Auburn’s offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, is an offensive guru. Need proof? Just ask any kool-aid slurping Auburn fan who still worships at his feet.

Poll any barn dweller and they would gladly shed Auburn Head Coach Gene Chizik before letting Malzahn go. In fact, when Camgate was still in session, one fan I had a conversation with said he hoped Chizik would take the fall for it and Malzahn would succeed him as head coach.

Malzahn’s fame grew to epic proportions as Auburn climbed the ranks in 2010. However, may I offer that Barney Fife…even Jim Fyffe…would’ve looked like an offensive genius with Cam Newton in his backfield?

The fact is, the last four games, Auburn, the offensive juggernaut that they are, has struggled to put more than 17 points on the board.

Wasn’t this the genius who could take Chris Todd and create a force to be reckoned with? That’s what so many Auburn fans…and Auburn posters here…have said.

But can I remind you that Todd’s team finished the regular season 7-5 in 2009? In fact, those Tigers were wins over Ball State and Furman away from repeating 2008’s mark of 5-7.

But that was so two years ago, right? Gus has it going now, doesn’t he? To quote the great Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.

I offer you this: Last week, against LSU in Baton Rouge, a place an offensive coordinator is supposed to make his money by keeping his team in games, Auburn managed just 248 yard of offense. But mind you, 106 of that came in the fourth quarter once the Bengal Tigers’ scout team was on the field.

Oh, and that powerful dipsy-doo, trickeroo offense? 10 points.

The week before Gus’ powerful machine managed just 278 yards against Florida…at home…against a team with no quarterback. Why does this matter? Short Florida possessions resulted in a tired Gator defense and yet the Tigers had to string together points like somebody trying to string together loose change to buy lunch. 17 points at home is impressive, ain’t it?

By comparison, Tennessee, in all their ineptness (new word), managed 279 against the Gators, in the Swamp. Anybody ready to call UT’s offensive coordinator a guru? Anybody even know who he is??

Against Arkansas the yard total was greater (395), but is a Gus Malzahn offense supposed to settle for just 2-touchdowns? Auburn fans should hope not; they were hammered by a team that got 38.

Auburn eclipsed the 300 yard mark again against South Carolina, but managed only 16 points.

But remember, the games I’ve just mentioned are in reverse order. Auburn’s production total is going backward, not forward.

So many times people have haphazzardly (and ignorantly in this writers’ opinion) mentioned Gus Malzahn as a solution for possible head coaching openings in the off season.

But do you really want a guy in charge of your program who wanted to turn a team with Felix Jones and Darren McFadden in the same backfield into a passing team?

Do you want a guy calling the shots who had Cam Newton in his backfield last year yet had to rally from behind no less than eight times in that dream season?

Do you want a guy as your head coach who uses oversized ex-president heads and pictures of other neat-o things to signal in plays?

Do you want a guy who, eight games into the season, is trying to find solutions to Auburn’s offensive woes with his third quarterback? Wasn’t Gus allowed to attend spring and summer practices? What took him so long? Confident Auburn fans?

And do you want a guy who has to count on trickeration to be successful?

In last Saturday’s game, CBS analyst Gary Danielson said it best.

“Gus Malzahn can’t continue to count on being able to ‘trick’ the LSU defense. At some point they’re going to have to line up and block somebody.”

Sorry Gary, but Auburn can’t. They don’t play big boy football in Lee County.

Instead they opt for junior league, flag football type shenanigans you’d see at your local little league park.

Which is why the Malzahn clan shouldn’t worry about moving companies or forwarding mail any time soon.

The only way the “Guru” is leaving the Plains is with a pink slip.


(Follow me on Twitter for capstonereport.com news, commentary and smack.)

25 thoughts on “Auburn’s Gus Malzahn not going anywhere anytime soon”

  1. haven’t you been listening to coach dye???

    malzahn did a better job in 2009 than he did last year!

    seriously, i thought he had some legitimate opportunities to vamoose.

    he chose to stay. yeah, he’s making big assistant money. but he could have been running his own show somewhere.

    a decision he may be regretting now.

  2. We’re talking about a guy here who, not too long ago, was making high school money.
    Now he’s making $1M+ a year.
    Kind’a like the rest of us hitting the lottery — every freakin’ year.
    Mal knows he ought to be good at AU as long as Chizik is there.
    Which ought to be good for another few.
    As long as Mal don’t turn into another Tony Frankin, put it in the bank, invest it wisely and screw AU when the bottom falls out.

  3. au’s o has been figured out since mid way 0 season – au going for 3 out of 4 losing records in the sec….losing almost every sec game since midseason of 09 without cam

  4. And let’s be honest if Carolina doesnt have their head in the sand that was an easy win, same with State an Utah St is still scratching their head.

    Enough of the excuses with the youth factor… this idiot has had his time in the sun with the gimmick offense that most are tired of looking at….he had 1 great player for a year and now he’s making over a mil, stupid auburn will never learn, sometimes over paying can come back to bite you.

    1. You’ll get another reminder in Jordan-Hare November 26th.

      Please stay till the end; we have a special song for you.

