aubiefifty

al.com The Hugh Freeze honeymoon at Auburn is over Updated: Oct. 22, 2023, 12:07 a.m.|Published: Oct. 21, 2023, 11:02 p.m. 6–7 minutes Before the stadium had begun to empty, with the result of the game still in the air, Auburn lined up quarterback Holden Geriner for his first meaningful snap of any kind this season and tucked him behind tight end Brandon Frazier. There were just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, and the score still tied at 14. The plan was a double pass, with the ball tossed backward to Geriner and he would find an open receiver deep downfield. Except he only had one blocker, who was shoved out of the way immediately and Geriner was sacked on the trick play. It set up third-and-19 still on the Ole Miss half of the field. Auburn ran up the middle with Jarquez Hunter and gained four yards. Punter Oscar Chapman ran on the field. And it was in this moment that all the optimism that has characterized Auburn’s season thus far drowned into boos. The hope of Auburn fans had been exhausted. It appeared as a rock bottom. It was the first time Auburn’s inept offense had been booed this season. In that moment, the Hugh Freeze honeymoon ended. The opponent, his former employer, made it all that more fitting. Auburn had chances to win what ended as a 28-21 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss. The defense played a heroic effort against a far superior Ole Miss offense — keeping Ole Miss without points for the entire second quarter and for every second until the very last one of the third quarter. During that time, Auburn’s offense had eight drives. Five of them ended in three-and-outs. Six ended in punts. One drive was just a singular play where quarterback Robby Ashford threw an interception. And the remaining drive was a four-play, 24-yard touchdown drive set up by a 43-yard Donovan Kaufman interception return. After the ice had been thawed on the boos for the first time, they continued for every short gain — every inability to move the ball — for the rest of the game. And for as loud as the boos were raining down on them — loud enough to be clearly heard in an Auburn press box known for blocking out noise — players said they didn’t notice the anger. “I didn’t realize that,” tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said of the boos. “We’ve just got to go out there, execute and be great as an offense. And we will. We’re going to go back to the drawing table like I said and come back better.” As officials reviewed and upheld a Thorne interception in the endzone, thousands of fans didn’t bother to wait for the call. They turned out of their seats and walked to the exit. Auburn’s student section is reliable to remain in their bleachers to the very end of the game, win or lose. But with two minutes to go, the result certainly in hand, rows and rows of silver bleachers were empty as the students made their way back toward the bars. There were no boos when the game ended. At that point, the stadium was largely empty. Any boos would have been drowned out by the cheering Ole Miss fans in the northeast corner, anyway. Yet when the game ended and Hugh Freeze made his way over to his press conference, his remarks on this team were much of the same as what he’s said after each of Auburn’s growing number of bad offensive performances. He took the blame on himself again. He said he thought both quarterbacks had a good package again. He questioned his game plan again. He said the margin between Auburn winning and losing is so small again. Asked why the mistakes repeating mistakes, Freeze’s answer was short, but indicative of the issues. “I can’t answer the exact why,” Freeze said. “A combination.” Before tonight, optimism was abound for a new coach with SEC experience — despite a checkered history. There was hope for the immediate recruiting success in the 2024 class — wins that remain on the register. There was hope because Freeze had won in the SEC before. Hope isn’t eternal. On this night, instead of granting Freeze with the patience that had been present, the fans met him with boos. Boos are hard to come back from. Public opinion is fickle. It can turn sour in a moment and it isn’t easy to turn back. That mood is bad right now. There is frustration from the fan base. Auburn’s offense is on pace to be historically bad. Auburn has barely averaged more than 100 passing yards against SEC opponents. It’s the worst rate for Auburn this century. And for all Hugh Freeze has talked about the talent gap Auburn has and the recruiting that still lies in the future, these repetitive failures of offense come down to coaching. Auburn made the same mistakes of alignment, protection, route running and simply poor quarterback play after a bye week where it planned to fix it. The talent gap doesn’t cause Auburn to have 12 men in the huddle for a third down in the fourth quarter. Auburn was penalized twice for illegal substitutions. That’s coaching. And the fans noticed it. Auburn’s passing offense was already ranked among the 10 worst in the nation before another bad day Saturday. Auburn had 122 total passing yards but 47 of them came on a dump-off pass to running back Jarquez Hunter later in the fourth quarter. The fans made their voice heard, and it poses the question of what to do next with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. These are the types of games a coach gets fired for. Montgomery’s contract, which has a total value of $3.45 million, has a 100% buyout. Yet he is in a position that will be hard to recover. He works from the coaches’ box, nestled in the midst of all the boos. Many of them were directed at him, too. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

