Gus Music City Bowl Presser: 12-13-18 (All Threads Merged)

[beaumak 174]

I don't believe him for one second. He is lying about Martin, he would lie about this!

[AUsince72 11,084]

3 hours ago, aujeff11 said:

Embrace tbe face palms bro.  For full disclosure I facepalm people who complain about facepalms. It’s what bros do. 

Exactly!  It's like you really haven't posted until someone facepalms you.

When I get a facepalm I just give one right back....

Think of it as a "high-five"....only to your face.

[beaumak 174]

54 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Saw this listed as a great gift idea for Gus. This is going to follow him for a little while explanation or not. 

Getty Images

 

Gus Malzahn

Auburn football coach

Gift: Abacus

Keeps count of many things, including time, money, transfers or games until backup running backs burn their redshirts.

 

Perfect Summation of events!

As for a gift just throwing this out there...https://www.poopsenders.com/

 

[PoetTiger 1,896]

 I understand his frustration you trust coaches to manage the process and they dropped the ball. He still could have came back and been in a good position to be the #3 back behind Bobbie and Shivers...but I clearly can see why he wanted out. Next man up I guess.

[CullmanTiger 52]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

My guess is that Chip really did think he was going to play and, as was the case with other aspects of the offense, was vetoed. Purely a guess on my part. 

I think your guess is 100% correct. 

[AUwent 3,747]

Once again, if prospective coaches next year voice concern about us firing Gus, this needs to be Exhibit A as to why it was warranted.

[AUwent 3,747]

17 hours ago, toddc said:

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2018/12/gus-malzahn-my-contract-has-not-changed-one-bit.html

YES! This puts us in a MUCH easier position if we fire him next year.

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

Exactly!  It's like you really haven't posted until someone facepalms you.

When I get a facepalm I just give one right back....

Think of it as a "high-five"....only to your face.

It just occurred to me that that describes 63% of all responses I receive. 

[aubiefifty 16,737]

Gus Malzahn feels ‘very good’ about Auburn’s quarterback situation in 2019

Updated 11:24 AM; Posted 10:48 AM

 

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

tgreen@al.com

Auburn will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in 2019, and while no indications have been made about who would be the favorite to assume the starting role, head coach Gus Malzahn is optimistic about the options he will have at his disposal.

After Jarrett Stidham officially declared for the NFL Draft last week, one of the biggest questions surrounding the 2019 Tigers is who will succeed him behind center, with Auburn set to return three scholarship quarterbacks — Malik Willis, Cord Sandberg and Joey Gatewood — as well as one quarterback currently committed to the 2019 class in four-star dual-threat option Bo Nix.

“I’m confident with the guys we have,” Malzahn said Thursday. “And then obviously the guys we’ve got coming int. Looking forward to working with those guys. I feel very good about it. Put it that way. That’s probably the best way to answer that.”

Replacing Stidham is no simple task for Auburn, as the redshirt-junior — despite some struggles this season — will finish his career as one of the program’s most prolific passers after just two seasons of action. Stidham enters his final game, the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28 against Purdue, as sixth on the program’s all-time passing list with 5,518 yards, as well as fourth in career completions with 455.

In two seasons, Stidham completed 63.4 percent of his passes, throwing 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over 26 games.

Why Gus Malzahn is taking over play-calling duties once again

Gus Malzahn is getting back to his roots and will assume play-calling duties for Auburn beginning with the Music City Bowl.

In replacing Stidham, Malzahn will have to choose between those four aforementioned options, though he declined to say if the Tigers would seek another quarterback before next season. Auburn already missed out on former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, who last week signed with Missouri, and other graduate transfer options could be on the table in the coming months.

“We’ll see,” Malzahn said. “I’m not ready to say yes or no with that, but I will say this: I feel very good about the guys we have.”

It’s a statement Malzahn made despite the fact the four quarterbacks Auburn is set to have compete for the job this offseason have limited experience at this level.

