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Has this article about Gus been posted yet?
Posted on 12/14/20 at 11:05 pm
Posted on 12/14/20 at 11:05 pm
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Very interesting read. It confirms a lot of what we have heard and suspected over the years. As a coach myself, the most striking thing was that he didn’t study other offenses and never tried to evolve.
quote:
Why did Auburn pay Gus Malzahn $21.7 million to walk away? Offensive woes top list
Very interesting read. It confirms a lot of what we have heard and suspected over the years. As a coach myself, the most striking thing was that he didn’t study other offenses and never tried to evolve.
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Posted on 12/15/20 at 12:08 am to Leto II
quote:
As a coach myself, the most striking thing was that he didn’t study other offenses and never tried to evolve.
Yeah, especially considering the rules changed early in his tenure, forcing the HUNH to slow down. He should have been evolving since then, but he refused. All he did was slow the tempo down without compensating in other areas.
And it's kinda sad Chad Morris didn't have more time. The one season he had was hampered by COVID restrictions, meaning no spring practice, etc. He didn't have a fair shot to implement what he wanted. I don't think it would have mattered much, but may not have been as bad as we saw this season.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:21 am to AUstar
Curious as to how the HUNH Offense was slowed down.
Other than substitutions and a delay to allow the opposing defense to respond. Nothing exists to slow down the offense as long as your eleven remain on the field.
Besides, who in their right mind, platoons during a HUNH Offense?
Other than substitutions and a delay to allow the opposing defense to respond. Nothing exists to slow down the offense as long as your eleven remain on the field.
Besides, who in their right mind, platoons during a HUNH Offense?
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:26 am to bluedragon
quote:
Curious as to how the HUNH Offense was slowed down.
Other than substitutions and a delay to allow the opposing defense to respond. Nothing exists to slow down the offense as long as your eleven remain on the field.
That was Gus' problem. He always wanted to change personnel in the middle of a drive.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:33 am to Leto II
Great article
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:36 am to bluedragon
quote:
Curious as to how the HUNH Offense was slowed down.
The part about the lack of big plays in that article explains it.
Gus was the best at scheming a few big plays for certain defensive personnel groupings. He'd pick up a couple of fast paced 1st downs and then he'd line up mid field let the clock run down then run on a couple of offensive pieces to execute the big play so late in the clock D's wouldn't sub. When the rule changed the D's could scout his position groups and know when he ran out X it meant Y was likely to happen and they now substitute to deal with Y. It's why it often looks like a D knows our plays.
This post was edited on 12/15/20 at 8:20 am
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:41 am to bluedragon
quote:
Other than substitutions and a delay to allow the opposing defense to respond
This is exactly how. Gus was all about players having a specific role, which further proves his inability to evolve.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 7:55 am to Leto II
I always thought that he did not study other defenses, nor did he try to exploit their weaknesses. His offensive scheme made no sense. The plays were just randomly selected without thought of opposing team personnel, down or yardage, or location on the field.
Gus was always trying to out think what he thought defenses expected him to do. But time and time again he fooled nobody. The announcers would routinely point out Auburns tendencies and it wasn’t even that hard for them. If TV and radio guys watching the game could figure out his offense sure as hell the other teams defensive coordinators knew what was coming. And yet Gus never seemed to catch on.
Gus was always trying to out think what he thought defenses expected him to do. But time and time again he fooled nobody. The announcers would routinely point out Auburns tendencies and it wasn’t even that hard for them. If TV and radio guys watching the game could figure out his offense sure as hell the other teams defensive coordinators knew what was coming. And yet Gus never seemed to catch on.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 8:16 am to Leto II
quote:
It was the same small number of plays run over and over, sources said, adding that if he doesn't have elite talent, especially in the form of a running quarterback, it doesn't work.
How many times has this been said here? I still believed he could do well without a Marshall type, but he absolutely needs a good OL and a very good every down RB.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 8:24 am to AURaptor
quote:
If TV and radio guys watching the game could figure out his offense
I still believe this is way overstated.
College football players know by formation, down and distance and game situation that about 3 plays are possible on every snap. Once the ball is snapped you can read keys and generally eliminate another play. I realize OC's occasionally shock people but at the end of the day there is to much film study and good coaching.
Then it comes down to execution and its why Gus looks lost post rule change. He had a niche' at picking a few plays for specific personal groupings. The D's know what Gus knows about their weaknesses and the substitution rule allows them to change for Gus' tendencies something that was eliminated in the HUNH when he would run play after play after then catch a D flat footed. It was often attributed to fatigue, which plays a role, but it was more complex and Gus did it well till Saban stopped it.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 8:32 am to Leto II
It's only been a couple of years but I had completely forgotten that Chip Lindsey and Kenny Dillingham "coached" at Auburn until I read their names in that article.
