Bryan Matthews on Chizik - Sportscall radio show

[McWeagle 4]

Attrition is part of the game and they still didn't produce much.

Benton is troopers player....so lack of production is on trooper. As a coach it is their job to not only coach but motivate. either that or dismiss.

Emory was a stud coming in. You can thank his dad....you know, the nfl player....for his results...

The numbers aren't in Troopers favor. I have nothing against him. I just don't see our receivers playing at the level that their talent suggests they should be able to....and I never once said I didn't take him serously. I hold all coaches accountable for their players...and his, aren't great at route running and seem to give up on plays. That isn't biased....that is view from watching games for the past 3 1/2 years

and anyone would have been better than knox IMO...

Something's not adding up here...

[Plaric 4]

Attrition is part of the game and they still didn't produce much.

Benton is troopers player....so lack of production is on trooper. As a coach it is their job to not only coach but motivate. either that or dismiss.

Emory was a stud coming in. You can thank his dad....you know, the nfl player....for his results...

The numbers aren't in Troopers favor. I have nothing against him. I just don't see our receivers playing at the level that their talent suggests they should be able to....and I never once said I didn't take him serously. I hold all coaches accountable for their players...and his, aren't great at route running and seem to give up on plays. That isn't biased....that is view from watching games for the past 3 1/2 years

and anyone would have been better than knox IMO...

Something's not adding up here...

Emory had an NFL dad that has been teaching and playing the game with him for his entire life. Emory is definitely a major exception...not the rule

[agent_jack 28]

Attrition is part of the game and they still didn't produce much.

Benton is troopers player....so lack of production is on trooper. As a coach it is their job to not only coach but motivate. either that or dismiss.

Emory was a stud coming in. You can thank his dad....you know, the nfl player....for his results...

The numbers aren't in Troopers favor. I have nothing against him. I just don't see our receivers playing at the level that their talent suggests they should be able to....and I never once said I didn't take him serously. I hold all coaches accountable for their players...and his, aren't great at route running and seem to give up on plays. That isn't biased....that is view from watching games for the past 3 1/2 years

and anyone would have been better than knox IMO...

Something's not adding up here...

Emory had an NFL dad that has been teaching and playing the game with him for his entire life. Emory is definitely a major exception...not the rule

Emory's dad does not coach at Auburn and if all it took to be good on the collegiate level was having an NFL dad, then what happened to CC's kid.

Chris Carter actually played WR in the NFL and will be a HOF and I am certain he has passed on tips of the trade to his son, so why isn't he excelling?

What is Jerry Rice Jr. doing at UCLA? He aint making no noise and his father was to GOAT of all NFL receivers

[ertrader 209]

It's really hard for me to judge Trooper. For all the talk of our top 10 recruiting classes, we have not recruited that well at WR. Some of the ones we have recruited are not on campus for various reasons, all unrelated to Trooper.

I think you have to give him credit for Adams, TZac, Kodi, and Emory. My recollection is that Blake was not a stud out of HS (consensus 3* I believe), so it can't all be his Dad.

Now, the disappointments.

1) Benton - I don't think you can hang this too much on Trooper, while extremely talented he was a huge red flag coming in, and it's pretty clear he's got off the field stuff going on. You would like to think Trooper could have fixed this, but some things aren't fixable.

2) Trovon Reed - By far the biggest disappointment. No idea why he hasn't developed, and it seems unlikely he ever will given our new offensive direction. I'd love to hear thoughts on what happened to this kid. This seems like a big neg for Trooper.

?? Honestly, I can't think of another WR who is underperforming (realistic) expectations. I've probably missed someone.

[TIGERINATLANTA 64]

Stallworth has great hands and produces when the Ball is thrown his way. The problem is that it rarely comes in his direction.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Of the original staff the only coach that constanly earns their paycheck is Jay Bouleware, it's ironic he is least paid coach on the staff.

The real irony with Bouleware is that way so many AU fans who love him now are the same fans who wanted him fired after (and often during) his first season at AU. We had breakdown after breakdown on special teams in Bouleware's first year, and he was derided as "the assistant Gene brought from Iowa State" who "couldn't coach at ISU either" and who "didn't deserve" to be at AU.

There may be a lesson in all that. Maybe.

[douggwilliams 61]

Of the original staff the only coach that constanly earns their paycheck is Jay Bouleware, it's ironic he is least paid coach on the staff.

The real irony with Bouleware is that way so many AU fans who love him now are the same fans who wanted him fired after (and often during) his first season at AU. We had breakdown after breakdown on special teams in Bouleware's first year, and he was derided as "the assistant Gene brought from Iowa State" who "couldn't coach at ISU either" and who "didn't deserve" to be at AU.

There may be a lesson in all that. Maybe.

Great point. I was hesitant to say as I was one of those fans.

[banditmwp 713]

Of the original staff the only coach that constanly earns their paycheck is Jay Bouleware, it's ironic he is least paid coach on the staff.

WarTiger and I were discussing this Saturday. That's one man who can sleep at night knowing he's earned his pay. ST coaches are often overlooked but in so many cases contribute more than they'll ever get credit for to a team's success.

