Tigers X - Number one Source to Talk Auburn Tigers Sports
Pat Dye Field => War Damn Eagle => Topic started by: wesfau2 on June 08, 2010, 02:52:12 PM
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Warning: I'm not posting a link because I don't want you guys to be tempted to click it....their site just brought my laptop to a screeching halt. Worse than Scout.
By Ned Colegrove
Foxsportssouth.com
June 7, 2010
It's hard to believe this is just Gus Malzahn's fifth season as an offensive coordinator in college football. Widely considered one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport, Malzahn is known for his lightning-quick tempo and no-huddle attack. He's credited with mastering the "Wildcat" offense, now one of the hottest gadgets in the game today- college or pro. Bursting onto the scene in 2006 with Arkansas, he guided the Razorbacks to the nation's fourth-best rushing total at 228.5 ypg (featuring Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden) and the SEC West crown. Malzahn was named the national Offensive Coordinator of the Year that season by Rivals.com- not a bad start in the SEC.
He took his act to Tulsa the following year and in 2007 & 2008 his offenses moved the ball better than anyone in the nation, averaging a whopping 556.9 ypg.
For Malzahn, it all goes back to a moment coaching high school football in Arkansas the mid-90's, when he realized that when you can keep defenses on their heels, you can usually keep them out of your backfield. His no-huddle tempo was born and thrived to the tune of seven state championship appearances and three titles.
And now Malzahn finds himself at Auburn, part of a coaching overhaul prior to the 2009 season. The Tiger faithful are giddy for an encore performance from their offensive oracle after breaking school records for points (433) and yards (5,613) in a season in '09 on their way to an Outback Bowl victory over Northwestern. Add a top-5 recruiting class to the mix this past spring and the future looks awfully bright at Auburn- a program that just two years ago was 5-7 and out of the bowl picture altogether.
So we asked Coach Malzahn about the origins of the Wildcat, his influences as a play-caller, and how far he can guide this Auburn attack in 2010 and beyond...
Q. First coach, tell us about what you're focused on as we hit these summer months.
A. I tell you what, we're about to start (high school) summer camps up. Then we'll take a couple weeks vacation and be back hitting it strong, getting ready for fall (team) camp and the start of the season.
Q. So as you wrap up this early summer recruiting process, do you find that your offensive style is able to sell itself? That kids want to be a part of your system?
A. We've been fortunate enough to have had a lot of success over the last four years. Kids like playing in successful systems where they can put up numbers, have fun and have a chance to win games. You couple that with the position coaches we have here on offense, our head coach and the history of Auburn- we really feel like we have a lot to offer the top players around the country.
Q Take us back a ways to when you were coaching high school ball in Arkansas. Who were some of your earliest influences- which philosophies shaped you as an offensive play-caller?
A. Well, I never really got a chance to learn from any one coach. I was a head coach the second year that I started. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so I just went around to some successful head coaches in the state of Arkansas and just kind of stole bits and pieces from different coaches and their philosophies. I just took bits and pieces and made it my own. I kept with it and of course we started running a two-minute offense the entire game in 1996 and we just kind of put all that together and stuck with it. It's been a lot of fun going through the process.
Q. So once that started working, you just said, "The heck with the huddle, let's just keep the tempo up", right?
A. That's exactly right. In 1995, we'd have 3 or 4 no-huddle plays already lined up and we'd run them in succession. So we'd have great success and momentum and we'd go back to the huddle and we'd lose our momentum. So, that next year we decided we were going to put the hammer down the whole time and see what happens- it turned out to be a pretty good decision.
Q. The Wildcat formation is one everybody associates you with- did you ever expect it to take off like it has (after popularizing it with RB Darren McFadden at Arkansas)?
A. I tell you what, nowadays it's kind of funny for me to hear that when another player besides the quarterback takes the snap, they call it the Wildcat. Of course, what I call Wildcat is actually an unbalanced formation with a speed sweep of the tailback. But it is pretty neat to see a lot of different teams, especially in the NFL have success. It's a pretty simple idea- you just get the ball into your best player's hands and let him make plays.
