Hugh Freeze weighs the balance of Auburn playing to win vs. playing not to lose

Now more than halfway through the season, it’s been a disappointment for the Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze. At 2-5, it’s going to take a major turnaround late in the year for Auburn to make a bowl game.

With that slow first half of the year, Freeze took some time to consider the approach of the team and coaches, emphasizing that the team wants to be playing to win and not playing not to lose.

“It’s how you want it to be,” Hugh Freeze said. “You want to feel that way all the time, but you want to have the confidence and certainly want to do what’s right for your current team to give them the best chance to win.”

In Auburn’s most recent game, a close loss to Missouri, it seemed like the Tigers had a chance to win. At one point in the second half, Auburn even had a two-score lead and Missouri quarterback Brady Cook was battling an injury. Still, Missouri came from behind to win.

“It’s just like what I was saying a while ago on the very last possession that we had. I really wanted on the first play to take a shot and go for the kill. I really did, and I really think it was a good play and a good call. You also just had defense that stoned them on three and out inside the 5-yard line and we haven’t always taken care of the ball or protected when I feel free and loose all the time. So, all of those things are in your mind, so I obviously reverted to our best player in 27 [Jarquez Hunter], and then ended up having to punt and putting in our defense again, which I didn’t mind doing at that point because they were playing so well,” Freeze said.

“Brady Cook did a great job of extending plays. The penalty hurt us also. Missed a line by a freshman corner on the third and 10 really hurt on that last drive.”

Hugh Freeze went on to explain that he’s going to have a conversation with the team about the issue and see how they feel. In the meantime, it’s clearly a question he’s working on.

“Yeah, it’s just I don’t know, I didn’t feel and that could be all of my emotions and feelings, too, that we’re not playing to win from the thoughts I have in my mind and it may not even be in our kid’s minds,” Freeze said. “Who knows, I’ll talk to them today at the team meeting about that and get some honest feedback. There’s no question that you feel the pressure of that, those moments of ‘Do I just be free and loose like most of my life and coaching has been or, man, we’re so desperate that our kids deserve to win one of these games, don’t do anything that’s going to put them in jeopardy of doing that.'”

Next up for Hugh Freeze and Auburn is a game against the Kentucky Wildcats. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers change their approach during this game.