Gus Bus runs into the ditch: Auburn fans mad at Malzahn following poor Iron Bowl showing
As Alabama built a big lead in the Iron Bowl, the well-known drumbeat to fire Auburn coach Gus Malzahn cranked up one more time.
Many fans had moved on from the 2019 win for Auburn, and instead focused on the lackluster offense led by Bo Nix, which struggled to find any traction against the Crimson Tide. Even though Malzahn is one of just two active coaches to have three wins over Nick Saban-coached Alabama, the lopsided loss on Saturday boiled over the War Eagle frustrations.
By the time Auburn made it 42-13 late in the game, Nix was 22-for-36 passing for 220 yards and two interceptions. The Crimson Tide had 3 sacks and 8 tackles for a loss as they built a 21-3 lead by halftime.
Here is a sampling of some of the frustration from the Auburn fan base:
If Gus Malzahn is not fired after this game, then when he does eventually go, a lot of people in the athletics department better go too. This program is a laughing stock because of him. The problems on this team are on his shoulders. Recruiting, gameplay, like this 7 years in???
— Ben DeWitt (@justdoit19934) November 28, 2020
We paid Gus Malzahn $49 million for 7 years in 2017 to keep him from going to ARKANSAS.
He’s sending out the field goal unit while Alabama puts up touchdown after touchdown.
We deserve this. We can also end this.
It’s time for a change.
— Zack Webster (@zweb95) November 28, 2020
Gus Malzahn robbed Auburn University and won’t ever have to pay any consequences. It’s so disgusting I can’t fathom it
— caleb walker⚡️ (@Caleb12304Caleb) November 28, 2020
Iron Bowl in the third quarter: Alabama 35, Auburn 6
Meanwhile in 2032: U.S. Sen. Gus Malzahn (R-Auburn)
— Jeff Poor (@jeff_poor) November 28, 2020
Auburn’s offensive looks terrible under Chad Morris.
Not just today against Bama, they’ve been up and down all year.
Gus Malzahn is a great play-caller, how can he let somebody else drive his car into the ditch? #WarEagle x #SECFB
— Andrea Katherine (@stl_blonde) November 28, 2020
GUS MALZAHN IS AN OFFENSIVE GENIUS
-Barn, after Iron Bowl 2k19— Katniss of Tarth (@Kats820) November 28, 2020
Can we fire Gus Malzahn now? If Bama can run the score up enough for that to happen, I’d love nothing more end this terrible 2020 year
— Will Griggs (@WillTheThrill24) November 28, 2020
Pete Golding has whipped Gus Malzahn’s ass today. #RollTide
— Richard Houston (@HoustonRichard) November 28, 2020
Oh look it’s Gus Malzahn not developing his five star quarterbacks again, whoops.
— Cade (@CadeConville04) November 28, 2020
Firing Gus Malzahn would redeem 2020. #FireGusMalzahn
— Cole Muzio (@ColeMuzio) November 28, 2020
@AGreeneIV this is unacceptable. Please find our great university another leader that can develop talent, and recruit better. Gus Malzahn is a great person, but that don’t win you games. Getting beat down like this is 100% unacceptable
— John Bergin (@Bergin256) November 28, 2020
Will this be the game that finally rids us of Gus Malzahn and Bo Nix? I can only dream.
— Melissa Cain (@_melissaalyse) November 28, 2020
Step 1: Fire Gus Malzahn
Step 2: Replace Bo Nix— Smooth (@Kyng_Symba) November 28, 2020
Me enjoying my post loss extra leg room on the Gus Bus. #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/QkFe5fM7nD
— Kyle Loomis (@TygerEye24) November 28, 2020
Live depiction of the #gusbus pic.twitter.com/vluybw50yI
— Kara Silvers (@klsilvers) November 28, 2020
Looks like the Gus Bus ran out of gas in Tuscaloosa. Lol. #Blowout #RollTide #IronBowl2020 🐘
— T.M. Robinson-Mosley, Ph.D. (@Doctor_Mosley) November 28, 2020
42-13….Any questions?
no you guys do rule AU this year by a mile. Hve no idea whether you will rule the Gators but you might. Hats off to Bama we have got to change something at AU things are not trending very well.