While Auburn fans held up their end of the bargain vs. Ole Miss, the team they cheer for didn't Updated: Oct. 22, 2023, 2:06 a.m.|Published: Oct. 21, 2023, 11:25 p.m. 5–6 minutes The energy in the quaint college town that is Auburn began to shift Friday morning. If you needed to go downtown for any reason on Friday, you’d need to grant yourself some extra time as parking was an absolute nightmare. Come Friday night? Forget about it. Live music played outside of Toomer’s Drug Store, fans filed into the iconic Johnston and Malone Book Store to pick up last-minute Auburn gear and families posed for pictures and picnicked in the front lawn of Samford Hall. The Plains were buzzing as members of the Auburn Family came from far and wide to be a part of the first true night game of the season at Jordan-Hare Stadium. And that energy bled into Saturday night’s game – just as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin knew it would. “I just think that place – having played it here and having played it at Alabama – just sometimes has some magical things happen in it,” Kiffin said of Jordan-Hare Stadium on Monday. And though Auburn fell to No. 13 Ole Miss 28-21 Saturday night, giving the Tigers their fourth-consecutive loss of the season, that magic Kiffin reference was still present Saturday night. The magic of Jordan-Hare Stadium jabbed at the Rebels quick and came in the shape of a pair of false start penalties that were whistled against the Ole Miss offense in its first drive of the game. The voodoo of Auburn’s homefield struck again in the middle of the second quarter as Ole Miss lined up for a 27-yard field goal. But Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis would never get the chip shot off the ground as his holder, Charlie Pollack, fumbled the snap. Pollack went on to throw the ball, which was intercepted by Zion Puckett. To add to the madness, Ole Miss’ final punt of the first half traveled all of 12 yards. “It happens in this stadium,” Kiffin said in a halftime interview with ESPN. “Weird things happen. We screw up the field goal, bad punt, but, you know, to be tied at half, and we played a really ugly half, and weathered their storm.” The 13th-ranked team in the country brought its own platter to Auburn Saturday, polished it up, plopped a win in the center of it and extended it out to Auburn. All Hugh Freeze and the Tigers had to do was grab it. Instead, after Ole Miss committed its second false start during its first offensive drive, followed by a holding penalty to give the Rebels a 3rd-and-22 situation, the Auburn offense allowed Quinshon Judkins to rip off a 21-yard rush. On 4th-and-1 on the plus side of the field, the Kiffin decided to gamble early and keep his offense on the field. It paid off as Judkins took off for another 17-yard gain. The Rebels would go on to score with an 11-yard passing touchdown from Jaxson Dart to Zakhari Franklin. “We continue to lose the battles on third and fourth down and that’s disappointing,” Freeze said following the game. Then came the botched field goal, which kept the score in a 14-14 stalemate. Instead of using the momentum -- with Robby Ashford under center -- the Auburn offense spit and sputtered before going three-and-out for the third time in less than two quarters. The Tigers finished the night with six three-and-out drives. Even then, Auburn still had Ole Miss’ shanked punt to try and take advantage of. After Ole Miss punter Fraser Masin sent a punt just 12 yards down the field, Auburn’s offense was primed with great field position, taking over possession just outside midfield at its own 45-yard line. The Tigers were gifted an opportunity to take some sort of lead – whether it be three points or seven points – into halftime. The ensuing play, however, featured an interception thrown by Robby Ashford, who targeted a double-covered Ja’Varrius Johnson in the Ole Miss endzone. By the second half of play, the Rebels had somewhat settled into the uncomfortable environment that is Jordan-Hare Stadium. And as such, Auburn missed the boat on using its homefield’s magic to its advantage. But boy, if the boat wasn’t waiting patiently in the harbor. “I was excited about this chance,” said Hugh Freeze, who mentioned several times in the days leading up to Saturday’s game that he was looking forward to his first true night game at under the lights of Jordan-Hare. “What a crowd we had.” And here’s the thing, it’ll take a lot – A LOT – for Auburn fans not to show up in the masses on any given Saturday, but especially a Saturday night under the lights. However, as indicated by the boos that rained down on Pat Dye Field in the third quarter, the Auburn fanbase’s patience is thinning, and it’s thinning at an alarming rate. “It was an incredible night and really felt like we would be in this game for the entirety,” Freeze said. “And it’s just we couldn’t and we had our chances.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze initially goes with different starting quarterback vs. No. 13 Ole Miss Updated: Oct. 21, 2023, 6:36 p.m.