Click here for linkAUBURN — Don’t expect the Auburn Tigers to go wholesale with trick plays against heavily-favored Alabama on Saturday, but expect the Crimson Tide to prepare as if they were.
“We’re going to have to execute,” said Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, when asked about using trick plays. “They’re a very, very good defense. They’re veteran guys at every position. They’re very rarely out of position. That will be a challenge.”
No. 2-ranked Alabama (10-1, 6-1 SEC) is approximately a three-touchdown favorite over Auburn (6-4, 4-3) and the Crimson Tide is expecting everything but the kitchen sink from the Tigers.
“Oh yeah, I’ve said it before there’s always going to be something we’ve never seen,” said Alabama safety Robert Lester. “We just can’t panic. We’ve got to play what we see. And we’ll get to the sideline and adjust to it and be ready for it the next time.”
Without dissecting the definition of “trick play,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said it’s the general nature of Malzahn’s offense to produce plays that create uncertainty within the defense.
“First of all, Gus does a great job with their offense,” Saban said. “They’ve been very, very productive. He does a very good job of using the players they have in roles they can be productive in. They have a lot of gadget plays, crazy plays, whatever you want to call it. The big thing is you’ve got to get your players on defense settled enough to change personnel.
They’re going at a fast pace. They’re doing a lot of things that can disrupt defensive players. The most important thing is you get lined up where you can play and the players are confident in what they’re playing, not all running around, trying to get lined up and making adjustments that are going to put them in a bad position.”
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