Former QBs weigh in on Nix

[aubiefifty 18,398]

Former Auburn QBs weigh in on Bo Nix’s play through five games

Updated 11:36 AM; Today 11:26 AM

6-8 minutes

For Jason Campbell, the most important Bo Nix stat from these past several games isn’t his nine total touchdowns.

And it’s not the yardage or completion percentage numbers from Auburn’s new quarterback.

It’s been the lack of something else — turnovers.

It’s been four-and-a-half games and — to be exact — 271 minutes and 34 seconds of game time since Nix’s last turnover.

That last one for the five-star freshman was his interception late in the first half against Oregon more than a month ago. Since those two first half interceptions Aug. 31, Nix hasn’t had a single interception or lost fumble.

For Campbell, that’s impressive.

So are some of these other Nix numbers from these first five games.

“I think Bo’s done exceptionally well,” said Campbell, one of the Tigers’ all-time great QBs and a member of the Tigers’ game day radio team. “If you look at the first game, that first half, I think it’s one of those things where you’re a true freshman and in high school you’re used to making all the plays and all the throws when you’re a highly touted kid like he was. I think in that first half, he probably felt in his mind that he could do those same things and could continue to make all the throws and all the plays and create his own plays. ...

"But I think he learned a lot from that because the second half he came out and he didn’t have any turnovers and showed a lot of poise and composure late in that game. And as the season’s continued to progress, him not having any turnovers the past few weeks is a testament to him understanding to protect the football and keep our team in a great position to win games because we do have a great defense and we don’t have to force anything. If something’s not there, just live to see another day. I think he’s taken a great approach to that.”

It goes beyond just that, though.

Behind its true freshman quarterback, Auburn is 5-0 and ranked No. 7 nationally heading into Saturday’s game against No. 10 Florida.

Nix has thrown seven touchdowns, run for another two touchdowns and is coming off the best game of his young career — the Tigers’ 56-23 win over Mississippi State during which Nix accounted for 391 total yards and three touchdowns.

Campbell and another former Auburn QB — Chris Todd — are both impressed.

Both see Nix as a young player who continues to get better and better week-by-week.

“Since the season started, his progression every week and his growth has been substantial,” said Todd, who threw 22 touchdowns as a senior for the Tigers in 2009. “It’s blatantly obvious. It’s not usually that obvious the stepping stones that someone makes week-to-week.”

Since finishing just 13 for 31 with the two interceptions against Oregon and then completing only 19 of his 37 passes in week two against Tulane, Nix has completed 70 percent of his passes over Auburn’s last three games with five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns along with that ever important number — no turnovers.

While the team only finished with 299 yards of total offense during its 28-20 week four win at Texas A&M, the Tigers posted 633 yards the week before during their 55-16 win over Kent State and then had 578 yards and 25 first downs last week against Mississippi State.

As Nix has gotten better, the offense as a whole has gotten better.

“You see him in the first game against Oregon, I think he was playing a very similar style that he did in high school, which is: OK, I’m going to go through the play but if the rush gets even close then I’m getting out of the pocket,” Todd said. “He started doing that and I think he was still playing that same style, but he was getting chased down because people at this level are a hell of a lot faster and you’ve got crazy freakish linebackers and D-ends that are 40 and 60 pounds heavier than you and can still chase you down.

“So that first game against Oregon, he had to throw a lot of balls away. And then you see the second week where he started staying in the pocket a little longer but he would kind of be fading off of throws and kind of backing out of stuff. The third week, you could see him staying in the pocket a little longer and stepping into a few more throws. Then, by the time you get to week four and Texas A&M, he’s really stepping up into the pocket, really trusting the system and you can see (he’s thinking) I’m going to trust the pocket, I’m going to trust my O-line, I’m going to get up in the pocket and I’m going to let the play develop. That’s a crazy jump and a crazy level of maturity to jump from week one to week four.