|Published: Oct. 21, 2023, 6:20 p.m. ~2 minutes Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne jogged out onto Pat Dye Field for the pregame coin toss, as he does every week as one of the Tigers’ four team captains. However, after Auburn received the opening kickoff, which landed in the Tigers’ own endzone for a touchback, it was sophomore quarterback Robby Ashford who trotted out onto the field for Auburn’s first offensive snap. Saturday night was Ashford’s first start since last season, when he won over the job midway through the 2022 season. Ashford finished last season with just more than 1,600 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, since bringing junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne to The Plains in the offseason, it’s been Thorne’s offense to run. Thorne won the starting job back on Aug. 17 after a three-man battle between himself, Ashford and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. But as Auburn’s offense has played too many games in which it appeared stuck in the mud with its tires spinning, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze decided to make a change Saturday night against the 13th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. However, come Auburn’s second drive of the night, it was Thorne who was brought back onto the field against the Rebels, indicating that Freeze might keep his two-quarterback rotation rolling against Ole Miss Saturday night.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Instant Analysis: Ole Miss edges Auburn with strong 2nd half effort Taylor Jones ~4 minutes The Auburn Tigers entered Saturday’s game with No. 12 Ole Miss in search of their first SEC win. For a half, it appeared to be in sight. However, the goal was short-lived as Ole Miss pulled away from the Tigers in the second half to earn a 28-21 win on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. Auburn (3-4, 0-4 SEC) tied the game at 14-14 early in the 2nd quarter, which remained the score until halftime. Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) went on to outscore the Tigers, 14-7 in the second half to pull out the win. Although Ole Miss won the game by two scores, they dominated the yards game. The Rebels outgained the Tigers, 425-275 and recorded 18 more offensive plays. The largest discrepancy was in the passing game, as Ole Miss passed for 202 yards while holding Auburn to 102 yards. Robby Ashford started the game for the Tigers at quarterback and was trusted to run the entire first drive. He completed two pass attempts for 16 yards and rushed for 11 yards. However, he was halted on a fourth down play at midfield to end the initial drive. The Rebels first drive saw them commit four penalties. However, it affected them minimally as they were able to score. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart connected with Zakhari Franklin from 11 yards away to put his squad ahead, 7-0 with 4:55 remaining in the opening quarter. Ole Miss’ lead was short-lived, as Jarquez Hunter sprinted 53-yards on the fifth play of Auburn’s next drive to tie the game. Payton Thorne did not attempt a pass on his first drive, but managed to rush for 13 yards. Dart responded on the next drive by rushing 29 yards to push Ole Miss back in front, 14-7 to end the first quarter. The score came on a 4th down and 1 play, and Dart rushed up the middle to score. The lone score of the 2nd quarter belonged to Auburn. With 11:41 remaining in the first half, Hunter scored his second touchdown of the night out of the wildcat formation to tie the game at 14-14. Hunter ended the first half with 63 yards on nine carries. It took a while for either team to find pay dirt in the 3rd quarter, but Ole Miss was able to retake the lead as the quarter expired. Dart scored his third touchdown, his second on the ground, to cap a eight-play, 90-yard drive. The Rebels gained 118 yards of total offense in the 3rd quarter while Auburn managed to gain just 14. The nail in the coffin was driven in with 7:51 remaining in the 4th quarter. Running back Quinshon Judkins scored his first touchdown of the game by rushing four yards to extend the Rebels’ lead to 28-14. Auburn was able to put one more score on the board with 0:56 to go in the contest. Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather caught the first receiving touchdown of the game to cut the lead to 28-21. Auburn’s onside kick attempt failed, thus ending the game. Auburn passed for just 122 yards in the game, with Thorne leading the way with 100 yards. Hunter was the team’s leading receiver and rusher. He recorded 54 yards through the air while rushing for 91 yards. Defensively, Auburn recorded eight tackles for loss. Marcus Harris led the way with two tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and finished with seven total stops. Larry Nixon led the team with eight total tackles. Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to face Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs pulled off a defensive win on Saturday, knocking off Arkansas, 10-7.

