I'm joining late due to traffic at the Arena.
* 6:08 — Rod wants to talk about Malik Willis. Gus notes that Willis wears the 14 shirt ... just like Nick Marshall. "He's done well in games. He's done very well in practice."
* 6:09 — Rod wants to know which young guys have improved. COME ON, ROD. Gus says everyone is getting better. Of course.
* 6:09 — Rod says the Arkansas win was a good win. Gus agrees. "I thought it was exactly what we needed before the off week."
* 6:09 — Question from @86Kim regarding injuries. Malzahn says "all of our guys will play ... everybody's going to make the trip." (Aside from Pettway, of course.)
* 6:10 — Pettway? Malzahn says he feels bad for him. Malzahn likes the other guys, he lists them one by one. They're all good. "There's a good chance you'll see all three of those guys on the field with K.J."
* 6:11 — Malzahn says he loved playing basketball in HS. "I played at a small school, so I played little bit of everything."
COMMERCIAL BREAK
* 6:14 — Time for INTERTUBEZ questions. Brett/Bret wants to know how Gus will manage Amen Corner. "The first thing you do is take it one game at a time. I thought the off week was a good sign. Our preparation this week has been a good sign. We need to play well. If we can keep improvin', then we've got a chance."
* 6:15 — Rod says Auburn is in position to have a pretty special month of November. "You can sense the urgency. We've got a great opportunity in front of us. It starts Saturday."
* 6:16 — Malzahn notes that Auburn is staying an hour away from A&M, so they'll be getting up early Saturday. Real early.
* 6:16 — Rod wants to know about Kyle Field. Gus says it's loud.
* 6:17 — Question about running directly into a good DL that gets upfield like A&M. "Every week is about matchups."
* 6:17 — Rod jokes that running the ball well fixes a lot of things. He laughs. You don't. "We're one of the most balanced teams in our league."
* 6:18 — Rod and Gus agree that publicist Kirk Sampson has the best job in America.
* 6:18 — Gus is back talking about balance. No comment about the alleged balance at LSU.
* 6:18 — Question about how Stidham can improve his timing. Gus notes that timing throws are usually against zone. "When they play man, everything changes." Gus says the QBs and WRs communicate a lot. I know this surprises you.
* 6:19 — Question about short and mid-range routes. "You see those guys trying to take the next step. There are certain reads that go with things. Certain quarterbacks have favorite targets, but Jarrett spreads it around."
* 6:20 — Rod wants to talk about the off week. I'd rather ask about the self-scout, what they learned from the LSU debacle. "We need to get the best play moving forward of defending kicks ... and scoring points."
* 6:20 — More on coverage. "You've got to be as hungry on special teams are you are on offense and defense. And you've got to have a lot of talent."
* 6:21 — Rod wants to know how Auburn can even hope to neutralize Christian Kirk. "He's seen everything. He's one of those impact players. He's got a lot of confidence. His units do a great job blocking for him — they know he can take it to the house."
COMMERICAL BREAK
* 6:25 — Question about the A&M pass rush. "I think they're probably at their best when they bring a fifth guy. They've done a very good job of finishin' when they're coming after the quarterback."
* 6:25 — "We've got to stay ahead of the chains. Teams that haven't, (A&M) have pinned their ears back and that makes it hard."
* 6:26 — Rod wants to know if Tray is a good communicator. "Having a veteran guy ... they know the adjustments. He can influence the younger guys around him with the calls. It's a great thing to have him back on the field."
* 6:26 — Gus says Javaris is an impact player. The assumption is that J.D. will play.
* 6:27 — Rod says A&M could play damn near anyone at QB this week. Maybe Brady. Maybe Vinny Testaverde. Maybe Brian Sipe.
* 6:28 — Rod wants KEYS TO THE GAME on offense. "We have to be balanced. We have to play fast. Those are the two main things."
* 6:28 — Rod wants KEYS TO THE GAME on defense. "You have to stop the run. When they're really good, they're running the football."
* 6:29 — Rod perpetuates the myth that a fast start matters. We remember the LSU game, fellas. Auburn was killing LSU and then that fast start no longer mattered.
That's a WRAP.
--30--
Get some.
Piece.
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