What will be different this year?

[AuburnNTexas 7,149]

7 minutes ago, Carnell said:

The weaknesses you cited above such as unimaginative playcalling and defenses knowing the plays is exactly the same criticism leveled at Gus when he gave up the playcalling duties in 2015 or 2016 forget which.  And when Lashlee took over the criticism did not stop.  Now you talking the sam weaknesses and you did not specifically say who you were addressing those weaknesses about.  Since Lindsey was our OC last year I will assume that is who you are talking about.  Well Gus is the head coach why didnt he address the problem probably because he did not know what to do.

In addition, you state he now has a quarterback that will now force DEs to attack both the quarterback and running back.  That is an indictment on Gus because he should not be running an offense that he does not have the personnel to run.  Good coaches fit the scheme to match players abilities not try to match players abilities to their scheme. 

In other words,  gus is not implementing anything new just going back to what did not work in the past.

 

I

Or going back to what did work in the past a mobile QB.  I have a lot of issues with play calling in last few years as evidenced by my post. As the Head coach Gus was responsible for that no excuses. It seems like you can't give him credit for anything.  You probably were one of the ones who was against Gus when our D sucked.  It doesn't suck anymore he should get credit for bringing in the right coaches.  He is rightly blamed for our poor O-Line recruiting and how poorly the O-line played last year. He deserved that blame but on the same side is so far this year the O-Line recruiting has been much improved he should get credit for that. 

He showed a much different play calling strategy against Purdue how much was his play calling and how much was the fact that we were just that much better than Purdue can be honestly debated.  He has an opportunity this year with two QB's who are both more mobile than Stidham that will force defenses to make choices they didn't have to last year I am not on the Gus bus he has to prove to me and others that he has grown and is willing to adjust I want to watch a few games this year before I make any judgement on whether we need a new  coach or not.

[AUght2win 6,838]

Playcalling will be different. It's the only hope we have for a great season. We have the talent. Have for several years. Now Gus is back doing what we originally hired him to do. It'll be nice to lay the cards on the table this year and see what he can do with no distractions or excuses. 

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

57 minutes ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Or going back to what did work in the past a mobile QB.  I have a lot of issues with play calling in last few years as evidenced by my post. As the Head coach Gus was responsible for that no excuses. It seems like you can't give him credit for anything.  You probably were one of the ones who was against Gus when our D sucked.  It doesn't suck anymore he should get credit for bringing in the right coaches.  He is rightly blamed for our poor O-Line recruiting and how poorly the O-line played last year. He deserved that blame but on the same side is so far this year the O-Line recruiting has been much improved he should get credit for that. 

He showed a much different play calling strategy against Purdue how much was his play calling and how much was the fact that we were just that much better than Purdue can be honestly debated.  He has an opportunity this year with two QB's who are both more mobile than Stidham that will force defenses to make choices they didn't have to last year I am not on the Gus bus he has to prove to me and others that he has grown and is willing to adjust I want to watch a few games this year before I make any judgement on whether we need a new  coach or not.

Did it though? Pruitt straight up exposed the Gus offense in the 2nd half of the FSU BCS National Championship game. He layed the groundwork for stopping that offense. Come the 2014 Texas A&M game and Gus lost his mojo. In 2014 with Nick Marshall still at QB we lost 5 games... The dynamic Gus changed on November 8th 2014. After going into the game ranked 3rd in the nation, A&M had taken what Pruitt did and shoved it down Gus' throat. We went on to lose every remaining P5 game on the schedule....with a DYNAMIC true DTQB...and Gus calling plays. In 2015 Gus is still calling plays and we go 7-6. 2016 Gus is calling plays and we go 8-5. This is when Gus is forced to nudge his buddy Lashlee out and hire a real OC. 

Now as far as you thinking that opponents just started to know what we were going to call by our lineups... You are out of your mind if you think that came from Lindsey. Lindsey never had that issue at Southern Miss. Lindsey never had that issue at Arizona State either. Apparently, by your thinking, Lindsey just suddenly started doing that when he was hired at Auburn. Hmm...interesting... especially since that is what was happening before Lindsey was even employed at Auburn University...and id bet dollars to doughnuts that his offense at Troy wont do that either.... So yeah Lindsey just started doing that when he got to Auburn... I cant believe you would suggest that with an straight face.