Instant Impressions Ole Miss 28 Auburn 21 Nathan King 6–8 minutes Auburn's lack of offense may have reached critical mass Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers managed just 10 first downs, and went three-and-out six times and was booed throughout the second half in a deflating performance against No. 13 Ole Miss. Auburn lost 28-21 and is now 0-4 in conference play to begin the Hugh Freeze era. Here are Auburn Undercover's instant impressions, as Freeze's task of fixing Auburn's offensive issues continues to grow by the week. COMPLETE FACEPLANT ON OFFENSE Jarquez Hunter galloped for 53 yards in the first quarter to tie the game — marking the longest play of the season for the junior running back. From that point, though, Auburn turned in some of the worst offense it's played over the past few seasons. For the next seven possessions after Hunter scored, Auburn totaled just 50 yards on 20 plays, with only one first down. That stretch included a whopping five three-and-outs. Of course, Hunter scored a short touchdown to tie the game after Kaufman’s interception return. But Auburn was positively dreadful offensively in any sort of drive-the-field situation. On its third drive of the second half — with its best field position of the night at its own 49-yard line — Payton Thorne moved Auburn into field-goal range just inside the 40 with a first-down run. But Freeze and coordinator Philip Montgomery then dialed up a double pass to third-string quarterback Holden Geriner, who was split out at receiver. Geriner was slammed in the backfield for a 9-yard loss, pushing Auburn out of field goal range to attempt to take the lead late into the third quarter. Ole Miss then found some offense, as the dam started to crack, finally breaking through an inspired defensive performance for Auburn. Ole Miss got cranking as Dart totaled 53 yards to Tre Harris across consecutive completions, then a facemask on Auburn gets the Rebels in the red zone for the first time in six drives. Dart plunged into the end zone a play before the stat fourth quarter to put the Rebels up 21-14. Auburn punted again, and Ole Miss put the game away. Thorne's 47-yard completion to Hunter on fourth-and-15 late in the fourth quarter brought up some of the Tigers' offensive numbers. Auburn had just 45 passing yards before that point. After Hunter's tying touchdown in the second quarter and before a 48-yard drive in the fourth quarter ended with a Payton Thorne interception in the end zone, during that span of seven possessions, Auburn had 30 yards on 21 plays. AUBURN DEFENSE DELIVERS — FOR AS LONG AS IT CAN Early on, Auburn looked as if it may be in for another defensive bloodletting like last weekend, when it gave up 48 points at LSU. Ole Miss scored on its first two drives, converting a pair of fourth-and-1’s to do so — one of which was a 29-yard touchdown run by Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart. A healthier Tigers defense kept its footing, though, and settled into a strong finish to the first half. On Ole Miss’ third drive, Dart threw an interception that was returned all the way to the Rebels’ 24-yard line by Donovan Kaufman. Auburn scored four plays later to tie the game at 14-all. The Rebels then went three-and-out, had a turnover on downs after a botched snap on a field-goal attempt — which Zion Puckett intercepted — then punted again before the half. Two sacks on three plays by Marcus Harris and Jalen McLeod kept the Rebels from snagging the lead right before halftime — and before Ole Miss got the ball back to begin the second half. Ole Miss ran for 144 yards in the first half, including 78 yards and 7.1 yards per carry by Quinshon Judkins, but the Tigers continued to create timely stops to keep the score knotted. Auburn kept coming up with answers defensively, registering a turnover on downs on Ole Miss’ first possession of the second half. The Rebels originally punted and pinned Auburn at its 9-yard line, but Auburn was called for 12 men on the field. After a 5-yard penalty, Lane Kiffin decided to go for it on fourth-and-5, but Nehemiah Pritchett made a stop short of the sticks, and Auburn ended up at its own 35-yard line instead. It felt almost inevitable that Auburn would eventually falter on defense. Much like the Cal game, the Tigers' consistent stops felt almost miraculous — only this time, things caved in down the stretch. Dart's connection with Harris continued on the Rebels' second straight scoring drive, with a 36-yard completion over the shoulder on the sideline. A late hit penalty on Eugene Asante set up a short first-and-goal, and Judkins put the game on ice with a short touchdown. AUBURN’S QB SHUFFLE CONTINUES For the first time this season, Robby Ashford started at quarterback for Auburn. But it was short lived. Freeze continued to shuffle his two quarterbacks, as he’s done for most of the Tigers’ four SEC games. Payton Thorne checked in on Auburn’s second drive of the game, as the two shared duties throughout the game. Neither was particularly effective, which has also been the case for most of Auburn’s SEC competition. Thorne’s arm wasn’t used much earlly, completing just one pass before, while Ashford hit his first three passes of the game for 22 yards before launching a deep ball into double coverage for an interception 61 seconds before halftime. In the second half, Freeze clearly went with Ashford, and Auburn ran more heavy personnel and dual-back sets to support his running ability. It was to little avail, though, as Auburn continued to come up with no answers offensively. Thorne was given drive No. 3 of the second half and was able to pick up just Auburn’s fifth first down of the game with his legs. Boos began raining onto the field late in the third quarter, and they continued when Auburn went three-and-out once again to begin the fourth quarter — after a sequence in which the Tigers had a third-and-1, but broke the huddle with 12 players and were penalized. Auburn didn't even attempt a pass on 11 plays in the third quarter, including three third downs that needed 6 or more yards. Thorne seemed to be Auburn's go-to quarterback down the stretch, as Freeze searched for some quick, late offense. But as Auburn had its second-best drive of the game, yards-wise, as the fourth quarter dwindled down, before Thorne threw an interception in the end zone. Auburn's final drive helped Thorne's cause a bit, as he found Hunter for 47 yards, then threw a short touchdown to tight end Rivaldo Fairweather. Thorne finished 9-of-13 for 100 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Ashford was 3-of-4 for 22 yards.

