Why are Auburn fans so protective of Gus Malzahn? It's easy to point the finger at Ted Roof, but why not Malzahn, as well?

Auburn's "high flying" Gus-bus has scored over 17 points once in the last 6 games...against terrible Ole Miss. Auburn has played some good defenses, but the Gus-bus is supposed to be able to overcome good defense, and still put up points, correct?

And yes...I realize the offensive line is "young", Chad Slade is playing two different positions on the line at the same time...yada, yada, yada. But, if you think back to the senior laden offensive line from last year, how many of Cam's approximately 1500 rushing yards came on plays when the blocking broke down and Cam made a play happen with his feet? I'd say probably 1000 or better of them.

Anyone care to compare Gus' offensive stats against SEC competition both with and without Cam Newton at quarterback? Hint...it ain't good if you're an Auburn fan. Does Gus' offense = Superman qb or bust in the SEC?

There are rumors that he's in line for the UNC head coaching job. Quite frankly, I'd like to see him stay at Auburn, because I believe that SEC defenses have figured him out, just like they do every other offensive style thrown at them. Of course, if he leaves Auburn, that might open up another can of worms with regards to whom AU promotes/hires as OC.

Just some food for thought and discussion over the slow, patsy week .

My God you are more consumed with AU than any AU fan on the planet. I guess AU fans are giving him a pass because he has a body of work that shows success. Roof has nothing but putting the 3 worst AU defenses ( statistically ) in history on the field. I know thats not the answer your AU obsessed pea brain was looking for but its factual.

Given experienced veteran players we know Malzahn can do a great job. Next year I suspect you'll see a much improved offense.

Roof has sucked everywhere he's been. His defenses almost lost a few games last year. Without Fairley they do loose a couple last year.

Body of work. I will say I've been shocked at the play calling from Malzahn this year. His stock for head coach has definitely dropped.

Nobody wants to admit that prior to Cam his offense sucked and that they are paying $1M+ for an offense that can't score in the second half.

I have never been impressed with GM. Would not lose one minutes sleep if he departs. Auburn will succeed without him.

Dustin, usually your pretty rational but you are way off base here. His first year at AU he put up big numbers with Todd at qb. He put up huge numbers before that at? Tulsa ? He took Arkansas to the sec championship game when he was there. There is a reason he has been so successful and cam isn't his only accomplishment.

Look at SEC game stats only from his first year at Auburn, bill...then tell me what you see. Anyone can run it up on the weak sisters. Very average looking at SEC games only, even in '09.

As for his previous stints, having Macfadden and Jones would make anyone look like an offensive genius. Even then when he ran into a decent team his offense pretty much tanked. Tulsa is still Tulsa.

2009 they put up huge numbers against a MAC, Sun Belt, a crappy MSU team and a directional school. You look at his 2nd half numbers in SEC play. They probably didn't score 28 points. I'm pretty sure in the games against teams with a decent defense they probably didn't score 21 points in the second half. I know they didn't score in the second half against mighty Kentucky.

He hasn't developed Moseley or Frazier. Alabama's Moseley is probably a better QB than Clint. It looks like all Frazier can do is run a stutter step delay QB draw for 3 yards. I hope he has a QB squirreled away in an electrical closet for next year because I don't see those two making an impact. They've been outscored 100+ to 28 or so in SEC losses. 7 points in the final 3 quarters of those losses.

If paying 1.2 million dollars for an OC you would expect that team to be better than 100 or at least 75 other schools at the forward pass. Gus better be beating the bushes and looking for that next once in a generation QB.

Bust, if you do not have a qb that can actually move his feet faster than a turtle then it is destin to fail. There is a reason that his offense was a boom in high school. In high school your typical qb does not have a cannon for a passing arm and the o-line is not elite caliber so the QB has to be a playmaker by using his feet. On the other hand, college QB's are taught to stay in the pocket, stay in the pocket, stay in the pocket, so they forget how to react and make plays. Then you throw in the I am to valuable to the team and might get hit and hurt my little pantywaste self so I will just throw it away, or throw a interception, or intentionally ground the ball so I won't get hurt mentality.

