FAYETTEVILLE - Gus Malzahn has turned Auburn’s football team upside down - in a good way - going into his Arkansas homecoming game.
The Tigers, who play Arkansas at 5 p.m. Saturday in Reynolds Razorback Stadium, are 7-1 in Malzahn’s first season as their head coach a year after starting 1-7 en route to a 3-9 finish that resulted in Gene Chizik’s firing.
Malzahn, a Fort Smith native and former Arkansas, Tulsa and Auburn offensive coordinator, was called back to Auburn to replace Chizik after leading Arkansas State to a 9-3 record in his first season as a college head coach.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of good players to coach in new situations,” Malzahn said. “This situation is no different. Our players have bought into what we’re trying to establish. We’ve got very good coaches that are teachers, and the players have responded to them.”
Malzahn, who led Shiloh Christian and Springdale to three state championships during a 14-year run as a high school head coach in Arkansas, recruited and coached many of the current Auburn players when he was offensive coordinator in 2009-2011.
“From Day 1 he’s said we’re going to have the biggest turnaround in college football, and that’s been the goal,” junior running back Tre Mason said. “Day 1, first sentence: ‘Guys, get ready. It’s a new day, and we’re going to have the biggest turnaround in college football.’ ”
As was the case in 2010, when Auburn went 14-0 and won the national championship with Cam Newton playing quarterback and Malzahn calling the plays, the Tigers have a dual threat quarterback in junior college transfer Nick Marshall.
The Tigers are averaging 315.4 rushing yards per game to lead the SEC, but also have big-play capability in the passing game with Sammie Coates leading the nation in yards per reception at 25.5 yards on 21 catches.
Marshall has completed 83 of 144 passes for 1,148 yards with 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and he has rushed 81 times for 461 yards and 5 touchdowns.
“Gus has got an extremely unique package that they’re obviously grasping very, very well, and they’ve got players that fit into it,” Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. “I think their execution has gotten better every game, which means that kids are buying into it 100 [percent] and are executing.”
Mason has 129 carries for 753 yards and 9 touchdowns and is one of four Tigers averaging more than 56 rushing yards per game.
“He’s a veteran guy,” Malzahn said. “He understands blocking schemes. Probably the biggest thing that has impressed me this year is his ability to make the first guy miss and his yards after first contact.”
Marshall sustained a shoulder injury in the Tigers’ 45-10 victory over Florida Atlantic last Saturday night and is “day to day,” according to Malzahn, but Marshall has practiced this week.
“He’s sore, but he’s a tough kid,” Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. “Everything, from me knowing about him and what we know so far, tells me he should be OK.”
The Tigers have scored 14 offensive touchdowns in four SEC games after scoring eight in eight conference games a year ago.
“We say every week about getting better at executing, and I feel like we have, as far as the little things,” Malzahn said. “We still haven’t got there yet, but we have improved. Any time you can run the football, that opens other things up.”
Auburn is ranked No. 11 in this week’s Bowl Championship Series standings and is No. 8 in The Associated Press poll.
“I think we put ourselves back on the map,” senior defensive end Dee Ford said. ”We definitely went from playing for nothing last year to playing for a lot this year.”
Last season the Tigers were 1-3 in games decided by seven or few points. This season they are 4-0 in games decided by eight or fewer points, including come from-behind victories against Washington State, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.
“I would say everything is falling into place,” junior center Reese Dismukes said.“It’s all the same guys. We’re playing better as a team than we were last year.”
Malzahn refuses to get carried away with Auburn’s turnaround and continues to stress that the Tigers “haven’t arrived” yet.
“They are getting more confident each week, but each week presents its own challenges, especially in this league,” Malzahn said. “You’ve got to be prepared each week.
“I know I sound like a broken record, but our only focus is Arkansas. We’ve got our hands full with them, and we are going to have to improve from our last game.”
Up next NO. 11 AUBURN AT ARKANSAS
WHEN 5 p.m. Saturday WHERE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville RECORDS Auburn 7-1, 3-1 SEC; Arkansas 3-5, 0-4 TV ESPN2 RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network
Auburn (7-1, 3-1 SEC)
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Aug. 31 Washington State W, 31-24
Sept. 7 Arkansas State W, 38-9
Sept. 14 Mississippi State W, 24-20
Sept. 21 at LSU L, 35-21
Oct. 5 Ole Miss W, 30-22
Oct. 12 Western Carolina W, 62-3
Oct. 19 at Texas A&M W, 45-41
Oct. 26 Florida Atlantic W, 45-10
Nov. 3 at Arkansas
Nov. 9 at Tennessee
Nov. 16 Georgia
Nov. 30 Alabama
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/30/2013