Hugh Freeze tells Auburn fans to measure their expectations for A-Day

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Spring games aren't meant to show anything.
That's been the message for most college football teams for quite some time, and Auburn is no exception. The Tigers played some of the most boring A-Day games underneath Bryan Harsin for two seasons, and will now enter their first under Hugh Freeze with a warning label:
Don't get your hopes up.
Auburn HC Hugh Freeze spoke with the media Monday afternoon and was asked about what he expects out of the Tigers' spring game.
"Spring games for us, when it's us against us... I don't want to waste a day, Freeze said. "The temptation for us as coaches is for it to be a waste of a day... we want to make all 15 of our practices count, and that's a really difficult setting for us to do what we want to do."
No coach wants to show their hand this early in the season, and Freeze continued to harp on the fact that the game was going to be on SEC Network, and folks would likely be videoing to look for their signals... but until the Tigers kick off in the fall against UMass, Freeze wants to hold his cards to his chest as long as possible.
"We are a new staff, and one of the advantages is that there's not any tape on what this staff looks like."
That doesn't mean it won't be fun.
"I want to prepare the Auburn family that we're going to do the best we can," Freeze said. "For those who chose to come, we're going to give them a game that they can hopefully enjoy, but they can understand that.. gosh, we don't know who we are offensively right now."
Freeze said that they'll try and throw the ball a little bit and run the ball too, but that overall the pace may be slower than fans expect, and that there may be some more huddling and getting set for plays.
Auburn's head coach also explained how the scoring will work, with the defense starting with a "selective number of points" to start, and the offense will try to whittle that down as the scrimmage goes on, with drives starting wherever Freeze chooses.
The prize for whoever wins? Winners will "eat steak and the losers will eat hot dogs or something like that."
"I want our fans to be excited about the momentum that's being created here," Freeze said. "Do we have a ways to go? Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't be excited."
Another interesting note Freeze had about the future of spring college football is the potential of playing other teams. Freeze said he's been advocating to play other schools in spring since he was at Ole Miss, but that nothing has happened yet to make it remotely possible.
"Allow us to scrimmage somebody on A-Day, another team," Freeze said. "Let's adopt a charity to give the proceeds to." He suggested that Auburn could play Troy, UAB, or Alabama State and pointed out that "people will come see that. And it decreases your injury possibility by 50%."
Will we ever see the Tigers play another in-state team for a spring game?
Maybe not. But for now, the point of Auburn's A-Days under Freeze will be to get fans excited while keeping everything under wraps.
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College football enthusiast. Wing connoisseur. Editor and contributor for @TheAuburnDaily. Host of @LockedonUK.
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