Auburn had a head coach one time that had a stellar high school record, his name was Barfield and he could not win games with the likes of Joe Cribbs (NFL Rookie of the year), James Brooks (4 time NFL pro-bowler) and William Andrews (NFL's most productive running back from 1979‐1983 by gaining 8,382 yards rushing and
receiving) in the backfield.

Since this seems to be a busted rebuilding year they should be starting Frazier every game instead of wasting his talent like they did Cody Burns when the only time he comes in the game is to line up in shotgun and he runs the ball 90% of the time, now that's smart coaching when a 10 yearold girl knows what is going to happen in that formation. Frazier has shades of Cam Newtons moves running the ball, he just needs some size, which will come from the all you can eat grub buffet in the athletic cafeteria.

I have been critical of Gus's playcalling and the offenses execution this year. I still believe that Gus is the best offensive coordinator in the country, bar none.

Call him what you want, but a guy who has gone from coaching a small HS team in the Arkansas Delta to wearing a NC ring is a bad sumbitch.

I will have to say his offense didn't do to bad in the Iron Bowl last year. Dammit.

Fans are fickle. They always assume the backup is better when the starting guy isn't playing well, always want to replace coaches when things are not going well. Last year Auburn fans were calling the staff the best in the country, this year we have heard calls for both the defensive coordinator and the offensive coordinator to be replaced. In fact both coaches are good or they wouldn't be at Auburn...probably not best in the country, but far from bad.

The ultimate blame in bad years and praise in good years falls on the head coach.

BP, your talking out of your ass again just because you feel the need to be heard on every topic. Show me where any AU fan has called for malzhan to be replaced. Also you say roof isn't bad? What do his stats say? Not just this year but 3 years running he has the 3 worst defenses in AU history. Your need to be heard on Every subject must be stronger than your need to be accurate.

Nuff said.

Did you not read this thread?

Stats? that is easy, One National Championship.

...thanks for reading bill. I'll be here all week

At Arkansas, they didn't run his offense, they ran the ball, just like Nutt had always done. He only got the job because Arkansas wanted 4 or 5 of his high school players. All of them signed with Arkansas after he was hired. Two of them left when he was fired at the end of the year. Why did he leave, because he didn't like Nutt's offense. It was Nutt's offense not his.
He went to Tulsa and the put up huge numbers. So, they are Tulsa and the play in the we suck league.
Then to Auburn, where he has shown that if he has the players, he can do good things. Or is it that the players can play? Can he coach up the crappy ones?

What is the saying? Is is Xs and Os or Jimmy and Joes?

Oh yea, and he is a legend in Arkansas high school football.

Did you mean to say County......... ;-)

That is the million dollar question. Right now it's not looking like it. Time will tell.

Whatever the case, he's not alone with problems. Roof is a far more serious problem in my opinion.

FFP...maybe the defense just gets worn slam out from being on the field the entire game. Let's face it, whether Gus' offense is clicking at it's best or falling on its face, the defense is on the field for practically the entire game. Quick strike, feast or famine offenses affect their own defense negatively either way, IMO.

That's true.

Dammit X2! I hope Bama fares much better this year.

Hunterbuck prettymuch summed it up. Unless you have a Superman like Newton or Tebow at qb that can convert that third and 3-4 with his legs or his arm and keep the chains moving, the type of offense that Malzahn or Meyer or anybody else that doesn't play power football usually doesn't work well in the SEC for more than a season or so.

I kinda like Gus and he comes up with some really innovative stuff. I think he could probably dominate in another conference. The facts are though; since he's been at auburn his teams average somewhere around 14-17 points a game in the sec without Cam. If they had gotten Russell Wilson it may have been a different story this season. It's hard to depend on an offense that requires a once in a lifetime quarterback to really be effective in this league though.

Paging 270wsm please report to the football forum.

That was the premise of my "why the spread will not last in the SEC" thread from 3 years or so ago...when Franklin was hired.

