TIGER TALK REVIEW: Baylor Week

It’s once again time for TIGER TALK SZN.

We like TIGER TALK SZN because it gives us a chance to hear Sir Andy Burcham, Voice of The Auburn Tigers, and trusted deputy Brad Law* ask questions of the Head Coach. We also enjoy it when HERB and KIM and JULI/JULIE ask questions. It’s a nice change of pace from when nerdy reporters ask questions.

WHERE TO LISTEN: You can check here to see which radio station near you may be carrying the show. You also can click that link and get hooked into the stream through Auburn’s web portal.

WHERE TO WATCH: You can check here to see if the Tiger Talk Live Stream is active. I am told everyone can watch the stream on War Eagle + even if you’re not a paid member. I am not sure this is true. I will update this as conditions merit.

* I refer to Brad Law as “Not Andy” as a sign of affection. Though I had a beef with Brad for a number of years, that beef has been squashed. I said I’d begin referring to him as “Brad” on these reviews, which date back the Tuberville days on HABOTN, but he said he’d prefer I continue referring to him as “Not Andy.” So that’s the story.

THE SHOW BEGINS

Hugh is our first guest RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. Love it.

“It’s exciting in our building. You try to maintain your focus. We’ve kinda lived in a dark hole for the past month. You’re just so locked into your routine and all that you do to get your team prepared. When this week gets here, it’s hard to not be excited.”

NOT ANDY asks about working this week since the game is on Friday. “Today is Tuesday for us, Monday for the rest of the people. We back off some of the contact. We made Sunday  a Tuesday practice so we’d only have one physical practice this week. Now it’s a matter of do you understand the game plan and now can we go play fast?”

SEGMENT TWO

NOT ANDY asks about Baylor’s defense. “The more you watch, the more anxious you get. (Aranda) is legendary. He was kind of on the cutting edge with what you do defensively with the simulated pressures he brings. It’s a complicated scheme — and his kids play extremely hard.”

“I’m impressed with their defense. Schematically, they’re on point. It’s a good test for us.”

HERB has a question. He wants to know how many freshmen Hugh will play. “A fair amount.” (He mentions Kail Ellis, Durell Robinson, Omar Mabson, Deas, Xavier, Melendez, Jared Smith, Autry, Crawford, Newboy and Eric Winters … Hugh lumping freshmen and transfers into the same bucket.)

ANDY wants to talk about sim pressures. “They’re going to work out of a Mint (3-4) front. Somebody is adding to the gap and they don’t show that. Whether it’s from the back end or it’s one of the linebackers or one of the safeties. Sometimes it’s done off of what the offensive line does, which makes it complicated.” (It’s really a shell game where Baylor disguises where the blitz pressure is coming from.)

“He won’t run all of that in one game … but there’s no way to rep it all for your quarterbacks against every single play you want to carry. That’s uncomfortable a little bit. You can get fooled — sometimes they bring two simulated guys … but then there’s two dropping, too.”

“The main thing you want to do in games like this is … you want to stay out of 3rd and Long. You can’t protect at this level on 3rd and Long and have success. We need to keep it at 3rd and Manageable.”

Question from BUSTER. He asks about Hugh’s health. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know that I’m sick or have anything wrong with me if some doctor didn’t tell me that. Other than an old back. We’re going to wait until January and revisit that and see where things are. We’re doing a lot of praying, eating and fasting. My last blood test, everything was great.”

“When you hear that C-word (cancer) that nobody wants to hear … ‘Coach, if you can go through it mentally, we don’t see any additional risk.’ I told them that January fits my calendar better. I hardly ever think about it because I don’t have any symptoms.”

BUSTER’S second question is about what the team will do until kickoff on Friday. “There will be some rest time, but we won’t let them stay long.” (Hugh said they will hold a walk-through in the morning, then a light lunch and then some rest before going to the stadium.)

SEGMENT THREE

EDDY/EDDIE has a question. He wants to know about who will serve as captain. “We voted yesterday. I have the results on my desk, but I haven’t told the kids yet. I will them them Wednesday.”

