8-17! (merged threads)

[WarEagleChemE 99]

The Auburn Tigers prevailed with a stunning 24-20 win over the mighty 2018 Texas A&M Aggie Football Team. This was a game in which the Tigers struggled a lot, but pulled it out in the end. Even in victory, there was still a lot to learn from. They ran all over us.

...And they ran all over us. Georgia ran for 303 yards. I don’t want to hear about talent. You can talk about our talent at O-Line or RB or QB or kicker or anywhere else this season, but we have it on the front seven. No one should be running it down our throats. We are SO damn undisciplined when it comes to stopping the run. Two problems:

1) Players are getting pushing into one another

2) Missing tackles

Successful running isn’t about getting “a hat on a hat.” Don’t tell me they’re running wild because they’re holding. I’d feel better if we had one-on-one battles, where one lineman negates another. Our guys are constantly out of position. We’ll have two players concentrated in one spot and the hole will be on the other side of the line. Even if their entire line holds (and they did), we should still mathematically a linebacker free to meet the RB in the running lane. But all too often, the defenders just aren’t there, and when they are, bad angles are being taken and tackles are being missed. You don’t have to rush up the field for the TFL to stop the run. Hold the line, stay flexible, and plug up the gaps. With the talent we have, we should be getting stops within 2-4 yard range with the front seven and not allowing them into the secondary. That will bring up third down situations often. We are just so, so undisciplined.

Maybe this will be fixed, maybe not. Gus Malzahn, and this program in general, has just enough success that the underlying issues are never addressed. We’ve struggled with the same things for years now. Ever since Chizik came here, it seems like we forgot how to tackle. We win ugly. We’re called the “Cardiac Cats” for a reason. We’re in that zone where we win enough so that’s were not objectively a bad program (despite what some would say). And yet, sometimes our success is our own worst enemy. It’s no surprise that in recent memory, the more highly ranked preseason Auburn teams tend to be the bigger letdowns. We can’t handle success, because success only reinforces any pre-existing bad habits. 

In order to move forward as a program, we will have to positively leverage the successes that we have. This coaching staff has not been able to do so.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

I would love to have Gus’s job. Win every once in a while and they reward you with a raise and a buyout of magnificent proportions. On top of that you get all the glory for the small successes but if there is any non-positive stuff like the players not playing disciplined or you not having good coaches and especially if you recruit like crap, don’t worry it won’t be your fault.  What more could you ask for ? 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

We can’t handle momentum shifts, really. 

[corchjay 5,311]

Their running backs were better then our backers.  Their backers and ends were better then our running backs.  I thought outside of that in the run games everything else was a virtual stalemate for the most part.  Holyfield leaned for a couple yards after contact but other then that about the same.  

[gr82be 14,423]

5 hours ago, corchjay said:

Their running backs were better then our backers.  Their backers and ends were better then our running backs.  I thought outside of that in the run games everything else was a virtual stalemate for the most part.  Holyfield leaned for a couple yards after contact but other then that about the same.  

And their coaches are better than our coaches. 

[The Six 39]

26 minutes ago, gr82be said:

And their coaches are better than our coaches. 

Yeah that fake field goal was the coaching stuff of legend.

Their guys whipped our guys. Plain and simple.

[gr82be 14,423]

8 minutes ago, The Six said:

Yeah that fake field goal was the coaching stuff of legend.

Their guys whipped our guys. Plain and simple.

Their coaches are still better. A fake FG doesn't work for a lot of teams. That was strictly on the kicker. The receiver was wide open. 

[The Freak 2,526]

The fake field goal was for three things, points or no points really didn't matter.  

• Fun for the kids.
• Practice in a game situation.
• Rub Gus's nose in getting beat bad.  Again.

[The Six 39]

14 minutes ago, The Freak said:

The fake field goal was for three things, points or no points really didn't matter.  

• Fun for the kids.
• Practice in a game situation.
• Rub Gus's nose in getting beat bad.  Again.

Yep. Every bit of it. Whatever. Gus ran it up on Kirby last year and talked smack after the game. Comes with the territory.

[I_M4_AU 7,793]

1 hour ago, The Six said:

Yep. Every bit of it. Whatever. Gus ran it up on Kirby last year and talked smack after the game. Comes with the territory.

If you talk smack, you better be able to back it up.  Gus has fire when the momentum is on his side, but doesn’t know what to do to get the momentum back when he looses it.  JMO.