Willis, a rising junior, will be the most veteran option of the group. He has served as Stidham’s backup for much of the last two seasons, though his playing time has been sporadic and oftentimes limited to handing the ball off on the zone-read. In 14 games over the last two years, Willis has completed 10-of-13 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown while adding another 257 yards and two touchdowns rushing, averaging 10.28 yards per carry.

Sandberg and Gatewood were both true freshmen this season, though they appeared in one game combined. Sandberg, a former minor league baseball player who is older than all of Auburn’s other quarterbacks saw limited action in Week 2 against Alabama State, when he completed his only pass attempt for 22 yards and added 35 yards on three carries. Gatewood, meanwhile, has not seen the field despite enrolling early in January and arriving as one of the highest-rated prep quarterbacks at Auburn in quite some time.

Gatewood, who struggled passing the ball in the spring, saw his freshman campaign derailed by an early-season thumb injury that buried him as fifth on the quarterback depth chart — behind Stidham, Willis, Sandberg and former walk-on Devin Adams, and to an extent, Wildcat quarterbacks Ryan Davis and Boobee Whitlow.

Then there’s Nix, the nation’s top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. An Auburn legacy—his father is former Tigers great Patrick Nix—Nix has been committed to Malzahn since Jan. 10, and he is expected to sign his letter of intent next week during the early signing period. There is a chance that he and other early signees will be on campus in time to participate in a couple of bowl practices.

As for the Music City Bowl itself, Malzahn was not ready to say if Stidham’s decision to turn pro early will impact how the Tigers handle the quarterback position in the bowl game. Stidham will play against Purdue, but it would be understandable if Malzahn and new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham wanted to get reps for the other quarterbacks too given than it’s just an exhibition game and they will need to prepare for life without Stidham soon enough.

“We’ll see where that goes,” Malzahn said. “But I will tell you this, all those other quarterbacks are getting a lot more time this week in practice. More attention. More time. More reps. You know, just to help for next year and their development in the spring.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 16,737]

How Auburn will use new offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham during Music City Bowl prep

Updated 9:23 AM; Posted 9:23 AM

Auburn offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham took part in his first practice with the Tigers on Thursday as they began preparation for the Music City Bowl.

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By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

tgreen@al.com

As Auburn returned to the practice field Thursday afternoon to begin preparations for the Music City Bowl, there was a new face among the crowd — newly hire offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham.

The 28-year-old assistant, who was hired from Memphis late Sunday night and began his new position on Monday, took in his first practice with Auburn on Thursday as he gets acclimated to his new role and surroundings. While Dillingham has officially joined Gus Malzahn’s staff, don’t expect him to go full bore with the Tigers over the next few weeks leading up to the bowl game against Purdue on Dec. 28 in Nashville, Tenn.

“Right now, he's just getting acclimated,” Malzahn said. “He's getting used to our players, our coaches. Today, for the most part, he was just kind of seeing how we operate.”

Auburn will hold seven straight practices between Thursday and Wednesday before players are given a few days off ahead of the holidays. The Tigers will then report to Nashville on Dec. 23 before having a regular week of practice on site, with three full days of practice from Dec. 24-26 followed by a walk-through the day before the Music City Bowl.

Why Gus Malzahn decided to take over full-time play-calling once again

Gus Malzahn is getting back to his roots and will assume play-calling duties for Auburn beginning with the Music City Bowl.

Under NCAA rules, teams are permitted a maximum of 15 bowl practices, though Auburn will only be using 11 of those available practices due to scheduling semantics. Still, that gives Dillingham 11 opportunities, plus the bowl game, to get accustomed to how Malzahn operates and familiarize himself with the Tigers’ offensive personnel before spring practices. That included a close look at Auburn’s younger players on Thursday, when the Tigers had a short scrimmage toward the end of their first bowl practice.

Dillingham is also unlikely to be overly involved in offensive meetings and gameplanning as he gets his bearings. While Dillingham, in a statement made in the Auburn release introducing him, cited the similarities between Malzahn’s offense and Mike Norvell’s offense, these next two weeks will be as much — if not more — about learning as it is teaching.

