Gus Malzahn transcript
Opening statement…
"Excited to get back playing games. We're going to go to Arkansas, an SEC road game. We're talking about a team where the last two games they had really good opportunities to win. They're playing extremely hard. I think that is a tribute to their coaching staff. We're expecting to get their best.
"Offensively, they have some young playmakers that can really do some things with the ball once they get it in their hands. Defensively, they flat got after us last year, I think 225 yards, less than 100 yards rushing. Their special teams and defense played really good; they've got a lot of those guys back. Their defensive coordinator is one of the best in the business. Kamren Curl, defensive back, is leading them in tackles, a very good player, he was there last year. De'Jon Harris played very well against us last year. McTelvin Agim is one of the best defensive lineman in our league. So, they definitely have our attention.
"Our guys -- we had a solid practice Sunday. Today will be a base-down practice. I expect our guys to be ready. Really, our focus has been the things we need to correct. We need to keep improving, to correct the mistakes we've made in the first half, so that's our focus. Like I said, we're going on the road in the SEC, and we look forward to playing Arkansas."
On D.J. Williams and the running back situation…
"He is going to get the opportunity to touch the ball. I think he has earned that and is healthy now, but we also have the other guys we are taking with us that will touch the ball, too."
Importance of creating explosive plays…
"It is very important. Whether it is running plays or passing plays, we have to create explosive plays. When we do that, we are a good offense. When we don't, we are average. The emphasis is not just for the running or passing game, but however you can get them. Hopefully that will continue. We did a solid job of that up until our last game, and we need to get back to explosive plays."
Have you gotten back to playing fast?
"I think we have. I don't want to say it completely simplifies things, but a lot of times when you play fast, you are able to have snaps, plays and have options and everything that goes with that. We really worked hard on getting back to the basics. A lot of times in off-weeks that is what you do as a staff, but we worked extremely hard to do that and it goes back to explosive plays, too. When you have explosive plays, you are able to play fast and get some pace and get some first downs and then some. We really tried to go back to basics and are hoping it will carry over to equal out to playing fast and having explosive plays."
Is there a plan to use Anthony Schwartz more?
"Any time you've got a playmaker like him, especially when you have an off-week, you have more ways to get your playmakers involved. We have other playmakers, too; it wasn't just him. We've got to give certain guys certain chances, and that was part of the evaluation over the off-week. But Schwartz is a dynamic guy with the ball in his hands. We need to figure out ways, and we talked about that last week, too, but we'll have a good plan moving forward, not just for him, but our guys that are capable of making explosive plays."
What did the offensive line focus on last week?
"Back to basics with them, too. From my standpoint, what are we good at? What are we average at? Let's do the things we're good at, let's try to not do the things we're average at. There's a little bit of both, but it really comes down to execution and just basic football 101. We really tried to go back to that, not just up front, but in all areas, and a lot of times when you do that you slow down and you really start to improve. Like I said before, when you're in the heat of everything, you've got a game and a game and a game -- you start having to scheme up and work on the different pressures and their different looks. Well, when you have an off-week you can work on you, and that's really what we did -- just slowed down and worked on the basics -- and I really look for that group to improve. We need to continue to stay healthy; we've been pretty fortunate up to this point minus a game or two. If that group stays healthy, I expect them to improve."
Evaluating Bo Nix at mid-season…
"There are things that he feels comfortable with and you get on the practice field and there are things he can execute at a high level, that's what you call. Things that maybe we need a little bit more time, we don't call it. So, it's really as simple as that -- what he feels comfortable with. We have worked hard on that last week and we will continue that this week. He feels more comfortable with a lot more things than he did the first game, but now we're halfway through our season and we had an off-week so we are in a different spot. He is not the same true freshman that he was the very first game the beginning of the year where we are learning. Now he knows about our offense and we have a plan moving forward the second half of the season."
On Shaun Shivers…
"He's an effective tailback; we just have to give him opportunities in space. He runs between the tackles well, too. Without Whitlow now, he is going to get more opportunities, but we are really high on him and I think he is capable of making explosive plays. I think it's a little bit of a lot of things, what he does well, trying to get him in some one-on-one situations."
