Is Gus Sandbagging?

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Yea, he was sandbagging against KSU. He knew their kicker was going to miss all those FGs. He knew our defense would force all those turnovers. He knew Nick Marshall was going to hit Duke on the 3rd down and long so that he didn't have to punt it away and give KSU a chance to win. Because he knew all these things, he decided to put in a vanilla offense for the game.

Of course he is not sandbagging. Did he do this last year? No. Coaches don't do this. It's delusion by the fan base. Our OL for whatever reason can't seem to block as well as last year.

Guess people can't accept this as fact

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Al.com article on the formations and players used against La Tech is very interesting stuff.

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2014/09/film_study_auburns_offense_sti.html

[eulessau 115]

Is Gus sandbagging? Yes, to a certain extent, he always has. Against San Jose State and Louisiana Tech he absolutely was. He was more concerned about working on problem areas regardless of how the defense was lining up. Against Kansas State, not so much, that was more of a case of having to deal with a good opponent in a hostile environment. But remember, we had 4 dropped passes, 4 passes knocked down at the line and one slightly overthrown deep ball in extremely windy conditions.

We are not a cohesive offensive line at this point. Only one OL from last year is playing the same position. Last year, it was at this point in the season that we started running the zone read to perfection. So far this year, we have only run the true zone read 20% of the time. Hopefully, Nick and Cap will be able to establish a chemistry close to that of Nick and Tre.

Another thing to remember. Auburn has yet to hit on a deep go route. Hit just a few of those and it will open up the running game tremendously.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

I know some of these responses are coming from fair weathered fans, but let's look at the facts. First if you care to look at the team that won the SEC and played for a championship, you would see at this point last year, they were 3-1. This team is, as Gus has pointed out, is actually ahead of last year at this point. At this time last year no one in the country was sold on Nick or Auburn, in fact we were not even ranked. Actually our stats show we are ahead both on defense as well as offense. That said let's look at some other facts. First, it looked like we would only have to replace GR at OT and Shon was a good guy with a lot of ability. Then Kozan went down and we had to move Chad from RG to LG and Avery from RT to RG. Now we are looking at really only one person, Reese, that is in the same place where he played last year. While all of these guys are great OLs, it does take some time for them to get their chemistry together. Actually they have far surpassed what I (or any logical football savy person) would have expected. As Gus has said, we have the best OL coach in the business, he will get them better. Now for Gus's play calling. For those that have not followed Gus he looks at his opponent before a game and decides on a set of plays for that team. He doesn't go in with his whole play book.Also some plays are designed to set a later play. Gus is a chess master. Don't try to understand how his mind creates this masterpiece, just enjoy it.

[FHeal 4]

Maybe not sanding bagging in the classic sense of trying to lull your opponent, by saving some choice pieces in surprise. Yes, he might be working on parts that are not up to par. while he has a chance. However I use to trad climb and everyone called us sandbaggers (whole bunches) because we'd underrate all our climbs, not only as a measure to surprise another climber (jus for fun), but to also so as to not puff up ourselves. Out of state folks would come to our house and flail, while we'd flash everything on return out of state visits to their rock. Perhaps Gus is also keeping the boys a bit hungry by not feasting on what works, and by serving up some humble pie the desire to excel is out there like a carrot on a stick. Where as if he started cutting loose with all the unseen stuff for 2014, the slight of hand and hunger might be as quite as strong a motivator. Blowing out these easy games could hurt in the long run... call me sunshine pumper if want...however I believe these guys are keeping their noses to the grind stone at the moment. And it might not have been so otherwise.

[CJBas 4]

I doubt that very much. So you believe Gus is coach Grimes to not coach the guys how to block for our RB's and his telling Rhett to coach Nick how to over throw wide open WR's?

I'm afraid I have to agree. We have some serious problems that must be fixed if we are to have the season we're all hoping for. OL blocking and or passing are among them. As is our secondary play.

