Chizik Speaks

[RunInRed 16,991]

From around the web...

"It's been a productive offseason, but we have a long way to go and our kids understand our future here is very bright. Everybody is very upbeat and positive and understanding that there's an urgency here to be a better football team we were the previous year."

...

"I feel great about this team, I love the kids. I think they all have a great ambition to succeed, I think they all have a great ambition to lead, and there are some guys we have on our team that take football very seriously."

Read more from AuburnSports here (free): http://auburn.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1358673

“We have really closed the gap on our identity and what it is they we really want to do,” Chizik said. “We’re going to come up with our own package and our own identity and we’re going to try to get good at a few things. We moved forward trying to find out what we can and can’t do this spring.”

...

Everybody wondered (perhaps at different times) why Kiehl Frazier was playing last season. Chizik addressed that Tuesday. “It was invaluable that he got a chance to play a good bit last year – no matter what role we used him in,” he said. “A guy who can get in those games early on in his career, being out on the field, being in this environment, playing in this league and not having to do it for the first time the next year is huge.”

Read more from Jay G. Tate (HABOTN) here: http://madvertiserblogs.com/HABOTN/2012/04/24/spring-chatter-chizik-says-practice-was-invaluable/

Auburn’s season-opener against Clemson in Atlanta is still three months and change away. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers — the Auburn variety, that is — haven’t been paying attention to Clemson. "It’s really kind of a match made in heaven when it comes to playing a really good football team outside of your conference,” Chizik said. “What it does, is getting into the SEC schedule, it really is going to give us a good idea of where we are as a football team. This is arguably a top 10 team. They’ve got a dynamic offense coming back, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

...

Asked about Missouri and Texas A&M joining the SEC, Chizik offered a little welcoming praise for the league’s newest members. “Two great institutions,” Chizik said. “In my time in the Big 12, Missouri was at probably some of its finest hours with what they were able to accomplish. A&M, same thing in terms of tradition. All the things you would look for in terms of joining this league, Texas A&M certainly has that.”

Read more from Joel Erickson (War Eagle Extra) here: http://www.wareagleextra.com/2012/04/24/chizik-looking-ahead-auburns-season-opener-against-clemson-will-be-a-good-test/#storylink=cpy

Chizik confirmed Kiehl Frazier had a good spring: “I don’t think there’s any question about it, he certainly improved in a lot of aspects this spring. He had a lot of opportunities, he’s maturing as a quarterback, but he’s learning a lot. He’s still a young, 19-year-old kid who has a lot in front of him, but we’re asking a lot of him. Again, I thought he handled it very well. I think his best days are certainly ahead of him.”

Chizik was not asked and did not discuss Clint Moseley.

Read more from Ryan Wood (AUBlog) here: http://www2.oanow.com/blogs/aublog/2012/apr/24/chizik-i-feel-great-about-team-ar-3665310/

[McWeagle 4]

From around the web...

"It's been a productive offseason, but we have a long way to go and our kids understand our future here is very bright. Everybody is very upbeat and positive and understanding that there's an urgency here to be a better football team we were the previous year."

...

"I feel great about this team, I love the kids. I think they all have a great ambition to succeed, I think they all have a great ambition to lead, and there are some guys we have on our team that take football very seriously."

Read more from AuburnSports here (free): http://auburn.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1358673

“We have really closed the gap on our identity and what it is they we really want to do,” Chizik said. “We’re going to come up with our own package and our own identity and we’re going to try to get good at a few things. We moved forward trying to find out what we can and can’t do this spring.”

...

Everybody wondered (perhaps at different times) why Kiehl Frazier was playing last season. Chizik addressed that Tuesday. “It was invaluable that he got a chance to play a good bit last year – no matter what role we used him in,” he said. “A guy who can get in those games early on in his career, being out on the field, being in this environment, playing in this league and not having to do it for the first time the next year is huge.”

Read more from Jay G. Tate (HABOTN) here: http://madvertiserblogs.com/HABOTN/2012/04/24/spring-chatter-chizik-says-practice-was-invaluable/

Auburn’s season-opener against Clemson in Atlanta is still three months and change away. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers — the Auburn variety, that is — haven’t been paying attention to Clemson. "It’s really kind of a match made in heaven when it comes to playing a really good football team outside of your conference,” Chizik said. “What it does, is getting into the SEC schedule, it really is going to give us a good idea of where we are as a football team. This is arguably a top 10 team. They’ve got a dynamic offense coming back, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

...

Asked about Missouri and Texas A&M joining the SEC, Chizik offered a little welcoming praise for the league’s newest members. “Two great institutions,” Chizik said. “In my time in the Big 12, Missouri was at probably some of its finest hours with what they were able to accomplish. A&M, same thing in terms of tradition. All the things you would look for in terms of joining this league, Texas A&M certainly has that.”

Read more from Joel Erickson (War Eagle Extra) here: http://www.wareagleextra.com/2012/04/24/chizik-looking-ahead-auburns-season-opener-against-clemson-will-be-a-good-test/#storylink=cpy

Chizik confirmed Kiehl Frazier had a good spring: “I don’t think there’s any question about it, he certainly improved in a lot of aspects this spring. He had a lot of opportunities, he’s maturing as a quarterback, but he’s learning a lot. He’s still a young, 19-year-old kid who has a lot in front of him, but we’re asking a lot of him. Again, I thought he handled it very well. I think his best days are certainly ahead of him.”

Chizik was not asked and did not discuss Clint Moseley.

Read more from Ryan Wood (AUBlog) here: http://www2.oanow.com/blogs/aublog/2012/apr/24/chizik-i-feel-great-about-team-ar-3665310/

Anybody else noticed that Coach has been a little less stoic this spring than in years past? The hint of optimism he's shown in a few interviews recently has been a veritable outpouring of emotion compared to the CGC I've gotten used to. Granted, the scarcity of real football talk makes this time of year prime for hyperbole based on itty bitty sound bites, but I really get the impression that an addition through subtraction (and through, uh, addition) beyond just Dyer has occurred since the fall.

And RiR, thanks as always for all the great content and formatting.