Development of the secondary…
"I think first of all we've been tackling well and we need to continue to do that. We've been tackling well in space, and I think our guys coverage-wise have done a solid job against good receivers. They have some very good young receivers. They have a tight end that's one of the best in our league, too, so they have some weapons. We're going to have to do a good job at disrupting them and affecting the quarterback, which I think we've done a pretty solid job at affecting the quarterback this first half of the season."
On T.D. Moultry…
"I think he is getting healthier and with that you gain more confidence and then you go out there and make a play, that helps you. I'm really hoping that will carry over."
Evaluation of the special teams…
"I think they are improving. As we have gotten healthier and got our gunners and things like that all lined out, we've done a lot better job of coverage kicks. Earlier in the year, we didn't do that very well. We've done that the last three to four games. I feel like we are in good hands. We've talked about the punts, we've got to catch the punts in the air -- that's really been a focus. Noah (Igbinoghene) can be given more chances; he's a dynamic guy. So I think we are in a good spot as long as we stay healthy."
Has there been a focus on throwing over the middle more often this season?
"Yeah, I think it was a focus, but at the same time, it's what our quarterback feels comfortable with, too, and he feels comfortable with that. I think you will see that trend continue in the second half of the season."
His confidence in the running game…
"First of all, you've got to be real. We're not going to Arkansas with one of the best tailbacks in our league -- that's the reality of the thing. But we do have confidence in our other guys, and we've got confidence in our offensive line. What we've been talking about is opportunity; we've got some guys that have opportunities. We'll see how they fare. Kam Martin, we know a lot about him. Kam Martin's played in a lot of big games and played well. (Shaun) Shivers is a guy that we just talked about; he's capable of making some plays. D.J. Williams, we talked about him, that this will be really his first time in prime time to see what he can do. But in the spring, he performed very well. Harold Joiner, he'll have a role and he has played, specifically in the Texas A&M game, and did a solid job. Then Malik Miller's kind of our specialized guy. So, we're carrying that group as a group. We'll see how they do. But I'd be kidding myself to say Boobee Whitlow not going with us is not a big blow. But we have opportunities for those other guys to show what they can do."
On evaluating D.J. Williams last year…
"It was the middle of the season last year and somebody showed me his highlight film. It took about five plays to figure out that guy is a real player. Then about everyone in the country offered him after that. He's got the skill set and, in the spring, he confirmed that. He got hurt with the shoulder surgery in the spring and then he had a groin issue earlier or else I think he'd be in a better spot going into his first real opportunity. We've got confidence in him, and he's a talented young man."
On the value Malik Miller brings to the team...
"Malik is a smart, veteran guy. He's played a lot of football including the SEC Championship. Malik and Kam Martin are veteran guys; they've been there and done it. You can count on them and trust them. Both of those guys will be factors for us moving forward."
Any reason he has an 8-0 record at Auburn after bye week?
"It's really just focusing on what we do. It also gives you extra time to prepare for the opponent. Any time you have extra time to prepare for the opponent, it's a huge advantage. It was good -- (Arkansas) does some different things defensively and they do a lot of different things offensively. They run a lot of different plays. I'd say the bye week has been good for us. You also heal up. You can be fresher mentally whether it's from a coaches' and players' standpoint. We just have to play good football. Arkansas is a hungry team. They've been close -- they could have beaten Texas A&M and they could have beaten Kentucky. They are still holding it together, and that's a tribute to their staff and Coach (Chad) Morris. Some teams in our league lose a game or two and they think the sky is falling. They've hung in there. We expect to get their best, and we have to play good football. It's one game at a time, like we've been saying. That's what it is, play one game at a time and play good football."
On the team's mindset after the loss…
"It's been good. Here, even when everyone was patting us on the back, we didn't buy into all of that. You wait until the end of the season, then you'll figure everything out. We were disappointed in our loss, but in the big picture, we aren't buying into what everybody is saying. We are going to look at it one game at a time and then see what happens at the end of the year. That's our approach and we will continue to do that."
On if his friendship with Chad Morris changes anything going into this week…
"We've coached against each other. I have a lot of respect for him. He's an outstanding coach and an outstanding person. This week we really won't talk until we get to the game. I root for him every game but this one, and I think he does the same. I'm proud of him wherever he coaches. We are two high school coaches coaching in the SEC. I've always been proud of him."