Q. So that's how it originated for you at Arkansas- get the ball into Darren's hands however possible?
A. Yeah. When I first got to Arkansas, Darren was actually a QB in junior high and he could throw the football. So it was just a natural progression to get the ball in his hands and of course he took off. You know, anytime you've got a Wildcat guy like McFadden, it's going to work. The better guy you have at that position, the more successful you're going to be.
Q. Well, you've had a very successful career at multiple levels of football- how do you think you connect with these young men so well?
A. I really take the same approach- I'm an old high school coach. I've always looked at coaching as my ministry. I've always tried to develop relationships and I look at football as a lot more than on the field. As far as developing those relationships and building up young men to help them be men in life. I just have that same approach with all of the players.
Q. So now at Auburn- all these school records you set on offense in just your first year, but I'm guessing the Auburn faithful is expecting you to top all of that in 2010, right?
A. (Laughs) Yeah, that's the expectation, I'm sure. I was really happy with our players last year. We're getting a little more depth, recruiting specific players for certain positions. We're not there yet as far as having all the pieces to the puzzle, but our guys do have a better understanding of our offense. We're starting a new QB (Cameron Newton, Jr.), a new tailback (Onterio McCalebb, So./Mario Fannin, Sr.) but if we can replace those guys, we'll have a chance to be solid on offense.
Q. To that point, you have someone under center in 2010 like a lot of SEC teams- talk about how that race shook out and how Cameron won the job for you.
A. We have three really talented quarterbacks (Newton/ Neil Caudle, Sr./ Barrett Trotter, So.), we feel. It was a battle. We opened it up, we charted every throw and every series. It was a lot closer than what people think, but Cameron is obviously very athletic and has the ability to keep a play alive once it breaks down. What stood out to me was his decision-making ability, throwing the ball downfield on time and just really wanting the job. Of course, Barrett Trotter and Neil Caudle, both those guys could run our offense. So, if something happens to Cam, they could step right in and we wouldn't have to change anything- both those guys are very talented.
Q. Thinking about the way your offensive mind works, Cameron must really excite you then with the kinds of things you can incorporate into the offense.
A. There's no doubt. Last year, Chris Todd was extremely talented on throwing the ball on time and we tried to build our offense around his strength. He wasn't so much of a runner. But this year, our quarterback run game will be more into play this coming year. Any time you can run your quarterback, even four to five times a game, it really changes (the defense's) approach. So we're looking forward to getting the ball in our quarterback's hands and running the football.
Q. Another guy whose versatility you must admire is Mario Fannin- how do you expect to utilize him this fall?
A. Mario's best when he has the ball in his hands. He's a big guy that has great balance, that can really run. He had a very good spring- his whole thing is if he can stay healthy, he'll have a great year.
Q. You were at Tulsa in between stops in the SEC- when you were coming to Auburn, was there ever a feeling of, "Why did I get back into this conference with all these great defenses?"
A. (Laughs) I tell you what, these are the best defenses in America. (Coming back to the SEC) was great, this is the best league to coach in and it was a blessing for me to get another chance. Auburn's a great place. It's a lot of fun. If you're competitive at all, every week you're going to get a great defense. So you just have to earn it- there's no cheapies in this conference, you have to earn everything you get.
Q. Be honest, you must spend a little bit more time in the offseason thinking of ways to get through Nick Saban's defense than any other team's right?
A. Yeah, I tell you what, not only are they well-coached but they've got great players at just about every position. They're very deep. You definitely have to earn everything. We kind of had some deficiencies on offense last year, but we had them on the ropes there for awhile there (Auburn held leads of 14-0 and 21-20). They found a way to win the game at the end (Alabama won 26-21).
Q. How well do you know coach Saban as a guy or as a coach?
A. I really don't know him that well from the outside. He's done a great job and of course they're our rival. We've just got to find a way to finish it next year.
Q. So what about when your guys have to go everywhere and see headlines about how good their in-state rival is?
A. You really don't need all that (to get excited) for the rivalry, it's already built in. I think you can be here a short period of time and you already know it's a great rivalry. I think these kids are brought up at a young age to be one or the other, which makes that rivalry real special. It's fun to be a part of it, we just need to find out a way to come out on the other end of it next year.