si.com Takeaways: Auburn falls to No. 13 Ole Miss after hard fought first half Lance Dawe 4–5 minutes The Tigers had another poor offensive showing, this time against Ole Miss on Saturday night. Without an offense, Auburn just simply isn't going to compete against level or better competition. Full stop. Here are five takeaways from the 28-21 loss to the Rebels. It's hard to believe Auburn's offense is this bad Auburn's offense stooped to lows fans thought they could recover from this season. With a transfer quarterback that has over 6,500 passing yards in one of the best conferences in the nation, a retooled offensive line, and new transfers to aid Thorne, things were looking up this offseason. The offensive staff found a way to somehow make it worse. Auburn's opponents have just allowed the Tigers to hurt themselves over and over when there's an opportunity for something, anything. With the way Auburn runs their offense one would think that they're actively trying to be as bad as they are. The passing game is the worst I have seen from a non-service academy program since I began watching football. There are few words to describe just how awful the Tigers are. It can't be this hard. The Tigers' front seven is lackluster Over 200 yards rushing allowed and an extremely inconsistent pass rush. That's what Auburn's d-line did on Saturday. The secondary is good, but it can't hold up with the way Auburn's front seven is performing. Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery seem unserious about winning Freeze talked about not needed extra motivation to get up for this game this weekend. He, alongside his offensive coordinator, seem to not have any motivation at all. This season is a wash. There were never any serious expectations for Auburn to compete against teams that are significantly better than them. But this? This is the product the Tigers put out onto the field? The close loss to Georgia will end up being one of the high points of a season that has more off the field success than on it. Freeze is trying to build something, but with the way he and his offense make conservative decisions - like they did in this game - make it feel like they are unserious about giving this team a chance this year. Turnovers didn't help Ron Roberts got something right when he came into Auburn; he's gotten this defense to create turnovers. The Tigers had two on Saturday night and they didn't make them count. If you don't have an offense that can do anything then it's going to be impossible for your defense to stay in the game. There are easier games ahead The positive takeaway is that Auburn's next few opponents are Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and New Mexico State. The Tigers have to show some signs of life against those teams.

