The 3-2-1: Three things learned, two questions, one prediction following Auburn's win over Samford

Through a spring and fall camp, and through three games, it's becoming obvious that pleasing Hugh Freeze isn't an easy task. "There’s times where we don’t play great fundamental football. Those plays I know will haunt us. I want to get rid of those,” he said after the Tigers' 45-13 Homecoming win over the in-state Bulldogs. Payton Thorne accounted for 405 total yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first Auburn quarterback in nearly a decade to throw for 200-plus yards and rush for 100-plus yards in a game. Nick Marshall was the last to do it in 2014. What did Freeze think of Thorne's performance? "He played really solid." Auburn's first-year head coach knows what lies ahead. UMass, Cal and FCS opponent Samford are one thing, the SEC is an entirely different thing. Texas A&M, loaded with talent, awaits for an 11 am kickoff on Saturday, with Georgia coming after that, and a week off before traveling to LSU. It's real now. The team made great offensive strides against Samford. Nearly 600 total yards (what should have been a point total pushing 60, if not for a pair of interceptions) and 26 first downs -- the rhythm Freeze and Philip Montgomery created was impressive. The defense did their job, too, forcing a pair of turnovers. Everything that's happened so far is the preseason, but another week did churn out another batch of things we can reflect on. This was a building blocks game for Auburn. It was an opportunity to start to build confidence on both sides of the football, create some rhythm, and enter SEC play with as much momentum as possible. It's time to lock in, and Auburn seemingly started to do that on Saturday night. Here's Three things learned, two questions and one prediction following Auburn's third straight win.