 

Now to the second part... You are right if/when Gatewood wins the job he will present something that Stidham didnt. Nix on the other hand really is no more of a DTQB than Stidham. Nix may have better pocket presence, and Nix may seem quicker right now, but Stidham was quicker before he had years of college S&C under his belt. Stidham was the #2 DTQB out of high school and the #1 DTQB out of JUCO. All of you people expecting Nix to be a true DTQB are going to be dissapointed. Nix is mobile. He can extend plays with his legs. It wouldnt surprise me if Nix played much like Stidham, Johnny Football or even better Baker Mayfield... But under no circumstances will Nix be a true dual threat like Cam, Marshall, Craig, or RG3. Those guys presented a true threat to be gamebreakers with their legs as well as arms. That isnt Nix. It sure is Gatewood though. Seriously if you are a DB and you see 6'1 200lb Nix running at you and 6'5 240lb Gatewood running at you... Which one will be like a Mac Truck hitting you at full speed and which will be like getting hit by a pillow? Ok Nix wouldnt be like a pillow, but to suggest tackling the two of them would be the same is a flat out lie (not saying you said that.)

[McLoofus 35,182]

 

1 hour ago, Carnell said:

How

1. The criticism most certainly stopped when Lashlee took over. (It was 2016 btw.) And then everyone in the backfield was hurt by the end of the Vandy game and it all fell apart again. I was told at the time that Gus resumed control of the offense at that point, but possibly at Lashlee's request. Regardless, I don't recall anyone criticizing the play calling while we were destroying the middle of the schedule that year. 

2. Gus's play calling most certainly has worked in the past. And it wasn't that long ago. I'm no apologist for the man, but dude has dialed up some beauties and more than once. 

 

[GwillMac6 20,683]

Nothing. There is Nothing that will be any different. Stockholm Syndrome is in full affect AGAIN I see! lol. No greater off season tradition in Auburn Sports than a lot of people forgetting the past 6 years and all the things that infuriates them every. single. year. when it comes to some of the decisions made by our Head Coach. Just wondering if it will take 1 game for people to remember why they get so frustrated with him or if it will be the first SEC game.

[AuburnNTexas 7,149]

50 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Did it though? Pruitt straight up exposed the Gus offense in the 2nd half of the FSU BCS National Championship game. He layed the groundwork for stopping that offense. Come the 2014 Texas A&M game and Gus lost his mojo. In 2014 with Nick Marshall still at QB we lost 5 games... The dynamic Gus changed on November 8th 2014. After going into the game ranked 3rd in the nation, A&M had taken what Pruitt did and shoved it down Gus' throat. We went on to lose every remaining P5 game on the schedule....with a DYNAMIC true DTQB...and Gus calling plays. In 2015 Gus is still calling plays and we go 7-6. 2016 Gus is calling plays and we go 8-5. This is when Gus is forced to nudge his buddy Lashlee out and hire a real OC. 

Now as far as you thinking that opponents just started to know what we were going to call by our lineups... You are out of your mind if you think that came from Lindsey. Lindsey never had that issue at Southern Miss. Lindsey never had that issue at Arizona State either. Apparently, by your thinking, Lindsey just suddenly started doing that when he was hired at Auburn. Hmm...interesting... especially since that is what was happening before Lindsey was even employed at Auburn University...and id bet dollars to doughnuts that his offense at Troy wont do that either.... So yeah Lindsey just started doing that when he got to Auburn... I cant believe you would suggest that with an straight face.