“We’ve been able to see this incremental change and incremental increase in his maturity level, being a more veteran quarterback on a weekly basis. So by the time we got to week five, we’re seeing Gus’ offense as he’s kind of wanting it to be. We’ve got a lot of receivers making plays. We get to see the run game. And pass plays in particular are lasting longer because he’s staying in the pocket longer and he’s letting them develop, and more people are able to get open that way. It’s really opened up the offense from where it was in week one.”

Saturday will be Nix’s biggest test yet.

Florida is ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 8.8 points per game. The Gators are also tied for first in the country with nine interceptions and are tied for second nationally with 24 sacks.

Making it even more of a challenge is that the game is in Gainesville at Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which is known as one of the toughest road environments in college football.

Most true freshman quarterbacks don’t thrive in that kind of situation.

But Nix isn’t your typical true freshman quarterback.

As he’s shown during these past several weeks and during this 271 minute run without a turnover.

“I think the team is believing him, and that’s a big part of it,” Campbell said. “Once your teammates believe in you, you feel that confidence like you can go out and achieve anything, and I think right now he’s at that level. And let’s be honest. There are going to be bumps in the road. But I know that he has the demeanor to respond — just like he’s responded to success, I know he can respond to off games. I know he’s built for it. And for him this week, it’s just about going into this game and not feeling like you have to do more than what you’ve been doing. It’s just about continuing to do what you’ve been doing and just letting the game come to you."

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.

[kevon67 2,368]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

Former Auburn QBs weigh in on Bo Nix’s play through five games

Updated 11:36 AM; Today 11:26 AM

6-8 minutes

For Jason Campbell, the most important Bo Nix stat from these past several games isn’t his nine total touchdowns.

And it’s not the yardage or completion percentage numbers from Auburn’s new quarterback.

It’s been the lack of something else — turnovers.

It’s been four-and-a-half games and — to be exact — 271 minutes and 34 seconds of game time since Nix’s last turnover.

That last one for the five-star freshman was his interception late in the first half against Oregon more than a month ago. Since those two first half interceptions Aug. 31, Nix hasn’t had a single interception or lost fumble.

For Campbell, that’s impressive.

So are some of these other Nix numbers from these first five games.

“I think Bo’s done exceptionally well,” said Campbell, one of the Tigers’ all-time great QBs and a member of the Tigers’ game day radio team. “If you look at the first game, that first half, I think it’s one of those things where you’re a true freshman and in high school you’re used to making all the plays and all the throws when you’re a highly touted kid like he was. I think in that first half, he probably felt in his mind that he could do those same things and could continue to make all the throws and all the plays and create his own plays. ...

"But I think he learned a lot from that because the second half he came out and he didn’t have any turnovers and showed a lot of poise and composure late in that game. And as the season’s continued to progress, him not having any turnovers the past few weeks is a testament to him understanding to protect the football and keep our team in a great position to win games because we do have a great defense and we don’t have to force anything. If something’s not there, just live to see another day. I think he’s taken a great approach to that.”

It goes beyond just that, though.

Behind its true freshman quarterback, Auburn is 5-0 and ranked No. 7 nationally heading into Saturday’s game against No. 10 Florida.

Nix has thrown seven touchdowns, run for another two touchdowns and is coming off the best game of his young career — the Tigers’ 56-23 win over Mississippi State during which Nix accounted for 391 total yards and three touchdowns.

Campbell and another former Auburn QB — Chris Todd — are both impressed.

Both see Nix as a young player who continues to get better and better week-by-week.

“Since the season started, his progression every week and his growth has been substantial,” said Todd, who threw 22 touchdowns as a senior for the Tigers in 2009. “It’s blatantly obvious. It’s not usually that obvious the stepping stones that someone makes week-to-week.”

Since finishing just 13 for 31 with the two interceptions against Oregon and then completing only 19 of his 37 passes in week two against Tulane, Nix has completed 70 percent of his passes over Auburn’s last three games with five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns along with that ever important number — no turnovers.