most people still love auburn they are just blowing off steam.

al.com Tebow: Auburn ‘is not as far away as many people think’ Published: Oct. 21, 2023, 10:19 a.m. ~4 minutes SEC Nation co-host Tim Tebow said Saturday he believes Auburn is very close to returning to among the elite of the SEC West (AP Photo/Michael Clubb, File)AP By Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com Auburn has lost three straight games and is about a touchdown underdog on Saturday night vs. Ole Miss, but one SEC observer believes the difference between the Tigers and other teams in their conference is not that large. During a segment on SEC Nation Saturday previewing the Auburn-Ole Miss game, SEC Network analyst and former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said he thinks the Tigers are on the right track under first-coach Hugh Freeze. After fellow analyst Paul Finebaum said the main issue is how quickly Freeze can choose between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford and “figure out who his quarterback is,” Tebow said it’s more complicated than that. “I don’t just think it’s figuring out who his quarterback is,” Tebow said. “It’s how to use them and will they do what he’s kind of training them to do and that’s one being able to hit the downfield pass and being able to throw that accurately to give his receivers a chance. And I also think some of the receivers have to really step up to win some of those one-on-one matchups, because this team is not as far away as many people think they don’t need as many players. “There’s a few key positions that if they got some guys that are a little more consistent, I think … it would change how competitive they are very fast.” A third analyst on the SEC Nation panel, former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers, said he’d like to see Auburn get back to what it did late in the 2022 season under interim coach Cadillac Williams — run the ball with authority. The Tigers also ran the ball particularly well in a 27-20 loss to top-ranked Georgia on Oct. 1 “You’re halfway through the season at some point, you’ve got to go, ‘This is who we are and you know what, we’re not a team that’s going to push the ball down(field) consistently,’” Rodgers said. “So I keep going back to last year when Cadillac took over. Everyone and their mother knew they’re running the ball every single play. And what did they do? They ran it right at (Texas) A&M, they ran it right at Bama. They didn’t win (all) those games down the stretch, but they were effective at bullying people. “They had a mentality that said, you know, ‘we’re going to run it, we know we’re going to run it. We don’t care.’ … Look at this roster, (Freeze) has done a great job of creating opportunities. He’s been creative. But sometimes when you get too creative, you get away from what you do. “Well, get Jarquez Hunter going downhill, get Jeremiah Cobb — (who) had a big game last week — get him going downhill. Sometimes you just got to go, ‘We’re bad on third down. We’ve got to run the ball right at guys early and often, set ourselves up, because this is who we are.’ And that’s what I hope they kind of get back to today.” Kickoff between Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC) and Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1) is set for 6 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will air live on ESPN. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

i missed ya tim hope all is well.

one day before i kick i hope to hit an auburn night game to see the light show. i do not see well at night driving so i doubt it happens.

bump for those that have not seen this.................

deal talks like they turned a corner at practice. he did his video thing and it is on the articles thread for today. i hope he is right.

i heard freeze laid the smack down. a kinda "Shut your hole and know your roll " thing.............grins. the team is so mad we are gonna lay the smack down! lol

i have never understood it either.

i like how you roll LP. um, i would probably not loan you any money but i would buy you a meal if you lost all your money.........lol

back at ya! so you are the resident beer drinker along with golf? i am the 68 year old gummy eating geezer. i see you are new so welcome to the family!

lets get our first sec win and make kiffin pout.............

i just got through reading where Deal among others have said Auburn had a great week of practice. He then said it might have been the best practice so far of the year. Is this real speak or Gus speak? Kiffen said he should be fired if they lose to us so i want this one bad. so does Deal fire you guys up or is it time to worry? grins......

