The big storyline from Auburn’s victory over LSU on Saturday was the fact that coach Gus Malzahn gave up play-calling duties, allowing offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to run the offense.
The Tigers never found the end zone, but Daniel Carlson’s six field goals were enough to power Auburn to an 18-13 victory.
During the Week 5 SEC Media Presser, Malzahn said Lashlee will continue to call the plays in the future:
“This is a first, this was a first,” he said. “I thought it worked well, I think it will work moving forward. The reality hit.”
Though it was tough for Malzahn to relinquish his role as play caller, he said he’ll be very involved on both sides of the ball moving forward:
“You have to evaluate everything,” he said. “You expect these guys to do their jobs.”
A noticeable absence from the LSU game was QB John Franklin III. Malzahn said the flow of the game prevented the Tigers from getting the talented athlete playing time:
“We were right in the middle of the game,” he said. “We just had trouble getting in the end zone. John is ready when called upon but the way the game was going, we didn’t put him in — although we had planned to get him in.”
After Auburn’s win, LSU coach Les Miles was fired. Malzahn was not a fan of the decision to let Miles go:
“Shocked and disappointed,” he said. “He’s one of the legends. He was one of the guys that made the SEC what it is today. I was really disappointed.”
Auburn hosts Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Central time and can be seen on the SEC Network.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