  5. ITK,

    Do you feel better about yourself now? LOL. Why don’t we consider a few facts. Last year’s team was largely comprised of seniors recruited by Tubs when he was still motivated. Of his following 2-3 classes, about 8 or so actually panned out. In other words, he left the cubbard bare. In 2009, AU had 75 total scholarship players and an injured, mildly talented QB, and Gus produced an offense that was competitive and set AU records. I think most would argue that this year’s squad is both younger and less experienced than the 2009 team. Almost everyone, including most of you guys, argued that AU was going to be terrible and would be lucky to win .500… because of depth and experience issues. Nobody predicted that AU would be this reap in the season with 5 wins and a real chance to win 8-9. I think AU has done excellent given the circumstances… But go ahead and keep writing your propaganda if it makes you feel better about yourself.

    1. No, the facts are not what you want, FYI.

      The facts are, without Cam, Gus’ O produces 7-5 football teams in the big leagues.

      Did in 2009. Will this year.

      Don’t choke on the facts brother.

  6. This guy is an idiot. I am glad that you are prepared to discredit Gus based on his last 4 games of offense. 4 games in which Auburn played 3 top 10 opponents with a young, injury riddled offense, and has come out 2-2. Since Gus has coached at the college level that his offense has not been ranked in the top 10 nationally. Arkansas, Tulsa, Auburn to this season have all been top 10 offenses at the end of the season.

    Someone needs to educate themselves on some football history before they decided judge a coordinator on 4 games.

    1. Oh wait, I forgot Ben…you want me to lump in his games against Florida Atlantic and Utah State, right? Gee, wonder why??

  7. Your right, Gus’s success is because of Cam Newton. It had nothing to do with 36 seniors, an offensive line that combined had over 150 + starts or an all SEC back and ALL SEC receiver.

    Bama fans crack me up. They just can’t stand that in the last decade their program has been in the Shadow of Auburn’s.

    What is better than beating your rival? Spotting them 24 points and still beating them… in their house!

    1. And with all those seniors and blah, blah, blah, you didn’t come close to what Bama did in 2009 or in 2011….or most of 2008 for that matter.

      Bama is killing teams; blowing them out. The closest win is 16 points.

      Auburn WITH Cam and all those seniors and blah, blah, blah had to eek through the season, barely beating the likes of Clemson, South Carolina, and yes, EVEN KENTUCKY!!!! How’d that last second field goal make you feel? They had to come from behind EIGHT TIMES, and most of their tough games were at HOME!!!! LOL

      Some years a team wins the BCSNCG by default, because there just weren’t any really good teams that year. That’s exactly what happened in 2010, and you know it. (But shhhhhh! Don’t tell anybody!)

    2. Auburns record 2001 to present: 97-38
      Bamas record 2001 to present: 94-43

      Auburn has a 3 game edge in the past decade. Bama will take the lead after this season for the decade. Hardly in the shadow. But Auburn has been in the shadow of Bama for 100+ years. Nothing is going to turn that around anytime soon.

  8. In the shadow of AU the last decade? HMM, I guess you are referring to the past under MIKEY SHULA? I thought only Bammers lived in the past?

  9. Remember the Aubs like to pick and choose time periods in which it makes them look relevant.

    Remember, football didn’t start with them till 1982. Bama’s been playing ball from the 1890’s till now.

    That is only one difference between a tradition rich school and one of those other schools like Auburn. Bama doesn’t have to cherry pick time periods.

  10. And Brando, remember that’s with a loss of 21 scholarships in t-town and turmoil that only Hollywood could write. And still that’s the only gap they can muster. Beautiful.

    1. I know, right? During Bamas worst period in their history, and that was the best they could do. Can we just cherry pick the past 5 years, and see what the record is? Or what about the last 3 years, where Bama won 2 out of 3 Iron Bowls?

      The only fair way to look at it is look at the full body of work, over all-time. And Auburn doesn’t come close at all when you look at the whole record. A big part of Bama is history and tradition, and living up to it. Auburn has no history or tradition that is comparable, so of course they want a handicap to make thing seem more even.

  11. All I know about allbarn’s proud? traditions is that they named their stadium after a coach that cheated and still never won a major bowl. Then they named the field after another cheater. But I guess all that is to be expected from a school that leads the SEC in cheating.

    BTW, that cheating coach that they named their stadium after only had 1, yeah, ONE championship season in TWENTY FIVE YEARS. A record like that would have gotten his arse fired in T-Town.

  12. I never have been a Gus fan myself. Hes got a ugly name to boot. I dont have anything against the man but, I wouldnt care is the man left. Chiz needs to do whatever it takes to keep his own job safe and that is replacing assts as needed unlike dumbarse tubs. Gus cannot handle a head coaching job and all it entails. Hes all but admitted that. Chiz is very very good at running our program and very good in front of the mic and cute to boot. Hope he stays forever. We had way better OCs before Gussy got there and we will get better again. BTW I see bammer trash still sitting on there nasty ass collecting that welfare check. You idiots need to get off yo big fat asses and get to work asap. lol ….Go Tigers War Eagle…..woooooweee. lol

  13. Utah St. 42-38
    Miss St. 41-34
    Clemson 24-38
    Fla Atl 30-14
    SC 16-13
    Ark 14-38
    Fla 17-6
    LSU 10-45

    5-3

    Change a few plays in the Utah St., Miss St., and SC games and they would be 2-6.

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