Q. With Mississippi State and Arkansas considered teams on the rise, how do you see the SEC West landscape heading into 2010?
A. All the teams (we play) are good teams. Of course, I get focused on the defense of each one of those teams. Just watching this summer, they're all very solid defenses. The SEC West is getting to where everybody has a chance and there's no easy ones.
Q. So who's the guy that you really like coming out of spring ball that people might not know about yet?
A. I tell you what, Emory Blake is one of our true freshman receivers that played some. He got our MVP ball for offensive skill for the spring. He's a guy who, when we recruited him, we felt like he had a chance to be a great player and the lights kind of clicked on for him (this spring). So, our expectations for him will be extremely high next year.
Q. Finally then, what's the feeling like heading into 2010? Can Auburn fans expect their boys to be competing for that spot in the Georgia Dome?
A. That's the plan! Like I said, we were very thin on a lot of positions last year, and we had a good recruiting class, so we will be in better shape. We're still not where we need to be depth-wise. At the same time, with a little luck, staying healthy and all that, we really feel like we're going to give people a run for their money.
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By Ned Colegrove
Foxsportssouth.com
June 7, 2010
Q. Be honest, you must spend a little bit more time in the offseason thinking of ways to get through Nick Saban's defense than any other team's right?
A. Yeah, I tell you what, not only are they well-coached but they've got great players at just about every position. They're very deep. You definitely have to earn everything. We kind of had some deficiencies on offense last year, but we had them on the ropes there for awhile there (Auburn held leads of 14-0 and 21-20). They found a way to win the game at the end (Alabama won 26-21).
Pretty standard stuff, nothing new. The completely out of left field pimping of Nick Saban in an interivew with Auburn's OC makes me want to vomit. Malzahn gave a very diplomatic non-answer, and got a bit of a dig in as well with the bolded part.
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I tell you what, you gotta love this guy's enthusiasm for the game and we have him at Auburn, hopefully for many years. We kinda figured Newton got the job because he could turn a broken play around. And Gus borrowed from others just as one might expect.
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Yeah, he seems to have a firm grasp on the boilerplate corchspeak. Very diplomatic and much better at it than Chizik. Corch Chiz sounds like he has about 50 corchspeak cliches memorized and just pulls out the first ones he can think of to answer any and every question.
Coach Chizik, how is Zac Etheredge progressing after his neck injury?
Well I tell ya, it's one game at a time. We just focus on the task at hand and don't get caught up in any of the hype. Our coaches do a great job of....
The thing that gets me pumped about this year is first, the incredible size and experience we have on the O-line. With Newton coming in and the addition of several wide receivers to compliment Adams and Zachary, this offense could be sic, I tell ya'.
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The thing that gets me pumped about this year is first, the incredible size and experience we have on the O-line. With Newton coming in and the addition of several wide receivers to compliment Adams and Zachary, this offense could be sic, I tell ya'.
Not sure about sic, but we should damn near be unstoppable inside at least the 5, or in 3rd and short situations...
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Not sure about sic, but we should damn near be unstoppable inside at least the 5, or in 3rd and short situations...
It's gonna' be SIC. SIC SIC SIC.
Seriously, I recall last year and all the worries about our O-line going in to 09'. Easily the most consitent unit and in my opinion, the strength of the team. Now, they'll probably be the most experienced unit in the league and have a year in Malzahns system under their belts.
That makes me moist.
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It's gonna' be SIC. SIC SIC SIC.
That makes me moist.
Don't get all weepy on us.
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Don't get all weepy on us.
Maury Povich only white man ever made me moist.
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I for one am expecting big things from our offense this year and a lot better of a showing from our D. A 10 win season is not a far stretch of my imagination at all.
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I for one am expecting big things from our offense this year and a lot better of a showing from our D. A 10 win season is not a far stretch of my imagination at all.
agree
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agree
concur
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concur
affirm
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So it is written...
Sure 10 wins are very possible. Are you speaking of regular season games?
If so, who beats us?
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Q. So who's the guy that you really like coming out of spring ball that people might not know about yet?