[TigerOne 1,140]

Al.com article on the formations and players used against La Tech is very interesting stuff.

http://www.al.com/au...ffense_sti.html

we knew al.com works for uat but to come right out a print the scouting report for the updykes is a first.

Guess saban is sending Gus a message..we know what you are doing

[Rednilla 5,383]

Well seeing as how KSU almost beat us...

Alright, enough of that baloney. KSU did NOT almost beat us. Yes, they missed three field goals. Two of those were from beyond 40 yards, but had any of them been made, it would have prompted a different strategy from that point forward. Same with the defense forcing the turnovers; had the K-State offense scored, or even been held to a punt and flipped the field position, play calling on our offensive side would have been different. Remember how quickly we came back against Alabama in 2010? Down 24-0 halfway through the second quarter, we stormed back and took the lead early in the final period because of adjustments Gus made. Sure, Cam Newton was our QB then, but does anyone here think KSU's defense is as talented as the one Bama had on the field that day?

No, Kansas State barely kept it close. The interception inside their red zone came as a direct result of Waters having to throw the ball as hard as he could to a receiver who was about 5 yards away from him. If the ball isn't thrown with that velocity, it gets knocked down, and might have been tipped as it was.

As a matter of fact, they took the lead for less than four minutes of football before Auburn answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then, after the only missed field goal that was truly a boneheaded mistake, we put together a methodical 15 play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Only a big stop by the KSU defense prevented Auburn from taking a three score lead halfway through the fourth quarter...and had we scored a touchdown there instead of a field goal, the game would have been over, and the Wildcats would most likely have either folded or pushed too hard to mount a comeback and ended up throwing another pick. In either of those cases, it isn't so hard to envision our offense getting such a shot of adrenaline, or their defense being so demoralized, that our run game started cramming it down their throat and putting another touchdown on the board. As it is, it took that defensive stand by K-State AND a quick drive down the field against an Auburn D that was playing much softer to prevent the big play TD in order to get it back to a 6 point game.

Ergo, it was just as close to being a 31-7 blowout as it was to being a 21-20 upset.

Auburn was in control of that game for most of the second half, regardless of what the final score was. Sure, it didn't leave us with as much breathing room as we would have liked to have had, but having a game like that, where the players see how easily a game can go from under control into a potential nightmare, should be a great lesson for these guys...one that wasn't learned last year until Georgia was dominated for 3 quarters, only to come back and require a "Miracle" to preserve the win.

[quietfan 233]

My opinion (based on my extensive inexperience at coaching!):

I don't know if I'd use the term "sandbagging". I do think he's somewhat experimenting (perhaps not in variety of plays, but in getting a feel for how all our pieces fit on the board and work together), possibly having Nick Marshall play a little vanilla to avoid injuries and work on his passing, and certainly saving some surprises for the future opponents.

But as others have mentioned, sandbagging would not explain mistakes in execution, dropped passes, missed blocks, treacherous footing, etc.

Is there more and better to come? I say resoundingly YES!

[ToraGirl 5,498]

Maybe not sanding bagging in the classic sense of trying to lull your opponent, by saving some choice pieces in surprise. Yes, he might be working on parts that are not up to par. while he has a chance. However I use to trad climb and everyone called us sandbaggers (whole bunches) because we'd underrate all our climbs, not only as a measure to surprise another climber (jus for fun), but to also so as to not puff up ourselves. Out of state folks would come to our house and flail, while we'd flash everything on return out of state visits to their rock. Perhaps Gus is also keeping the boys a bit hungry by not feasting on what works, and by serving up some humble pie the desire to excel is out there like a carrot on a stick. Where as if he started cutting loose with all the unseen stuff for 2014, the slight of hand and hunger might be as quite as strong a motivator. Blowing out these easy games could hurt in the long run... call me sunshine pumper if want...however I believe these guys are keeping their noses to the grind stone at the moment. And it might not have been so otherwise.

Lot of insightful stuff here. Thanks, FHeal. We see what we see, but we don't always (or ever) see the method behind the madness...

