HOOVER, Ala. -- Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn showed he was comfortable taking jabs at various competitors at SEC football media days Monday.
When asked about reconciling his uptempo style of offensive play with helping out his defense, Malzahn said each coach has to determine what's best for his team before gigging Alabama and Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban.
"You look now at pace and just about everybody in our league has some type of tempo," he said. "Even the teams that used to gripe about it are actually doing it now."
Malzahn, the Fort Smith native who has an extensive coaching background in Arkansas, was also feisty when asked about Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh holding a satellite camp in Alabama.
Malzahn dismissed the recruiting impact of the camp, saying, "The chances of a team up north coming into our state and signing a player that us or Alabama wants are slim to none."
Son of a coach
Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III, a two-time All-SEC cornerback, doesn't have to worry about facing his dad this regular season.
The Gators don't play Arkansas, where his father Vernon is in his first season as linebackers coach.
"I kind of wanted to play him to try to get a little bragging rights in the family," the younger Hargreaves said. "But we'll have a chance to play them in Atlanta."
That was a reference to a possible Arkansas-Florida matchup in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome.
Is that realistic?
"I don't see why not," Hargreaves Jr. said.
Who would win?
"Oh us," he said. "Without a doubt."
Big board
Auburn is installing college football's largest video board, a Daktronics creation that measures 57 feet high and 190 feet wide. By comparison, the video board at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium is 72 by 160.
Auburn's new board, a $13.9 million project, has 8.7 million LED lights and requires a 40-person staff to operate on game days. The audio cabinet for the new board is larger than the previous video screens at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium.
"We will practice some in fall camp with that thing on just so it won't be a shock to us in our first game at home," Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said.
Hogs template
Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason said he would definitely look at Arkansas' bounce back in 2014 from an 0-8 SEC record the previous year as a blueprint.
"Absolutely," Mason said. "Each year stands on its own merit. I believe that one year doesn't make a football team. What you do is you realize who you are. You re-tool yourself and get yourself ready to go play.
Nick chats
First-year Florida Coach Jim McElwain said he stays in contact with Alabama Coach Nick Saban, for whom he coordinated the Crimson Tide offense in 2008-2011, a period that included two BCS national championships.
"He's been a guy that's always been there," McElwain said. "Just being able to call, have as a resource, he's there to help along the way. And obviously, taking this job, he's been a guy that has answered a lot of questions, maybe gave me some things to look out for as we kind of roll through. In fact, something like [SEC media days] right? But having that relationship is something I'll cherish forever."
Vandy grammar
Second-year Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason didn't mince words during his opening statement about the Commodores' fall from a 9-4 record and fourth-place SEC finish in 2013 to a 3-8 overall record and 0-8 conference mark in his debut last year.
"Last year was a little bit of a disruptive road we were on," Mason said. "It was a disappointing season we had, but that's a comma, not a period."
Trainor at the mic
Kevin Trainor, Arkansas' associate athletic director for public relations, is serving as moderator of the SEC media days' media room for the fifth consecutive year.
Trainor calls on members of the media who want to ask questions of the SEC coaches in attendance.
"Hopefully, I bring some order to what can be a pretty large room of people wanting to ask questions," Trainor said. "It always works out well and people get plenty of information.
"It's an honor to represent the University of Arkansas and be asked by the SEC to do this. It's the kickoff to the football season."
Expanded role
Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason has added duties for second-year assistant coach Kenwick Thompson, the former all-conference player and defensive captain at Harding University.
Thompson, who handled outside linebackers last season, will now guide the entire linebacking crew.
Nod to dad
Florida Coach Jim McElwain has no doubt about the positive influence Arkansas assistant Vernon Hargreaves has made on his son, Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.
"I love the way this guy comes to work every day," McElwain said. "The way he practices, the way he thrives in competition, and not only that, the way he takes care of himself in the classroom and other things that go along with being successful in life. Growing up the son of a coach, he obviously has been around it, and I think that is huge."
Hargreaves said his father didn't push football on him.
"I think the best thing my dad has ever done for me was leave me alone about sports," he said. "He never forced me to play any sport growing up. The main thing he said to me was to be respectful to all women and take care of my mom and my sisters."
Two Petrinos
Auburn will face both of the coaching Petrino brothers this season, with its opener against Louisville and Coach Bobby Petrino on Sept. 5 in Atlanta, and a home game against Idaho and Coach Paul Petrino on Nov. 21.
Bobby Petrino was head coach at Arkansas in 2008-2011, and Paul Petrino served two terms as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator during that stretch.
"I've talked to him a handful of times," Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said of Bobby Petrino. "I respect him as a coach. He's a very good offensive coach with what he does and his approach. You look at his track record, we've got our hands full in that first game."
Sports on 07/14/2015