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Hugh Freeze calls out Auburn QBs and RBs after sloppy loss to Arkansas
By Sean Labar
Published:
Hugh Freeze was hired to turn around an Auburn Tigers program that has struggled to get back to the top of the SEC.
Instead, the Tigers have struggled this season and are now 2-2 on the season with a brutal SEC schedule ahead.
In the postgame presser after Auburn fell to Arkansas 24-14 at home, Freeze made a point to focus on the poor quarterback play and struggling running backs instead of putting the fault on him.
"I know that there's people open and I know that we're running the football. We've got to find a guy that won't throw it to the other team and we've got to find running backs that hold on to it." – Hugh Freeze after Auburn's turnover-filled loss to Arkansas pic.twitter.com/7CQ4ii7ij9
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 21, 2024
“I know that there’s people open and I know that we’re running the football” Freeze said. “We’ve got to find a guy that won’t throw it to the other team and we’ve got to find running backs that hold on to it.”
The Auburn quarterbacks weren’t great on Saturday, but there are bigger issues at hand for Freeze’s Tigers. The Auburn defense allowed the Razorbacks to convert 9 of their 19 third down attempts and 21 first downs on the day.
It’s obvious Auburn has to find a solution at quarterback. Payton Thorne has been inconsistent as the go-to starting QB, finishing Saturday 13-of-22 for 213 yards, 2 touchdown and 1 costly interception. Hank Brown finished 7-of-13 for 72 yards and 3 interceptions before being replaced by Thorne.
Still, it’s not about the poor performance of the players, it’s about how Freeze chose to handle the press conference. Instead of taking accountability as the head coach, he pointed out specific positions that have struggled which is looked down upon in the coaching community.
Freeze is likely safe through this year, but if he somehow manages to lose the locker room and the fan base, things could take a sharp turn in a hurry in Auburn.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