And they tell us we live too much in the past Skully. I'd have to say his current offense is getting their arse handed to them right now.

Wishbone, fun-n-gun, spread...all had fleeting glory in the SEC. Teams always come back to the tried and true pro-set eventually, though.

All you experts on all things AU missed your calling. They pay big money to people with that kind of analytical skills.

Those who have to prepare defenses to stop his offenses may have the best perpective and, if I remember correctly, most like defensive legend Monte Kiffen have been impressed with his offenses and his play calling. Of course, his offense is probably more dependent on good quarterback play than what most college offenses are, and he just aint getting that this year.

I think it is the O-line that is the biggest weakness. They can't open holes from the rushing game and can't keep from allowing sacks. All around they are dismal.

Look how well the receivers have developed, too. We got one.

GM would look better if he could teach his QBs to step up into the pocket...

With the lack of size/experience of the Offensive line, a 'new' QB......and..... with what I feel is a modified scheme to try and help keep the Defense off the field for 80% of the game; I am not surprised at all with the Offensive output.

Disappointed, yes.

Surprised, no.

Malzahn to UNC...the question, does he announce before the Iron Bowl?

Might as well announce it and start his recruiting.

Him being there for Bama's curb-stomping win won't make much of a difference.

His playcalling this year has been suspect at best. I wish him well if he leaves but I for one am ready for a pro style offense and not that gimmicky shite that he runs. While it was very successful last year with Cam, it has been god awful against SEC defenses. He needs to be in the Big 12 where they have no defense at all. I don't agree that his offense has been figured out rather it takes a complete offense to run it. OL, receivers, TE, and a very mobile QB. It's very hard to have that kind of offense every year. And this year, the offense is lacking at every position except RB and TE and Blake when he's healthy.

I'm not concerned if he leaves. It is only a matter of time. However, i do have a problem with coaches leaving early. They are hired to coach 12-13 games. The least they can do is honor their commitment. They have until February to recruit.

I agree. No announcement should be made until after the last game, whether it's the iron bowl or bowl game. He better accept any job offer he gets before the Bama game cause his stock will definetly drop after that one!! I doubt they cross mid-field all game!!

But all kidding aside, Auburn has simply been beaten by better teams. It was a brutal schedule and it is showing. He didn't have much to work with but he could have at least made a showing in some of the losses. I think he is getting handcuffed by a shitty defense and a HC who being defensive minded wants to slow the game down.

If he'll take Roof with him, I'll help them pack.

Seriously, Auburn doesn't just fire a coach because Finebaum wants them to.

Huh?

I'm guessing that Troopa will be promoted to OC........

Finebaum has been given the credit for the firing of Mike Shula........

Finebaum is a self serving pox on society. He'd take credit for Victory over the Japs if he could.

He's a bald walking penis.

Correct, but he sure dogged Shula and helped rile the Bama Nation....................

Don't lump ALL bald walking penises with that piece of crap!!!

What commitment? You mean their contract? Generally contracts are multi-year, not game by game. I don't fault anyone from attempting to further their career. Every man has to make their own decisions based on their own circumstances. If that means breaking a contract, so be it.

I wonder how Tony Franklin feels about that.

And so the Hate train starts rolling....

http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_st...news_lead_story

Gus Malzahn: innovative mastermind or overpaid?
by Coleman McDowell / ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
The Auburn Plainsman


Gus Malzahn is overrated. Someone had to say it. So far this season through 10 games, Auburn is ranked 84th in total offense. With the talent Malzahn has to work with, the production has been unacceptable.

Granted, Auburn is a youthful team. But with talent like running backs Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb, wide receiver Emory Blake and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, there is no way Auburn should be behind Bowling Green, Middle Tennessee State and Ball State in total offense.

Malzahn is not living up to his $1.3 million yearly salary. Is he a capable offensive coordinator? Yes. Is he the “genius” he has been labeled after only a few seasons at the collegiate level? No.

Malzahn came to Arkansas in 2006 after he had taken two different Arkansas high schools to new heights with his spread attack offense.