[Farmer Brown 2,391]

Chizik= Chinese Fire Drill

[gthunder 0]

What did trooper do to you?

Trooper has been in control of the most under performing unit at Auburn IMO. His recruiting is very good though so personally I'm torn.

Wrong. Jeff Grimes, IMO

I expected poor play from the o-line before the season started because of the youth and the loss of E Mack. IMO, the most underperforming is d-line, DE AND DT, more so DT.

[weagl1 1,793]

What did trooper do to you?

Trooper has been in control of the most under performing unit at Auburn IMO. His recruiting is very good though so personally I'm torn.

Wrong. Jeff Grimes, IMO

I expected poor play from the o-line before the season started because of the youth and the loss of E Mack. IMO, the most underperforming is d-line, DE AND DT, more so DT.

Amen to that. Since the day Tracy Rocker left the DL has gone to crap. Look at any successful defense (across the state is the perfect example) and the first thing you will see is a push up front on the DL. We sign all these top DL recruits and they cannot move the opposing OL. Until that is addressed our defense will never be up to our past standards. Go back and watch the tape of the NC game with Fairley, Blanc, et. al. The DL was the difference.

[gman87 405]

It's really hard for me to judge Trooper. For all the talk of our top 10 recruiting classes, we have not recruited that well at WR. Some of the ones we have recruited are not on campus for various reasons, all unrelated to Trooper.

I think you have to give him credit for Adams, TZac, Kodi, and Emory. My recollection is that Blake was not a stud out of HS (consensus 3* I believe), so it can't all be his Dad.

Now, the disappointments.

1) Benton - I don't think you can hang this too much on Trooper, while extremely talented he was a huge red flag coming in, and it's pretty clear he's got off the field stuff going on. You would like to think Trooper could have fixed this, but some things aren't fixable.

2) Trovon Reed - By far the biggest disappointment. No idea why he hasn't developed, and it seems unlikely he ever will given our new offensive direction. I'd love to hear thoughts on what happened to this kid. This seems like a big neg for Trooper.

?? Honestly, I can't think of another WR who is underperforming (realistic) expectations. I've probably missed someone.

You guys do realize that Benton, Blake and Stalworth were 3* guys and that Reed is a SO right? Maybe a little premature to call Reed a bust.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

Benton wasn't a three-star. That was just a default eval Scout gave him as a guy who sat out of football for a year. The year before when he committed to LSU, he was rated a 5-star by Rivals and a 4-star by Scout.

Blake was a 4-star on Rivals.

Only Stallworth was a consensus 3-star.

[Ronin 2]

It's really hard for me to judge Trooper. For all the talk of our top 10 recruiting classes, we have not recruited that well at WR. Some of the ones we have recruited are not on campus for various reasons, all unrelated to Trooper.

I think you have to give him credit for Adams, TZac, Kodi, and Emory. My recollection is that Blake was not a stud out of HS (consensus 3* I believe), so it can't all be his Dad.

Now, the disappointments.

1) Benton - I don't think you can hang this too much on Trooper, while extremely talented he was a huge red flag coming in, and it's pretty clear he's got off the field stuff going on. You would like to think Trooper could have fixed this, but some things aren't fixable.

2) Trovon Reed - By far the biggest disappointment. No idea why he hasn't developed, and it seems unlikely he ever will given our new offensive direction. I'd love to hear thoughts on what happened to this kid. This seems like a big neg for Trooper.

?? Honestly, I can't think of another WR who is underperforming (realistic) expectations. I've probably missed someone.

You guys do realize that Benton, Blake and Stalworth were 3* guys and that Reed is a SO right? Maybe a little premature to call Reed a bust.

I don't have a dog in this fight but Benton and Blake were both 4* on Rivals.

[ertrader 209]

You guys do realize that Benton, Blake and Stalworth were 3* guys and that Reed is a SO right? Maybe a little premature to call Reed a bust.

As far as Reed, what I meant is he has a tough road ahead of him as he is a perfect player for old offense (ya know, the one we recruited him for) but not so much so for our new offense. I don't think he can ever be an every-down player in our current scheme, he will be a situational, handful of snaps a game guy. I don't blame any of this on Trovon.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

I agree that Reed isn't your prototypical SEC receiver. We need to take a lesson from LSU, which somehow manages to get their speed guys the ball in crazy situations. Just lining up Reed in front of a CB isn't likely to work so well. I do think he might do well in the slot, especially now that he's blocking, but our QBs seem determined not to see that position.

[aucanucktiger 1,818]

IMHO Trooper is a position coach ready to be a coordinator and although 2012 will not go down as the best coaching job of his career, his many skills and accomplishments get him interviews after this season and I think he's gone to greener pastures after this year.

If we lose the tremendous asset that is Trooper Taylor, Joker Philips get fired and come on down.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

I don't know what to make of Malzahn's offense as part of the equation when it comes to Trooper. In the new system it's really good to see some young guys like Louis and Coates pushing for time. Blake can get open on at 8:30 a.m. on Madison Avenue sidewalks. So maybe Trooper's doing more than we might have thought.