Freeze says the ‘process of becoming’ has been harder at Auburn than it was at Ole Miss. Why? Updated: Oct. 19, 2023, 12:50 p.m.|Published: Oct. 19, 2023, 11:51 a.m. 5–7 minutes Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze believes in the “process of becoming.” It’s the same process that helped Freeze rise from the high school football ranks to being the head coach of a place like the SEC. It took patience, stops at Lambuth University and Arkansas State and getting over plenty of bumps in the road that came along the way. That same process is why Freeze prefers recruiting high school kids over plucking them out of the transfer portal. “My preference would be to develop kids,” Freeze said. “But the process of becoming is kinda being lost.” Today’s society is one that constantly seeks instant gratification. When Freeze was introduced as Auburn’s 31st head coach on Nov. 29, 2022, a local television reporter asked the burning question that every Auburn fan in America was itching to know the answer to: How soon? How soon what? How soon could they expect their mighty Tigers to be back towards the precipice of college football? When Freeze was smacked with the question during his introductory press conference, he could’ve easily puffed out his chest and said something along the lines of, “Well, just look at my track record.” But instead, Freeze took the conservative route. “I wish I could say,” Freeze said. “I haven’t had a chance to even evaluate our roster yet.” Eight months later when he met with local reporters in a small breakout room at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Nashville prior to his appearance at the podium at SEC Media Days, Freeze said he was a bit shocked at just how depleted the roster he inherited was. “I don’t want to be negative,” Freeze said. “Just, it was off from what I believe an Auburn roster should look like.” Just 277 days stretched between the day Freeze was introduced as Auburn’s head coach and the day the Tigers’ kicked off the 2023 season against UMass on Sept. 2. Having to work against the hands of time — though he prefers developing players out of the high school ranks — Freeze was handcuffed to the transfer portal, where he hoped he could find quick fixes to plug into certain positions. Between transfers and freshmen, Auburn welcomed more than 40 new faces to its roster during the offseason and many arrived at The Plains as late as May. “I don’t even know all the names yet, truthfully,” Freeze said in late-July. “We’re gonna have to wear tape on the helmet again.” Let that sink in. Folks were wanting to know just how quickly Freeze could right the ship at Auburn the day he was introduced as head coach. Meanwhile, Freeze admitted to reporters eight months later that he still didn’t know everyone on his roster’s name. That said, Freeze wasn’t hopeless when he arrived at Auburn. He did mention that he’d had quick success in his previous stops – most notably at Ole Miss. Before Freeze took over the helm of the Rebels’ program in 2012, Ole Miss had won just one conference game across two seasons. By year three, Freeze had Ole Miss beating Nick Saban and playing in New Year’s Six bowl games. Come year four, Freeze and the Rebels beat Alabama again – this time in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss also returned to a New Year’s Six bowl game – this time beating Oklahoma State. And as Freeze’s former team comes to visit Auburn for a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, it’s easy to want to dig up those comparisons between Freeze’s takeover in Oxford, Miss. and his takeover at Auburn. But it’s also not fair. “The one at Ole Miss was similar, but the expectations may not have been as high as they are here, which adds a little pressure to you sometimes,” Freeze said when asked to compare the two situations on Wednesday. High expectations are good. But sometimes they need to be tempered. “We’ve got a team that 11 of the 22 starters at LSU had never started an SEC game prior to this season,” Freeze explained Wednesday. “And only five of the 22 had made an SEC start in three seasons.” Meanwhile, Brian Kelly’s roster boasts 14 players with double-digit starts with LSU and five players with 20 starts or more with the Bayou Bengals. Look at Ole Miss’ projected starting lineup for Saturday and you’ll see that the Rebels have 10 starters with double-digit starts with the Rebels and four players with 20 starts or more. Freeze spent time stammering as he looked for words to further elaborate on the comparison between the situation he inherited at Ole Miss and the situation he inherited at Auburn last November. “It’s the growing pains,” Freeze finally said. “I think we’re a young team and one that has very little experience playing in this league. “Can we coach better? Yes. And hopefully we can play better. We’ve seen signs of it, but I think we’re a young team and one that has very little experience playing in this league.” The “process of becoming” comes with growing pains. And after last week’s 48-18 loss to LSU, Auburn coaches, players and fans alike are beginning to feel them. And patience isn’t an easy thing to have. “It’s not easy, and it shouldn’t be easy,” Freeze said. “It takes you embracing the grind and then going to work and enjoying the process of becoming.