Hugh Freeze pointed the finger at Payton Thorne for a failed fourth-down attempt in Auburn’s loss to Georgia on Saturday, prompting a strong response from the quarterback regarding his coach’s version of events.
Things are looking bleak for the Tigers, who sit at 2-4 after their first six games of the 2024 college football season, following a disappointing losing record last year. Freeze is not meeting expectations and failing to achieve victories.
To complicate matters, Freeze has been unwilling to take responsibility, frequently blaming his players for setbacks. This pattern of evading accountability dates back to his time at Ole Miss and earlier.
❌❌❌❌ = Turnover on downs!
📺 ABC #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/q9FTkEaBbn
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 5, 2024
Recently, Freeze attempted to justify his criticisms of Auburn’s players, but in doing so, he unfairly threw his backup tight end under the bus, highlighting his approach as a head coach.
This week has brought even more tension as players, particularly starting quarterback Payton Thorne, are pushing back. During the fourth quarter against Georgia, the Tigers couldn’t convert a crucial 4th-and-1.
"He absolutely didn't go with what we had called…we've got to coach better to where that's really not an option in that moment in time." – Hugh Freeze on Payton Thorne's decision to keep the ball on 4th and 1. https://t.co/QBJTwOTaFS pic.twitter.com/1VM9tOJK95
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 6, 2024
When asked about the questionable play call afterward, Freeze once again shifted the blame to someone else, claiming that Thorne had checked out of the original play. In response, Thorne denied this accusation in an interview with The Next Round on Tuesday, asserting that he “did not check any play,” directly contradicting Freeze.
“I won’t get too much into it. I could explain what happened but I don’t think that would help their team so I’ll keep that one in-house.
𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆…” Payton Thorne on Auburn’s 4th & 1 play call vs Georgia pic.twitter.com/Fwz0BCOuMb
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 8, 2024
In this blame game, Freeze blames Thorne, while Thorne refutes the blame directed at him.
The full truth may remain elusive, as differing viewpoints often find some middle ground. However, it’s clear that Hugh Freeze has some clarifying to do.
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