BULLETIN: Gene Chizik speaks

Hey everyone. As Jay Gogue would say, let’s hit the ground listening.

• He has arrived. He’s only eight minutes late this time. Not bad.
• On Auburn’s offensive goals board, the team is 0-for-11 on achieving its stated goal of 80 plays. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the correlation between 80 plays and a win?
• He says Tuscaloosa is a “tough place to play.”
• “It’s going to be a fun day.”
• He respects Alabama’s offense.
• He says Alabama has “two great running backs.”
• “I’m never into a track meet. That’s not what we want. They’ve certainly got the potential to make it that. I’d like for it to be a track meet for our offense.”
• “It’s what makes college football great — these types of rivalries.”
• On Cam Newton’s preparation: “In the first 11 games with Cameron, which is what I’ll speak about, there’s been an evolution. Our offense, week by week, has gained confidence. As a whole, everywhere on our team, we have three games where we have to improve. The next three games? Three great football teams. Not good teams; great teams.”
• Does that seem like an odd answer to you?
• On Nick Fairley not being made available for interviews: “If he’s not, I can assure you there’s a good reason.”
• On Alabama’s Marcel Dareus: “He’s very physical. He has a great first step off the ball. He’s a dominant player. The quickness, the suddenness he has separates him from everyone else out there.”
• On why Malzahn’s offense is dynamic: “We’ve done a nice job of trying to spread the wealth. We like to get the ball to different people in different ways. Our staff has really creates, on a weekly basis, different ways to do those things.”
• On if Mike Blanc understands the significance of his suspension and how it affects the team: “All of our players understand that.”
• “You’ve got to capture your emotions and bottle them up and be ready to play on Friday. Somebody will go down in history for a play or a series of plays made in this game.”
• He declined to discuss the topic of Cam Newton playing against Alabama.
• That’s a wrap.