 

Now to the second part... You are right if/when Gatewood wins the job he will present something that Stidham didnt. Nix on the other hand really is no more of a DTQB than Stidham. Nix may have better pocket presence, and Nix may seem quicker right now, but Stidham was quicker before he had years of college S&C under his belt. Stidham was the #2 DTQB out of high school and the #1 DTQB out of JUCO. All of you people expecting Nix to be a true DTQB are going to be dissapointed. Nix is mobile. He can extend plays with his legs. It wouldnt surprise me if Nix played much like Stidham, Johnny Football or even better Baker Mayfield... But under no circumstances will Nix be a true dual threat like Cam, Marshall, Craig, or RG3. Those guys presented a true threat to be gamebreakers with their legs as well as arms. That isnt Nix. It sure is Gatewood though. Seriously if you are a DB and you see 6'1 200lb Nix running at you and 6'5 240lb Gatewood running at you... Which one will be like a Mac Truck hitting you at full speed and which will be like getting hit by a pillow? Ok Nix wouldnt be like a pillow, but to suggest tackling the two of them would be the same is a flat out lie (not saying you said that.)

You state that teams in 2014 knew how to stop the Auburn attack and then you point out how bad we did in the last 5 game stretch but what you left out is yes we lost to A&M but we scored 38 points D lost that game for us. Yes we lost to Bama but we scored 44 points D lost that game for Us. Yes Georgia beat our O as we only scored 7 against them we score 31 against Wisconsin. The only game in that stretch where O didn't do its job was Georgia.  So really teams didn't know how to stop Gus when he had a true DT QB.  You are right if Gatewood keeps the ball that DB would be more afraid of getting run over by Gatewood then by Nix but Nix has shown that he will throw accurately on the run and if DB comes up he completes the pass if he doesn't he gets a nice gain. I watched Stidham play at Auburn maybe in HS he was rated as a DT QB but it was a bad rating he is slow as we saw when he did have some room. Nix is a better athlete not a True runner like Gatewood but you compared him to Johnny Football or Baker Mayfield you just made my case for me. Who wouldn't want either of these as college QB's.

I am not trying to defend Gus he has made some very questionable decisions but please when you criticize him at least be honest. 2014 was not about Offensive production it was about Defense as Head Coach Gus deserves to be blamed for the bad defense he is responsible for the whole team.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

16 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

You state that teams in 2014 knew how to stop the Auburn attack and then you point out how bad we did in the last 5 game stretch but what you left out is yes we lost to A&M but we scored 38 points D lost that game for us. Yes we lost to Bama but we scored 44 points D lost that game for Us. Yes Georgia beat our O as we only scored 7 against them we score 31 against Wisconsin. The only game in that stretch where O didn't do its job was Georgia.  So really teams didn't know how to stop Gus when he had a true DT QB.  You are right if Gatewood keeps the ball that DB would be more afraid of getting run over by Gatewood then by Nix but Nix has shown that he will throw accurately on the run and if DB comes up he completes the pass if he doesn't he gets a nice gain. I watched Stidham play at Auburn maybe in HS he was rated as a DT QB but it was a bad rating he is slow as we saw when he did have some room. Nix is a better athlete not a True runner like Gatewood but you compared him to Johnny Football or Baker Mayfield you just made my case for me. Who wouldn't want either of these as college QB's.

I am not trying to defend Gus he has made some very questionable decisions but please when you criticize him at least be honest. 2014 was not about Offensive production it was about Defense as Head Coach Gus deserves to be blamed for the bad defense he is responsible for the whole team.

First let me make it clear that im not taking anything away from Nix. Nix is quite possibly the best pure passing QB we have ever signed. But that doesnt miraculously make him a true running threat. Thats my point. Nix may be the best QB to ever play in Auburn, but that doesnt mean me will be considered the best DTQB we have ever had. Of course playing like Johnny Football and Mayfield would be amazing and anyone would be an idiot to criticize his play assuming he plays like Johnny Football and Mayfield.  My point is that people are assuming left and right that Nix presents as much a running threat as Gatewood. And that simply is not true. 

 

And Gus absolutely did lose his mojo after the A&M game in 2014. Saying othrtwise suggests you havent paid attention. Perhaps you forgot what it was like going 8-5 with Nick Marshall at QB. Or maybe you forgot about going 7-6 and playing our bowl game in Birmingham? I mean if you are blaming it on the defense, our defense was just as terrible in 2013. Yet we made it to the national championship game. The fact is prior to the 2014 A&M game we found ways to win the majority of every game we played (we had lost a total of 3 games under Gus before 2014 A&M.) After that game, we found ways NOT to win. You cant just blame the defense. 

