Freeze Self-Reflected on Play Calling During Bye Week

After back-to-back losses, Hugh Freeze took a look in the mirror during Auburn's bye week.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze emphasized self-reflection in the bye week. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.-- On a bye last week Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze used the free week to fix things offensively and prepare for Georgia, rather than only resting. 

Before the bye, Auburn put on a disastrous offensive performance against Texas A&M, managing only 177 total yards while going 0-for-13 on third down throughout the entire game. 

“I didn't like the feeling of going into an open week playing like we did offensively, but it was much needed for me to really get in a room, sometimes by myself, sometimes with (Derrick) Nix and the other staff,“ Freeze on Monday.

“Traditionally throughout the years we’ve been able to find a way to move the football. Again like I said in my opening statement, it’s just something that doesn't sit well with any of us in that room, and we know that we have good enough players to have a much better performance and you have to take it personally. So, it was not a good feeling, but a good time for us to evaluate all that.”

Freeze also hit on offensive mental errors and play-calling that often put the team behind the chains in their matchup against the Aggies, admitting that it starts with him.

“We’ve done a really good job of taking care of the football, but now you look at the last two games and we certainly have put ourselves behind the chains way too much with some undisciplined penalties and questionable play calling that puts us behind the chains," he said. "We obviously either didn’t coach well enough to execute or just not good schematical plays.”

In those last two matchups, Auburn essentially completely abandoned the run game and often came out passing on first down. Against the Aggies, there were only eight total carries by running backs through the entire contest. Yet, they still averaged nearly five yards a carry each. 

“So we’ve studied it all. We got to find a way to stay ahead of the chains and, again, playing at home does make what we want to do a little bit easier, but you’re playing against defenses like (Texas) A&M, Georgia and Oklahoma, you still have to execute really well and have a game plan," Freeze said. "There wasn’t much time off during the open week for the staff or the kids truthfully, and looking for ways to make sure we improve that.”

Auburn is set to host the Georgia Bulldogs this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CST. The matchup will be televised on ABC.