HOOVER, Ala. — The Auburn football team was the trendy pick to win the Southeastern Conference entering coach Gus Malzahn’s third year.
But the 2015 season didn’t play out the way the Tigers wanted.
Early losses to LSU and Mississippi State all but decimated Auburn’s hopes of winning a conference title. Auburn finished last in the SEC Western Division (2-6), but it rebounded to beat Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl to cap a 7-6 season.
Speaking Monday at the SEC Media Days, Malzahn said losses in close games and an inability to execute at a high level on offense derailed the Tigers.
“We had opportunities,” Malzahn said. “Usually it comes down in this league to two or three plays in these close games. You’ve got to find a way to make them. You’ve got to have your guys prepared, and you’ve got to be able to execute.”
Malzahn, who led the Tigers to a conference title and an appearance in the national championship game in his first season in 2013, took most of the blame for the struggles last season, but he feels good about his team’s prospects as it prepares for its season opener against Clemson at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, in Auburn, Alabama.
Solid play at quarterback will help Malzahn and the Tigers correct their issues from last season.
A year ago, Auburn felt good about its quarterback situation. After promising freshman and sophomore seasons, Jeremy Johnson was expected to be the starter. Much like his team, Johnson — a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy — received plenty of national attention.
But Johnson, who threw for 1,054 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 12 games, struggled and split time with Sean White, who threw for 1,166 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.
This year, Johnson, White, and East Mississippi Community College transfer John Franklin III will compete for the job.
“John is a guy to be impressed with,” Malzahn said. “He’s really won his teammates’ respect, which is always important for a new guy coming in.
“The two older guys are both in a lot better spot than they were this time last year.”
Franklin, who began his career at Florida State, threw for 733 yards and seven touchdowns for EMCC last season. He rushed for 451 yards and nine touchdowns.
Auburn rising senior wide receiver Marcus Davis likes all three quarterbacks. He has seen Johnson develop as a runner and likes the attitude White brings to the position. He also has seen Franklin do things differently.
“He’s really athletic. He’s a fast guy, and he’s a guy that’s a really hard worker,” Davis said. “I want to see how everything turns out, but I’m just ready to have one guy we can get behind and do what we need to do from there.”
Malzahn isn’t sure who will be the team’s starter at quarterback, and that the Tigers likely will have a battle at the position like they did in 2013, when Nick Marshall rose to the occasion and helped the Tigers win the SEC.
As for other news in the program, Malzahn said four players arrested for possession of marijuana in April won’t miss any playing time. He said Carlton Davis, Jeremiah Dinson, Byron Cowart, and Ryan Davis have been punished. He didn’t go into detail about the punishment.
Florida wanting return
Florida coach Jim McElwain took pride in his team reaching the SEC Championship game in Atlanta last season.
In his first year, the Gators started 10-1 and won the SEC Eastern Division. But Florida ended the season with losses to Florida State, to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, and to Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
“It’s not something I take very lightly,” McElwain said. “Yet, at the same time, it was an opportunity for us to kind of learn. By no means can you ever be satisfied. Learning from that, it will be interesting to see how this year’s team responds.”
After experiencing it, McElwain and the Gators want to return to the SEC Championship game and win it.
Even as a child playing Little League Baseball, McElwain was figuring out a way to win. That has carried over into his coaching career. In that journey, McElwain has learned talking about wanting to win a championship isn’t enough.
He said having the right attitude is a key to success.
“It’s something you have to live every single day in the development of getting a little bit better,” McElwain said.
In the three losses, Florida scored 24 points and allowed 97 points. The Gators were outgained by an average of more than 189 yards in each game.
“Losing the last few games are a constant reminder for the offseason of what we need to do, what we need to accomplish, and where we need to go as a unit,” rising senior linebacker Jarrad Davis said. “It shows our true colors from last year and how we react to a situation. It also shows a lot of areas we can get better. Something we need to do better ourselves is figure out what it was last year that hurt us. We have been working on that all offseason, and we are extremely confident in what we can do this year.”
McElwain said quarterback Treon Harris and wide receiver Antonio Callaway are on campus, participating in physical conditioning and using the academic center. Both were suspended for undisclosed reasons in January before the start of spring practice. McElwain said nothing else has been resolved.
Vanderbilt’s next step
Derek Mason feels the Vanderbilt Commodores are ready to take the next step.
In his first two seasons as the team’s coach, Mason amassed a 7-17 record and a 2-14 mark in the SEC. The Commodores finished seventh in the Eastern Division in 2014, but it finished fourth last year with a 2-6 mark.
After losing four games by single digits and with leaders like All-SEC performer Zach Cunningham and running back Ralph Webb, Mason feels Vanderbilt can improve on its 4-8 finish from 2015.
“This is about being a more experienced squad in 2016,” Mason said. “We talk about 42 returning upperclassmen, juniors, and seniors who have gone through the maturation process, the fire, in terms of what it takes to compete in this conference.”
Webb rushed for 1,152 yards (fifth most in the SEC) on 277 carries (second most in the league) and five touchdowns as a sophomore last year. Mason wants Webb’s role to increase, but there are things he needs to work on to expand his versatility.
“As we step into this year, he needs to be better on third down, catching the ball in the backfield and better in pass protection if he wants to play every down,” Mason said.
A former defensive coordinator, Mason took over the defensive play calling last season and helped the Commodores finish in the top half of the league in the four major defensive categories after ranking last in points allowed per game. He will continue to serve in that role this season.
Cunningham and Oren Burks, who are rising junior linebackers, combined for 162 tackles (18.5 for loss) last season. Both have benefited from Mason’s coaching and figure to play vital roles this season.
“Coach Mason drives it into us to have that ‘destination defense,’ ” Cunningham said. “That relentless defense, that is what he preaches to us. Go out there and try to dominate, come out every week, and enforce your will on every opponent.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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