Gus Malzahn transcript
Opening statement…
"We're looking forward to going to Ole Miss and playing those guys on the road. Both teams are coming off tough road losses. When you look at them, they're a better team than their record. They could've won a couple of those games and had opportunities. When you look at their offense, they have one of the best offenses, statistically up to this point. They've played some good defenses, too. What stands out to me is that they're able to run the football. They're able to throw it. You look at their quarterback who has thrown 11 touchdowns, their leading receiver, we're really impressed with him, and then of course their running back, [Jerrion] Ealy, we know all about him; he's a very explosive guy. Then their defense -- they've played some of the best offenses. We know we have our work cut out for us. Any time in this league, there is such a fine line between winning and losing especially when you go on the road. Of course, you look at us last week, we improved in some areas. Bottom line, we made critical mistakes that didn't let us win the game. That's what we've got to correct. And really just getting back to playing good, hard-nosed, blue-collar, physical Auburn football. That's really my mindset right now. Our offensive and defensive lines did improve, but we have to keep going. We've got to keep getting better up front, and I really believe we'll do that. So, I'm looking forward to going to Ole Miss. Like I said before, our goal is to improve each week. We have the ability to do that."
On the response he has seen from Bo Nix this week…
"We had practice Sunday, and I think overall, not just him, but our whole team is disappointed that we didn't win the game. Now we have to do something about it. We have to keep improving and put that behind us. So really that was the mindset Sunday after we watched film and had a short practice. Obviously, today is our main preparation for game week. Today, tomorrow and Thursday."
Addressing the frustrations of players in the passing game…
"I said this the other night, obviously they're very passionate and emotional guys who want to win. We just have to channel that in a better way moving forward, and we will. As far as the passing game goes, I do think we are doing some good things. We talk about balance. What stood out to me the last two weeks is that we rushed for 200 yards. That's really a plus. That's that hard-nose mentality that I was talking about earlier. It's something that we can build upon. When you're playing good teams, you have to be able to do both. We will continue to strive to get better."
What have you done differently traveling with COVID concerns?
"We're handling ourselves the way we have been handling ourselves. So far, so good, for five or six weeks straight. We have to continue to have the COVID etiquette and be responsible. Our guys have done that. Hopefully, we'll continue to do that."
Has Tank Bigsby surprised you thus far?
"Just how physical he is running. He looks like an Auburn running back to me. He's running with great passion and that's a good thing. It fits, too. He's been able to run the ball effectively. He's broken tackles. Our offensive line really took that next step with running the football. We just need to keep building upon those things."
Do you have an update from the COVID-19 testing on Sunday?
"We were all negative. I will keep you updated if we end up with anything different."
Update on health of Jaylin Simpson and Marco Domio…
"Jaylin played some; he made it through. I think Domio is healthier. I think this is a big week for both of them to get back on the practice field. We can have those two guys to give us more depth, and that's a good thing. We will see how this week goes at practice."
Status of Marquis Burks…
"He was sick last week."
What's the potential of the run game with the return of Shaun Shivers?
"I'm glad you brought that up. Shaun Shivers is one of our team leaders. You talk about a guy who had a phenomenal fall camp and had a really good half against Kentucky and then got hurt. So that will definitely help when he gets back. The fact that our five offensive linemen -- like I said the other night, they've practiced for the first time, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that same week, all five and all in the same position -- then they go out there and take the next step forward. We can build on that. That's very encouraging."
Does the Ole Miss offense have similarities to what Lane Kiffin did at Alabama?
"I think it's been a while, but there are some similarities. Obviously, what really stands out to me is that they're very balanced. They've been good at both. That's really the thing that stands out. They're not just one of the best offenses statistically, but they're good at running the football and throwing the football. That's the biggest challenge that you have when you defend someone that can do both well."
On D.J. Williams stepping up…
"I'm glad you asked about him, too. D.J. is a guy that had a shoulder in fall camp. Then he has a toe right after that that's kind of kept him from being 100 percent really. I think he was closer Saturday. He had a good week of practice. He's a veteran guy that has been in the heat of the battle in some big games. To have all three of those guys -- and I want to say Mark-Anthony Richards, I think he had probably his best of practice that he's had since he's been here. He battled some injuries early, too. So I think we're starting to get healthier in the running back room."