Its also interesting you chose to talk about points scored... After the 2014 season, until Lashlee was pushed out, we only scored 40 points aginst non Sun-Belt and worse teams 3 times... 2 vs Arkansas and 1 vs Ole Miss. Gone were the days of 40 every game. That all changed after 2014... And gone were the days of dynamic Gus. That also ended in 2014...against A&M. He lost his mojo in that game and hasnt been near the same since. 

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

17 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I don't recall anyone criticizing the play calling while we were destroying the middle of the schedule that year. 

Loof, we always destroy the have nots. Im surprised you would even say this since you KNOW that as fact.

17 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

Nothing. There is Nothing that will be any different. Stockholm Syndrome is in full affect AGAIN I see! lol. No greater off season tradition in Auburn Sports than a lot of people forgetting the past 6 years and all the things that infuriates them every. single. year. when it comes to some of the decisions made by our Head Coach. Just wondering if it will take 1 game for people to remember why they get so frustrated with him or if it will be the first SEC game.

But but but Gus is calling plays now. But but but Gus obliterated Purdue. But but but all Gus needed to do is call plays. But but but Stidham is gone now.

How quickly people forget. How quickly people forget that....Gus didnt stop calling plays because he was successful...Purdue was VASTLY overmatched...and a freshman starter in the SEC is NEVER a good thing.

[aujeff11 6,243]

4 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Loof, we always destroy the have nots. Im surprised you would even say this since you KNOW that as fact.

But but but Gus is calling plays now. But but but Gus obliterated Purdue. But but but all Gus needed to do is call plays. But but but Stidham is gone now.

How quickly people forget. How quickly people forget that....Gus didnt stop calling plays because he was successful...Purdue was VASTLY overmatched...and a freshman starter in the SEC is NEVER a good thing.

I sent you a PM. 

 

Starting a freshman isn’t that big of a deal as long as the freshman is a good fit for the offense and has an establish d supporting cast. Aaron Murray was a freshman in 2010, JFF when he won the Heisman, Fromm and Tua did well, etc. 

 

We have inexperienced QBs on the top of the depth chart, but we have 5 seniors on the OL, multiple options at RB, and just enough play makers at receiver. We could easily make the offense work if we don’t ask for too much out of the QBs. Don’t ask Gatewood to constantly deliver on third and long. Don’t ask Nix to run inside zone too much. Find the balance and work with it. 

[WFE12 9,191]

Not much. I don't feel good about this season. I'm exhausted from the whole Gus experience. The roster has plenty of talent but the head coach is the same...him calling plays won't matter that much. We could go 12-0 and I'll still feel like something would go wrong. Every AU fan has that feeling whether you want to admit or not. We have and will continue for several years to have the hardest path to the playoff, not even thinking about the possibility this season. I want things to go right for the team to finally win it all but there is too much to overcome. Fans will get blinded by success from a few games and get bamboozled again..That's something that won't change.

[doc4aday 1,887]

On 7/18/2019 at 11:32 AM, aujeff11 said:

Some people here have way too much free time. 

 

😝

I only wish! (lol) Never enough free time when you are playing the best golf game of your life!  I shot a 60 on our par 3 / 18 hole course.  That course is a demon at times. All of the green are elevated with lush bent grass greens that are better than many of the country club courses in the area. . If you have anything beyond a mild slice and hit the ball to the right, you are going blow your score out of the wazzu in a bad way! I have finally learned how to draw the ball of which plays well for a lower score.

 

If I only could make more of those nasty 3 foot puts, it would be wonderful!  NOt bragging, just plain old duffer confidence! (lol) 😎

[doc4aday 1,887]

I feel pretty good about this coming season. I think we are on par with any team except the turds and the mutts. Who knows, Gus might have his best year coaching yet and beat the turds & mutts..  I say might though..  I think we have a lot of good ingredients to win a lot of games.

