re: Fall Camp Has Ended - The season is upon us

quote:

---

WDE85

---

quote:

---

but it still blows my mind that Trovon hasn't amounted to much

---

quote:

---

FAST, FASTER, FASTEST: IT'S GUS MALZAHN'S FOOTBALL WAY

AUBURN, Ala. - Gus Malzahn is mic'd-up, calling for the first team or second team and this quarterback and that quarterback at practice.

It is such a given that Auburn will be in a hurry this season, now that Malzahn has returned after a one-year hiatus, that the offense is in overdrive in practice just to get ready.

"Our whole philosophy is we want to make practice almost unrealistic, harder than a game, faster than a game," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee this week "We want quarterbacks, wideouts, people are thinking and having to make decisions quicker than they would in a game and they're more tired than they ever would be in a game.

"That's our philosophy, to make it extremely hard. Sometimes it's unrealistic but on game day it will slow down."

Sometimes it does. But Malzahn's offense does go fast on Saturdays. In 2010, the one that resulted in a national championship, Auburn had 39 scoring drives that took less than two minutes. It had 28 scoring drives that were four plays or less. It had another 28 scoring drives that took nine plays or less.

It also had Cam Newton.

But the practice-fast, play-fast philosophy has been Malzahn's way, including his previous seven years as a college coach. That 2010 team ran 948 plays, an Auburn record. The 2009 team ran 914 plays, which is No. 2 all time, and played one less game than the 2010 team.

His 2011 team ran 828 plays, the eighth-best total.

So it's an Auburn thing? Hardly. At Tulsa, where he was the offensive coordinator, the Golden Hurricane ran 1,126 plays in 2007 and 1,097 plays in 2008.

"We have one tempo and we're going to go as fast as we can," Lashlee said. "There are times that we'll slow it down like anyone would, or check and do things. That will be a game plan by game plan basis. I do know this: We want our guys to play extremely fast all the time. They know one speed and the only time they slow down is if we slow them down. That's the way it's been since I've played for Coach, we're going to play fast."

The fast-paced approach is always looking for "explosive plays," Lashlee said.

"The first scrimmage this year when we had the quarterbacks go live, we had a couple, but by no means to our standard. The second scrimmage, that was the biggest positive I thought, we had explosive plays. We made explosive plays in the passing game and we had a lot of explosive plays in the run game.

"I think there's no question that we have athletes, we've just got to make sure we get them in the right spot and give them those chances to make those plays.

"It's too hard in any league, especially in the SEC, to drive 80 yards just dinking it down the field. You've got to have explosive plays if you want to score points."

Malzahn was often asked during his first go-around with Auburn how many plays he'd like to run a game. Eighty was the answer. But the scoring drives were often so fast it reduced the play total.

Good problem to have.

But don't be fooled. Malzahn can put together a methodical drive, too. In the 2010 season, when Auburn had to drive the length of the field to beat Kentucky, it did it, going 86 yards in 19 plays to set up Wes Byrum's game-winning field goal on the final play of the game.

---

quote:

---

THEREZIE'S TIME: JUNIOR STAR READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT

AUBURN, Ala. – For Robenson Therezie, almost nothing has gone the way he expected when he signed with Auburn out of Miami in 2011.

Therezie was one of the South’s top defensive back prospects, choosing Auburn over Alabama, Florida, Miami and Tennessee. His plan was to be a starting cornerback as a freshman, to help Auburn win championships and go on to the NFL.

There were times in his first two Auburn seasons when it seemed it might happen. As a freshman, he played sparingly but moved into the starting lineup for Auburn’s Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Virginia. He was running first team the following summer, but an injury set him back.

As the season started, Therezie and secondary coach Willie Martinez clashed. Before Auburn played Mississippi State in the second game of the season, news broke that Therezie had moved to running back. He vowed that is where he would stay, but by season’s end, he was a role a player in Brian VanGorder’s defense again.

With the previous staff gone in wake of a 3-9 season, Therezie started the spring competing for playing time at cornerback, but midway through he moved to the hybrid star position in defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson’s scheme. And a light came on.

"We move him up to Star and all of a sudden we're blitzing him off the edge and he's covering underneath instead of deep zones," Johnson said. "The things you see with your eyes, the techniques, the reads and reactions, are different. He's a speed player. He's a contact player. I’m tickled to death with his progress.”

Therezie is playing behind Justin Garrett, his friend and roommate. With Garrett nursing a foot injury, Therezie has been getting the first-team snaps in recent days. Johnson says there will be plenty of opportunity for both Therezie and Garrett to make impacts.

“Therezie and Garrett, I don’t know how many more talented kids there are on our football team,” Johnson said.

Charlie Harbison, who coaches the safeties and stars, enthusiastically agrees.

“He’s a great talent, great speed, great athlete,” Harbison said. “He has to stay with that uncommon focus. You focus one play at a time and good things will happen.”

There are numerous packages, Johnson says, that will put Garrett and Therezie on the field together. Garrett welcomes that possibility.

"Therezie is the most athletic guy on the team," Garrett says. "That man can run, jump and do everything. We are roommates and we have the same motor. Neither one of us has really gotten the opportunity to play, so we both play fast and relentless every chance we get.”

---

quote:

---

DE Dee Ford did not practice today. "It shouldn't be too long" before he gets back on field. Not getting into injury specifics. @bmarcello

---

quote:

---

*** Starter at quarterback could be named tomorrow, but looks like it will happen no later than Monday. Malzahn feels good about a lot of battles elsewhere, too.

---

quote:

---

*** S Demetruce McNeal looked "100 percent" today and LB Justin Garrett did not practice but "it shouldn't be long" before he returns, Malzahn says.

---