Finding an identity in the running game…
"I don't know if 'hunting' would be the right word to use. A lot of times when you're evaluating your offensive line, when you have guys out all the time -- once they stick together, you can start figuring out their strengths. Zone, gap, a little bit of outside zone, too. I think you'll see the whole thing kind of come together as the year moves forward."
On the improvement on the offensive line…
"I've said it before, I think it's just the fact that all five worked together that week. It's so important up front. The guy beside you -- defenses do all kinds of different things -- but you communicate and make calls and actually get some continuity. There's nothing like actual game time in the heat of the battle. You can't simulate that in practice. It's making adjustments as you go, communicating, understanding, working together on double teams, working together on twists when you pass it off. Just that communication. That's encouraging as far as moving forward."
Are you settled on the starting five on the offensive line?
"Austin (Troxell) is a big-time player. He had that injury two weeks ago that kind of put him back. He's still a guy that we have a lot of confidence in that's ready to go when needed. I think that's more of a positive as far as depth goes and all of that. That's probably the best way to answer that."
Can Troxell back up both tackle positions?
"Austin's a veteran guy. He can play both tackles. He's played guard before in big games. He's a guy you can move around, but specifically at tackle. Like I said, he's battled a couple injuries so far, but he's back, too. All of the other guys are back. I don't think we have any limitation in practice, so that's very encouraging."
On the health of the defensive line…
"Zykevious (Walker) and Dre (Butler) both were a little bit banged up in practice last week. I think they're getting healthier. As far as (Jay) Hardy's concerned, he still has an ankle issue. I don't know when he's going to be back, but he's working hard to do that. That's where we're at. The veteran guys (Daquan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell), they're battling. They are playing a lot of snaps, but hopefully we can get to a point where some of those other guys can get ready to fill in when needed."
What have you seen with the defense giving up 3rd-and-longs?
"You know the thing that really stood out to me was the penalties. I mean we let them off the hook a couple times with the penalties. The other stuff -- our guys put pressure on the quarterback and things like that -- but you can't beat yourself, and that's really the focus moving forward."
How much will a healthy Jaylin Simpson and Marco Domio help?
"Oh yeah, Jaylin and Marco both have real good skill sets and both of them are real solid cover guys. That does nothing but help, and we've been a little bit thin the last couple weeks. Getting those two guys back would help us."
Coming off of a tough loss, is this a must win game?
"It's a very important game. I'll tell you that. Obviously when you lose a game, you have to bounce back. So yeah, it's a very important game. Our guys understand that. The big picture of this thing is we need to win, get some momentum, and we need to play good Auburn football and that will be our mindset. Like I said earlier, you're playing a team that's better than the record. They've shown they've almost beat some really good teams. Our focus is to get better, find a way to get a victory and come back and get momentum. That's what's on our mind."
On Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah…
"He's one of the leaders in production at tight end. You're talking about a guy that can run, make plays, and I think they've done a good job figuring out ways to get the ball to him, too. We'll definitely need to be aware and know where he's at."
Have you talked offensive philosophy with Lane Kiffin?
"We've not talked any football in the past. I've got respect for him as a coach, there's no doubt about that. But we use different styles and we're from different families, so we've not talked about that."
Was playing more than 80 snaps last week too much of a load on Bo Nix?
"He competed like crazy, I do know that. He fought, had 15 rushes and throwing. Each game is a little bit different, but being able to run the football and be balanced, that's really what we're going to focus on. That will help everything. He competed his tail off, and I thought he made some big-time runs, ran physical, and made some scramble plays that helped us on third down, too."
Impact of K.J. Britt being out…
"First of all, K.J. Britt is our team leader. How do you make up for that? That's a tough blow, but at the same time you've got Owen (Pappoe), you've got Zakoby (McClain), and they're taking that next step. The great thing is that K.J. is still around and he's still doing a great job of being a leader. He did that Sunday night. We'll get him back before the end of the year so that's a positive, too. He's not only a great player but a great leader. That was a blow, but we knew there was going to be adversity in this unusual season. Some of it we've dealt with, but he's still there with us to help his teammates."