LIKE IT IS

Malzahn wouldn’t be a part of any film flap

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks with defensive back Blake Poole (32) following a win over Western Carolina during an NCAA college football game in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. Auburn won 62-3. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks with defensive back Blake Poole (32) following a win over Western Carolina during an NCAA college football game in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. Auburn won 62-3. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema was rightfully upset about getting an edited version of a game film from Auburn.

He did not, however, point a “tapegate” finger at Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn, and he didn’t need to because Saturday’s game between Auburn and Arkansas will already have a ton of drama.

Bielema has Malzahn’s dream job.

The Fort Smith native who walked on for the Razorbacks before transferring to Henderson State endured a horrible year as an assistant coach at Arkansas just to be a Razorback.

If Malzahn ever reveals his side of the story about that season that further fractured the fan base, it will probably be to his longtime friend and former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports writer George Schroeder, who is now with USA Today.

It won’t be surprising if Malzahn never speaks of that season, during which he would turn in a game plan every Monday to Coach Houston Nutt and get back a game plan Tuesday that was reduced by at least 75 percent, and most of what was left of the scheme consisted of getting the ball to running backs Darren McFadden or Felix Jones. Malzahn regularly tried to get Peyton Hillis more involved, too.

Criticism of Nutt’s conservative play-calling began before Malzahn arrived on campus, and after one season Malzahn left to become Tulsa’s offensive coordinator, where his teams were among the most productive in the nation. That helped him land the offensive coordinator’s job at Auburn. With Cam Newton at quarterback, Malzahn adjusted his offense and the Tigers won the BCS national championship.

A year later, with rumors flying about a rift between Malzahn and Coach Gene Chizik, Malzahn took a cut in pay to become head coach at Arkansas State, where he made a ton of promises about finding a home, won the Sun Belt title and then left to replace the fired Chizik as the head coach at Auburn.

That might be why some of the Red Wolves Nation will pull for the Razorbacks for the first time Saturday.

The Tigers are 7-1 and to some are the surprise of the SEC after going 0-8 in conference play a year ago, which led the Auburn brass to believe they needed to be riding on the Gus Bus.

With the Razorbacks 3-5, there are a few wondering out loud if maybe Athletic Director Jeff Long should have considered Malzahn.

That maybe the jump from ASU to UA wasn’t as big as it seemed.

Down on the Plains, Malzahn has become almost a legend because of his early success that includes a victory at Texas A&M.

Bielema has been met with some skepticism, but there is a huge difference in what each coach inherited talent-wise.

Auburn’s past four recruiting classes were ranked Nos. 8, 10, 7 and 4.

Arkansas’ classes were ranked Nos. 22, 34, 24 and 49.

Which may be why my mom, who is 90 and is improving daily at Baptist Rehab, said she wished they wouldn’t televise the Razorbacks again this season.

Obviously, Bielema didn’t arrive at Arkansas with a campus full of talent.

Malzahn did, but give him credit for going to a junior college and finding Nick Marshall, an athletic quarterback.

Malzahn loves the hurry-up, no-huddle offense - a point of contention between him and Bielema, and others such as Nick Saban - but has adjusted the Auburn offense to fit his quarterback.

Malzahn has gone back to his early days as a high school head coach and has the Tigers in a ground-oriented attack, rushing 394 times this season and passing only 188 times.

Malzahn is a coach who keeps defenses guessing.

He’ll try to do that again Saturday, and he doesn’t need the help of anyone on his film crew.

Sports, Pages 19 on 10/30/2013

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