He had one of the most gifted athletes I have ever seen in Darren McFadden at running back, along with future NFL pros in Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis. He had success. But not with his offense. With David Lee’s offense.

David Lee was Arkansas’ quarterback coach in 2006, and the Wildcat offense that led Arkansas to the SEC West crown and SEC Championship game has been widely credited to him, not Malzahn.

Malzahn rode the publicity of the hot, new offensive attack to the offensive coordinator job at Tulsa. Yep, Tulsa. After the marriage between Malzahn and head coach Houston Nutt ended so bitterly, Malzahn left for Conference-USA powerhouse Tulsa.

There, Malzahn’s high school offense shined.

He finished in the top three in offense both years with the Hurricanes. He parlayed that into one of the most high-profile jobs in the SEC, offensive coordinator at Auburn.

His first year here, he took Chris Todd and made him into a capable quarterback, just not in his offense. The 2009 Tigers were so hindered by Todd’s lack of arm strength, that they relied on running back Ben Tate to be the focal point of the offense, which opened things up for Todd.

Auburn jumped from 110th to 17th in total scoring, and the offense was a drastic improvement over the failed Tony Franklin experiment of 2008.

In 2010, Auburn was dominating on offense because of Cameron Newton. Malzahn tailored his entire offense to this once-in-a-lifetime talent and rode Newton the entire season.

Auburn’s offense set many records in 2010, but it wasn’t running Gus Malzahn’s offense. It was letting the best player in the nation run the ball off tackle over and over again to beat the defense into submission.

So far in 2011, this has been Gus Malzahn’s offense only for the second time in the SEC without an all-world talent at his disposal. And it’s been pathetic.

What seemed like genius earlier has now turned dunce.

1st and 10, Dyer off tackle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, McCalebb sweep for 4 yards. 3rd and 2, incomplete bubble screen and a punt.

Malzahn’s response to his third-down playcalling? “I try to be unpredictable.”

Well, you succeeded, Gus. But you didn’t get the first down.

Jay Wisner should never be blocking on the quick screen to the slot receiver. He can’t block. And that’s nothing Wisner can necessarily help; he’s just 160 pounds.

On top of that, the quick screen to the slot receiver has lost more yards than it’s gained this year.

But Malzahn doesn’t care, because throwing it 15 times a half will set the defense up for something in the second half- when the Tigers are down by 21.

Malzahn’s offense is simply this: speed sweep to McCalebb, off tackle to Dyer, the bubble screen or a trick play.

This isn’t sandlot football—this is the SEC. The reverse statue of liberty worked once. The double reverse worked once. Defensive coordinators watch film. They know your playbook; they know your tendencies. And it’s showed.

Against Georgia, Auburn moved the ball on one drive. And that was a result of a trick play. Auburn scored on one drive. And that was on a reverse pass.

I hate to say it, but Alabama’s defense is more talented at every position than Georgia’s. It might get 2008 ugly.

Malzahn is meticulous with his planning, preparation and focus on the little things. But it seems like he forgets the big picture sometimes.

This 2011 Auburn offensive unit has potential to be as successful as the 2009 team, but it won’t because Gus is set on running his high school offense.

Sure, we don’t have a quarterback, but neither do LSU or Alabama. What do they do? They tailor their offense to their playmakers. Alabama has a mediocre, young quarterback, but two electric running backs. So they run the ball constantly and lead the league in rushing this year.

Why can’t we do the same with Dyer and McCalebb?

But we are slowly finding that Gus isn’t quite the genius he appears when he doesn’t have a Heisman trophy finalist in the backfield.


Read more: The Auburn Plainsman - Gus Malzahn innovative mastermind or overpaid

No hate....just failed expectations. This thread was about Auburn faithful supposedly protecting GM. I do not see protection in that article. He called it like it is.

One thing I have yet to understand about Gus this year is the Frazier deal when he comes in for a play, runs the ball and trots off the field only to come back a few mores times that game.

I fail to see the necessity of this and wonder how it's setting the kid up for later.

