Gus Malzahn Press Conference Quote Roundup: Clemson Week
By Brian Stultz
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn met with the media on Tuesday leading up to the season opener against Clemson on Saturday. Here are some quotes of note.
On Clemson’s offense
“We are playing one of the best teams in the country. They played for the national championship last year and almost won it. They have a lot of experience back. Starting with their offense, there are some similarities between what we do and what they do. Their quarterback is one of the best players in college football, if not the best player. He does a very good job of managing games and he does a very good job of extending plays when things break down. When they choose to run him, he is a definite threat. Their skill players are experienced and talented. The receivers are all very talented and can run with the ball after the catch. I am very impressed with their running back as well. I know that a lot of times he can get overlooked, but he is an excellent running back and they have a very good running game that can go along with their pass game.”
On Clemson’s defense
“Defensively, Coach (Brent) Venables is one of the best in the business and has been around a long time. He does a very good job of taking away what the offense does best. I am very impressed with Clemson’s linebacker Ben Boulware. He does a very good job of getting everyone lined up and you can tell that he is their leader. I love the way he plays. Clemson has a lot of experience back on offense and defense.”
On length of Stephen Roberts’ suspension
“It is going to be week to week. We will see what happens and how he responds.”
On Carl Lawson
“I know what he can do. He is healthier than he has ever been. He is an impact player so we expect him to play well and I know he expects himself to play well, too. He is in a good spot.”
On being more hands on this season
“After the season, you sit back and try to evaluate everything—evaluate what you can do better. I went back to my comfort zone of trying to be more hands on in practice and meetings and everything that goes with that. That has been my approach since spring and being more hands on doesn’t mean that I don’t have great confidence in our offensive coaches which I do—I’ve said that before–, but that’s what I enjoy doing.”
On Marlon Davidson
“He had a very good spring. He got here early, and any time a freshman gets here early, they have a chance to show us what they can do. He made an immediate in the spring that has carried over in fall camp. He has an opportunity to start as a true freshman which is rare.”
On freshman receivers
“Like I said about the freshman receivers, they are who we thought they were. They’re every bit of who we thought they were. It’s just going to be a matter of how quick they can get comfortable and confident. We’re going to play them. They’re going to be out there for the first game. The future at wide receiver is very exciting. Once those guys do get comfortable, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
On Sean White
“Obviously, the experience factor is big. He knows how to prepare. He knows what to expect. I think, from a coach’s standpoint, we know what to expect out of him. I think there’s just more comfort compared to last year. Last year, we were learning about him each game as we went. He was learning about this league and himself. Then he went through the injuries. In fairness to him, he wasn’t healthy for the rest of the year. He’s healthy now. It’s just a completely different feel, from a comfort standpoint, of going into the game. First games are always about adjustments. You’ve got the whole offseason to develop a plan in all three phases. Usually after the first quarter, you have a good idea. You have to be able to adjust to win first games. Having an experienced guy like him will definitely help.”