Freeze's Final QB Decision Proves Costly in Auburn's Loss to Kentucky

Hugh Freeze was fired on Sunday, a day after another game with mismanagement at quarterback.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels (12) jokes with quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) before the loss to Kentucky. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a 10-3 loss to Kentucky, the Auburn Tigers are looking for answers, especially at quarterback.

In one of his final decisions as the head coach, the now-fired Hugh Freeze used both Ashton Daniels and Jackson Arnold more than once. In fact, after benching Arnold last week, Freeze started Daniels, switched to Arnold, and went back to Daniels to close out the game.

Daniels' Slow Start

Daniels entered halftime, completing just six of his first 15 passes. The offense could not generate any momentum, and he looked skittish in the pocket. Freeze highlighted Daniels' lack of production. After one series in the third quarter, the head coach pulled Daniels.

"Yeah, he should have turned some loose in the first half, and then we wanted to see if Jackson could come in and give us a spark," Freeze said.

Kentucky, to their credit, collapsed the Auburn offensive line in the first half, giving Daniels little time to throw. The Wildcats dropped the signal-caller to the turf on back-to-back plays. When granted time, Daniels could not scan the field. Instead, he would lock onto receivers too long. The Kentucky rush grew stronger as the half wore on.

Arnold Entry

The highly touted transfer entered the game with 11 minutes and 16 seconds remaining. Granted, Arnold only threw three passes, completing two of them for 15 yards. Yet, he didn't look any more relieved than he did when he started. The flow of the offense halted, and the unit looked panicked. Nothing worked, and the game began to slip away from Auburn.

As a result, Freeze made one more change.

Jackson Arnold’s first drive ends in this manner. @thewarrapport pic.twitter.com/r6TbV3owI9

— Mike G. (@mikegittens) November 2, 2025

The Return

After Arnold could not lead the offense to points, Freeze inserted the senior back into the lineup. By this time, Kentucky pinned its ears back and started to tee off on the offensive line, which struggled all evening.

"Then the switch back obviously was just because we were struggling so much to protect. He's a little more elusive in the pocket, and we thought he might have a chance to, you know, extend some runs there on the two-minute drive with his legs."

With the game still in reach, instead of adding an extra blocker to scheme quicker-paced plays, Freeze yanks Arnold. Playing quarterback at a high level requires repetition and timing throughout the game.

Receivers may run routes with the speed Arnold is accustomed to, but every defense brings a different burst to the field. Freeze seemed to press at the point of bringing Daniels back onto the field.

Daniels did not fare better down the stretch. Despite the offense failing for three quarters, Auburn still had a late chance to tie the game. Yet, with every dropback, Daniels looked lost. Instead of using his mobility to swing out of danger, he climbed the pocket.

When pressure came from one direction, he held the ball and fired it out of bounds at the last second. Up until the last minute, the Tigers had a chance. However, with the merry-go-round at quarterback, you had to expect the game would end in a loss.

Bottom Line

Freeze's panic cost Auburn a game that they could have won until the final moments, which ultimately cost him his job.

Regardless of his postgame rationalizations, a talented offensive group was unable to make progress. Now, what does that say for the remainder of the season? Last year, Hank Brown replaced Payton Thorne for six quarters and Freeze went right back to Thorne.

Freeze's final quarterback decision on the Plains proved the most-costly.