That something you need to change is Gus. All of us Bama fans have many good friends who are suffering right now. Auburn should have no problem hiring a quality coach. They are able to recruit well, and sit right across the state lines of two of the states with the best high school players. Gus simply can’t coach up his players. His offense looks like sandlot football.
Chad Morris offense looks like something you would see from a mediocre high-school coach.
^^^ he’s right you know
Have you watched Kentucky?
I call and raise you Tennessee.
That’s what he and Gus are.
It wasn’t good play calling. Honestly. Just looked like it did against Georgia.
Bo is the only guy out there with heart. Hats off to tank also. A whole lot of pathetic football out there from guys who needed to step up like Seth Williams. Everyone on our team likes to talk can’t even stay competitive in these big games. Poor coaching poor leadership
Obviously bo has had a rough year. On one hand we have a brand new offense, lots of injuries, covid, etc. On the other hand he is making so many rookie mistakes. Why is he not moving up in the pocket and getting what he can get? You can’t try to outrun and juke and lob passes bama’s dozen d-Line player rotation 5 yards behind the line when you have an o-line made up of high schoolers essentially. I’m not trying to armchair coach but what the hell?
Anyways a lot of Shelton state Bammers are happy right now. Looks like a championship year time I wonder how Walmart will display the trophy with covid social distancing
So much salt in those tears.
Bo Nix did play hard, and I didn’t see any finger-pointing by him in this game, even though he had real cause to do so. Chad Morris was supposed to be an offensive genius, at least until the last two years. But it sure looked a lot like the same game plan that Auburn trotted out about 5 years ago with Jeremy Johnson to me.
I’ve been to Auburn. Y’all have a Walmart also. You should go tomorrow since all the Auburn gear will be in the bargain bin.
I think Seth Williams dropped that shoulda been touchdown pass because he was so shocked Nix actually put one in his hands. You could see Williams’ frustration with Nix after every overthrown pass before the dropped on that shoulda gone for six.
Plenty of empty seats at the Waffle House after the game. Amazingly, after mentioning two of your players that never gave up, you had to whine and cry about Bama. I know and respect some goos Auburn fans. You are not one of them. Merry Christmas.
With the Walton family’s ties to Arkansas, ours is the only trophy you’d see in a Walmart. That’s also why you’ve never seen a trophy in a Walmart.
I watched Bo being interviewed after the game. He looked shell shocked! I’m not saying the Bama D caused it. I’m saying the Bama D AND Chad Morris’ playcalling caused it.
Good win by Alabama, we got dominated. Mac is special and so is Smith. Looking forward to the SEC championship game, best of luck going forward.
Screw that. It’ll be a cold day in Hades before I wish anything well to them. They beat the hell out of us and I’ll give em that but that’s as far as it goes. Hope the they get embarrassed by LSU and UF. WDE and let’s go get a coach with fire in his belly.
Some class Auburn fans here. Some typical barn scumbags. Embarrassed by LSU is a good laugh. Have you forgotten how bad they are this season?
id you take time away from kicking the sh#$ out of your wife-cousin to address the AU nation? How sweet..
AUforever: as opposed to your sister-wife. Moo
Anyone playing LSU should have done so early in the year. They are playing much better now so no, I would expect LSU/Auburn to be interesting. A&M had one offensive TD on their home field. I think MSU and Missouri should be thankful for getting em early on.
Bama fans. Just as arrogant and rude as their head coach.
@golfmanfl – I respect that sentiment. That is the spite and petty hatred that makes the Iron Bowl worthy of a rivalry game. And that makes this win that much more special.
Enjoy watching us in the CFP
we will enjoy watching you lose like in 2014 2016 etc
How’d Auburn do in its non-Playoff bowl games those seasons?