A. I tell you what, Emory Blake is one of our true freshman receivers that played some. He got our MVP ball for offensive skill for the spring. He's a guy who, when we recruited him, we felt like he had a chance to be a great player and the lights kind of clicked on for him (this spring). So, our expectations for him will be extremely high next year.
This is the part that I liked. The lights clicked. :vn:
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Can't write down a more favorable schedule in the SEC.
Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result
09/04/10 vs. Arkansas State Auburn, Ala. TBA
09/09/10 at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 6:30 p.m. CT
09/18/10 vs. Clemson Auburn, Ala. 6:00 p.m. CT
09/25/10 vs. South Carolina Auburn, Ala. TBA
10/02/10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe Auburn, Ala. TBA
10/09/10 at Kentucky # Lexington, Ky. TBA
10/16/10 vs. Arkansas # Auburn, Ala. TBA
10/23/10 vs. LSU # Auburn, Ala. TBA
10/30/10 at Mississippi # Oxford, Miss. TBA
11/06/10 vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga (HC) Auburn, Ala. TBA
11/13/10 vs. Georgia # Auburn, Ala. TBA
11/26/10 at Alabama # Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA
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So it is written...
Sure 10 wins are very possible. Are you speaking of regular season games?
If so, who beats us?
Regular season. Ark, LSU, GA, and bama are all toss-ups. These are the teams we have had trouble with here of late. So, until we beat them, I say these are toss-ups. Out of these, I still think we get two of them but possibly 3 of 4.
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Regular season. Ark, LSU, GA, and bama are all toss-ups. These are the teams we have had trouble with here of late. So, until we beat them, I say these are toss-ups. Out of these, I still think we get two of them but possibly 3 of 4.
Well at least you addressed my roundabout question which I offered due to the recent results against these very four teams. LSU fans think they are going to run the tables just like Bama fans. Three of four would be something considering Arky and LSU are back to back before a road game in Oxford.
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Well at least you addressed my roundabout question which I offered due to the recent results against these very four teams. LSU fans think they are going to run the tables just like Bama fans. Three of four would be something considering Arky and LSU are back to back before a road game in Oxford.
LSU fans are going to be screaming for Lester's head by midseason.
Road game in Oxfart will be a laugher this year. Nutt lost the only talent he had, and he sure hasn't been recruiting at the level Orgeron was.
Ark will be difficult...especially with our suspect defense.
I'm not scared of bama. At all.
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I'm not scared of bama. At all.
Me neither. Just looking forward to being the wrecking crew that crushes their ivory tower.
Despite them coming of an NC, it doesn't feel legitimately intimidating to me, like say when we played UF coming off a NC in 2007. But come to think of it, we handled them as well. EVERY TIME in their last rotation.
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Ark will be difficult...especially with our suspect defense.
I think its more the complex AU has with Arky that wingnut brought with him. We never seemed to have much issue with these guys until him. We need to shake it...and FAST.
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Just looking forward to being the wrecking crew that crushes their ivory tower.
Check! Take out the trash, mow the lawn, demolish bell tower.
More concerned with that Georgia bunch. They might improve beyond Arky even.
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More concerned with that Georgia bunch. They might improve beyond Arky even.
They've got talent, but Mark Richt will invariably find a way to squander it.
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They've got talent, but Mark Richt will invariably find a way to squander it.
Richt and Miles seem to be riding in the same boat these days. I want to beat the poop otta both their teams just because of what they have been doin to us the last several yrs. This year though, I personally have more concern with Ar-Kansas.
I too will enjoy the might tower crashing to the earth this November.
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They've got talent, but Mark Richt will invariably find a way to squander it.
So you're not worried about Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, or LSU.
Are you predicting 14-0 with a national championship trophy?
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They've got talent, but Mark Richt will invariably find a way to squander it.
Don't take but one bad season to be accused of being a talent squanderer in this league.
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So you're not worried about Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, or LSU.
Are you predicting 14-0 with a national championship trophy?
No, that oddly-shaped ball bounces funny ways sometimes. But thanks for trying to insert words in my mouth. Nothing but tit, pussy, food and booze go in there.
What I am saying is that there isn't a team on our schedule that I think will run Auburn off the field.
