Starting a season 2-5 is difficult to digest, especially with the way Auburn has suffered those five defeats.
Three of their losses were decided by just one possession, and the Tigers have committed a total of 12 turnovers in those defeats, with 10 of those coming against Cal and Arkansas. Despite a 31-13 defeat to Georgia, Auburn has played their Power 4 opponents competitively but has yet to close out any of those games with a victory. Hugh Freeze expressed his frustration, noting that while Auburn had realistic chances to win, they failed to capitalize.
“You can’t watch the film and say we didn’t have a chance to win,” Freeze mentioned during the SEC coaches teleconference. “We haven’t figured out how to do that, and that’s the most frustrating part. In my 32 years of coaching, I’ve never had a season where we couldn’t close out a single game. We’re not making enough key plays in critical moments, and it’s hard to pinpoint why.”
Most recently, Auburn squandered a 14-point lead in the third quarter against Missouri. Auburn appeared to be in control, leading 17-6 and driving late in the third quarter, but after missing a field goal and with Missouri’s quarterback Brady Cook returning, Missouri took control and came back to win.
“You can’t afford lapses, poor decisions, or bad execution at crucial times,” Freeze said on Monday. “We’ve played two Top 20 teams in the last three weeks and had the lead in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t finish. It’s very frustrating.”
Freeze admitted that the team sometimes plays “not to lose” and attributed this mentality to both the players’ inexperience and the coaching staff’s approach. He emphasized that this mindset needs to change if they want to close out games in their favor.
“At some point, we need to grow and learn how to win,” Freeze said. “I need to coach them in a way that instills the confidence to play to win, rather than just trying to hold on.”
Auburn’s next opportunity to turn things around comes this Saturday against Kentucky, who sits at 3-4 but boasts a win over Ole Miss and a near-upset against Georgia. The game is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
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