[ellitor 33,082]

Gus Malzahn is about to be 8-17 vs. our rivals Bama, UGA, & LSU.

I repeat 8-17 vs Bama, UGA, & LSU!!!

Keeping him does nothing except delaying finding a potential solution. There is no hope of a real turn around w/ Gus as the HC. I know $32 mil is a very hard pill to swallow but damn it swallow it, cut ties, & let's move on to the hope of a bright future with the program. No point delaying the inevitable.

[AUsince72 11,084]

I approve of this message. 

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

There are many reasons to question malzahn right now but this aint one of them. The entire country is that record (percentage wise) or worse vs bama & Georgia over the same period but their coaches dont have to play both or even either every year, never mind twice over 3 weeks.

LSU is another story. 

[johnnyAU 3,630]

Chizik was fired after going 3-9 against that group.  All of Chizik's wins came in 2010.  3 of Malzahn's wins came in 2013, and 2 came last year. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

2 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Gus Malzahn is about to be 8-17 vs. our rivals Bama, UGA, & LSU.

I repeat 8-17 vs Bama, UGA, & LSU!!!

Keeping him does nothing except delaying finding a potential solution. There is no hope of a real turn around w/ Gus as the HC. I know $32 mil is a very hard pill to swallow but damn it swallow it, cut ties, & let's move on to the hope of a bright future with the program. No point delaying the inevitable.

Are we going to pretend that we have the ability to fire him?

[Tigger1985 806]

We didn't run up the score because we took out Stidham and started running the ball. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

3 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

There are many reasons to question malzahn right now but this aint one of them. The entire country is that record (percentage wise) or worse vs bama & Georgia over the same period but their coaches dont have to play both or even either every year, never mind twice over 3 weeks.

LSU is another story. 

I’m pretty butthurt that I lost 100 with the points. Can’t win em all( or a majority.)Get ‘em next year, Tiger.

[johnnyAU 3,630]

If Tua is healthy, the IB could get as ugly as 2008, 2011 or 2012. 

Since the IB last season, we couldn't have diverged much further apart than we are now. 

[AidiAU 1,270]

1 minute ago, johnnyAU said:

If Tua is healthy, the IB could get as ugly as 2008, 2011 or 2012. 

Since the IB last season, we couldn't have diverged much further apart than we are now. 

I would be fine with Bama sitting Tua until that December game. 

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

  It appears many of our top rated recruits are looking elsewhere and holding on to them is 90% of the reason that any sane person still wants to keep this staff.  We can't let 1 signing class determine the fate of Auburn football.  The fact of the matter is, regardless of how great or talented this class is they will be woefully under coached and they will under achieve with this staff.  So it's time to pull the plug on this life support coaching staff and move on.
     I like Kevin Steele.  He has coached a ton of football.  He has had great success and great failure everywhere he has coached including Auburn.  If we can't play sound defense week in and week out with this group we have right now then we are in trouble next year.
     I have ZERO reservations about losing this whole staff as well as this recruiting class and starting over.  To not do so is showing the willingness to be dominated by teams with a pulse for years to come.  Gus is not changing anything folks.  Outside of his scripted plays to start every game he has nothing to offer against a quality team.  Did we beat UGA and Bama last year.  We sure did.  They both went to the playoffs and played in the Championship.  Why didn't we?  Gus.  Both of those teams look like they are headed there again this year.  Why aren't we?  Gus.  Under Gus we have become a Mississippi school that jumps up and bites you every once in a while  but is nothing more than an 8-5 team.  We are now 2-3 soon to be 2-4 against Bama, 2-5 against UGA, 2-4 against LSU, and 3-3 against Mississippi State.  What part of this 6 year sampling of Gus makes you want more?  I sure as hell don't!

[Eustace Conway 8]

Amen. I agree 100%.

[Barnacle 9,064]

10 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

Are we going to pretend that we have the ability to fire him?

We (the University) absolutely have the ability to fire him. 

[Eustace Conway 8]

I approve totally. Time to cut the cord with Malzahn.

[alexava 6,973]

Ok just donate 32$ million and it’s done 

[AUJedi 243]

I would terribly hate to see Coach Garner and TWill go and as for Steele, I attribute defensive play back to Gus and offense. What’s their motivation? But for the rest, yeah, they can’t get gone fast enough