Teammates not letting Bo Nix hang his head after 3-pick game
Gus Malzahn and Bo Nix have had "numerous" conversations about the true freshman quarterback's less-than-ideal day in The Swamp since the contest went final last Saturday.
And, like he's been with Nix at every turn this season, the coach is impressed with his quarterback's maturity: Nix isn't hanging his head.
"He's a competitor, there's no doubt. He's disappointed," Malzahn said. "But he's also turned the page moving forward. He practiced well today. So I think he's in a good spot moving forward."
Auburn had its opportunities in the 24-13 loss to Florida in the team's first meeting in Gainesville in 12 years. The Tigers forced four turnovers but scored six points off them. Nix and the offense took three snaps in Florida's red zone, all of which came on a drive that resulted in an interception.
"You’ve got 24 hours to soak on it," senior defensive tackle Derrick Brown said. "After that, what else are you going to be mad about? You can’t go back and replay the game. You have to let it go because if you hold onto that, it’s going to stop you from progressing on everything we’re doing this week.
"And if you keep holding onto it, now you face the issue of ‘This guy is mentally messed up,’ and we have to go play Arkansas, at Arkansas. So that’s what we have to focus on now."
Nix's string of 117 consecutive passes without an interception was snapped in the opening quarter of Auburn's loss to the Gators, and the errant attempt that nearly resulted in a pick-six would be a harbinger for the QB's performance in The Swamp.
He tossed his third, fourth and fifth picks of the year in the loss, finishing the day 11-for-27 passing with 145 yards and a touchdown. His Pro Football Focus grade came out to 28.3, one of the worst marks for an Auburn player in recent history.
For the season, 11 of Nix's 112 pass attempts have been "turnover-worthy," good for the 10th-worst mark in the country.
Auburn has said since the loss that its first of two bye weeks this season couldn't have come at a better time to improve on execution.
“Bo is just working on the small things," senior running back Kam Martin said. "We’re getting back to working on the basics.”
Like Malzahn has, Nix's teammates immediately noticed a good attitude from Nix, even after the worst game of his young career.
“He came back with a positive mindset that he wanted to get better," Martin said.
Malzahn knows Nix has gotten the Tigers this far. He essentially won the game Week 1 against Oregon with a go-ahead touchdown pass to Seth Williams, and since that season opener, his ability to protect the ball kept Auburn chugging along, even while it took its lumps on offense occasionally.
"We’re 5-1 right now with his leadership," Malzahn said. "I think the big takeaway for me is I’ve got to put him in better situations and we’ll do that moving forward. I know he’ll respond, too.”
For Nix, that response starts with the evaluations of his mistakes in film study and self-evaluation as the Tigers prepare to jump back in the schedule next Saturday at Arkansas.
"I told [Nix] to keep his head up," Williams said. "We know in film they’re going to be critical on everything, definitely on a loss. So definitely just be ready for it, take it as confidence, and come to practice and put the work in. We’re going to be good.
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