Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, former boss Houston Nutt far from friends

AUBURN — Houston Nutt and Gus Malzahn aren’t talking to each other much these days.

Considering the immediate aftermath that ensued after Malzahn’s departure from Arkansas after the 2006 season, that’s probably the least surprising tidbit heading into Saturday’s rematch of the former co-workers.

The former head coach-offensive coordinator tandem had a well-documented falling out during Malzahn’s only year with the Razorbacks.

Despite a number of barbs and jabs directed his way since he left for Tulsa, Malzahn has stuck to the company line, repeatedly saying that he was happy with the opportunity he received under Nutt, who moved on from Arkansas one year later to Ole Miss.

Malzahn stuck to that script Tuesday.

“I hadn’t gotten a chance to visit with him since then,” Malzahn said, “but he gave me an opportunity to get in the college game.”

Nutt’s hiring of Malzahn was considered dubious from the start.

A number of skeptics believed he was brought on board simply because of the five highly touted recruits that followed him from Springdale High, where Malzahn became famous for his innovative, high-speed offense.

Malzahn and Nutt teamed to go 10-4 in 2006, winning the SEC West and advancing to the Capital One Bowl. Malzahn was named the Rivals.com Offensive Coordinator of the Year in 2006, thanks largely to the efforts of running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, who combined for 2,815 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in what appeared to be a Malzahn-run offense.

But speculation emerged almost instantly that Malzahn wasn’t running the show, especially after the Hogs’ 50-14 season-opening loss to USC.

“Behind his back, there was already scheming and plotting to demote him before the Razorbacks even went through spring drills,” Fort Smith Times Record sports editor Scott Faldon wrote in a Jan. 17, 2007 column.

“(Malzahn) kept his mouth shut when the Murray State Mafia (a.k.a. Nutt’s longtime crew of assistants) kept belittling him by calling him ‘High School’ in front of the players.”

Parents of three of the Springdale freshmen met with Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles after the season to voice their concerns about how much control Malzahn had over the offense. Broyles, who was skeptical about Malzahn’s offense before the 2006 season, reaffirmed his disbelief in the system shortly after his departure.

“I made a clear statement that this offense won’t work in the SEC unless the quarterback runs the ball,” Broyles said. “I said, ‘If the quarterback is a runner, it’ll work.’ But if your quarterback’s not a runner, in my judgment and in the judgment of most of the people, it wouldn’t work without the quarterback running the ball.”

Auburn quarterback Chris Todd has gained just 49 yards compared to a loss of 106 on the ground this season. Despite the Tigers’ recent struggles, they still rank second in the SEC and 19th in the nation in total offense.

Broyles added, “It’ll work when you’ve got the best offensive players. Any offense will.”

Nutt took pieces of Malzahn’s offense and utilized them in his last year at Arkansas and has done the same during his two years at Ole Miss. Like a number of college teams, the Rebels run a variation of Malzahn’s Wildcat formation, calling it the “Wild Rebel.”

Asked Monday if Malzahn had an impact on his coaching philosophy, Nutt didn’t exactly shower him with praise.

“I knew that we had Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis — three great backs,” Nutt said. “I knew I wanted to get them the ball. That was probably the only difference in philosophy. If you really go back and look at it, that was a really good year.”

Only one of the infamous “Springdale Five” remains at Arkansas — backup tight end Ben Cleveland. Quarterback Mitch Mustain, who started eight games for the Hogs in 2006, requested to transfer a day after Malzahn’s departure. He is now the third-string quarterback at USC.

In analyzing the recent woes of Auburn’s offense under Malzahn, coach Gene Chizik said Tuesday that what might appear as minor inefficiencies become major problems when exposed by the tough defenses of the SEC.

Nutt said that’s been Malzahn’s biggest hurdle in adapting his offense to the college game.

“He had a lot of mismatches in high school,” Nutt said. “When you get to the college level, you realize that there are two or three guys you are going to have to be concerned with because they are so athletic.”