Following yet another pedestrian performance last Saturday, Gus Malzahn took his play-calling to task.
“Hadn’t been very good,” the Auburn head coach said Wednesday. “It’s gotta be better. It’s gotta be better and it will get better.”
To get better, and avoid the further heating of his coaching seat, Malzahn has elected to fire himself.
Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, al.com is reporting that offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee will call plays in place of Malzahn in what’s almost a must-win game for the coach and the team tonight against LSU. The website writes that "[t]his isn’t the first time Lashlee has called plays in a pivotal game for Auburn... [as] Lashlee called the plays in Auburn’s 26-10 win at Texas A&M last season, the last SEC win for the Tigers.”
Since that game, the Tigers have lost three in a row in conference play.
Lashlee will be orchestrating an offense that, thus far this season, is tied for 86th in scoring offense (26.7 ppg). Take out the 51 points AU scored against Arkansas State in Week 2, and the Tigers averaging 16 points per game against Power Five teams.