“For the bowl, you’ve got to build upon what you have done,” Malzahn said. “You can’t change everything completely. I think it’s more kind of building upon what we’ve down this year and getting the best plan possible for this game with the players we have with everything that goes with it. Kenny is going to do probably more observing as far as that goes. Kodi (Burns) has been with me a long time and Kodi’s a bright, young man that has a lot of fresh ideas too. It will be building upon what we’ve done so far this year and try to put the best plan together to play offense.”

As for the bowl itself, Malzahn said Dillingham will be up in the coaching booth — where he spent gamedays while at Memphis — and assist with the offense during the game against Purdue, adding that “he will not get full force until we get to the spring as far as that goes.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[auskip07 930]

2 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

A LOT of us care. It's telling that you don't. We can't keep losing highly rated talent and expect to keep up with Bama, UGA, LSU, and A&M. We are falling further behind them every class. And that doesn't count the fact that we lose a LOT of the recruiting classes we bring in. I saw something somewhere that said one of our previous top 10 classes had less than half still on the roster. You can NOT keep doing that and expect to compete with teams that have recruited better, have more success with player progression, and have less players transferring out.

The only thing telling about "not caring after its done" is i dont spend my time crying about crap that i have 0 control over and that cant be changed.   Yeah it sucks,  get over it.   When he wins a heisman at another school then ill feel like you feel

 

[aubiefifty 16,737]

Gus Malzahn not surprised by fans’ anger: ‘I get that and understand that’

Updated 11:23 AM; Posted 11:23 AM

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn walks the field before an NCAA college football game against Alabama State, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) AP (Vasha Hunt)

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By Sam Blum | SBlum@al.com

SBlum@al.com

Go to any message board, search his name on Twitter, or just start up a friendly conversation within these city limits — it’s not likely that you’ll see many fans of Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. In his own words, gets it and understands it.

Auburn finished the season at 7-5, well below expectations, with blowout losses and other embarrassing headlines dominating a difficult season.

“I’ve been here I guess nine years,” Malzahn said on Thursday night, in his first public comments in 19 days. I’ve been here when we’ve won championships and I’ve been here when we’ve had tough seasons, and our fans expect to win championships and I do too.

“But when you go 7-5, and there were times too we weren’t as disciplined as we’ve been in the past. I think that has something to do with the frustration too. I get that and understand that. That’s what motivates me to get this thing turned around.”

Malzahn hinted that he thought there was inaccurate reporting from outlets suggesting that high-powered team boosters wanted him fired. But he added that “as a head coach, you take care and you control the things you can control.”

He’s basically bet the house on having a good season next year — promising at every available opportunity that he will right the ship next season. It’s worth noting he made similar statements after a 4-2 start this season, only to see his team go 3-3 down the stretch and play in the Music City Bowl.

“I think the bottom line is when you go 7-5 and you have aspirations of winning a championship, which we did, and go 7-5, no one is going to be happy,” Malzahn said. “I’m not happy. I know our fans aren’t. But I will tell you this, we’ve got really a lot to look forward to next year.”

Auburn still has a game left this season, when it faces Purdue on Dec. 28 in Nashville. But largely, the story of this season is written. A win might salvage what has been a bitter and rumor-filled 20 days since the regular season ended, but it won’t by any means make this year a success.

Malzahn didn’t say otherwise. While he shot down many of the reports of a tumultuous three weeks, there was no escaping the reality of an unsuccessful season, and he didn’t try to do that.

“I’m very excited," Malzahn said. "I love Auburn. I love being here. I’ve been here a long time. I know what it takes and I’m really just excited about moving forward.”

[aubietiger14 147]

Great weeks of practices ahead no doubt.  

[twilli13 600]

21 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Gus Malzahn feels ‘very good’ about Auburn’s quarterback situation in 2019

Updated 11:24 AM; Posted 10:48 AM

 

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

tgreen@al.com

Auburn will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in 2019, and while no indications have been made about who would be the favorite to assume the starting role, head coach Gus Malzahn is optimistic about the options he will have at his disposal.

