Fresh off of the first day of classes, the Auburn football team apparently used up all their effort in school, as coach Gus Malzahn was “not real pleased” with the way Monday’s practice went.
“Offensively we didn’t come out there and get it done like we expect them to get it done,” Malzahn said. “They’ve got to come out there with a better frame of mind. The good thing is we’ll go back at it tomorrow and they’ll have a chance to redeem themselves.”
But with lows such as this, Malzahn reiterated that the opportunity for leadership has presented itself.
“You got to turn to your leaders,” Malzahn said. “Your leaders are the ones that have to rally them back, to get them back tomorrow.”
Despite Monday’s disappointment, the coaching staff found a good amount of positives to take away from Saturday’s scrimmage in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“We found out some good information from our scrimmage,” Malzahn said. “Got some good information especially on special teams; found some young guys that can help us, and a some of the guys that didn’t get a chance to play as much last year—a few of those guys can help too.”
Malzahn stressed the importance of having a lot of depth across the board, and he also noted the lack of serious injuries, which he was thankful for.
“It’s been a blessing,” Malzahn said. “This time of year, that’s every head coach’s fear [that someone suffers a serious injury], because you’ve still got to get work done; you’ve got to get your team prepared, and we’ve been pretty fortunate so far.”
The team has had its share of minor scrapes and bruises, however, including star receiver Duke Williams, who was removed from Saturday’s scrimmage with a minor ankle injury. Williams, who status Malzahn said was now “fine”, returned to practice Monday.
Now only two and a half weeks until Auburn kicks off the season in the Georgia Dome against Louisville, the coaching staff will begin implementing the gameplan for the Cardinals later this week.
Despite it all, Malzahn still feels good about where his Tigers are at, and feels confident heading into his third year at the helm.
“I really like our team,” Malzahn said. “I like our overall attitude. We’ve got some leaders on this team that are an extension of the coaches that have been in some big games, that can contribute and win championships.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
