Headed upstairs

Chip Lindsey, Auburn’s offensive coordinator, will call plays from the press box against Mercer on Saturday night after being on the sideline for the Tigers’ first two games.

The move comes after Clemson held Auburn to 117 yards in total offense and quarterback Jarrett Stidham was sacked 11 times.

Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said the move upstairs was the idea of Lindsey, who is in his first season as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator after holding the same position at Arizona State.

“Chip brought it up, and I totally supported it,” Malzahn said at his weekly news conference. “He just feels like he can get a better feel for the defenses and everything that goes with that.”

Malzahn taking Lindsey off the sideline isn’t an overreaction to the offense’s struggles at Auburn.

“It’s just more of a reaction to what’s best,” Malzahn said. “Really, Chip’s comfort zone just being able to see the field, see the defenses, and that was his comfort zone.

“Originally he felt pretty strongly he needed to be down there with the quarterback and look him in the eye and all that. But you learn, and you look at things and what’s best. He feels very confident that’s going to help, and I know it will.”

Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele also is in the press box on game days.