LSU - Coaching issues...Jefferson isn't the future at QB, he's wrecked Lee's confidence and the playmakers aren't what they once were in the bayou.
Ole Miss - Nutt is a bigger buffoon than Lester and his talent is waaaaaaaaaaay down. This will be a shit-stomping.
UGA - Big question mark at QB. Like I said earlier, lots of talent there, but UGA shouldn't make anyone in the top half of the conference shake in their boots.
Bama - Solid team, not scary in any phase of the game. As short-handed as Auburn was at the end of last year, we had them reeling and the game was within reach. We won't come up short this year.
Don't take but one bad season to be accused of being a talent squanderer in this league.
It's not one season...it's been his entire tenure at UGA. They get loads of talent....and how many NCs or SECCs do they claim during Marky's stint in Athens?
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It's not one season...it's been his entire tenure at UGA. They get loads of talent....and how many NCs or SECCs do they claim during Marky's stint in Athens?
You're smart Wes. You know what he was fishing for on this one.
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You're smart Wes. You know what he was fishing for on this one.
Ha....actually I glossed right over that.
Got the stinkbait out, JR?
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It's not one season...it's been his entire tenure at UGA. They get loads of talent....and how many NCs or SECCs do they claim during Marky's stint in Athens?
Going in to 2010, among active coaches, he's #11 in winning percentage...ahead of him are Chris Peterson (Boise St.) and Brian Kelley (Cincinnati, now ND), one not a BCS school, the other in a weak sister BCS Conference, and Pete Carroll who has moved on. Then factor in that ahead of him are also Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles, all in the SEC...and he has a .769 winning percentage, has won 2 SEC Titles (sorry, I'm not a bammer, that still has meaning to most of us), and won the SECE 4 times, and has won 10+ games 6 out of 9 seasons. ONLY thing missing from a very solid 9 year run is an NC. But he had a bad year last year, and got bit by the Injury bug in 2008, and "only went 10-3" when he was preseason #1.
I admit, I view coaches, and coaches success, differently from most, and look at it more like a coach would, and more from the big picture, not last season. Richt is a damn fine coach by most any standards, or at least by mine. I think one needs to factor in that during much of that run, he's had to play the eventual national champion in LSU, FL, or Bama at least 3 times, and maybe all 5 ...not sure.
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Going in to 2010, among active coaches, he's #11 in winning percentage...ahead of him are Chris Peterson (Boise St.) and Brian Kelley (Cincinnati, now ND), one not a BCS school, the other in a weak sister BCS Conference, and Pete Carroll who has moved on. Then factor in that ahead of him are also Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles, all in the SEC...and he has a .769 winning percentage, has won 2 SEC Titles (sorry, I'm not a bammer, that still has meaning to most of us), and won the SECE 4 times, and has won 10+ games 6 out of 9 seasons. ONLY thing missing from a very solid 9 year run is an NC. But he had a bad year last year, and got bit by the Injury bug in 2008, and "only went 10-3" when he was preseason #1.
Good stats, but I contend that he's been playing in a two team division most of this decade. He can't get over the hump and his offense is the death knell for most RB recruits they get.
I admit, I view coaches, and coaches success, differently from most, and look at it more like a coach would, and more from the big picture, not last season. Richt is a damn fine coach by most any standards, or at least by mine. I think one needs to factor in that during much of that run, he's had to play the eventual national champion in LSU, FL, or Bama at least 3 times, and maybe all 5 ...not sure.
Well, boo hoo for Marky...he has to play in the SEC....just like the rest of us.
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Good stats, but I contend that he's been playing in a two team division most of this decade. He can't get over the hump and his offense is the death knell for most RB recruits they get.
Well, boo hoo for Marky...he has to play in the SEC....just like the rest of us.
So he sucks because he hasn't won an NC?
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So he sucks because he hasn't won an NC?
Point out where I said that.
I'm simply saying that the impression I get is that he gets mountains of high-star recruits...and continues to underachieve (relative to the potential of his players) in the easier of the two SEC divisions. He's padding his stats playing UK, Vandy, USCe and a recently washed out UT program.
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Point out where I said that.
