AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -The scoring spree was nothing new to Kodi Burns.
Auburn’s regular quarterback-turned-Wildcat quarterback kept getting the ball in the end zone either running or passing against Mississippi State. Just like during his high school days.
“We’d spread the ball out, run it and throw it. I had quite a few games like that,” Burns said nonchalantly.
But those four touchdowns – three rushing and one passing – against the Bulldogs were a third of Burns’ total in his first two seasons at Auburn, spanning 19 games and eight starts.
Burns appears to be flourishing in his new role going into Saturday night’s game with West Virginia. He was moved to receiver and Wildcat quarterback during the preseason after offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn announced that Chris Todd had won the starting quarterback job.
process helped ensure the division that players have said infested the team during last season’s unsettled QB situation didn’t become a problem again.
“We’ve got to find guys like that a place on our football team, that can help us win,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “We’ve tried to be semi-creative in what we do and the things that we give him to do to help us be able to win. That’s running it, throwing it. Saturday he was blocking. He did it all. That’s kind of the nature of who he is.
“He’s the kind of guy, he’s satisfied with whatever role he can undertake to help us win.”
Burns’ numbers in the Wildcat and at receiver have been modest: 55 yards rushing, one completion in two pass attempts, one reception for 2 yards. But the completion was a 13-yard touchdown to freshman tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen and four of the runs have resulted in TDs, including three 1-yarders against the Bulldogs.
He had passed for four touchdowns and run for eight in the previous two seasons.
“If you’re at Auburn, and you put Chris Todd in there, and all of the sudden Kodi Burns comes in, as a defense you have to switch gears,” West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. “Remember, Kodi can pass the ball as well.”
burn, and the opposing defenses have to beware.
“You can gear up for it all you want and you still have opportunities,” Chizik said. “We feel good about Kodi throwing X amount of passes. We’re going to do with Kodi what he does best. He’ll never be practicing a throw that he’s not good at. We want to know what gives Kodi and our team the best chance to win. He can throw the football, and we’re going to let him do the things that we think he does best.”
It has been a nice revival for Burns, who also lines up at receiver sometimes. He wasn’t sure how big a role he would have in the offense.
“We practice it every now and then, but coming into this thing I had no idea how much it was going to be, and I think it’s a really big part of the offense,” he said. “It keeps the defense honest and makes them do things they really don’t want to do. It’s working out really well.”
Burns even landed a key block to help Onterio McCalebb spring free for a touchdown against Mississippi State. For an old quarterback, that’s something he’s particularly proud of.
“I think it was a really good block, because I haven’t blocked anybody my whole life,” he said. “It was probably my first major block. Last game, I whiffed and McCalebb hit me and fell down so I thought I owed him this one.”
The new role has brought Burns renewed popularity. He got numerous calls and text messages after his big game.
“It kind of reminded me of my first game my freshman year,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”
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