Here's What Auburn Tigers Coach Hugh Freeze Thinks About Texas A&M's Offense

After an exciting first three games to start the 2025 campaign, the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies are now preparing to enter their 14th year of competition in the toughest conference in college football, the Southeastern Conference, opening against the Auburn Tigers this Saturday.

The Aggies welcome the Tigers to Kyle Field after a four-overtime thriller at Jordan-Hare Stadium last year that saw Auburn victorious in the 43-41 battle, pulling the Aggies further away from playoff hopes.

However, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is well aware of the danger that lies ahead for his team in College Station, especially given the war they just went through in Norman with another top-10 team in the No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners.

"They Can Really Make You Pay"

In his pregame press conference Monday afternoon, Freeze highlighted A&M's offensive attack, especially the running game, for which he had the highest praise for.

Auburn Tigers wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (5) catches the game winning pass as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Auburn Tigers defeated Texas A&M Aggies 43-41 in fourth overtime. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"They've got a great running game, the best running game we've seen," Freeze said in the presser. "I haven't watched as much film (on the receivers), but I have seen enough to know that those two receivers (Mario Craver and KC Concepcion) are dynamic. And obviously Marcel Reed, we saw him last year, he's super twitchy and throw and run it."

"This will test our run defense for sure because as soon as you commit too many people to it, they've got people that can really make you pay. It's an excellent football team, and one that will be in the playoff discussion for sure."

Last year's game between the two SEC schools was an elite showing of offense, with the two schools combining for nearly 1,000 total yards of offense, with Auburn's 469 barely etching out A&M's 464.

Marcel Reed went 22 for 35 in passing with 297 yards and three passing touchdowns with one interception, an interception that eventually led to a 15-yard touchdown for wide receiver Cam Coleman and a 21-0 lead for the Tigers early in the second quarter.

The Aggies would eventually crawl back and take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but a 29-yard field goal at the buzzer allowed Auburn to knot the score at 31 apiece and send the game to overtime.

After a touchdown and a field goal from each team, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne with wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a two-point conversion, and Texas A&M's ensuing two-point try saw Reed's pass to running back Amari Daniels go incomplete, giving the then 5-5 Tigers a massive upset at home over one of the best teams in the conference at the time.

However, last time the Tigers were in Aggieland, it wasn't as memorable for the team, as the game went 27-10 in favor of the Maroon and White.

The Aggies and Tigers kick off from Kyle Field this Saturday at 2:30 PM.