Gene Chizik has come and gone. Here's what he said:
- "Exciting times for us here at Auburn. Obviously it's going to be a great football team Saturday. Our team is really, really looking forward to playing in the championship game."
- On SC: "They were a very, very good football team when we played them eight weeks ago. They've kept improving."
- Said SC is No. 3 in SEC in scoring defense. "That's the ultimate stat."
- "I think they've steadily improved since we played last."
- Said defensively Auburn has made some strides. Said Tigers have been sporadic, though, which is a concern going up against Stephen Garcia and Alshon Jeffery.
- "I think we've been through a lot in finding different ways to win since then."
- On handling the pressure of a big game: "We've been through a lot of big games the last five weeks. I think that's helped."
- On playing bad in the first half: "I see guys who are out of position. I see guys who aren't maybe communicating like they should. You prepare for things and then teams change, you've got to adjust to what you're seeing. That's certainly not an excuse. I don't care what we're seeing, we need to play better. Not acceptable."
- On personal vindication: "That's not how I live. That's not what's important to me."
- On going through his third perfect regular season: "It's extremely difficult to do. Just being able to be blessed to go through it two other times, there are things I can pull to help our coaches."
- On playing in Atlanta, a big market: "I think it's great. In the history of Auburn, there have been so many great players that have come out of Georgia. Atlanta is so close. Knowing that that's a huge recruiting base for what you're trying to do, it's a huge inspiration for our guys to go back to that area. It's neat for our guys to be able to do that."
- On Cam Newton in the first SC game: "That was a special game for him. That was eye-opening for us at that point in time. That was a learning moment for us coaches on what he was going to be able to do."
- On the 2004 experience being able to help him this time: "Every team has a different identity. This team is different in its own way. I think the dynamic is different, just so many true freshmen a part of what we're doing, with a good mixture of older guys. 2004 was different, because there weren't a whole lot of times where we had to come back and win games."
- On the punt return game: "We're going to evaluate that this week. Obviously we're not happy. That was a potentially game-changing event."
- On if he anticipates Newton speaking to the media again: only commenting on Newton's first 12 games.
- Pointed out that SEC mandates all players have to be available after the conference championship game. Chizik again chose not to comment.
- On seeing signs of support around town for Newton: "This is a great community. This community was built on family. It was built on supporting one another. When you pull up after a bus ride from Tuscaloosa and come up to hundreds of fans, that's what it's all about."
- On winning the first SC game: "It means nothing."
- On if there are worries about being the favorite: "Those are all things for the media and the outside people to speculate about."
- On the Iron Bowl being a classic: "I don't know how many teams in the course of history would have been able to do that. But that was an incredible challenging task at the time, and our guys rose up to it. I'm sure when all the smoke clears, we'll look back on that and go, 'Wow.'"
- On Marcus Lattimore: "He's a great football player. They do a great job of utilizing him the right way." Said SC uses him well in the passing game.
- On Mike Dyer's evolution: "You can tell his comfort level has improved drastically since the beginning of the year."
- On Alabama slowing down Newton in the run: "They're very physical up front. They're well coached. They've got some good players."
- On Gus Malzahn being up for the Broyles Award: "He's huge to us and our staff. Gus has been a huge part of what we've done here. He's a great football coach and anything he gets, I'm all in. He deserves it."
And that's a wrap.
Gene Chizik has come and gone. Here's what he said:
2 comments:
thanks, AB.
I'm like Coach Chizik.. ALL IN!
GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe it's just me, but I think being number one in the SEC in scoring defense would be the ultimate stat. Or maybe number one in the universe. But as long as we beat them, I don't care what they are.
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