I'm simply saying that the impression I get is that he gets mountains of high-star recruits...and continues to underachieve (relative to the potential of his players) in the easier of the two SEC divisions. He's padding his stats playing UK, Vandy, USCe and a recently washed out UT program.
You didn't say that. I was using a tired old innerweb tactic of assigning meaning to your posts.
I guess the underacheiving part is a matter of opinion, and I can see where one might say that. I look at his body of work, and think he's pretty damn good. I'd take his 9 year run for Auburn.
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Ha....actually I glossed right over that.
Got the stinkbait out, JR?
For the record, I agree with JR here - in the regard that Richt is a good coach. I think what tarnishes his legacy if anything does, is the fact that he has National Championship talent year in and year out and nothing to show for it but a couple of SEC titles. Between 2001 and 2005, it was there for the taking. Fla and Bama were not the juggernauts they are now. Auburn had the one excellent year in 2004. LSU and Tenn were good but beatable. I think Richt had his window and he had the talent at that time and just could not "finish the drill" as he likes to say.
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You didn't say that. I was using a tired old innerweb tactic of assigning meaning to your posts.
It's my favorite game on Al's (assuming he doesn't lose teh webz to Tipper in the D-vorce) invention.
I guess the underacheiving part is a matter of opinion, and I can see where one might say that. I look at his body of work, and think he's pretty damn good. I'd take his 9 year run for Auburn.
Well, we had his analogue for a decade. Tubs gave similar results in a much more difficult division...without all the as many super-star recruits.
For the record, I agree with JR here - in the regard that Richt is a good coach. I think what tarnishes his legacy if anything does, is the fact that he has National Championship talent year in and year out and nothing to show for it but a couple of SEC titles. Between 2001 and 2005, it was there for the taking. Fla and Bama were not the juggernauts they are now. Auburn had the one excellent year in 2004. LSU and Tenn were good but beatable. I think Richt had his window and he had the talent at that time and just could not "finish the drill" as he likes to say.
This guy gets it.
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For the record, I agree with JR here - in the regard that Richt is a good coach. I think what tarnishes his legacy if anything does, is the fact that he has National Championship talent year in and year out and nothing to show for it but a couple of SEC titles. Between 2001 and 2005, it was there for the taking. Fla and Bama were not the juggernauts they are now. Auburn had the one excellent year in 2004. LSU and Tenn were good but beatable. I think Richt had his window and he had the talent at that time and just could not "finish the drill" as he likes to say.
I agree with you too, for the most part. I tend to think that an NC is very hard to come by, not only in terms of winning the games needed, but some luck too, and you can't judge a coach on that, at least not on that alone. After all, Tubs did all that could be done in 2004, and STILL is sans an NC. And Larry Coker has one...as does Les Miles. So...
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Like Bucky phukin' Dent, we let Joe Cox beat us.
4 in a row.
I don't care if its Curley Hallman. This is a Georgia team that AU should have at least split with in that span.
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I have no doubt that Richts seat would have been scorched beyond recognition had he not pulled out a certain game against Florida a couple of years back. They were coming off a year with some embarrassing L's to teams they would normally handle and the Gaytors were pretty much owning the Dawgs. IMO, that was almost on par with Tubby's 03' Iron Bowl victory.
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I have no doubt that Richts seat would have been scorched beyond recognition had he not pulled out a certain game against Florida a couple of years back. They were coming off a year with some embarrassing L's to teams they would normally handle and the Gaytors were pretty much owning the Dawgs. IMO, that was almost on par with Tubby's 03' Iron Bowl victory.
was their a plane involved.
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And many of the teams Richt had from 02-05 got by on a TON of luck and weird play. David Greene and David Pollack had friggin angels on their shoulders and shamrocks in their ass cracks I swear. Every bounce seemed to go their way and I saw some of the strangest plays happen to allow the dawgs to win games in that span.
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And many of the teams Richt had from 02-05 got by on a TON of luck and weird play. David Greene and David Pollack had friggin angels on their shoulders and shamrocks in their ass cracks I swear. Every bounce seemed to go their way and I saw some of the strangest plays happen to allow the dawgs to win games in that span.
aint that the damn truth. Just remembering the Old South Rivalry alone. Greene should be decapitated.
