tsh84autiger

What everyone seems to forget is that, if Malzahn could develop talent at quarterback, we'd have an experienced junior QB leading the team right now. Except that Malik Willis is no longer on the team, because after the spring he was only fourth on the depth chart, behind a true freshman, a redshirt freshman, and a baseball player. And now Gatewood has apparently left the team as well. Look, nobody wants to see Auburn have a vertical downfield passing attack more than me, but it's just not there this year. The O-line can't pass block, and Nix is a deer in the headlights back there. Yet Malzahn keeps calling these slow-developing, 5-step drop pass plays, and he's getting killed. It stymied our offensive production against UF and LSU, two games we should have won. Why not run the kind of pass plays these teams beat us with; i.e., quick slants off the line, quick backshoulder throws to the sidelines? Short throws with minimal reading of defenses, to take the pressure off Nix, and quickly-executed plays, to take the pressure off the offensive line. But Malzahn refuses to incorporate those kind of plays, at least not on a regular basis. All too often, it's a predictable two yard run up the middle on first down, eventually leading to third and long, putting too much on the shoulders of a freshman QB. I've staunchly supported Gus up to this point, but wasting this national championship-level defense on a punchless offense is too much to stomach.