While the team only finished with 299 yards of total offense during its 28-20 week four win at Texas A&M, the Tigers posted 633 yards the week before during their 55-16 win over Kent State and then had 578 yards and 25 first downs last week against Mississippi State.

As Nix has gotten better, the offense as a whole has gotten better.

“You see him in the first game against Oregon, I think he was playing a very similar style that he did in high school, which is: OK, I’m going to go through the play but if the rush gets even close then I’m getting out of the pocket,” Todd said. “He started doing that and I think he was still playing that same style, but he was getting chased down because people at this level are a hell of a lot faster and you’ve got crazy freakish linebackers and D-ends that are 40 and 60 pounds heavier than you and can still chase you down.

“So that first game against Oregon, he had to throw a lot of balls away. And then you see the second week where he started staying in the pocket a little longer but he would kind of be fading off of throws and kind of backing out of stuff. The third week, you could see him staying in the pocket a little longer and stepping into a few more throws. Then, by the time you get to week four and Texas A&M, he’s really stepping up into the pocket, really trusting the system and you can see (he’s thinking) I’m going to trust the pocket, I’m going to trust my O-line, I’m going to get up in the pocket and I’m going to let the play develop. That’s a crazy jump and a crazy level of maturity to jump from week one to week four.

“We’ve been able to see this incremental change and incremental increase in his maturity level, being a more veteran quarterback on a weekly basis. So by the time we got to week five, we’re seeing Gus’ offense as he’s kind of wanting it to be. We’ve got a lot of receivers making plays. We get to see the run game. And pass plays in particular are lasting longer because he’s staying in the pocket longer and he’s letting them develop, and more people are able to get open that way. It’s really opened up the offense from where it was in week one.”

Saturday will be Nix’s biggest test yet.

Florida is ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 8.8 points per game. The Gators are also tied for first in the country with nine interceptions and are tied for second nationally with 24 sacks.

Making it even more of a challenge is that the game is in Gainesville at Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which is known as one of the toughest road environments in college football.

Most true freshman quarterbacks don’t thrive in that kind of situation.

But Nix isn’t your typical true freshman quarterback.

As he’s shown during these past several weeks and during this 271 minute run without a turnover.

“I think the team is believing him, and that’s a big part of it,” Campbell said. “Once your teammates believe in you, you feel that confidence like you can go out and achieve anything, and I think right now he’s at that level. And let’s be honest. There are going to be bumps in the road. But I know that he has the demeanor to respond — just like he’s responded to success, I know he can respond to off games. I know he’s built for it. And for him this week, it’s just about going into this game and not feeling like you have to do more than what you’ve been doing. It’s just about continuing to do what you’ve been doing and just letting the game come to you."

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.

Thanks for posting........Can you imagine your first game as a freshmen playing for school you love and your father is a  beloved legend against a nationally ranked team for everyone to see?

[AuburnEagle79 2,212]

45 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

Thanks for posting........Can you imagine your first game as a freshmen playing for school you love and your father is a  beloved legend against a nationally ranked team for everyone to see?

My pants wouldn't have been near as white as Bo's....

[AUsince72 11,084]

45 minutes ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

1 hour ago, kevon67 said:

Thanks for posting........Can you imagine your first game as a freshmen playing for school you love and your father is a  beloved legend against a nationally ranked team for everyone to see?

My pants wouldn't have been near as white as Bo's....

No.... and then, Yes....

[gr82be 14,996]

1 hour ago, kevon67 said:

Thanks for posting........Can you imagine your first game as a freshmen playing for school you love and your father is a  beloved legend against a nationally ranked team for everyone to see?

I can't imagine but Bo is so cool on the field, way beyond his years in my opinion. Patrick did a fantastic job preparing the football player for this moment on the field. Patrick and Bo's mom also did a fantastic job preparing the young man. Kudos to all three of them. I feel like Bo is going to leave a mark on Auburn University that we haven't seen before. I'm trying to keep it all in perspective because there are at least 4 very tough games ahead starting this week. Thanks @aubiefifty for posting. 

