Malzahn looking for offense to respond in 2nd scrimmage

AUBURN | Not long after Gus Malzahn watched the defense dominate Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall camp last Thursday, he was already challenging his offense to step it up in the next scrimmage.

“The key is the good offenses come back and the next time they respond and get it corrected,” said Malzahn.

The offenses’ first opportunity to strike back comes Wednesday morning in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“They got the best of us no doubt today so we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board, watch film tonight and ultimately get ready to go and get the best of them next time because we don’t want to let them beat us twice in a row,” said offensive lineman Jack Driscoll last week.

Part of the problem in the first scrimmage, according to Malzahn, was the lack of execution on offense, which is not surprising considering the two freshmen quarterbacks rotating with the first team and a young and inexperienced group of skill players.

“All 11 guys have to be on the same page and they have to be doing the right thing and everything has to be clean,” Malzahn said. “Most plays, all 11 weren’t clean. It may have been nine and two not, and 10 and one, but when you’re playing a good defense, it’s gotta be 11.”

The wide receivers in particular had their share of struggles dropping passes including one deflection that was intercepted.

“Some things that we need to work on is catching in traffic,” wide receiver Marquis McClain said. “I think we saw that as a team when we watched film and that’s something we just need to continue to work on is catching in traffic, catching when we’re tired, running when we’re tired. I think most of the stuff that was in the scrimmage was a lot of mental more than physical.”