think Lashley/Craig were as well.

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1 minute ago, keesler said:

Quite frankly, I give Lindsey equal blame unless CGM is just down right overriding and bulldozing him to the point where he can't do his job.  Lindsey is more creative than this, and I think Lashley/Craig were as well.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if that's exactly what's happening. All of these flaws remind me of flaws we've seen at various times going back to 2015. 

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51 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

And when he doesn't have what he needs to do one thing, he can't do something else. Preseason Heisman candidate returning for his 2nd year at QB. 2-deep across the WR corps w/ 4* talent. Can't muster up a competent passing offense. Absolutely unreal. 

 

Can we borrow Mike Leach for a week or two, you know, to see what he could come up with if he had access to this kind of talent?

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4 minutes ago, Strychnine said:

Can we borrow Mike Leach for a week or two, you know, to see what he could come up with if he had access to this kind of talent?

@mom2kid suggested Freeze and/or Briles in another thread. And that's been my thought these last few days. He's got to open his office door, do some research, get some new eyes on it, whatever. This offensive "strategy" makes it feel like a guy who has reached the limits of his imagination is retreating to a safe place. 

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2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

@mom2kid suggested Freeze and/or Briles in another thread. And that's been my thought these last few days. He's got to open his office door, do some research, get some new eyes on it, whatever. This offensive "strategy" makes it feel like a guy who has reached the limits of his imagination is retreating to a safe place. 

 

In all seriousness, it is embarrassing enough that he might need to bring in a consultant, but it would be worse I think if said consultant were of the radioactive variety like those two.  Those negative headlines write themselves.

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2 minutes ago, Strychnine said:

In all seriousness, it is embarrassing enough that he might need to bring in a consultant, but it would be worse I think if said consultant were of the radioactive variety like those two.  Those negative headlines write themselves.

I don't think it would be embarrassing at all, and I would have no problem if the consultant was any of those guys. What's embarrassing to me is a guy who was coaching high school 12 years ago and whose bosses in the college game have been Houston Nutt, Todd Graham and Gene Chizik thinking that he knows it all. 

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