Hugh Freeze sets expectation for Auburn’s spring game

Spring practice is nearly complete at Auburn, with A-Day taking place at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. Head coach Hugh Freeze believes it’s a good opportunity for the fans to come on campus and enjoy some (hopefully) nice weather while watching football. There might not be too much Freeze takes away from the scrimmage but he hopes the show is entertaining for fans.

“It’s tough getting a lot out of the day,” Freeze said. “But it is what it is and it’s right for everybody Auburn so we’re going to make the best of it and we’re going to go compete. I think our kids are going to do that and do it passionately.”

Auburn has a few fresh faces they can show off, most notably Cam Coleman. The freshman wide receiver is already turning heads on the Plains and a big-time spring game performance would only build on the anticipation.

Even so, there are multiple guys whom Freeze expects to limit snaps for. Already being established in the program means they do not need too many extra reps at the risk of an injury.

“Are there guys that I limit their snaps? Probably so,” Freeze said. “That you know about and you know what they can do. Probably limit some of those guys. But other than that, we want to make it a competitive day.”

From there, Freeze is just looking for a clean football game from both sides. The format is not a traditional game, with the defense getting a 24-0 advantage over the offense to begin. A 60-minute, running clock, scrimmage will then take place where the offense is looking to overtake the defense.

Freeze is hoping both sides have success. A lopsided result would not give him a ton of confidence moving forward.

“You don’t want to see flags all over the field,” Freeze said. “That would irritate me. You want to play clean and you want to execute fairly well on both sides. You don’t want to go out there and it’s 27-0 nothing and offense doesn’t get a first down the whole day. That would be discouraging.

“So, you’re hoping you see good execution from each side and a lot of competition and taking pride in competing in each snap.”

A big year is ahead of Auburn, needing to rebound after a tough end to the 2023 season. Freeze will have his first opportunity to showcase the team at A-Day, hoping the competitive spirit comes out to end spring ball.