I noticed that too. Frazier is a better runner but if he only comes in on designed running plays....well, even Ted Roof could figure out what play was coming.

Melt down on the plains. Love it!!

Why hell, of course is it setting up a play action pass against the Sabanites.

In other words, a cigar smoking chimp named Gus could have called an offense based on Cam.

Some good points on here..even from some of you bammers. This is probably going to get long, but maybe some of you guys will see it as a fair and accurate assessment. Been wanting to post about this for awhile, but school's kept me busy and today is my first day off--here goes:

There are a few things that has crippled the offense this year and the first glaring reason is the offense having to support the defense. This offense is successful when it paces the defense at key points in the game and can spread the ball around. They want to hit you from every angle and constantly keep the defense guessing what's next. When things get predictable then they speed up the pace. It's all geared toward keeping the other team on their heels.

So why has this season been different? If you speed up the game when the offense isn't clicking, you are just sticking your defense back on the field. At times this year we've seen the offense try to speed things up, you've also saw lopsided time of possession and huge numbers against our defense.

At this point, many people will say "well if the offense was successful they could pace the other team and stay on the field". That's a great point and there are some glaring deficiencies within the offense aside from not being able to pick up the speed. The Oline play has been horrible. Call it youth, call it inexperience, call it lack of strength/talent. Doesn't matter-it's been bad. My take? I think it's all of the above, but I also think it's the personnel and their toughness/grit. Listen to these guys in interviews. I don't hear guys that want to beat their opponnent into the field. I think in addition to all the obvious reasons for the lack of success, they just don't have that drive/toughness/grit--wanna kick your face in factor *yet*.

WRs may have been the only unit more disapointing then the Oline, but it's close. The offense has to have blocking on the edges to be successful and the WRs are responsible for a lot of seal blocks. Injuries have certainly hindered us. Two best WRs have been hurt a decent portion of the year and our best freshman receiver got redshirted due to an injury. Blocking has been bad-there's a reason a white dude that walked on for this season is getting 80% of the snaps-he's the only one that trys to block and he misses half of his tries. The QBs haven't done a great job of getting the football in the right spot and some of that gets put back on the Oline play, but the receivers don't catch half the balls they should (except Blake, Lutzy, Omac). I watch other teams and those receivers are hungry-they attack the ball if it's not thrown perfect where our guys just aren't on that level I guess. This area will have to improve dramatically as well. I'm not great at analyzing route running so I'll leave that out of this post.

RB has been a bright spot for otherwise disappointing offense. Dyer with a good Oline this year would be in Heisman talk. We are short at the RB position as far as depth goes, but that will be fixed come next year so I can't complain. I would like to see Mason get some of OMacs running plays. I think he is as fast and runs tougher, but this is just a personal opinion

I think Moseley, Frazier, or Trotter could be successful. I'm not convinced by Trotter's arm strength, Moseley's ability to run (at all), or Frazier's accuracy but I think they could all be successful with the other deficiencies fixed.

Coaching. I think Malzahn is the best there is. I have concerns about his offense, but they don't begin with his abilities, play calling, or if it will work in the SEC. My concerns begin with it's inability to be effective if the defense isn't functional, if the QB play is subpar, if the WRs and Oline block like a bunch of 90 year old grandmas. My other concern, which is a double edged sword, the ability to get great athletes in the system but the inability to draw the top talent that may be looking for a prostyle offense that may get them to the NFL. I'm not sure how much weight this holds but it probably evens out in the wash as they say.

Bottomline: It's not Malzahn. It's the defense not allowing the offense to do their thing. It's a weak Oline and poor WR play. Its playing a schedule that ranks in the top 5 in the NCAA with a team that's in the bottom 5 as far as experience. It's losing 3 juniors and 23 seniors off a championship team and 5 more guys due to stupidity. It's being 13 scholly's short of the 85 limit. It's playing Arky, USC, LSU, Clemson, Georgia all on the road and all ranked. Even with Cam, we would have lost 3 of those games, if not 4 (would have still beat USC and probably added a win at Clemson).

