Hugh Freeze after Georgia loss: ‘Obviously a disappointing season’

After playing six games, the Auburn Tigers have just two wins and are 0-3 in SEC play. It’s a start that head coach Hugh Freeze knows falls below expectations.

Following Auburn’s most recent loss to Georgia, Freeze shared his thoughts on the season to this point, admitting that it’s been a disappointment while sharing that they need to figure out how to handle the team’s issues moving forward.

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“Obviously, a disappointing season, and today is another step that [is] not in the direction that we had hoped,” Hugh Freeze said. “Georgia is a good football team, Kirby [Smart] and them do a great job, and obviously they recruited a roster that’s really talented from top to bottom and deep, and I think they get really good quarterback play who understands the game. They’ve got a really good team. Just we’re not playing winning football.”

The 31-13 loss to Georgia was the third in a row for Auburn. All of those were SEC games. During that same stretch, the Tigers have been outscored 82-48. That comes following non-conference play where Auburn dropped a home game to Cal while getting wins against an FCS and Group of Five opponent.

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One major issue this season has been turnovers. Auburn has a turnover margin of -11, or -1.83 turnovers per game, which is tied with Temple for 132nd out of 134 teams in the country. That includes six turnovers in their SEC games.

“I’m glad it’s an open week,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to, as coaches, figure out how to coach them harder and make sure we don’t make critical errors at critical times that cost us a chance to win a football game against — I keep saying, ‘We’re not that far off’ because I think they’re the No. 5 team in the country and we should’ve been in this game. We’re not playing winning football in critical times and moments and we as coaches, it’s our job, it’s my job, to get that fixed.”

Auburn is now on a bye week before getting back to SEC play. That includes three games in their final six against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Paul Finebaum hints at Hugh Freeze’s future being an ‘open question’

Amid the disappointing season, Paul Finebaum hinted that Hugh Freeze’s future might be an open question at the end of the year.

“I don’t care what anyone thinks about the progress Hugh Freeze is making and how close they are, they’re about to turn the corner, and all the things I hear from everybody who gets inside the weeds. It’s October 7th, and Auburn has four losses. That’s simply unforgivable… He can be frustrated and he can blame players and he can throw players under the bus. He’s the head coach. He’s the one making $8 or 9 million a year and if this is too tough for Hugh Freeze, then maybe he out to find another profession,” Finebaum said.

“But, ultimately, I’m really tired of everybody getting the blame at Auburn except the guy who’s in charge of the program. It’s not easy but he’s still two years in and plenty of coaches have turned programs around in two years, especially with what’s available. He made a decision and he is paying for it and, depending on how this season ends up, it will be an open question after Thanksgiving of how much longer Hugh Freeze will have to be paying for it because the runway for him is getting more narrow by the hour.”