After Jarrett Stidham officially declared for the NFL Draft last week, one of the biggest questions surrounding the 2019 Tigers is who will succeed him behind center, with Auburn set to return three scholarship quarterbacks — Malik Willis, Cord Sandberg and Joey Gatewood — as well as one quarterback currently committed to the 2019 class in four-star dual-threat option Bo Nix.

“I’m confident with the guys we have,” Malzahn said Thursday. “And then obviously the guys we’ve got coming int. Looking forward to working with those guys. I feel very good about it. Put it that way. That’s probably the best way to answer that.”

Replacing Stidham is no simple task for Auburn, as the redshirt-junior — despite some struggles this season — will finish his career as one of the program’s most prolific passers after just two seasons of action. Stidham enters his final game, the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28 against Purdue, as sixth on the program’s all-time passing list with 5,518 yards, as well as fourth in career completions with 455.

In two seasons, Stidham completed 63.4 percent of his passes, throwing 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over 26 games.

Why Gus Malzahn is taking over play-calling duties once again

Gus Malzahn is getting back to his roots and will assume play-calling duties for Auburn beginning with the Music City Bowl.

In replacing Stidham, Malzahn will have to choose between those four aforementioned options, though he declined to say if the Tigers would seek another quarterback before next season. Auburn already missed out on former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, who last week signed with Missouri, and other graduate transfer options could be on the table in the coming months.

“We’ll see,” Malzahn said. “I’m not ready to say yes or no with that, but I will say this: I feel very good about the guys we have.”

It’s a statement Malzahn made despite the fact the four quarterbacks Auburn is set to have compete for the job this offseason have limited experience at this level.

Willis, a rising junior, will be the most veteran option of the group. He has served as Stidham’s backup for much of the last two seasons, though his playing time has been sporadic and oftentimes limited to handing the ball off on the zone-read. In 14 games over the last two years, Willis has completed 10-of-13 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown while adding another 257 yards and two touchdowns rushing, averaging 10.28 yards per carry.

Sandberg and Gatewood were both true freshmen this season, though they appeared in one game combined. Sandberg, a former minor league baseball player who is older than all of Auburn’s other quarterbacks saw limited action in Week 2 against Alabama State, when he completed his only pass attempt for 22 yards and added 35 yards on three carries. Gatewood, meanwhile, has not seen the field despite enrolling early in January and arriving as one of the highest-rated prep quarterbacks at Auburn in quite some time.

Gatewood, who struggled passing the ball in the spring, saw his freshman campaign derailed by an early-season thumb injury that buried him as fifth on the quarterback depth chart — behind Stidham, Willis, Sandberg and former walk-on Devin Adams, and to an extent, Wildcat quarterbacks Ryan Davis and Boobee Whitlow.

Then there’s Nix, the nation’s top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. An Auburn legacy—his father is former Tigers great Patrick Nix—Nix has been committed to Malzahn since Jan. 10, and he is expected to sign his letter of intent next week during the early signing period. There is a chance that he and other early signees will be on campus in time to participate in a couple of bowl practices.

As for the Music City Bowl itself, Malzahn was not ready to say if Stidham’s decision to turn pro early will impact how the Tigers handle the quarterback position in the bowl game. Stidham will play against Purdue, but it would be understandable if Malzahn and new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham wanted to get reps for the other quarterbacks too given than it’s just an exhibition game and they will need to prepare for life without Stidham soon enough.

“We’ll see where that goes,” Malzahn said. “But I will tell you this, all those other quarterbacks are getting a lot more time this week in practice. More attention. More time. More reps. You know, just to help for next year and their development in the spring.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Man, does anyone believe anything this guy says at this point? If he was so comfortable with his current options, why the extreme push to get KB? I get it, what can the guy really say...we are doomed. 

