[ad_1]
AUBURN, Alabama – Coach Gus Malzahn said that he had decided to publicly announce his starting quarterback 11 days before the first game of the season against Oregon, while the Auburn Tigers were back on the ground for their first training since the end of the preparatory football camp on Sunday.
Bo Nix, a freshman from Pinson Valley High, will open the season at the top of the QB depth chart, ahead of rookie Redshirt Joey Gatewood. Another freshman, Cord Sandberg, is No. 3 and the only other quarterback on the Auburn football roster in 2019.
"I just thought we needed to let our team know who was the starting quarterback in Oregon," Malzahn said. The coach said he felt it was important for Nix to have the reps and set good timing with the other members of the first team.
"It was a very good competition," said Malzahn. "As I said before, when I look back, we have two quarters with whom we think we can win. It was a very good competition, but at the end of the day Bo Nix won the quarterback job.
"He did a great job with his attention to detail, with everything that goes with it," said the coach. "I'm going to say this about Joey, and I told him this:" He's going to help us win this year. "There is no doubt in my mind.
"The good thing is that we confirmed that we had two guys with whom we could win," said Malzahn, who added that the other players were excited about the announcement of the news when the coach Chief announced that Nix would be the starter before Tuesday's training.
*** Get 30% off an annual subscription receive the latest Auburn recruits and recruiting teams ***
*** Get the latest Auburn news in your inbox for free ***
"They are happy, they know who will lead us to this first game," Malzahn said. "They have responded well on the practice field today."
The Tigers open the season on August 31 at the AT & T stadium in Arlington, Texas, against the Oregon Ducks.
Malzahn said he believed Nix would give the Tigers the best chance of success against the Pac-12 team because of QB's regularity. Nix will be the first real rookie quarterback to start an opening match since Travis Tidwell in 1946.
"This statistic is pretty special," said Nix. "For me, it's something I was aiming for. It was one of my goals, as I said. And honestly, it says that the team welcomed me and how much it helped me get in the field quickly. It was a good situation.
"I arrived in a good position and our coaches, coaches Malzahn and (Kenny) Dillingham, were very good at getting ready quickly," said the quarterback.
Asked about the recent trend of university football to have more recruits starting at quarterback, Malzahn said: "I think it's different for each individual, but there have been guys who have really had success with a freshman. I think you have to be really good to them. That's really our goal, no matter who will be the starting quarterback, we have to be really around our offensive and defensive quarter, being a freshman. I think it's a big key and our team understands it.
"When you have new players, they will make mistakes," said the head coach. "I will tell you right now, I do not care about their talent, they will make mistakes and we have to be pretty good around them as they grow and learn, especially with the schedule we have with the road game and all that goes with it is really our message to our team, to be really good around it. "
Commenting on his career as a real rookie quarterback, Malzahn said, "I do not know if I've started one the first game. I know that in Arkansas we started one, either the second, the third, but a guy, you do not want to think that you're going to pull the rope on him.You go with a guy and let him play.Mostly as new students, he would not have imported which – you And as I said, we have to be really good around them.I think the good thing is to put them in good positions.I think that's the thing # 1, trying not to put them in difficult positions. "
After playing for his father's high school teams, Nix said he had received important advice from the former Auburn quarterback. "Whether you play in Auburn or elsewhere, growing up, he taught me to never let the moment get too big. You are ready to face any moment. You can only improve. He just did a very good job of allowing me to be myself, and he reminded me of the strengths I had and how to use those forces, but overall he was always by my side. He always pushed me to become a better player and he really helped me get where I am today. "
& # 39; Dream Come True & # 39; for Bo Nix
Bo Nix answers your questions
[ad_2]
Source link