A New Low in the Hugh Freeze Era at Auburn

Hugh Freeze continues to fall short of expectations at Auburn.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze could see his tenure end soon. | John Reed-Imagn Images

At his postgame press conference, Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze mentioned the word unacceptable, regarding his team's play. In all honesty, the same could describe this season, from a coaching standpoint.

The Kentucky loss served as yet another reminder of the unbelievable nightmare the football situation exists in on The Plains. In 34 games, Freeze boasts a 15-19 record. Losing to an offensively challenged Kentucky team, mustering only three points, could be the lowest point for the program in recent memory.

Third Down Struggles

Auburn converted just six of 16 third-down opportunities during the 10-3 loss to Kentucky. Moreover, in the second half, they convert just two, which veers past struggle.

The bothersome aspect about the lack of execution when it matters most is the concern. On the third downs that Auburn did not connect, three needed seven yards or less. With three excellent receivers, a back with solid hands, and capable tight ends, seven yards should not feel like an arduous task.

"We struggled a little on 3rd down. That was about the only thing that allowed them to keep the ball the entire 3rd quarter, but offensively, it's just there," Freeze said. "There are zero excuses for how poorly we're playing at times."

Lack of Adjustment

Freeze often mentions his desire for his quarterbacks to take aggressive chances with the ball. However, the defense prevents that via coverage changes. Freeze, insistent on the vertical passes without complementary routes to draw aspects of the defense closer, just wanted to attack unthinkingly.

"The times we had, we've got to turn it loose, and most of the time there wasn't enough time for him to feel comfortable to turn it loose," Freeze said. "Now they played a ton of quarters coverage or cloud coverage where they were protecting the roof pretty well."

In quarters coverage, seam and post routes work best. Underneath those, funneling back into the flat creates the chance for big plays down the sidelines.

Durell Robinson, who is a back with decent hands and good speed, would've also exploited this. Auburn used a play late, a 19-yard completion to Preston Howard, right down the seam. They could have been the plan all night. Waiting for singular vertical shots that may not come wastes time and drives you crazy.

Twist Follies

You know who also ran twists? Oklahoma and Texas A&M. After surrendering 15 sacks to those teams, what should Auburn's offensive line have worked on? Teams watch film, pick up tendencies, and attempt to try what previously worked.

GOT HIM AGAIN 😼

📺 - SEC Network pic.twitter.com/yzxE34dnrE

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 2, 2025

"You don't feel comfortable just taking a chance of running it all the time, and we got in those cases, and we never, and we just never could, protect against their twist games," Freeze said.

Twists are new and can be defeated through effective communication between linemen, utilizing various methods such as hand signals and eye contact to call out what you see. Plus, many linemen will tip off the fact that a twist or stunt is about to happen. In many cases, their feet will slide slightly off-center, giving them a head start when the ball is snapped. Those subtle clues should never be missed.

.@Kahlil_Saunders causing problems and it's OUR BALL 😤

📺 - SEC Network pic.twitter.com/TFgrqxSA3O

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 2, 2025

Overview

Auburn, despite the loss, can still make a bowl game with a couple of late wins. However, with games against Vanderbilt and Alabama sandwiching a tilt against Mercer, they will need to pull off at least one upset.

However, if they cannot win the games they are favored in, how can you expect them to stun a ranked team?