Coach Friend Corrects Blocking Scheme (Finally!)

[AUx 3,016]

 

Auburn, AL - Most of the 2022 football season Auburn fans have complained about the blocking effectiveness of the offensive line. A line comprised of several 6-year seniors lost some continuity when center Nick Brahms decided to defer further play in light of chronic injuries. Injuries and rotating positions has seemingly not provided a unit effective at run or pass blocking through six games. In an interview after practice Tuesday before the matchup against Ole Miss, offensive line coach Will Friend was asked if he had any answers. "As a matter of fact, I think I made a critical breakthrough today," said Friend. "I keep getting calls about my auto warranty. All the F**n time. I think I've already renewed it 10 times, so I don't understand why they keep calling. I thought maybe my card was declined," Friend said. "So I asked Austin (Troxell) and, get this, he tells me it's a G** D*** scam robocall! Well I figured I'd just have to keep getting those calls every five minutes the rest of my life. But Keiondre (Jones) comes over and tells me I can block it. I said, 'but that just means I'll keep getting the calls - blocking means what you don't want just runs right through. ' But then this GA waterboy says, 'blocking means you stop it from getting through.' Tap tap and the calls were blocked. They just don't get through now. This is a great strategy. Well I wish somebody had told me that a long time ago. Maybe I'll write a book on how to block robocalls to save other folks a lot of trouble."

When asked if there was any other aspect of this epiphany he found meaningful, such as for gameplay, Friend said, "No, not really." Auburn plays Ole Miss Saturday in Oxford, MS at 11:00.

Image: Auburn offensive line coach confers with players on a blocking strategy for phone calls.

Edited October 15, 2022 by AUx

[Systems 177]

In my experience, people get nervous and begin to change whatever they're doing when they believe they're about to get fired. 

[AU-24 3,118]

1 hour ago, AUx said:

 

Auburn, AL - Most of the 2022 football season Auburn fans have complained about the blocking effectiveness of the offensive line. A line comprised of several 6-year seniors lost some continuity when center Nick Brahms decided to defer further play in light of chronic injuries. Injuries and rotating positions has seemingly not provided a unit effective at run or pass blocking through six games. In an interview after practice Tuesday before the matchup against Ole Miss, offensive line coach Will Friend was asked if he had any answers. "As a matter of fact, I think I made a critical breakthrough today," said Friend. "I keep getting calls about my auto warranty. All the F**n time. I think I've already renewed it 10 times, so I don't understand why they keep calling. I thought maybe my card was declined," Friend said. "So I asked Austin (Troxell) and, get this, he tells me it's a G** D*** scam robocall! Well I figured I'd just have to keep getting those calls every five minutes the rest of my life. But Keiondre (Jones) comes over and tells me I can block it. I said, 'but that just means I'll keep getting the calls - blocking means what you don't want just runs right through. ' But then this GA waterboy says, 'blocking means you stop it from getting through.' Tap tap and the calls were blocked. They just don't get through now. This is a great strategy. Well I wish somebody had told me that a long time ago. Maybe I'll write a book on how to block robocalls to save other folks a lot of trouble."

When asked if there was any other aspect of this epiphany he found meaningful, such as for gameplay, Friend said, "No, not really." Auburn plays Ole Miss Saturday in Oxford, MS at 11:00.

Image: Auburn offensive line coach screws around with his iPhone at practice Tuesday.

Coaches on their iPhones was going on in spring practice as well.

[bigbird 60,580]

Friend is and has been handcuffed by CBH.

[NoALtiger 3,873]

It’s only October, it’ll be fine. 

[DAG 34,034]

And got a major recruit . He is learning 

[JMassie11 1,610]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

And got a major recruit . He is learning 

Well he didn’t get him but yes lol

[AUINSY 2,228]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Friend is and has been handcuffed by CBH.

Tennessee fans seem to disagree. I remember them being elated once Friend was no longer on their staff. 

[bigbird 60,580]

1 hour ago, AUINSY said:

Tennessee fans seem to disagree. I remember them being elated once Friend was no longer on their staff. 

Well, from his mouth Will thinks different 

[AUatHeart 624]

7 hours ago, bigbird said:

Friend is and has been handcuffed by CBH.

Yeah, I’m not buying that load of crap

[bigbird 60,580]

10 minutes ago, AUatHeart said:

Yeah, I’m not buying that load of crap

Not trying to sell you anything.

 

Things will come out when he's gone. 

[TigerHorn 1,354]

7 hours ago, bigbird said:

Friend is and has been handcuffed by CBH.

OK, I've heard of handcuffing OC's and sometimes DC's, but an OL coach? Tell me more, via PM if necessary.