I don’t believe Bama’s getting embarrassed by anyone this year
I used to be like you, golfmanfl. Trust me, it makes the losses a lot harder.
LSU isnt going to embarass anyone even though they are playing much better. They beat Arkansas but didnt embarass em. Florida will not do the job either.
Amen! I read a few classy victor posts but then the usual bama inbreds took over. Lightning will strike one day soon and return the turds to the stone age. It happened after da Bear it will happen again.
I agree if you watched this series since 80s both teams have ups and downs it will turn again.
What makes it worse is to AU fans that turn on the players and coachs not the Bammers absurd ridicule.
AUforever….like last year, there were some classy victory posts from some of the Barn fans, and then the usual Barn inbreds took over. You see how that works? Gonna be that way every time we play. You should try and find a better coach and stop wallowing in your jealousy of Bama.
I think it’s hilarious that some or all of the biggest Bama fans are the straight-up rednecks – which is fine, takes all kinds. But it’s those same people that call us “Barners” like it’s embarrassing to have a school in rural Alabama. We all love the South, until it’s time to make fun of Auburn, and then suddenly every Bama fan is some privileged grad of a “city” school and we’re just a bunch of poor hicks on the other side of the state. Give me a break.
One of these days, Saban will leave. Of course, college football will be utterly ruined by then – like it nearly is now with four schools having a legitimate shot at the playoff everyday. Can’t wait to watch Bama-Clemson for the 846th time. *yawn*
This from a guy who probably STILL hasn’t admitted that the KY runner was over the goal line, hasn’t admitted that Bo spiked the ball backwards, and says that Shaun Shivers finger didn’t touch the punt. But, please, Auburn, yes Malzahn has beaten Bama 3 times but we STILL want him at the loveliest village.
Gus ruins QBs. Bo was a 5* and he is not good. Makes the same mistakes game after game. Doesn’t set his feet. Throws while jumping. Can’t hit receivers in stride. Panics too quickly. He does have grit, I’ll give him that. Have to think Gus coaching has made him a worse player.
not an auburn fan, but to fire a coach because he loses to this bama team deserves what it gets.
If you think we’d fire Gus because of a loss to “this” Bama team, you haven’t been watching very long. It’s the fact that Malzahn can’t win on the road against our biggest rivals. It’s because Malzahn’s current recruiting class is in the 20’s. It’s because Malzahn has played in just one SEC Championship in the last however many years. I can keep going.
Trying for a 57 yard FG when down so much was mystifying. The 3 win thing is a little overblown though. Took a first time ever play to win one and 2 pick sixes, second added for FG & a doink to win another.
so what? We won 3 close games. Deal with it idiot
Idiot? Nothing I said was inaccurate. Of course you are the same person who said there was some classy Bama posts but the rest are inbred. Now I’m the idiot. As your cow/girlfriend what hypocrite means. Enjoy that absolute beat down. I would have hoped your mother/aunt would have taught you some manners.
That theres some funny stuff
Oooohhh “cow girlfriend” – how original. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I love when fans say, “well, you wouldn’t have won if such and such didn’t happen.” Well all that stuff did happen. Pick sixes happen. You can’t just cherry pick two from one game because you don’t like the way it ended. You act like Bama has never gotten an interception to win a game before. Get over yourself.
No..you were handed at least one close game and you know it. Auburn should be 4-4..you know it.
He should have gone to his ladies’ soccer team and recruited someone with a good leg.
Gus just needs a few more years to get his players and system in place. You Auburn fans just need to be patient.
This is the funniest comment in the entire thread.
Yeah and Arkansas was dumb enough to try to take him away from them. No way Gus could win 8 games a year st Arkansas.
