Hugh Freeze answers question every Auburn Tigers fan is asking after heartbreaking SEC loss to Missouri Tigers
Hugh Freeze might not be the head coach of Auburn much longer if he keeps losing SEC games
The Auburn Tigers have lost four games in a row to open SEC play for the third season in a row under Hugh Freeze after the heartbreaking overtime loss to Missouri on Saturday. The losses all came to teams ranked inside the top 20, but this losing streak must stop.
Freeze is now officially on a red-hot seat, and he knows it. After the game, he was asked about his situation, the team, and the consistent shortcomings. He answered the one question every fan keeps asking.
Auburn Tigers key stats under Hugh Freeze
- Auburn has begun 0-4 in SEC play every season of the Hugh Freeze era
- Auburn now has a combined 14-18 record under Hugh Freeze, and he still hasn’t won more games in a season than Bryan Harsin did in his brief stint with the Tigers
- Despite Freeze’s reputation as an offensive coach, the Auburn Tigers have yet to average even 28 points per game in a season
- Auburn has scored more than 24 points against SEC opponents just four times in the last three years, and has failed to score more than 17 every single SEC conference game this year
Hugh Freeze answers questions about his fit as head coach with Auburn Tigers
There was one and only one real question that needed to be asked to Freeze following yet another disappointing loss, and the media asked it almost right away.
“When the results continue to be like they are, for fans, alumni, people that care about this program, what would be your message to them that you and your staff are the right people to continue to lead this program?” someone asked.
Freeze answered that tough question surprisingly candidly, and the look on his face when asked certainly seemed like he was expecting it–as he should be.
“Listen, we all know what we signed up for,” Freeze said. “And I certainly know that we fit what Auburn is all about. Auburn is also about winning football. We’re going to come to work on Monday and get our kids ready to play Arkansas. These kids are playing their guts out, and I know we changed the talent level here. At the end of the day, at some point, you have to win football games. I don’t make those decisions, those calls. I just know that God’s called me here to lead these young men through a very challenging and difficult time. I’m not enjoying a whole lot of that part of it.
Yet, when you’re called to have backbone and to stand and walk through and do a job that you’ve been asked to do, you’re going to do it faithfully. Do it really well, or as well as you can, until that time no longer exists. I know we’re close, and I know we’ll get it over the hump. No one hurts for these incredible fans more than me and our staff. We’re close. I know that people are tired of hearing that because I’m tired of saying it, and I’m tired of feeling it. I do know that anyone who looks, this stretch of games was against four really, really good teams. We had a chance to win all of them, and at some point, they’re going to start going our way.”
It is true that Freeze and his staff have improved the level of talent on the Auburn roster after Bryan Harsin completely dismantled the roster, turning it into a complete joke of a power conference team in 2021 and 2022. However, talent acquisition isn’t enough.
At some point, like Freeze admitted, you have to win football games. And yes, this four-game stretch against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Missouri was wildly tough, but that’s life in the SEC. Freeze is paid to figure it out against the best of the best, and the Auburn Tigers just haven’t done that under his leadership.
Not just this season, either. The Tigers have a 14-18 record under Freeze overall. They’ve gone 0-4 in the SEC three years in a row. The team has never averaged 28 points per game in a season with Freeze. And it’s scored more than 24 points against an SEC team just four times in three years. That won’t get it done.
The Auburn Tigers truly do seem “close,” like Freeze said, losing these last four games on average by seven points each, but that’s unfortunately just not good enough. Auburn fans should rightfully expect to see the program part ways with Freeze sooner rather than later if they can’t finish this season with wins over Arkansas, Kentucky, and at least one of Vanderbilt or Alabama.
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