Everything Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze Said after Tigers' 27-24 Iron Bowl Loss
Auburn, Ala. — Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze gave his thoughts to the media after the Tigers' shocking last-minute loss.
Opening statement:
"Just, uh, first really proud of our kids. Obviously it stinks to to not get the win tonight, and we just we didn't play good enough in the critical moments. Had a turnover probably three minutes to go or four minutes to go and then obviously didn't execute fourth and whatever it was there really came down to those few plays in a game like this. But, man it's it's a lot of hurt in that locker room and it stinks. Our kids gave themselves a chance to win the iron bowl tonight and that's gonna stick with us for a while."
On giving Alabama everything they wanted:
"Proud of the way our kids fought and prepared. That's the way an Auburn Tiger should do it every single week. Obviously it's a little easier when you're playing in this magnificent, awesome rivalry. But it makes the hurt that much more when you don't get it done. But I'm proud of the way that they fought and bounced back and I thought they executed our plan pretty well and gave us gave us a chance to win the game."
On the 4th-and-31 touchdown late in the fourth quarter:
"I mean second guess it, just got to play with vision and we got nine guys back there and just play with vision and make a play on the ball and knock it down and you know. He felt like he was shoved off, but I couldn't tell, but you know mean you can pressure him and then you got one on ones and they throw it up. You can do that if you want, or you can play. I like the call. Just got to just sit back there with vision and and knock the ball down."
On Keiontae Scott's impact:
"Keiontae, he's one of our leaders. Incredible teammate and no one will hurt more than him. But obviously it was, I mean, that was vital, we got a four point lead and we have the ball there with under four minutes left in the game and a couple first downs and this thing is getting getting wound down."
Was there a reason Koy [Moore] was back there with Keiontae?
"Was it Koy? I thought it was Keiontae. I'll have to ask Tanner. Yeah, it would have to be Keiontae must have taken himself out."
On the hurt in the locker room and message to the team:
"I don't think any coach has the words. You tell them you love them that they will learn from and get through it. But it's going to hurt and there's there's no way around it and you're gonna have to walk through the hurt."
On what changed between the first and second half with Peyton Thorne:
"We didn't change anything. It was all still in the game plan that we had and I didn't think he threw real accurate balls a couple of times in the first half. And there was a couple that were dropped too. You know, all of those are so magnified in this game. And then, you know, but he did play a really good second half I thought."
On success within the running game:
"We had a good plan. And they do have a really good front end, but our backs and tight ends and O line took it personal. We knew we had to run the football to win this game and thought we ran it well enough to win it. Just came up short."
On wide receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson:
"Yeah, he was really vital to the plan. And once he once he decided this year that he was going to adhere to the standards that we want, of how we go about our work, he's gotten better and better and that's good to see for him."
On the atmosphere at Jordan-Hare Stadium:
"We have the best fans in the country and that atmosphere tonight is, you know, off the charts. Best I've ever been a part of and just wish we were out there celebrating right now together but we do have a lot of good recruits here and hopefully they see that even in year one, we're not, you know, we can we can close the gap pretty fast on the upper echelon of this conference."
On feeling accomplished after playing close games versus Alabama and Georgia:
"Well, if you if you isolate it to those two games, you know, you feel like you've done some good things, but it's hard when you, you know, we get judged in this game on wins and losses. And we all know that when we get signed up for it and when you have a chance to to win one like we did tonight against you know, teams playing for our conference championship next week and our rival, it's hard to feel anything but hurt and disappointment and, you know, you wish, like I said earlier, you are out there with the Auburn faithful and celebrating another iron Bowl win at Jordan-Hare."
On what vision looks like for Auburn:
"Well, we're going to we're going to be one of the elite programs in the country. And I really didn't have a vision for this year other than to try to get us to a bowl game and improve us from week to week and I can't say that every week I have felt like that - and that's why, you know, you're hard on yourself as a coach. And we got to look at ourselves as coaches every single week, every single day and are we demanding a standard that's going to get us to that elite status? That combined obviously with with recruiting classes that are comparable to the upper echelon, I mean, we can't recruit in the 30s and 40s and 50s and expect all of a sudden to walk out there and just be great coaches and [...] you got to, it's a combination. You got to coach to a certain standard and you got to, you know, recruit somewhere close to level par to the way those guys and some others in this league are."
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