So true. Today (Monday after IB) I heard a sportscaster talking about how “young” this Auburn team is, basically making excuses for a coach in his 8th year. smh
Dear Auburn University,
If you are content with 6 to 9 win seasons, with your games coming on at 12:30 most Saturdays, and occasionally beating your rivals, and a pre New Years Day Bowl game you can pay someone $600,000/year for a coach to give you those results. You’re overpaying for your results. Your students, alumni, donors (they give their own money and get this?), and fans deserve better. If y’all don’t beat A&M next week, are you gonna take your chances keeping your coach going into signing period? You’ll be able to stock up on three star recruits to try and run this innovative (?) offense nest season.
The “Fire The Gus” bus is an annual event. It was a mistake to trust your offense to Chad Morris. He can draw up complicated plays that occasionally work but worse is that players just do NOT develop under his coaching. He had some players at Arky, certainly enough to NOT lose to North Texas, Colorado State, Western Kentucky, San Jose State and having to hold off a late drive to beat….Portland State of the FCS. Come on man, you cant put your offense in those hands. Bo Nix? We dont know how good he could be, but we’ll never know as a student of Morris. Malzahn hiring his buddies over building his program. That alone should get him fired. And by the way, Arkansas wouldnt hire him now if he would work for FCS pay. They have seen what he is willing to do..for himself.
How much is Gus’ buyout ?…more than $20 Million Buckaroos…He’ll be around Auburn in 2021.
Most likely. What will be interesting is this..would a 9-3 record save him over to 2022. My guess is yes, but there is a feeling of being elite at Auburn that others dont see.
I just looked it up. $21,450,000 as of 12/01/2020. That’s a lot of coin.
Alabama — in a different level of talent and coaching in the sec — they will beat Florida easily then beat notre dame in the title game — nick wants another ring
Let’s play ‘em one game at a time. Focus. LSU is up next. That’s the game that matters.
I was definitely hoping for a much better game from Auburn. That being said, there is something I think we should probably keep in mind: Saban is a rare coaching legend. Urban Meyer is the closest thing to his equivalent. Gus is the only active coach to CFB to beat Saban 3 times (twice since 2016). Dabo has done it twice and Hugh Freeze has twice. It’s hard. The man is 25-0 vs all his former assistants. That’s unprecedented. I’d much rather have Gus who can actually beat his rivals. Would you rather have Harbaugh who is 0-6 vs OSU and loses to his rivals in their program’s worst years (winless Penn State and MSU at the time)? If not for the SEC championship rematch, Auburn is in the 2017 playoffs. The Tigers def have to play better but let’s also not blow this out of proportion. The grass is not always greener.
But was it really Gus that did that? A fluke pick 6? The crazy Kick 6, Bama not having a kicker. None of that is coaching. I think AU won in spite of Gus not because of Gus.
There are lots of schools, right here in the SEC, that would work hard to keep Malzahn around with his kind of results. Finebaum was right a couple years ago(did I just agree with Finebaum?). He said he should take the Arkansas job because his results would be just fine with that fan base…and he’s right to say it. SC would take him if he would leave Morris behind.
If he can’t win 10 games at Auburn where it is much easier to recruit, he’d be lucky to win 7 at Arkansas. That won’t satisfy Hog fans for long.
Actually, Les Miles has beaten Coach Saban 3 times and he’s still active. Yes, the pulse is weak out there in Kansas but it’s still beating.
Just going to sit this right here… Chad Morris… Offensive Genius…
That’s some good kool-aid right there.
Too bad Saban was out. Auburn can beat him LOL
The man has 3 wins over Saban at Alabama. He was a huge part of a 4th with the Camback.
Auburn wasn’t beating Alabama this year. You could do a lot worse than Guz and pay a lot of money to do it.
Cam was woefully undeveloped under Malzahn and Chizik. He looked like a deer in the headlights when Gruden interviewed him and asked him some basic QB questions. Cam was a natural talent and didn’t grow a bit from the first day he stepped on campus until the NFL Draft. Cam deserves more credit than Malzahn does for the NC.
Chad just needs about 8 more years to get HIS players in the offense. /eyeroll
Hahaha Chad Morris……WTF was Gus thinking??