[W.E.D 11,070]

35 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Not trying to sell you anything.

 

Things will come out when he's gone. 

Might as well let it out vs saying I know something you don't know 

[bigbird 60,580]

 

12 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

OK, I've heard of handcuffing OC's and sometimes DC's, but an OL coach? Tell me more, via PM if necessary.

 

2 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Might as well let it out vs saying I know something you don't know 

Until he's gone I'm not saying anything.  Feel free to consider me full of it.

[ThurstontheWelshCorgi 576]

I have some sympathy for Will Friend after reading that article from the high school coaches that said coach friend was on top of his game w recruiting and really the only one they had met w regards to auburn staff and recruting that they spoke positively of.

[I_M4_AU 8,056]

55 minutes ago, AUatHeart said:

Yeah, I’m not buying that load of crap

If you remember the influence Gus had over J.B. Grimes especially in recruiting you can understated that a coach can be handcuffed.  That muck control over recutting is one reason we are in the shape we are in.  One would thing an Oline coach would, over two years, improve the line play.  I’m not sure what has happened, but I would be interested to see what is said after the coaching change.

[augolf1716 21,434]

47 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Feel free to consider me full of it.

That's easy

[bigbird 60,580]

42 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

If you remember the influence Gus had over J.B. Grimes especially in recruiting you can understated that a coach can be handcuffed.  That muck control over recutting is one reason we are in the shape we are in.  One would thing an Oline coach would, over two years, improve the line play.  I’m not sure what has happened, but I would be interested to see what is said after the coaching change.

Look at the OL that UTk is playing behind.  All recruited and coached by WF. Now look at ours...

[JMassie11 1,610]

53 minutes ago, bigbird said:

 

 

Until he's gone I'm not saying anything.  Feel free to consider me full of it.

Square peg round hole?

[W.E.D 11,070]

11 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Look at the OL that UTk is playing behind.  All recruited and coached by WF. Now look at ours...

Their OL under Friend was atrocious 

They were all highly recruited and a few 5* in there too. Some might have been recruited by him, but they sure aren't coached by him

 

Tennessee’s offensive line massively underperformed this season. The unit had plenty of five-star talent (Cade Mays, Darnell Wright, Trey Smith, and Wanya Morris), but failed to impress on a weekly basis.

https://atozsports.com/nashville/tennessee-volunteers/options-news-replace-will-friend-tennessee-vols-offensive-line-coach/

Edited October 15, 2022 by W.E.D

[DAG 34,034]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

Not trying to sell you anything.

 

Things will come out when he's gone. 

Why after? Shouldn't it come out now to build a bigger case to get him fired quicker? Once he is gone, it would be pretty pointless to keep bagging on could've, would've, should've, didn't 

Edited October 15, 2022 by DAG

[I_M4_AU 8,056]

9 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Look at the OL that UTk is playing behind.  All recruited and coached by WF. Now look at ours...

Yeah, but that is totally unreleased,  

[aubiefifty 17,100]

maybe bird does not want yall hating on the wrong coach but he cannot say more because he was told in confidence not to out anyone until the mess is over. bird is a coach and was a player so i assume he knows what he is talking about and i have never known him to intentionally mislead anyone on this board. i do know he respects people when asked to keep something to himself with board crap and i am just not sure it is fair to bang on him for keeping this vague because he wants to keep his word to someone.

[DAG 34,034]

Just now, aubiefifty said:

maybe bird does not want yall hating on the wrong coach but he cannot say more because he was told in confidence not to out anyone until the mess is over. bird is a coach and was a player so i assume he knows what he is talking about and i have never known him to intentionally mislead anyone on this board. i do know he respects people when asked to keep something to himself with board crap and i am just not sure it is fair to bang on him for keeping this vague because he wants to keep his word to someone.

How about not out anyone at all? If you can’t say anything till the mess is over, why drub it up again once we move on?

That’s just messy 

[aubiefifty 17,100]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

How about not out anyone at all? If you can’t say anything till the mess is over, why drub it up again once we move on?

That’s just messy 

let him do him. there is no need to get upset with him. he trying to give a small tidbit as something different to think about because we have all been unhappy and he probably did not want people not guilty of anything getting blamed for something. and i like that. we have blamed and or accused damn near everyone at auburn for this mess but the janitor. if someone said something about you making you look bad dag and i knew better i would stand up and say something for you as well. you probably do not believe that but it is true. i get it is a bad time for all and i will probably get attacked here by some but bird is is as good a friend to me as he can be without betraying his duties to the board. and trust me i would love to know myself. our o line guy has been smeared as bad as anyone coaching in the country right now so if he is being made to do something different than what he needs to and i hope to learn the truth.