Malzahn = ‘Smashmouth’ offensive coordinator

By Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News
Published: December 29, 2008

Good evening, I’m Mike Szvetitz. Andrew Gribble has the week off.
But with his permission, Gribble’s allowed me to post on his blog this evening. So here we go ....

Here’s my story that will appear in tomorrow’s Opelika-Auburn News on what new Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn plans on bringing to the Plains next season.
If you haven’t heard, Malzahn was introduced, officially, as Auburn’s offensive coordinator Monday evening. He likes to score points. Lots of them.

It’s not what you think.
Gus Malzahn doesn’t run the spread. Well, maybe a little. But, again, it’s not what you think.
He’s a “smash mouth” offensive coordinator, who likes to throw deep.
He also likes to score points, and, well, win.
And that’s why Gene Chizik hired him to run the offense at Auburn.
“I know a lot of people categorize me as a spread team, and if you really look back at my history, we’re going to play smash mouth football,” said Malzahn, who was officially introduced as Auburn’s OC on Monday evening at a press conference, making him just the second official assistant coach on Chizik’s staff, joining James Willis. “We’re going to set up the pass with the run, and I really think the difference is with most run/play-action teams from what we’re going to do is we’re going to throw the ball vertically down the field and we’re going to do that quite often. So that’s sort of what you’ll see from our offense …”
And Chizik likes it. Actually, he’s liked it for a long time. Even while at Iowa State, and while interviewing for the Auburn job.
“When we went to pursue this, it was really neat because when (Auburn athletics director) Jay (Jacobs) and I talked about this job a couple of weeks ago, I told him … ‘I have a plan,’” Chizik said. “And part of that plan was your hires. … And as we talked about it, one of the guys I was very adamant about was Gus.
“When you look at everything, and you look at a football coach, to me, a football coach really has three parts: How are they as an ‘X and O’ guy, how are they with their players and how are they when they go into a living room and have to convince a young man to come to their university? And at Auburn, I don’t feel like we’ve got to go for 2-for-3 or 1-for-3 with the guy we’re going to hire.
“I’m very pleased as I went to hire this particular position, Gus brings it all to the table. So that’s why I’m really excited about today.”
Malzahn’s numbers as an offensive coordinator are dazzling. In 2007, his first year at Tulsa, Malzahn’s offense led the nation in total offense with 543.9 yards per game. This past season, the Golden Hurricane was second in total offense, averaging 565.1 yards per game, while scoring 47.4 points, which is also good enough for second-best in the nation.
And Malzahn’s “power” offense has had success in the SEC, too. In 2006, while at Arkansas, the Razorbacks were fourth nationally in rushing yards per game with 228.5. Malzahn and Arkansas did have Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in the backfield that season.
But even at Tulsa, Malzahn’s running offense was able to put up top-10 numbers, ranking eighth overall with 254.9 yards per game on the ground this season.
“I think if you go back and you really do your homework on this, one of the things I found out – and it’s easy to look at the stats and be able to tell that – but, philosophically …we’ve got to start with the running game,” Chizik said. “As Gus and I talked through this process, it was very evident to me that I had the right guy in all of those ways. Now, obviously, it’s not just about running the football. It’s about moving the football. I wanted an offense that was going to be very productive in every way – an offense that moves the football and scores points. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Malzahn, who has already started watching film on current Auburn players and potential and current recruits, knows his offense is going to hinge on who’s running it. And because of that, he’s not going to commit to what exactly it will all look like come spring practice.
But he does know two things – the Tigers will be balanced, and they will be physical.
“Well, you got to be balanced, and you’ve got to take what the defense gives you,” Malzahn said. “People tell me, ‘Hey, do you want to run more than throw?’ Really, it matters on what the defense is going to give you.
“Obviously, you’ve got to be able to run the football. We are a run-play action team. You won’t see a whole lot of straight drop-back pass. It’s just not who we’re going to be. We’re going to run downhill. We’re going to have a physical, hard-nosed approach. I’m not talking about just the offensive line and just the backs. I’m talking about the receivers and quarterbacks, and I think that’s very important to establish that early.”
In the meantime, Malzahn will continue to coach the offense at Tulsa, as the Golden Hurricane prepares for its GMAC Bowl game against Ball State on Jan. 6 in Mobile. After that, Malzahn will be on Auburn’s staff full-time.