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aint that the damn truth. Just remembering the Old South Rivalry alone. Greene should be decapitated.
He wanted to wear Orange and Blue like the rest of his family did....but our staff said he wasnt a D1 caliber QB. They also told Phillip Rivers the same thing. They wanted them both as TE's. :rofl: :rofl:
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He wanted to wear Orange and Blue like the rest of his family did....but our staff said he wasnt a D1 caliber QB. They also told Phillip Rivers the same thing. They wanted them both as TE's. :rofl: :rofl:
Yep, and the little shit that ended up at WV; wasn't he from AL?
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Yep, and the little poop that ended up at WV; wasn't he from AL?
Yep- Pat White from Daphne. We never were able to even get a visit from him. I dont think our staff even went after him hard. A soft offer was all we ever gave him as an Athlete. I think WV and LSU were the only ones who said he may get a shot at QB. Dude was drafted 44th overall in the NFL draft in the 2nd round last yr.
White, Rivers and Greene - all bypassed and it makes me wanna poop my pants.
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Yep- Pat White from Daphne. We never were able to even get a visit from him. I dont think our staff even went after him hard. A soft offer was all we ever gave him as an Athlete. I think WV and LSU were the only ones who said he may get a shot at QB. Dude was drafted 44th overall in the NFL draft in the 2nd round last yr.
White, Rivers and Greene - all bypassed and it makes me wanna poop my pants.
Out of all of those, Rivers really puzzled me the most. The dude fit our system at the time perfectly.
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Out of all of those, Rivers really puzzled me the most. The dude fit our system at the time perfectly.
Greene and Rivers were both practically begging to come to Auburn and we shunned them both. I will say no more.
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Greene and Rivers were both practically begging to come to Auburn and we shunned them both. I will say no more.
Easy in hindsight, which is 50/50 BTW, to dog these "missed stars". Pat White, in no way fit what we were doing in the WCO. He'd be a great catch in Malzahn's.
Greene was a great HS and College QB, and would have fit nicely. We did have Jason, and Brandon though, and I'm sure that factored in. He was a miss though he would have probably only gotten one year of play in 2005, and battled Jason his entire career. So...anyway.
Rivers is still a point of controversy today with his mechanics. He's a damned fine QB though it's easy to see why he'd have been passed on coming out of HS. And give credit where due, he had Norm Chow at NC State to coach him up. He's not any kind of prototypical QB mechanics-wise. Again, he came along during the same time as Jason and Brandon.
Sometimes they miss. A great number of QBs in the NFL were missed by colleges, or big time programs. Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon, Ben Rapelerberger, etc, etc...it happens.
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Easy in hindsight, which is 50/50 BTW, to dog these "missed stars". Pat White, in no way fit what we were doing in the WCO. He'd be a great catch in Malzahn's.
Greene was a great HS and College QB, and would have fit nicely. We did have Jason, and Brandon though, and I'm sure that factored in. He was a miss though he would have probably only gotten one year of play in 2005, and battled Jason his entire career. So...anyway.
Rivers is still a point of controversy today with his mechanics. He's a damned fine QB though it's easy to see why he'd have been passed on coming out of HS. And give credit where due, he had Norm Chow at NC State to coach him up. He's not any kind of prototypical QB mechanics-wise. Again, he came along during the same time as Jason and Brandon.
Sometimes they miss. A great number of QBs in the NFL were missed by colleges, or big time programs. Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon, Ben Rapelerberger, etc, etc...it happens.
But look at a lot of the "projects" and high risk guys we did take. We knew Greene and Rivers would be leaders. They were not high risk. I mean - we'll sign Steven Ensminger Jr and others but not take a chance on these 2? I just question a lot of his recruiting decisions sometimes. The attrition rate should have been a hint that things werent going right toward the end.
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Recruiting QBs is different. If we had recruited Rivers, we may not have gotten Jason. Would Rivers be the same Phillip Rivers at Auburn as he was at NC State? Remember, we didn't have Borges then. Easy to pick it apart now. Hard to project leadership, especially when you don't even know if the kid will make it to the starting lineup until he's a Sr, which probably would have been the case with Greene, at least looking at it at the time. You can't ever just not recruit a QB, but neither of these kids wowed recruiters as QBs coming out of HS. Auburn wasn't the only program to "miss them".