[Rednilla 5,383]

Yea, he was sandbagging against KSU. He knew their kicker was going to miss all those FGs. He knew our defense would force all those turnovers. He knew Nick Marshall was going to hit Duke on the 3rd down and long so that he didn't have to punt it away and give KSU a chance to win. Because he knew all these things, he decided to put in a vanilla offense for the game.

Of course he is not sandbagging. Did he do this last year? No. Coaches don't do this. It's delusion by the fan base. Our OL for whatever reason can't seem to block as well as last year.

Great analysis from a Monday morning QB. Just because Malzahn didn't know how Auburn would pull it out doesn't mean that he didn't believe in the talent on the roster enough that he had faith his team would pull it out. Football is a fluid game, and he made the decisions he did based upon the situations that presented themselves. Somehow, I rather doubt that he was pulling out all the stops to win the game because he knew he could win it without doing so, thereby saving some elements of surprise for later on down the road.

Did he sandbag last year? Yes, as a matter of fact, he did. When was the first time he added the throw to the wideout after Nick kept the ball on a zone read play? I sure don't remember seeing it against Washington State, that's for sure.

Had the execution on offense been up to par, the game would never have been as close as it was. Even without the execution being up to par, we won by 6 despite a late KSU touchdown. It was close to being a blowout even without showing much of our playbook at all. Don't you think maybe that's what he was getting at when he called himself stubborn in the post game press conference?

[Browning4AU 405]

Yea, he was sandbagging against KSU. He knew their kicker was going to miss all those FGs. He knew our defense would force all those turnovers. He knew Nick Marshall was going to hit Duke on the 3rd down and long so that he didn't have to punt it away and give KSU a chance to win. Because he knew all these things, he decided to put in a vanilla offense for the game.

Of course he is not sandbagging. Did he do this last year? No. Coaches don't do this. It's delusion by the fan base. Our OL for whatever reason can't seem to block as well as last year.

Great analysis from a Monday morning QB. Just because Malzahn didn't know how Auburn would pull it out doesn't mean that he didn't believe in the talent on the roster enough that he had faith his team would pull it out. Football is a fluid game, and he made the decisions he did based upon the situations that presented themselves. Somehow, I rather doubt that he was pulling out all the stops to win the game because he knew he could win it without doing so, thereby saving some elements of surprise for later on down the road.

Did he sandbag last year? Yes, as a matter of fact, he did. When was the first time he added the throw to the wideout after Nick kept the ball on a zone read play? I sure don't remember seeing it against Washington State, that's for sure.

Had the execution on offense been up to par, the game would never have been as close as it was. Even without the execution being up to par, we won by 6 despite a late KSU touchdown. It was close to being a blowout even without showing much of our playbook at all. Don't you think maybe that's what he was getting at when he called himself stubborn in the post game press conference?

Actually it was against LSU I believe. It was the play where NM completed the pass to himself for like 30 yards.

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

Well seeing as how KSU almost beat us...

Alright, enough of that baloney. KSU did NOT almost beat us. Yes, they missed three field goals. Two of those were from beyond 40 yards, but had any of them been made, it would have prompted a different strategy from that point forward. Same with the defense forcing the turnovers; had the K-State offense scored, or even been held to a punt and flipped the field position, play calling on our offensive side would have been different. Remember how quickly we came back against Alabama in 2010? Down 24-0 halfway through the second quarter, we stormed back and took the lead early in the final period because of adjustments Gus made. Sure, Cam Newton was our QB then, but does anyone here think KSU's defense is as talented as the one Bama had on the field that day?

No, Kansas State barely kept it close. The interception inside their red zone came as a direct result of Waters having to throw the ball as hard as he could to a receiver who was about 5 yards away from him. If the ball isn't thrown with that velocity, it gets knocked down, and might have been tipped as it was.

