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Gus Malzahn 1 November 2016 Press Conference Recap

Recapping Gus Malzahn's weekly meeting with the press. All credit to the beat writers who were there.

By Walt Austin
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

This is a bit late, today, because I'm in El Paso for training. I had most of the morning off, but used it to meet up with an Army buddy I deployed with in 06-07, so I'm recapping this now that I'm back in the hotel and before my final bit of training.

I like to see Gus Malzahn joking. That usually means he's relaxed and things are going well. So, his line about getting Pettway some media training for telling the truth about wanting to run over tacklers is funny and a good sign, to me.

He spoke about Pettway and Sean White and the way they've elevated their game over the last few weeks. It really has been something to behold. It's hard to believe Pettway is almost at 1000 yards and he's really only recorded carried in 5.5 games. As for White, I can't believe I'm saying this (and I hope I don't jinx it), but is it crazy to think that he could end up All-SEC at the end of the season? He's not going to have the attempts or total yards that some quarterbacks will have, but his accuracy numbers and ability to make plays when he needs to rivals any other QB in the conference.

It's good to know that everyone is going to practice today. It still wouldn't shock me if Tre Williams, Javaris Davis, and Tony Stevens are held out of the Vanderbilt game. I really don't think Auburn will need Williams or Davis against the Vanderbilt offense, and the other receivers can step up in Tony Stevens' absence. As for Malik Miller, it's great to hear he's moving around, but with Stanton Truitt's performance at WR, I don't think we need to try to bring Miller back too quickly. Redshirt him and keep him around. With the way Pettway is playing, he may go pro after this year (he's a redshirt sophomore, after all), so we'll need that bruising back that Miller can be.

On Vanderbilt, they definitely have one of the tougher defenses in the conference. They're impressive and should be a good test for Auburn. Now, having said that, they've also only played other SEC East teams, so far, and not ones with the greatest offensive prowess. They did beat Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State - which is impressive - but they gave up well above their average in points/game in those. So, I do think Gus is confident his offense will be able to put points on the board. Still, he has to be diplomatic.

Finally, how about the subtle shade thrown at Muschamp? I'm guessing that while maybe there's not real animosity there, there's no love lost, either. When asked about South Carolina's win, Gus specifically mentioned he's happy for his good friend Bobby Bentley on staff, there. Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but it sure seems like a shot to me.

And now, to the Tweets!

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