Just like their offenses, their time here was very forgettable. Auburn would have been better suited to just burn the cash they spent on those salaries.
Just like their offenses, their time here was very forgettable. Auburn would have been better suited to just burn the cash they spent on those salaries.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 9:18 am to IAmNERD
I believe, and I will always believe, that Gus' undoing was two things: Getting away from running his offense in the first place, and the inability to recruit and develop an Offensive Line that would allow his offense to be properly executed. Gus' O is very OL dependent, and also places a tremendous amount of responsibility on the Center position.
After the Jeremy Johnson debacle, Gus probably did need to step away from play calling for a bit - ceding play calling duties to Rhett Lashlee for a time was probably a good idea - but he should have returned to what he knew once Rhett left. With a good OL, I believe it would have been effective. I always kept saying, we hired a man to run his offense -- let him sink or swim with it.
To that end, if I were to point to one singular decision that was the nail in the coffin, it was hiring Herb Hand - a comfortable Gus disciple, as this article suggests - rather than a great OL coach and recruiter.
After the Jeremy Johnson debacle, Gus probably did need to step away from play calling for a bit - ceding play calling duties to Rhett Lashlee for a time was probably a good idea - but he should have returned to what he knew once Rhett left. With a good OL, I believe it would have been effective. I always kept saying, we hired a man to run his offense -- let him sink or swim with it.
To that end, if I were to point to one singular decision that was the nail in the coffin, it was hiring Herb Hand - a comfortable Gus disciple, as this article suggests - rather than a great OL coach and recruiter.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 9:55 am to IAmNERD
quote:Loeffler was a great investment, as well.
It's only been a couple of years but I had completely forgotten that Chip Lindsey and Kenny Dillingham "coached" at Auburn until I read their names in that article.
Just like their offenses, their time here was very forgettable. Auburn would have been better suited to just burn the cash they spent on those salaries.
Let's face it, the writing was on the wall when Dameyune Craig jumped ship. Gus was forced to hire former players, who had little to no coaching experience, or old friends that nobody else wanted.
Although I think coaches like Burns, Cadillac, and Williams may be good coaches one day, no big time program was beating on their doors, trying to hire them. Herb Hand was a disaster, and when we finally attempted to resolve that mistake, we had to go get JB Grimes for a second stint. Don't get me started on best buddy, "Screen Pass" Morris.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 9:58 am to Leto II
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with that strategy. Gus' problem is he stopped recruiting talent on O, too. He was such a terrible HC 
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:02 am to CreweBilt
quote:
I believe, and I will always believe, that Gus' undoing was two things: Getting away from running his offense in the first place, and the inability to recruit and develop an Offensive Line that would allow his offense to be properly executed. Gus' O is very OL dependent, and also places a tremendous amount of responsibility on the Center position.
Agreed. The option-based offense was devastating with the right QB. But what did Gus do? Go out and recruit traditional pocket passing QBs like Frazier, Johnson, White, and Stidham. Marshall running the the run-option was a thing of beauty.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:07 am to greygoose
Hell Nix looked pretty good running the ball Saturday. Why not do that more? He’s no Marshall but he’s pretty quick
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:08 am to greygoose
quote:huh?
t traditional pocket passing QBs like Frazier
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:39 am to joeyb147
quote:Frazier wasn't a dual threat QB. In fact, he openly stated that he did not like running the ball. Unfortunately, he was horrible as a passer.
huh?
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:39 am to joeyb147
Gus tried to mix X's and O's in with a space based offense.
Kendall Briles is a space based offense. Everything depends on spacing and getting guys into space.
Gus did that really early but linebackers got so much better in space that he was trying to mix in matchups and his "space" concepts. He was still good at the space game but poor at working the scheme at getting matchups. He will kill it if he lands somewhere he has greater or equal talent to his opponents.
Kendall Briles is a space based offense. Everything depends on spacing and getting guys into space.
Gus did that really early but linebackers got so much better in space that he was trying to mix in matchups and his "space" concepts. He was still good at the space game but poor at working the scheme at getting matchups. He will kill it if he lands somewhere he has greater or equal talent to his opponents.
Posted on 12/15/20 at 10:44 am to Leto II
quote:Yep. And with his massive propensity to run out of the pocket, the read-option with Tank could've saved Gus' job if he'd went to that early in the year. Nix is damn good athlete, but we all know he's got massive head problem with staying the in pocket, and setting his feet for his throw. Read-option would be right in his wheel house, especially with a pass-option.
Hell Nix looked pretty good running the ball Saturday. Why not do that more? He’s no Marshall but he’s pretty quick
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