Takeaways: Hugh Freeze 'disappointed' and 'ticked off' as Auburn moves past 'sickening' loss, prepares for Iron Bowl

AUBURN -- Hugh Freeze didn't mince words during his Monday press conference when talking about Auburn's 21-point loss to New Mexico State last Saturday. "About as disappointed as I've ever been in coaching with Saturday's effort. It was an embarrassment and it's just, it can't happen like that," Freeze said. "It starts with me. I have to get our coaches and our players ready to play and I missed the mark tremendously. It's frustrating and sickening to watch. Certainly, Jerry Kill's crew did exactly what they needed to do to win the game and give them credit, they are a really good football team. We did not respond in any way and that is very frustrating. "I'm ticked off, I hope they are ticked off, I haven't seen them yet. We've got to learn from that for sure -- very disappointing. One of the things I think is the greatest challenge we have now in these college football rooms, team rooms, staffings, is true connection to where, 'man, I'm really playing for you and I'm playing for the school, and when we have that true connection and relationship, you can hold each other accountable. That's something I have to work on for us to feel more connected for when you get hit in the face like we did on Saturday. "We quickly have to turn the page and put that behind us for sure. We know what the Iron Bowl means for so many and you can fix your feelings a heck of a lot with a good performance in that game. It's a balancing act with the team on owning mine and everyone who had a responsibility in the way we played on Saturday, we have to own that, but we have to move forward pretty quick for sure for what I think is the best team I've seen on film at the point at which we're playing them. They are playing at an extremely high level." More from Freeze inside...