As a matter of fact, they took the lead for less than four minutes of football before Auburn answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then, after the only missed field goal that was truly a boneheaded mistake, we put together a methodical 15 play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Only a big stop by the KSU defense prevented Auburn from taking a three score lead halfway through the fourth quarter...and had we scored a touchdown there instead of a field goal, the game would have been over, and the Wildcats would most likely have either folded or pushed too hard to mount a comeback and ended up throwing another pick. In either of those cases, it isn't so hard to envision our offense getting such a shot of adrenaline, or their defense being so demoralized, that our run game started cramming it down their throat and putting another touchdown on the board. As it is, it took that defensive stand by K-State AND a quick drive down the field against an Auburn D that was playing much softer to prevent the big play TD in order to get it back to a 6 point game.

Ergo, it was just as close to being a 31-7 blowout as it was to being a 21-20 upset.

Auburn was in control of that game for most of the second half, regardless of what the final score was. Sure, it didn't leave us with as much breathing room as we would have liked to have had, but having a game like that, where the players see how easily a game can go from under control into a potential nightmare, should be a great lesson for these guys...one that wasn't learned last year until Georgia was dominated for 3 quarters, only to come back and require a "Miracle" to preserve the win.

What are you smoking? KState did NOT almost beat us?

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Well seeing as how KSU almost beat us...

Alright, enough of that baloney. KSU did NOT almost beat us. Yes, they missed three field goals. Two of those were from beyond 40 yards, but had any of them been made, it would have prompted a different strategy from that point forward. Same with the defense forcing the turnovers; had the K-State offense scored, or even been held to a punt and flipped the field position, play calling on our offensive side would have been different. Remember how quickly we came back against Alabama in 2010? Down 24-0 halfway through the second quarter, we stormed back and took the lead early in the final period because of adjustments Gus made. Sure, Cam Newton was our QB then, but does anyone here think KSU's defense is as talented as the one Bama had on the field that day?

No, Kansas State barely kept it close. The interception inside their red zone came as a direct result of Waters having to throw the ball as hard as he could to a receiver who was about 5 yards away from him. If the ball isn't thrown with that velocity, it gets knocked down, and might have been tipped as it was.

As a matter of fact, they took the lead for less than four minutes of football before Auburn answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then, after the only missed field goal that was truly a boneheaded mistake, we put together a methodical 15 play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Only a big stop by the KSU defense prevented Auburn from taking a three score lead halfway through the fourth quarter...and had we scored a touchdown there instead of a field goal, the game would have been over, and the Wildcats would most likely have either folded or pushed too hard to mount a comeback and ended up throwing another pick. In either of those cases, it isn't so hard to envision our offense getting such a shot of adrenaline, or their defense being so demoralized, that our run game started cramming it down their throat and putting another touchdown on the board. As it is, it took that defensive stand by K-State AND a quick drive down the field against an Auburn D that was playing much softer to prevent the big play TD in order to get it back to a 6 point game.

Ergo, it was just as close to being a 31-7 blowout as it was to being a 21-20 upset.

Auburn was in control of that game for most of the second half, regardless of what the final score was. Sure, it didn't leave us with as much breathing room as we would have liked to have had, but having a game like that, where the players see how easily a game can go from under control into a potential nightmare, should be a great lesson for these guys...one that wasn't learned last year until Georgia was dominated for 3 quarters, only to come back and require a "Miracle" to preserve the win.

I'm not even sure what to say about this, you think that 2010 Auburn with our best QB in history towards the END of the season is at all comparable to Auburn at this part? 2010 Auburn wouldn't have been close to KSU and no comeback would've been necessary.

Plus its a FOUR YEAR DIFFERENCE, these aren't the same teams. This team did terrible on offense for roughly 3 quarters and almost lost. That is the harsh truth. How can you possibly say the play calling would change based on 3rd quarter playcalling under Malzahn in 2013? That's literally his biggest flaw, watch Ole Miss, FSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, bad playcalling.

[AUFlyer99 647]

K State not only almost beat us, they almost tarred, feathered, and ran us out on a rail. I hear what you're saying about the KSU missed opportunities changing the course of the game. I truly believe that in every game. I also believe that with the poor blocking up front, Gus had no answer for Mueller.

