Muschamp's demeanor helps motivate players

AUBURN — Will Muschamp huddled up his defense on the sideline during Auburn's game against Arkansas on Saturday.

The group gathered around its defensive coordinator anticipating a speech.

"I thought he had something to say," said defensive end Sen'Derrick Marks, one of the players who encircled Muschamp.

No, Muschamp had nothing at all to say.

"He just started hitting everybody, pushing everybody," Marks said.

And they pushed Muschamp back. They shoved him, and he shoved back. They hit him, and he hit back.

The jabbing continued for several moments.

"I wanted to get in and get me a shove," Marks said, "but my shove would have been a little bit too hard."

I don't think so. I don't think there is any shove that Muschamp can't endure.

The story above told by Marks is just one of the many tales from the Muschamp experience.

Marks remembers another Muschamp outburst last season during the Ole Miss game.

Muschamp, fuming about a missed assignment, cut his hand on one of the dry-erase boards that are used on sidelines.

"He was bleeding out of his finger," Marks said. "He just started writing and bleeding, wiping blood ... bleeding and writing, bleeding and writing."

Players love Muschamp's fiery demeanor. It enlivens the sideline and encourages their play on the field.

"That's what you want out of your coordinator on defense," said safety Eric Brock. "You have to have somebody to fire you up, get up under you."

The 36-year-old Muschamp is wild on the sideline, doing anything from head-butting players — yes, without a helmet — to bumping chests with them.

When coach Tommy Tuberville was asked this week about Muschamp's fiery persona, he said, "Is it fiery or crazy?"

"I stay out of his way, especially when the team has done well, and they're coming off the field because he's jumping on everybody," Tuberville
said.

Those are by far Muschamp's most intense moments. As defensive players rush off the field after a big third-down stop, Muschamp attacks them, sometimes leaping into their arms or doing that weird pushing and shoving thing but one-on-one style.

"I wish he had some pads on," said tackle Pat Sims. "He hits everybody. He acts likes he's in full pads."

And he's got the scars to prove it. The Sunday following Auburn's win over New Mexico State, he interviewed with reporters as usual, but a noticeable red gash ran down his nose.

He didn't comment on the injury, but it's easy to see how he got it.

"Muschamp is kind of crazy," Sims admitted, "but he gets you pumped. He gets you ready for the game."

Marks remembers another incident when Muschamp nearly hurt him. After blocking a field goal block in the game at Florida, Marks raced to the sideline.

He was met with a forearm to the head ... or chest. He can't remember.

"I don't think I've ever been a part of a coach like that," he said.

Most of his teammates say the same thing. Muschamp is in another league.

Asked if Muschamp has ever hit him, linebacker Tray Blackmon said, "you're so crunked up at the time, I can't tell."

A few seconds passed, and Blackmon conceded: "I'm pretty sure he has."

Muschamp's fire has recently become a little too hot. During ESPN's national telecast of the game at Arkansas, the camera zoomed on Muschamp as the announcers chatted about Auburn's stifling defense.

After a near safety by the defense, Muschamp was seen and heard rushing several feet onto the field and yelling some — to put it mildly — not so nice things about the opposing team.

The video was put on Youtube, and, according to tackle Josh Thompson, it has made its way around the locker room.

"I think everybody's seen it. It's more funny than anything, because we know how he is," Thompson said. "We see it every day."

Muschamp, along with all assistant coaches, was not allowed to talk with reporters early this week, but Tuberville was asked if Muschamp should change.

"There's some things you could change, and it wouldn't make any difference how you play," he said.

"There's heat of the moment things and sometimes you get carried away."

But he admitted: "I want him to be fired up."

A defensive coordinator for four years under Nick Saban at LSU, Muschamp will be more than just fired up Saturday night. He'll be crazy.

"He doesn't want to lose to anybody," Thompson said, "but especially LSU."