Gus Malzahn Will Try to Win Without Dual-Threat QB

I made my feelings known more than once as to how I felt about the Auburn quarterback race before Gus Malzahn announced on Friday that Sean White had won the job.

To keep it simple:

"Malzahn is a magician with a dual-threat quarterback, a top-five play-caller in the college game when he has one capable of running his offense. Without one, his wizardry drops off a precipitous cliff against SEC defenses (and no stats from his Tulsa offenses will change this fact)."

And:

"And I can’t help, with all of the smoke signaling that White is soon to be named the starter, but to again envision (SEC) defensive coordinators, again calling each other and saying, “Thank the football gods! Gus is without a dual-threat at quarterback yet again! What have we done to deserve this charity!?”"

It’s much closer to kickoff now . . . but I still feel that way.

More from Fly War Eagle

To be clear: I have a lot of respect for White, his ability, and all that he, even before making his way to The Plains, accomplished.

This is a kid who, three years ago, was considered a mid-range recruit until he notched top honors at the Elite 11, over the likes of even 2015 Heisman finalist and 2016 Heisman favorite Deshaun Watson. After the event, Trent Dilfer said this:

“His accurate isn’t just accurate. It’s exact. It’s an NFL type of ball. I’m stealing this from Steve Young, but he has an artistic ball. He paints a picture with his ball.”

Then there was his Under Armour All-American Game MVP performance. In leading his team to victory, all he did on one of high school football’s biggest and most talented stages is go 10-for-12 for 156 yards with two touchdown tosses.

And, finally, he stepped in last season, much earlier than he could have anticipated, and performed admirably as a redshirt freshman when healthy.

So, again, my concerns have literally nothing to do with White.

My unease remains because until I see Malzahn field a dynamic, consistent offense with a pocket-passer in the SEC, I won’t believe he can do it.

There have been too many puzzling possessions comprised of too many wasted, predictable plays.

I am not speaking from the position of believing I’m a know-it-all or even a close-to-know-it-all. I state unequivocally that Malzahn could — and very well might — prove me wrong this very season. And I wholeheartedly hope he does.

I just wouldn’t bet on it.

Instead, I see college football’s best play-caller with a dual-threat quarterback leading the offense, for the second consecutive year, somehow without a dual-threat quarterback.

Malzahn has made it known that he will be more involved in the offense this season, leading many to give him — or at least his reputation — a semi-pass on last season’s offensive issues. But, as he is vehement that this will once again be his offense, that reprieve won’t be issued again.

Malzahn’s reputation as a head football coach and offensive wizard will be at stake in 2016 and all Auburn fans are left to hope that he hasn’t permanently misplaced his wand.

Next: 2016 Auburn Football Season Preview Guide

Should Malzahn recapture the magic, that would serve as the rudest of awakenings for the quietly celebrating defensive coordinators of the SEC.

Home/Auburn Football