If the blocking doesn't come around, they won't be the last team, and there will be some numbers in the loss column. Hopefully the o-line comes around this weekend, otherwise LSU wins.

[keesler 5,924]

It's amazing that fans of the same team can watch a game (AU/KSU) and come up with completely different storylines after the game is over.

I'm of the opinion that we were lucky to escape Manhatten with a WIN - and if some fundamental issues aren't fixed pronto, we won't be so lucky in the very near future.

AU had some glarring deficiencies in that KSU game, they exposed our weaknesses and came very close to capitalizing on them. In 3 days AU will start a gauntlet that is unmatched by any other SEC team, I can only hope that our coaches and players are prepared for the stretch we are about to face.

[bg5 536]

Well seeing as how KSU almost beat us...

Alright, enough of that baloney. KSU did NOT almost beat us. Yes, they missed three field goals. Two of those were from beyond 40 yards, but had any of them been made, it would have prompted a different strategy from that point forward. Same with the defense forcing the turnovers; had the K-State offense scored, or even been held to a punt and flipped the field position, play calling on our offensive side would have been different. Remember how quickly we came back against Alabama in 2010? Down 24-0 halfway through the second quarter, we stormed back and took the lead early in the final period because of adjustments Gus made. Sure, Cam Newton was our QB then, but does anyone here think KSU's defense is as talented as the one Bama had on the field that day?

No, Kansas State barely kept it close. The interception inside their red zone came as a direct result of Waters having to throw the ball as hard as he could to a receiver who was about 5 yards away from him. If the ball isn't thrown with that velocity, it gets knocked down, and might have been tipped as it was.

As a matter of fact, they took the lead for less than four minutes of football before Auburn answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then, after the only missed field goal that was truly a boneheaded mistake, we put together a methodical 15 play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Only a big stop by the KSU defense prevented Auburn from taking a three score lead halfway through the fourth quarter...and had we scored a touchdown there instead of a field goal, the game would have been over, and the Wildcats would most likely have either folded or pushed too hard to mount a comeback and ended up throwing another pick. In either of those cases, it isn't so hard to envision our offense getting such a shot of adrenaline, or their defense being so demoralized, that our run game started cramming it down their throat and putting another touchdown on the board. As it is, it took that defensive stand by K-State AND a quick drive down the field against an Auburn D that was playing much softer to prevent the big play TD in order to get it back to a 6 point game.

Ergo, it was just as close to being a 31-7 blowout as it was to being a 21-20 upset.

Auburn was in control of that game for most of the second half, regardless of what the final score was. Sure, it didn't leave us with as much breathing room as we would have liked to have had, but having a game like that, where the players see how easily a game can go from under control into a potential nightmare, should be a great lesson for these guys...one that wasn't learned last year until Georgia was dominated for 3 quarters, only to come back and require a "Miracle" to preserve the win.

I'm not even sure what to say about this, you think that 2010 Auburn with our best QB in history towards the END of the season is at all comparable to Auburn at this part? 2010 Auburn wouldn't have been close to KSU and no comeback would've been necessary.

Plus its a FOUR YEAR DIFFERENCE, these aren't the same teams. This team did terrible on offense for roughly 3 quarters and almost lost. That is the harsh truth. How can you possibly say the play calling would change based on 3rd quarter playcalling under Malzahn in 2013? That's literally his biggest flaw, watch Ole Miss, FSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, bad playcalling.

Look back at the results from 2010. Four of the first six games where close. While I don't think Gus was Sandbagging I do think that in these first games when he felt like he had them in hand he held back. After the LSU game last year we really turned it on around. I fully expect to see the Offense we expected this weekend and when we get things in hand I think Gus will back off again because Miss. St. may be a tougher game the next week. I only felt uneasy during the K-State game once and I just think that early in the year if you want to go all the way you have to hold back a littleearly. If you have to show everything in the first game in this league you are doomed because the West is to good for that.