[gr82be 14,422]

“I’m very excited," Malzahn said. "I love Auburn. I love being here. I’ve been here a long time. I know what it takes and I’m really just excited about moving.”.    (Fixed it for him.) 😁

[alexava 6,973]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Gus said they miscalculated it. "One guy thought it was 3" and "by game 6 we were all on the same page". And then somebody told his mom and him that they were going to redshirt him after the MSU game. Gus's response didn't contradict that. 

At that time they probably didn’t know how many games he had played because he had no intention of redshirting him. Then the idea is brought up you start going back and trying to figure out how many games he entered. 

It doesn’t matter at this point but you folks are going to find as many ways as you can to piss on this guy. Would it be so hard to consider the benefits of doubt?. This is anything but clear. 

[AURealist 2,185]

2 minutes ago, twilli13 said:

Man, does anyone believe anything this guy says at this point? If he was so comfortable with his current options, why the extreme push to get KB? I get it, what can the guy really say...we are doomed. 

No, I don't believe a word he says. Nor do I trust his "feeling"s about anything.  Everything he says makes it clear he wants everyone to forget about his failure this year and look to the future - a place where he sincerely hopes to suck less.

[Linayus 676]

18 minutes ago, twilli13 said:

Man, does anyone believe anything this guy says at this point? If he was so comfortable with his current options, why the extreme push to get KB? I get it, what can the guy really say...we are doomed. 

KB gave Bo a year to adjust. Now we roll with Bo. I don't believe for a second that he has faith in Malik Willis. Cord/Joey are wildcards but I bet you anything we'll be seeing a true freshman QB leading the offense against Oregon.

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 minutes ago, alexava said:

At that time they probably didn’t know how many games he had played because he had no intention of redshirting him. Then the idea is brought up you start going back and trying to figure out how many games he entered. 

It doesn’t matter at this point but you folks are going to find as many ways as you can to piss on this guy. Would it be so hard to consider the benefits of doubt?. This is anything but clear. 

Respectfully, I really have to ask again if you actually read the mother's comments? She told them *at that time*, not that she should have had to. Do you really think they're not keeping tabs on participation, particularly in the first year of the new rule? Also, he had 3 carries before the Liberty game. You really think they weren't paying attention to his potential for redshirting? I mean, Gus didn't even deny what she's saying with his comments. He just muddied the waters. I'm actually surprised at his savvy on this. 

And "you folks" have got to stop acting like "we folks" are turning over rocks to find things to complain about. These are all right there on the surface. Whose to say we haven't "considered the benefit of the doubt"? We have, and Gus no longer deserves it in any situation. There is a price to pay for continuously making stupid decisions and mistakes. He's racked up a career's worth of them in a very short period of time. So no, it is not logical to assume that he did the right thing here. 

This is anything but a "lynching". It's a performance review. It's unfortunate that it's so negative but the only one to blame for that is the one who keeps screwing things up. Also, maybe a lot of the noise would die down if "we folks" weren't constantly being told that our criticisms were invalid? 

[IronMan70 3,277]

After finals, go 2 a days to get in all 15 of the authorized practices. Come on the field chewing nails.

[kd4au 1,145]

It's always next year and the future looks bright, but where are the results. We need results Gus not 7-5.

[CodeRocket 410]

50 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

“We’ll see where that goes,” Malzahn said. “But I will tell you this, all those other quarterbacks are getting a lot more time this week in practice. More attention. More time. More reps. You know, just to help for next year and their development in the spring.”

Translation - Nobody will see the field except JS.

[aubiefifty 16,737]

27 minutes ago, twilli13 said:

Man, does anyone believe anything this guy says at this point? If he was so comfortable with his current options, why the extreme push to get KB? I get it, what can the guy really say...we are doomed. 

i am going to quit worrying about it and just enjoy what i can.

[chimes 442]

I’m so sick of his coach speak. We always have the best practices and the best players and the best matchups. Cannot stand it

[Zeek 16,640]

3 minutes ago, chimes said:

I’m so sick of his coach speak. We always have the best practices and the best players and the best matchups. Cannot stand it

Still one of my favorite videos I've seen shared on Facebook and oh so relatable at times.