Pearl finds motivation in Fulmer quote
AUBURN | Bruce Pearl is known for his football analogies and Monday he went all the way back to his days at Tennessee.
Pearl was asked what areas he wants his young Auburn team to improve on the most in its final five games.
“I remember Phillip Fulmer one time, I heard him talk to the team before a football game,” Pearl said. “And he said 'You don't have to have an S on your chest. You don't have to be Superman. But you better represent that team on your helmet.' In other words, I think it took pressure off the players. Look, you don't have to do spectacular things.”
Pearl, who coached the Volunteers from 2005-11, which included four years with Fulmer, stressed the need for the Tigers to execute better down the stretch. Their last five SEC losses have been by a combined 15 points including Saturday’s 82-80 defeat at Kentucky.
Some of the biggest issues have been perimeter defense, transition defense, turnovers, failing to box out on rebounds and playing more physical.
Auburn is 12th in the SEC allowing 76.0 points per game, 14th with 362 turnovers and 14th allowing 263 opponent offensive rebounds.
“You don't have to do spectacular things but, you know, you've got to be able to try to communicate your actions. It's just, it's the simple stuff,” Pearl said. “It's just the stuff we've struggled with over and over again. Sometimes you can make those changes within a year. Sometimes it does take an offseason.
“So, obviously our offense is better than our defense. Just -- we don't have to make spectacular changes. Just solid ones.”
Auburn hosts Mississippi State, Florida and Tennessee, and plays at LSU and Alabama to wrap up the regular season over the next two weeks. A self-imposed postseason ban has taken away a usual motivation point for Pearl when it comes to qualifying for the March Madness or fighting for a higher seed in the SEC or NCAA Tournaments.
“It doesn’t feel normal. It’s not the same,” Pearl said. “We are working as hard, and I think our kids are training as hard but there is an edge to where you are going to be seeded in the tournament and who you want to get matched up with on your road to the conference tournament championship.
“Normally we talk about this stuff, if we win or lose here this is what our seeding is nationally, this is the road to the final four. We talk about that a lot.”
Pearl is using AU’s final position in the SEC standings as motivation down the stretch. The Tigers are currently tied with Georgia and Mississippi State for ninth, and play the Bulldogs this week. AU’s four other opponents are all higher up in the standings.
“Mississippi State is a game that's for conference standings,” Pearl said. “The winner of this game has a chance to finish above the other one, and there's only four games left. Florida and Tennessee are two NCAA Tournament teams — two teams are seeded, what, third and fifth or six? So all of them are good teams."
Auburn’s game against MSU has been rescheduled for Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT on ESPNU.