[NoALtiger 3,849]

It's amazing that fans of the same team can watch a game (AU/KSU) and come up with completely different storylines after the game is over.

I'm of the opinion that we were lucky to escape Manhatten with a WIN - and if some fundamental issues aren't fixed pronto, we won't be so lucky in the very near future.

AU had some glarring deficiencies in that KSU game, they exposed our weaknesses and came very close to capitalizing on them. In 3 days AU will start a gauntlet that is unmatched by any other SEC team, I can only hope that our coaches and players are prepared for the stretch we are about to face.

^^I was thinking the exact same thing^^

[Dixie1860 27]

It's amazing that fans of the same team can watch a game (AU/KSU) and come up with completely different storylines after the game is over.

I'm of the opinion that we were lucky to escape Manhatten with a WIN - and if some fundamental issues aren't fixed pronto, we won't be so lucky in the very near future.

AU had some glarring deficiencies in that KSU game, they exposed our weaknesses and came very close to capitalizing on them. In 3 days AU will start a gauntlet that is unmatched by any other SEC team, I can only hope that our coaches and players are prepared for the stretch we are about to face.

^^I was thinking the exact same thing^^

Amongst AU fans, this has been the case my entire 20 years on this earth. Unless we are doing what we did against Mizzou/UTk (2013) anyway. It's usually somewhere in between.

I do believe that even Gus would admit to thinking we start faster on O this year, and has maybe been waiting to unveil a wrinkle or two. I don't think sandbagging is even close, especially after KSU. We have been better on D than even I thought, and I expected it, just not so soon without Lawson.

There will be new stuff Saturday, but IMO, it will be attributable to the opponent's tendencies heretofore, and less to do with a "secret/sinister plan".

[AuburnGrad97 37]

IMHO, I think we see a different team this weekend. I think pace is going to be faster than we've seen so far, and I think diversity of playcalling will be dramatically different. Some may have mistaken these two issues for "sandbagging". I wouldn't call it sandbagging, but I know that the KSU and the La Tech games were the slowest I've seen our offense go under Gus Malzahn. I also saw that we only ran a handful of plays, even though several of them didn't seem to working that well. Oh well, we've beaten that horse enough.

This weekend, I think we see the passing game being spread around a lot more (Bray, Ray, Louis getting more targets). This will open up the field for CAP and Grant, and Coates and Duke will also reap the benefits on busted coverages. I think we will go 100mph the entire game.

The biggest concern I have about LSU is their running game. Harris looks good at QB, but he is a freshman on the road at Jordan-Hare at night. Nuff said....

[AUenginerd 16]

The biggest concern I have about LSU is their running game. Harris looks good at QB, but he is a freshman on the road at Jordan-Hare at night. Nuff said....

They're averaging 4.6 yds/carry (5.8 against Sam Houston, 4.2 against La Monroe, 6.7 against New Mex St, 2.7 against Wisky, and 2.5 against State). Against teams with a pulse, they haven't run squat. BRING IT ON! WDE!

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Well seeing as how KSU almost beat us...

Alright, enough of that baloney. KSU did NOT almost beat us. Yes, they missed three field goals. Two of those were from beyond 40 yards, but had any of them been made, it would have prompted a different strategy from that point forward. Same with the defense forcing the turnovers; had the K-State offense scored, or even been held to a punt and flipped the field position, play calling on our offensive side would have been different. Remember how quickly we came back against Alabama in 2010? Down 24-0 halfway through the second quarter, we stormed back and took the lead early in the final period because of adjustments Gus made. Sure, Cam Newton was our QB then, but does anyone here think KSU's defense is as talented as the one Bama had on the field that day?

No, Kansas State barely kept it close. The interception inside their red zone came as a direct result of Waters having to throw the ball as hard as he could to a receiver who was about 5 yards away from him. If the ball isn't thrown with that velocity, it gets knocked down, and might have been tipped as it was.