[doc4aday 1,887]

11 minutes ago, WFE12 said:

Not much. I don't feel good about this season. I'm exhausted from the whole Gus experience. The roster has plenty of talent but the head coach is the same...him calling plays won't matter that much. We could go 12-0 and I'll still feel like something would go wrong. Every AU fan has that feeling whether you want to admit or not. We have and will continue for several years to have the hardest path to the playoff, not even thinking about the possibility this season. I want things to go right for the team to finally win it all but there is too much to overcome. Fans will get blinded by success and get bamboozled again..That's something that won't change.

I agree with you on some of your points. However, if we go 12-0, Gus would redeem himself. Win it all, we will be happiest bunch fans this side of the Japan!  I think that Gus will coach his tail off this season and give it his absolute best. This may be enough to pump up all of the tires of the Gus Bus and get it out of the ditch. Maybe a bit too much of blind optimism, but you never know!  

[Carnell 592]

6 minutes ago, doc4aday said:

I agree with you on some of your points. However, if we go 12-0, Gus would redeem himself. Win it all, we will be happiest bunch fans this side of the Japan!  I think that Gus will coach his tail off this season and give it his absolute best. This may be enough to pump up all of the tires of the Gus Bus and get it out of the ditch. Maybe a bit too much of blind optimism, but you never know!  

When you say giving it his all are you implying that he wasnt giving it his all in the past when we were struggling on the offensive side of the ball.

[ToomersStreet 795]

On 7/17/2019 at 9:38 PM, tigerman1186 said:

The past several days I've watched last years TA&M, LSU and Georgia games on ESPNU and wonder what is going to be different this coming season???? Stidham was running for his life a lot of times....we couldn't run the ball effectively....how we won the A&M game is still hard to understand; except for a couple of big plays (Ryan Davis catch and run), we didn't do much at all during the game except a lot of 3 and outs....LSU was one of the few games against a good team we played somewhat well offensively at times (never should have lost the past 2 years to them, but we did????)...Georgia we scored on a gadget play....

I think too many are looking at the bowl game when Gus was calling the plays and are expecting that to happen this season (please tell me it will), but Purdue (I know they beat Ohio St.) couldn't beat many teams in the SEC....

I'm just afraid there isn't going to be that much of a change from this past year...we lost our best offensive player #8 and our best defensive player #57, I just don't see it....TELL ME I'M WRONG....

War Eagle.... 

Troy could have beat purdue by two touch downs.  Purdue in no way should be an indicator of this season, although  everyone is looking at  that game as if it is. To include Gus

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

8 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

First let me make it clear that im not taking anything away from Nix. Nix is quite possibly the best pure passing QB we have ever signed. But that doesnt miraculously make him a true running threat. Thats my point. Nix may be the best QB to ever play in Auburn, but that doesnt mean me will be considered the best DTQB we have ever had. Of course playing like Johnny Football and Mayfield would be amazing and anyone would be an idiot to criticize his play assuming he plays like Johnny Football and Mayfield.  My point is that people are assuming left and right that Nix presents as much a running threat as Gatewood. And that simply is not true. 

 

And Gus absolutely did lose his mojo after the A&M game in 2014. Saying othrtwise suggests you havent paid attention. Perhaps you forgot what it was like going 8-5 with Nick Marshall at QB. Or maybe you forgot about going 7-6 and playing our bowl game in Birmingham? I mean if you are blaming it on the defense, our defense was just as terrible in 2013. Yet we made it to the national championship game. The fact is prior to the 2014 A&M game we found ways to win the majority of every game we played (we had lost a total of 3 games under Gus before 2014 A&M.) After that game, we found ways NOT to win. You cant just blame the defense. 

Its also interesting you chose to talk about points scored... After the 2014 season, until Lashlee was pushed out, we only scored 40 points aginst non Sun-Belt and worse teams 3 times... 2 vs Arkansas and 1 vs Ole Miss. Gone were the days of 40 every game. That all changed after 2014... And gone were the days of dynamic Gus. That also ended in 2014...against A&M. He lost his mojo in that game and hasnt been near the same since. 

The 2014 aTm game was all I needed to see to know Gus was a flash im the pan. 

[ToomersStreet 795]

14 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

The 2014 aTm game was all I needed to see to know Gus was a flash im the pan. 

It's funny because it's true!