[Zeek 16,957]

The forum is a little quieter when the quarterback is accurate. Bo is a gamer and I hope he continues to grow week-to-week.

Florida’s defense is much tougher than Moo States but I think Bo can still put up 250 this week with the right balance on offense. I’m trying not to get confident but Gus has put a fire in my belly 🔥 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Honestly....I know Bo had his misses on the deep ball for a few weeks and seems to have corrected that, did anyone expect Bo to do as well as he has to this point? Whether you were rooting for Joey or Bo, either way? I honestly cannot say I did. I expected Bo to win the job. I wanted Bo to win the job, but I expected it to be tough. I expected us to have to constantly remind ourselves he is a freshman due to TO's, interceptions, the works. I expected half the board to be calling for QB2.  (i was half right on that even though Bo's play didn't dictate that) . This young man is a warrior and a student of the game. I am in disbelief of what he has done so far and how quickly he has progressed. I still expect mistakes and all, but man I am excited for the rest of the season. I am proud of Bo and really proud of Gus. People can and will say this is all due to Dilly, and a lot may be credited to Dilly, but if so Gus hired Dilly and Gus has implemented the Offense at the perfect rate for him to grow confidence, win games, and not get in over his head. I think we are probably running about 90% of the Offense at this point. That is impressive. War Damn Eagle!

[aubiefifty 18,398]

1 hour ago, Zeek said:

The forum is a little quieter when the quarterback is accurate. Bo is a gamer and I hope he continues to grow week-to-week.

Florida’s defense is much tougher than Moo States but I think Bo can still put up 250 this week with the right balance on offense. I’m trying not to get confident but Gus has put a fire in my belly 🔥 

man i remember doing my first aufam game and you got excited and said the c word and i reminded you to chill before you got banned. i saved your life that day. never forget.............lol  waves

[WarTim 3,529]

Mr Nix #10 ( My Man Crush!) He is definitely getting better every week. I think his main attribute thus far is he has NO fear. He was indeed blessed with a Mom and Dad that did an incredible job of raising a great young Man. I look forward to his future. And make no mistake.....Joey Gatewood will play a major role as well. WDE !!!

[WVR 830]

Speaking of former QB’s. Patrick Nix in the house tonight.

[augolf1716 21,997]

5 hours ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

My pants wouldn't have been near as white as Bo's....

Mine would have been brown

[Zeek 16,957]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

man i remember doing my first aufam game and you got excited and said the c word and i reminded you to chill before you got banned. i saved your life that day. never forget.............lol  waves

Haha I thought for sure the auto-sensor would fix it for me. Turns out that word isn’t on the filter list. I know put the * myself to be safe lol.

[Zeek 16,957]

3 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Honestly....I know Bo had his misses on the deep ball for a few weeks and seems to have corrected that, did anyone expect Bo to do as well as he has to this point? Whether you were rooting for Joey or Bo, either way? I honestly cannot say I did. I expected Bo to win the job. I wanted Bo to win the job, but I expected it to be tough. I expected us to have to constantly remind ourselves he is a freshman due to TO's, interceptions, the works. I expected half the board to be calling for QB2.  (i was half right on that even though Bo's play didn't dictate that) . This young man is a warrior and a student of the game. I am in disbelief of what he has done so far and how quickly he has progressed. I still expect mistakes and all, but man I am excited for the rest of the season. I am proud of Bo and really proud of Gus. People can and will say this is all due to Dilly, and a lot may be credited to Dilly, but if so Gus hired Dilly and Gus has implemented the Offense at the perfect rate for him to grow confidence, win games, and not get in over his head. I think we are probably running about 90% of the Offense at this point. That is impressive. War Damn Eagle!

To answer your question.

While he was in high school? Yes, I believed he would be what he currently is IF the blocking was there.

After A-Day? Ehhh I was feeling less confident.

After the next 2-3 games? No, I worried he wouldn’t reach this current level for maybe a year or more.

He has progressed at a ridiculous rate.

[toddc 13,197]

26 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

Mine would have been brown

In the back? 😝