AUBURN -- During his days at Auburn, Cam Newton had a way of infuriating opponents.

Ellis Johnson wasn't impervious to the threat.

Newton and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn scored 56 points on Johnson's South Carolina defense during the 2010 Southeastern Conference championship game. Watching the Tigers' offense operate in such unorthodox ways prompted Johnson to criticize Auburn's offense. He said Malzahn was turning football "into soccer or lacrosse."

Johnson, who on Thursday took a job working for Malzahn, laughed when confronted with his earlier rant.

"Did I say that," Johnson said with a smile. "Translated into Latin, that means: Somebody help us; we can't stop this. All of us defensive coordinators complained over the last five to 15 years. Gus wasn't the first one but he kind of put it in warp speed. It's a very difficult thing to battle."

...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial