Following a loss to No. 9 Florida, Auburn had the opportunity to take a week off from game preparations. The team had its first bye week of the season, and attention was turned back to the fundamentals.
“Really, our focus has been the things that we need to correct," head coach Gus Malzahn said. "We slowed down and worked on the basics.”
Malzahn believes that having a full week to progress has been beneficial to his true freshman quarterback Bo Nix, comparing Nix’s preseason knowledge to his current state at the halfway point.
“We know a lot about him...We had an off week, so we're in a different spot. He's not the same true freshman he was that very first game of the year where we're learning," Malzahn said.
The head coach mentioned that, with two weeks of rest, the Tigers have had the chance to physically heal and mentally reset.
“Bottom line is you heal up," Malzahn said. "You can be a little fresher mentally, whether it’s from a coach’s standpoint or a player’s standpoint. Anytime you get extra time to prepare for an opponent it’s a huge advantage."
The Tigers look to improve to 6-1 on the season this weekend in Fayetteville. A win would improve Malzahn’s record following a bye week to 9-0 while at Auburn.
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