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com How has being at Auburn changed Hugh Freeze's approach to recruiting? Updated: Oct. 20, 2023, 2:41 p.m.|Published: Oct. 20, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 5–7 minutes Baumhower’s Victory Grille was overtaken with orange and blue Thursday evening, just as it is anytime the restaurant hosts Auburn’s Tiger Talk radio show with head football coach Hugh Freeze in attendance as it’s an opportunity for Auburn fans engage with Freeze and ask him questions. And boy, does Freeze get questions from out of left field from time to time. On Thursday, Freeze was asked what other sport he’d coach if he weren’t coaching football. His answer was girls’ basketball – a sport he was asked to coach when he was still in the high school ranks. He added that he wouldn’t mind coaching golf, either – but for selfish reasons as he’d just want to practice more himself. Freeze was also asked if he thought he’d be more nervous playing Ole Miss – a team he coached from 2012-16 – at home in Jordan-Hare Stadium or in Oxford, Miss. Auburn’s first-year head coach started to answer the question, but quickly shifted gears and changed the subject, showing exactly where his mind is at: recruiting. Freeze’s segue in the exchange was the fact that he doesn’t have much time to let himself get nervous on Saturdays. “I don’t even get to think about the game until literally… I’ll probably get out there with about 30 minutes left in warmups and you know it’s go time then,” Freeze said. But rest assured Auburn fans, Freeze isn’t lollygagging around on Saturdays. Instead, he’s investing in the future of the football program. “I just think I have to recruit so hard right now and there’s so many good players coming to our games and I feel like I have to meet with them,” Freeze said. “And it’s working. You know, we got another big commitment today from one of the top players in the nation and that make us two this week.” The NCAA prohibits Freeze from talking about specific recruits until they arrive to campus. But anyone who pays attention to Auburn’s recruiting efforts knows who Freeze was referring to. Mere hours before Freeze rushed to Baumhower’s straight from practice, as he does every Thursday, Auburn picked up a big-time commitment in Kendarius Reddick – a 4-star athlete in the 2025 recruiting class. On Monday, Freeze and the Tigers earned the commitment of Jourdin Crawford – a 4-star defensive lineman in the 2025 class. The 2025 class? Yes, the 2025 class. Freeze said the day he was introduced as Auburn’s 31st head coach that he’d have to hit the ground hard and, in a hurry, to restock the same cupboards that were left bare by Bryan Harsin and his staff. Freeze echoed that again Thursday night. “I’ve said since I got here — and I hope everybody keeps hearing me — but you know, the ‘24 and ‘25 class will really tell the story of how fast we can close the gap on the upper echelon in this conference,” Freeze said. When Harsin was fired midway through the 2022 season, Auburn had the 55th-ranked recruiting class, according to 247Sports. And it’s for that reason Freeze was left scrambling to piece together a team via the transfer portal throughout the offseason. But under Freeze, Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class currently ranks 17th in the country and is bolstered by a pair of 5-star recruits in wide receiver Perry Thompson and linebacker Demarcus Riddick. Meanwhile, Freeze’s commitment to establishing the foundation of his 2025 class has gone on to prove that the early bird gets the worm. With the additions of Reddick and Crawford, the Tigers now boast the fourth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, coming behind Georgia, Alabama and Notre Dame. However, none of that leaves Freeze and Auburn’s staff feeling complacent. “We’ve got another big group coming this weekend,” Freeze said Thursday. “We got two official visits — two guys we really want and plus a bunch of five- and four-star kids that there will be at the game.” Earlier this week, a pair of 5-star wide receivers in Ryan Williams and Caleb Cunningham announced their intentions of being at Jordan-Hare Stadium for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss. So, if you think Freeze is overthinking coaching against his former program, think again. “I don’t have a lot of time,” Freeze said, revisiting the question that sparked the recruiting rant in the first place. “I leave the hotel as soon as we get through with our last meeting, I get to the stadium and I’m locked in a room meeting with families until they take me to Tiger Walk. And then I come back and I meet again until I just can’t because I want to see them all.” Freeze’s recruiting efforts during game days are unlike anything he’s had to do in his career, he admitted Thursday night. Even when he was at Ole Miss a decade ago, he wasn’t having to do this much legwork. But the reason he didn’t might shock some. “For whatever reason — even though we were winning and doing well — you didn’t have the number of top guys showing up,” Freeze said. When Auburn hosted No. 1 Georgia on Sept. 30, Jordan-Hare Stadium hosted upwards of 70 recruits. “And of course, Liberty was nothing,” Freeze said, insinuating that playing for the Flames was the fallback plan for many recruits whose aspirations of playing Power 5 football fell through. “But this is quite different.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.