Since it is agreed that Malzhan is a phenomenal offensive coordinator, where does he end up?
AU
UM
UNC

I heard Ole Miss yesterday for the first time. Frankly, if it were me I'd get out of the SEC. How much more difficult could it be for a new Head Coach, than that?

I'm guessing he goes to the ACC to coach UNC.

We'll see.

Pretty solid overall Justin, but consider....



Would it surprise Auburn fans to hear that through the first 7 SEC games last year vs this year, that this year's defense has given up ONLY 7 more points than last year's through the first 7 SEC games? The facts are that last year's Auburn defense was pretty terrible, too...just the offense with Cam had the firepower to outscore the other teams every time out.



I agree that Oline play this year has been pretty bad, but as I've said before, was it really that much better last year? Most of Cam's rushing yards last year came not on designed rushing plays, but on plays where the protection broke down and he made it happen on his own with his feet. I will agree that Auburn's oline isn't quite as good as last year's was, but I'm not really sure that's not a "tallest midget" contest.

Dyer's production is very similar to last year with approximately the same number of yards on approximately the same number of carries, but he has more td's this year. He is a much bigger target this year than last year. McCalleb's numbers are down, but a lot of that could be attributed to the lack of any threat of the qb keeping the ball on the jet sweep...making it much easier to key on OM.

I believe he wil stay at Auburn but who knows? He is making great money, he is close to home, He is getting great exposure, His daughters are enrolled in Auburn.

Jdr, its agreed malzhan is a very good coordinator? Did you not see your bama brethren basically say he was a monkey?

Hb, you just proved how foolish you are. AU had the best o line in the country last year and blew holes big enough to drive a mack truck through.

The defense was poor last year as well, BUT they made key stops in the 2nd half. They were stronger in the redzone and was much better in the run defense. These are two different defenses we are talking about even if statistically they are similiar. Most importantly, you are reiterating my point. Imagine how much worse our numbers could be if we started running plays at the pace we did at times last year? It would be 24-7 in the first quarter.



Talent wise, last years line wasn't much better. Experience wise, they are giants compared to this Oline. Additionally Ziemba, Pugh, Barry, Isom all had a little mean streak to them. May just come with experience and confindence, but these guys need to grow a pair and want to bury their opponnent 6 ft deep. When you have that mentality and the talent to go with it, you start dominating the line.

LOL...

I have to give it to you, bill...you're consistent. A personal attack is pretty much included in every post...content relevant to the discussion at hand is optional.

Says a lot about you.

You are who you are, I guess.

If you have a difference of opinion with bill you will have to get used to it. Eventually he will probably send you some personal love letters.

Hb, saying your foolish is a personal attack? I don't know you and you don't know any of the AU staff or players you have personally attacked over the last year. Whats the difference?

As for BP, it's pretty much concensus on what you are. I'm just one of the few who will say it. Love letters? You wanna post those up again so everyone on both sides can horse laugh you again for being a drama queen?

Careful guys Bill's an internet tough guy. Best not to piss him off.

That's the funniest part about the whole thing.

LOL. When have I ever threatened any of you? I guess it pisses the two or three of you off that are on your crusade that I challenge what you say. Get over it and try supporting your team instead of trying to tear down AU.

You generally don't challenge what we say, bill...you run around calling people pea-brains and foolish and pricks and ignorant and other assorted names without ever offering much analysis at all. Everyone else here manages to have civil discussions without all the name calling and condenscending attitude.

What is it that makes you lose your cool here?

No, your not having a civil discussion. You, timbercruiser and tc have been on a year plus campaign to discredit AU and anything they have accomplished. I know from experience that your minds are made up based on your raising and there is no such thing as having an intelligent discussion with any of the above mentioned. I don't believe I have called any of you a name personally and have talked in generalizations. Anyway, I know nothing I say will change the BS you believe so have at it.

Oh, BP doesn't count. He ask for it on a regular basis.

No one else seems to have any problems with having civil/intelligent discussions with any of the above. You're the common thread in all of it.

I'm sure you don't see it that way,though.