[GwillMac6 20,683]

I see all this talk of Gus is going to get back to "what he does best" which is having a real Dual Threat QB. By the way if Gus "needs" a true Dual Threat QB to be successful and that is the only kind of QB Gus can be highly successful with then he will never ever take us to the heights that the biggest Gus fans insist he will. The best play callers and Head Coaches make it work with whatever QB they have at their disposal. They do not need a certain type of QB to get the results they desire. All they need is talent. Is Jalen Hurts a prototypical Lincoln Riley QB? Hell no. But I bet you the offense will still be humming at a extremely high rate like it has been ever since Riles became OC at Oklahoma. He will not force Hurts to be something he is not. People always forget the only 2 QBs Gus in his coaching career from High School to now that Gus has had great success with that were Dual Threats were Cam and Nick. People act like this is the Gus "system". When in reality what he did his last year at Springdale High School with Mitch Mustain and the offense at Tulsa is who he really wants to be. He wants to chunk the ball all over the yard and be one of the top passing teams in the country but so far at this level he has not been able to run a successful pass first offense in the SEC outside a few games down the stretch in 2017. Any other time he has tried to be a pass first offense in the SEC it has been a disaster.

[ToomersStreet 795]

I am going to go ahead and just say that we need to take a serious look at Dino Babers at Syracuse to replace Gus after this season!

[toddc 13,194]

Reading this thread is like reading the War and Peace of forums! 😝 

[AUsince72 11,084]

4 things will be different from last season....

1. One fewer win.

2. One additional loss.

3. Everything will say 2019 instead of 2018.

4. Gus will actually be fired.

[GwillMac6 20,683]

8 minutes ago, ToomersStreet said:

I am going to go ahead and just say that we need to take a serious look at Dino Babers at Syracuse to replace Gus after this season!

Need to see more than 1 winning season at Syracuse. Besides last year when he went 10-3 he had back to back 4-8 seasons at Cuse. He is also a lot older than people think. He is 58.

[ToomersStreet 795]

2 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Need to see more than 1 winning season at Syracuse. Besides last year when he went 10-3 he had back to back 4-8 seasons at Cuse. He is also a lot older than people think. He is 58.

OK........GWILL!   First off, I saw plenty of AU fans jumping on the Mr. 5-19 bandwagon!  8-16 is much better!   Also Dino  developed those older players over two season.   He has done well everywhere he has coached.  And the reality is,  It is still slim pickens for an HC.  four or five years ago I would never bring someone with Dino's  record  up.  But right now, today, with everyone else grabbed up, He is probably the brightest rising star in college.

[GwillMac6 20,683]

10 minutes ago, ToomersStreet said:

OK........GWILL!   First off, I saw plenty of AU fans jumping on the Mr. 5-19 bandwagon!  8-16 is much better!   Also Dino  developed those older players over two season.   He has done well everywhere he has coached.  And the reality is,  It is still slim pickens for an HC.  four or five years ago I would never bring someone with Dino's  record  up.  But right now, today, with everyone else grabbed up, He is probably the brightest rising star in college.

Sadly Auburn fans eventually will accept any s#$% shoveled our way. 5-19 proved no matter how low you go Auburn fans will find a way to be positive no matter what!!! We really do have the best fans in the world but that is one of the downfall of it is being positive when we should not be. Tooms, AIM HIGHER!!!!!! Lets swing for the fences. Lets call our shot. I would be ok with Babers if he was further down the list as a backup hire.

[ToomersStreet 795]

4 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Sadly Auburn fans eventually will accept any s#$% shoveled our way. 5-19 proved no matter how low you go Auburn fans will find a way to be positive no matter what!!! We really do have the best fans in the world but that is one of the downfall of it. Tooms, AIM HIGHER!!!!!! Lets swing for the fences. Lets call our shot. I would be ok with Babers if he was further down the list as a backup hire.

With all do respect who would be a primary?   Peterson?  Patterson?  Mullen? Cutcliff?  I'm sorry but those guys are not leaving and I do not know of anyone with their credentials out there available.   WHo do you think.   And Bob Stoopsisn't coming out of retirement?