Hired his buddy at the expense of his team. Forget he couldnt win an SEC game for a second..he runs off a QB who goes to Western Kentucky, comes back the next year and beats Morris something like 45-17. Portland State, driving late before finally getting stopped on 4th down to lose 20-13 to an SEC team. Come on..Portland State. He was hired away from SMU after putting together a record of 14-22. Come on!!
Don’t forget about North Texas St drubbing of Morris, oh yeah then there is San Jose St drubbing of Morris, not to mention the blowout after blowout in almost every SEC game.
Please stop with blaming Bo Nix.. If a QB is not being developed, the blame is on his coaches.
Did anyone else not see the shear size difference of Bama’s offensive line???? Every single one of them were massive. Mac Jones had 3-5 seconds to get a play off. Contrast that with AU, Nix has maybe 1.5 seconds before they were on him. All year… the O-line has been swiss cheese.
Bo has no QB coach, there is obviously no O-line recruiting as this has plagued AUburn. Stedham has even said we need better QB coaching. It showed during his tenure as well as he never seemed to get any better, just stagnant growth.
We need a Head Coach, Offensive Coord, Oline recruiting, and QB coach. We have such talented players. They deserve to be developed.
Don’t leave out strength and conditioning.
We always look flabby. Particularly the OL
I like that comment about “we paid Gus 49 million not to go to Arkansas”. I wonder if the folks who live in Arkansas feel like they dodged a bullet after taking the bullet over the last decade. Petrino, Smith, Bullemia, MORRIS(omg). Folks in Tennessee must be looking at the Hogs and asking how they got into the same position.
Auburn should sue the AD who gave Malzone that contract. Even if they have no legal standing I would sue the guy just for spite. Lol.
Reminder to all….just clip and paste this article for next year. Lot of wasted effort is being put into a new write up but the same content. Do you read any comments here Farner?
Don’t worry, Morris will have 30% of his offense installed next year.
Lets hire Steve Sarkisian for our new HC!!
We could do a lot worse
Oh he will get offers no doubt. I still want to see what Tennessee does. I would think its Freeze, but Sark could be looking for calls.
Cutty Sark. He didn’t do a very good job as the Falcons OC. But pro and college games are different. So who knows.
Gus is one of the best con artists of all time. He is a high school coach who had a reputation for winning at two schools that basically recruited. He parlayed that to getting hired at Arkansas where he helped get Houston Nutt to leave. Then he goes to Auburn and is lucky enough to have a freak at quarterback. He lies to Arkansas State and says he is there for the long hall snd takes his predecessor’s recruits and wins then returns to Auburn. He knew all along he was going back to Auburn. Then he pretends to be interested in Arkansas to get a big contract. He is so overrated as a head coach it’s ridiculous. He knew he couldn’t win at Arkansas. He can win at Auburn because it is much easier to recruit. But as you can tell, unless he has much better talent he is just a run of the mill cosch.
Copy and paste article. Another Farner Classic.
Dang guys the man is 5-3 & has an overall winning record at Auburn so what’s the problem ?..looks like Gus didn’t get a good box of cracker jacks this time to pull some of that bs he’s always trying to pull because he can’t win playing straight up football & ever notice Alabama can blowout Auburn but Auburn can never blowout Alabama ? .. Auburn coaches gets contract extensions for beating Alabama.. Alabama coaches get contract extensions for winning national championships.. sorry had to get all that of my chest
Losing by 29 points to Bama is a beat down? Auburn quit flattering yourself. You are a second rate SEC team. I know, we are lower but quit flattering yourself.
Quite the kind gesture but you’re not lower than Auburn this year. I watched the game. Arky had Auburn beat. The refs GAVE that game to Auburn with a blown (pardon the pun) call. Had that play been called properly y’all could have recovered the ball and walked out of Jordan-Hare with a W. Walk tall and be proud of what Sam Pittman is doing.