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Recruiting QBs is different. If we had recruited Rivers, we may not have gotten Jason. Would Rivers be the same Phillip Rivers at Auburn as he was at NC State? Remember, we didn't have Borges then. Easy to pick it apart now. Hard to project leadership, especially when you don't even know if the kid will make it to the starting lineup until he's a Sr, which probably would have been the case with Greene, at least looking at it at the time. You can't ever just not recruit a QB, but neither of these kids wowed recruiters as QBs coming out of HS. Auburn wasn't the only program to "miss them".
Fair enough - but it still stings, especially seeing some of the guys we DID sign who never made it to the field.
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Fair enough - but it still stings, especially seeing some of the guys we DID sign who never made it to the field.
Personally, if it were me, in hindsight, I'd like to have seen Tubs make an offensive move in about 2002, and go with a kid like White, and what would have been then, a "new fangled" spread run based offense. Easy to sit here and wonder "what if" Ronnie and Carnell were on the field as RB and HB like Ben and Mario last year, with Aromashodo and Obamanu out there as WRs...all on the field at the same time, and ALL a threat on every play, with Jason or Pat White to throw to them, or run the zone option every now and then. But, then maybe 2004 would never have happened, and then again maybe jet-gate wouldn't have either...and so the Monday morning quarterbacking goes. If "if's and butts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas".
I agree it stings a little...but it's easy to look back after the fact. I mean, what if, they'd done what they set out to with Bo? Bo wasn't the #1 RB at McAdory, he shared carries and was used a lot as a blocker. When he first arrived at Auburn, they first put him in the FB position in the wishbone. Just a little anecdote.
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I agree it stings a little...but it's easy to look back after the fact. I mean, what if, they'd done what they set out to with Bo? Bo wasn't the #1 RB at McAdory, he shared carries and was used a lot as a blocker. When he first arrived at Auburn, they first put him in the FB position in the wishbone. Just a little anecdote.
Randy Campbell: Coach, you need to back him up some. Im putting the ball in his side everytime I go to hand it off.
Pat Dye: No, you just need to hand him the ball faster. This kid is good.
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Personally, if it were me, in hindsight, I'd like to have seen Tubs make an offensive move in about 2002, and go with a kid like White, and what would have been then, a "new fangled" spread run based offense. Easy to sit here and wonder "what if" Ronnie and Carnell were on the field as RB and HB like Ben and Mario last year, with Aromashodo and Obamanu out there as WRs...all on the field at the same time, and ALL a threat on every play, with Jason or Pat White to throw to them, or run the zone option every now and then. But, then maybe 2004 would never have happened, and then again maybe jet-gate wouldn't have either...and so the Monday morning quarterbacking goes. If "if's and butts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas".
I am pretty sure that we got Caddy and Ronnie on the field at the same time a fair amount....
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I am pretty sure that we got Caddy and Ronnie on the field at the same time a fair amount....
We did, but the style of offense we run now would allow them to be much more of a dual threat, and with Ronnie's hands allow him much more freedom in the passing game out of the slot, than as FB.
Then there's the whole wildcat thing too....
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We did, but the style of offense we run now would allow them to be much more of a dual threat, and with Ronnie's hands allow him much more freedom in the passing game out of the slot, than as FB.
Ronnie was hell on the wheel route. Great, great hands.
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We did, but the style of offense we run now would allow them to be much more of a dual threat, and with Ronnie's hands allow him much more freedom in the passing game out of the slot, than as FB.
Then there's the whole wildcat thing too....
I don't think the wildcat would work with Ronnie running it...
Wait...what?
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Greene and Rivers were both practically begging to come to Auburn and we shunned them both. I will say no more.
"Hyuck hyuck, Awbren didn't even croot me as quaterbacks"
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/41360/riversface_1_.jpg)
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"Hyuck hyuck, Awbren didn't even croot me as quaterbacks"
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/41360/riversface_1_.jpg)
Ok, I admit, that was pretty damn funny. That pic almost makes you feel sorry for Rivers.