NOT ANDY asks about the transfer OTs (Mason Murphy and Xavier Chaplin). “We really thought they’d come in, both, and start for us. Mason can play at center or guard. Too Tall can play everywhere but center. We improved ourselves for sure with those two guys.”

ANDY asks about kicker Alex McPherson. “He’s just struggling to get healthy. He has started some new meds at the start of last week. His weight is down. His strength is down. He’s having a hard time keeping food down. We feel really good when he’s out there kicking. At no point do I want him out there doing something he’s not up to. Towns and Gibbs have had good moments in camp and they have good legs.”

ANDY mentions that Hugh was talking about “picking up the baton” in his team meeting earlier today. “Everybodu in life struggles with this game that we perceive of ourselves … why am I not yet at this point in my life or why have I not overcome this struggle yet in my life? We focus on that gap a lot. Are you still running the race? Stay in the race; your moment is coming. You’ll never be preprared if you’re so distracted with other things. Throw off the weights that weigh us down and entangle us. Let’s run the race.”

SEGMENT FOUR

NOT ANDY now asks about Baylor’s offense. “Tempo and spread you out from sideline to sideline. Very experienced offense returning. I think they’ll tempo us … and make us defend all of (the field).”

ANDY asks about depth along the defensive line. “We’ve been fortunate health-wise. While we may not have the big name inside, I’m really, really confident that we have the depth. We’ve got the makings of a really deep, good, solid (group of) inside guys. They all have shown flashes of being able to do it in fall camp. The fresher they are, the better we can be.”

DREW wants to know if Hugh can come up with one word to describe fall camp. “Brutal. The older you get, the tougher that three-week stretch is. It’s certainly hard on the kids, but they’re younger. It’s long hours and not much sleep. We know that; we’ve done it for years.”

NOT ANDY asks about the tailback situation. “I love what I’ve seen from Damari. I think it’s his time to shine. I feel the same about Jeremiah Cobb. Behind them, I like the young guys, too. I’ve enjoyed watching the growth of Damari and Cobb. They’ve definitely both had good camps.”

ANDY asks about keys for the run game. “It starts with Jackson making sure that whether it’s a pass or a run — make the right decision on that. If it’s a pass, it’s about making cure the protection is set. If it’s a run play, our O-line handing the moves and knowing where that extra guy is coming from. I think we’ll get ‘dirty runs.’ If we have a lane, we’re going to get some dirty three-, four-yard runs. It’s a good run. Puts you in 2nd and 6 or 7. You can live with that. We’ve got a good plan. We’ve just got to go execute it.”

NOT ANDY asks about Jackson Arnold as a runner. “It’s really hard to judge it. I’ve seen it on tape. I know he has that ability. It’s just not something you practice in fall camp a whole lot. I saw it in the mock game Friday. He got out of the pocket a couple times a little too early for me. Then he moves around with his feet and all the sudden he’s run for 20 yards. It’s a balancing act a little bit. It was the same thing with Malik Willis his first year. A lot of good things happened when he decided to get out of the pocket.”

ANDY asks about tight ends. “We need B-Frazier to stay healthy. He’s the most complete. Preston Howard is talented in the pass game. He is limited in some blocking things … you’re not going to ask him to do what you’d ask Luke Deal to do. Tate Johnson is just the opposite.”

HUNTER wants to know about biggest fall camp surprise. “I’m going to go with Rayshawn Pleasant. I think he’s legit. He can play both nickel and corners. He’s a really talented return guy. I think he’s going to be a name everybody knows before the end of the year.”

NOT ANDY says that would be a “Pleasant surprise.” (GUFFAWS ALL AROUND)

NOT ANDY asks about goals for Friday. “A win. That’s the only thing that would make me happy. What you really want to see … you just don’t want those self-inflicted, pre-snap penalties or special-teams penalties that can really change the field position. Most games are lost rather than won. We have to find a way to not do things that lose it. Then we’ll have a shot in the fourth quarter.”

Hugh departs with a hearty, cheery “War Eagle.”

BE GOOD. BE YOU.

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