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Depth chart shakeup: Gus Malzahn updates Auburn’s COVID-19 positive tests
By Keith Farner
Published:
COVID-19 continues to cause problems at Auburn, as coach Gus Malzahn noted to reporters on Saturday.
The Tigers had two new positive tests this week, which takes the team’s total to 10 players out because of quarantine. The troubling trend is five of them are starters.
As Auburn begins to transition its practice preparation toward Kentucky, which it hosts in the opener on Sept. 26, the lineup is shuffled.
“I think we’ve done an excellent job as far as positives. …The challenge is the close contacts,” Malzahn said, per Justin Lee. “That’s something that is a big emphasis for us. …. We’ve really educated our guys. … I expect our guys to do that. “As it gets closer, obviously that’s a concern.”
The silver lining is more players are seeing action.
“We’ve had a whole bunch of players out in the last month,” Malzahn said, so backups have practiced to “develop more quality depth.”
Auburn will soon begin testing three times a week per SEC rules.
“The teams that can adjust… that’s the teams that are going to have the advantage,” he said.
Malzahn said all the players who have missed practice should be available for the opener.
On Saturday, Malzahn said the Tigers had a 60-play scrimmage with an emphasis on two-minute scenarios and kicking. One negative was the Tigers had more penalties, which Malzahn called concerning.
H/T AU Gold Mine.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
