AUBURN FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Chizik says he meets 'daily' with AD Jacobs
Nov 11, 2012 (Menafn - Opelika-Auburn News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Auburn coach Gene Chizik said after Saturday night's blowout loss to Georgia he meets daily with athletics director Jay Jacobs, but declined to offer their discussion topics.
Chizik has come under fire this season as losses have mounted up, and the speculation over his job status will likely continue after a 38-0 loss against Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was the Tigers' (2-8, 0-7 SEC) worst home loss in the 120-year history of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
"I talk to Jay Jacobs on a daily basis," Chizik said. "I typically don't have a lot of contact with Dr. (Jay) Gogue day in and day out until the end of the year anyway, but I am not going into any of the details of that."
Gogue, Auburn's president, released a statement late last month admitting concerns he had over the football program. The statement notably left out any support for Jacobs or Chizik.
Chizik has declined to talk about how he felt about the statement, and that didn't change Saturday.
"Like I said, I have one goal and that is to come back to work tomorrow and work this week," Chizik said. "I am trying to get a win for these seniors."
Chizik was asked specifically if he thought he'd lost his team.
"I don't. I really don't. I don't. Absolutely not," he said. "I feel like obviously we didn't play well. But, on the sideline during the game, and just kids being into the game and still being in there and being competitive, not dragging their heads and putting their heads down, I don't feel like that at all."
QB Wallace's first SEC start
Auburn freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace started his first SEC game Saturday night against Georgia and its vaunted pass rush, a tough task for anyone.
Wallace was efficient, completing 15-of-22 passes for 181 yards and one interception while being hounded by constant pressure all night. Most notably, Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones finished with two sacks.
"He did some good things," offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler said. "True freshman, he did some things that for a true freshman were exceptional. But we had a few mistakes that could have kept some drives alive. But he's a young player that seems to have a way to get better, better and better. Proud of that kid."
Wallace credited the support of his teammates.
"They really rallied around me," said Wallace, a former Central High quarterback. "They've been helping me with my confidence as well. Just that trust factor that we have with each other is really great. The guys are really supportive. Hopefully, we'll be able to go in this week and come out with a win."
DE Ford starts, gets a sack
Auburn defensive end Dee Ford, who has struggled through an abdominal injury the past couple weeks, started Saturday after coming off the sideline last week against New Mexico State.
Ford got his first sack in the past five games.
"I feel healthy," Ford said. "Like I said, I've got to make more plays, and us as a whole defense has to make more plays. I'm not satisfied with one sack."
Trick play gone bad
Auburn had driven down to Georgia's 30-yard line on its second possession Saturday when the Bulldogs sniffed out a receiver pass attempt with Tigers sophomore Quan Bray.
The play lost 10 yards. Knocked out of field goal range, Auburn was forced to punt.
It was a big momentum swing early, but Chizik said his team had plenty of other issues.
"I mean, you can cite that one play as really it snowballing, but I wouldn't say that," Chizik said. "I just feel like, again, pretty much all day on both sides of the football, I thought we were very poor, and I don't think that really, obviously that would have been a great momentum swing if we had hit that, but we didn't.
"It is about execution for 60 minutes in the game on both sides of the ball, and that just didn't happen."
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