As a matter of fact, they took the lead for less than four minutes of football before Auburn answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then, after the only missed field goal that was truly a boneheaded mistake, we put together a methodical 15 play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Only a big stop by the KSU defense prevented Auburn from taking a three score lead halfway through the fourth quarter...and had we scored a touchdown there instead of a field goal, the game would have been over, and the Wildcats would most likely have either folded or pushed too hard to mount a comeback and ended up throwing another pick. In either of those cases, it isn't so hard to envision our offense getting such a shot of adrenaline, or their defense being so demoralized, that our run game started cramming it down their throat and putting another touchdown on the board. As it is, it took that defensive stand by K-State AND a quick drive down the field against an Auburn D that was playing much softer to prevent the big play TD in order to get it back to a 6 point game.

Ergo, it was just as close to being a 31-7 blowout as it was to being a 21-20 upset.

Auburn was in control of that game for most of the second half, regardless of what the final score was. Sure, it didn't leave us with as much breathing room as we would have liked to have had, but having a game like that, where the players see how easily a game can go from under control into a potential nightmare, should be a great lesson for these guys...one that wasn't learned last year until Georgia was dominated for 3 quarters, only to come back and require a "Miracle" to preserve the win.

I'm not even sure what to say about this, you think that 2010 Auburn with our best QB in history towards the END of the season is at all comparable to Auburn at this part? 2010 Auburn wouldn't have been close to KSU and no comeback would've been necessary.

Plus its a FOUR YEAR DIFFERENCE, these aren't the same teams. This team did terrible on offense for roughly 3 quarters and almost lost. That is the harsh truth. How can you possibly say the play calling would change based on 3rd quarter playcalling under Malzahn in 2013? That's literally his biggest flaw, watch Ole Miss, FSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, bad playcalling.

Look back at the results from 2010. Four of the first six games where close. While I don't think Gus was Sandbagging I do think that in these first games when he felt like he had them in hand he held back. After the LSU game last year we really turned it on around. I fully expect to see the Offense we expected this weekend and when we get things in hand I think Gus will back off again because Miss. St. may be a tougher game the next week. I only felt uneasy during the K-State game once and I just think that early in the year if you want to go all the way you have to hold back a littleearly. If you have to show everything in the first game in this league you are doomed because the West is to good for that.

There wasn't any holding back, Malzahn didn't call a solid game and the offense played piss poor. I'm not sure why that can't be accepted. He tried implementing the pass and the receivers couldn't catch. He tried running the ball and that didn't work.

[CajunLSUBayou 0]

I expect to see a ton of simple read option with the give to the running back this game.

[ShugMan55 0]

It's amazing that fans of the same team can watch a game (AU/KSU) and come up with completely different storylines after the game is over.

I'm of the opinion that we were lucky to escape Manhatten with a WIN - and if some fundamental issues aren't fixed pronto, we won't be so lucky in the very near future.

AU had some glaring deficiencies in that KSU game, they exposed our weaknesses and came very close to capitalizing on them. In 3 days AU will start a gauntlet that is unmatched by any other SEC team, I can only hope that our coaches and players are prepared for the stretch we are about to face.

I agree that we were damned lucky to get out with a win. God love em some of our Auburn brethren cannot see though their love. Many interpret a practical evaluation as an undeserved criticism and God forbid, if it come from an ESPN talking head as a downright conspiracy. I agree with you that this team needs improvement in some areas and I feel there is a significant chance we could drop the next two if we don't get better quick. I was not encouraged by the fact that the La Tech game was a 2 score game well into the third quarter.

[McLoofus 35,182]

This weekend, I think we see the passing game being spread around a lot more (Bray, Ray, Louis getting more targets). This will open up the field for CAP and Grant, and Coates and Duke will also reap the benefits on busted coverages. I think we will go 100mph the entire game.

LSU's run defense has been their weakest area. Doesn't necessarily go against what you said, but we might finally get that zone read humming again.

Harris looks good at QB, but he is a freshman on the road at Jordan-Hare at night. Nuff said....

Jordan-Hare has actually been quite generous to rookie QBs.