Auburn’s head coach, Hugh Freeze, expressed his disappointment and frustration following the team’s 24-14 loss to Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. Speaking on a local sports radio show, Freeze acknowledged that the defeat was particularly tough to swallow due to the caliber of the opposing team.
“I have the utmost respect for [Arkansas coach] Sam Pittman and his team,” Freeze said. “However, I firmly believe that if we were to face them again, we would come out on top. The harsh reality is that we didn’t execute when it mattered most, and that’s what makes this loss so difficult to accept.”
Freeze attributed the loss to Auburn’s five turnovers, which limited the team to just 61 plays. Despite outgaining Arkansas 431-334 in total yards, the Razorbacks capitalized on Auburn’s mistakes, scoring 10 points off of turnovers.
Earlier in the day, Freeze reiterated his sentiments during a press conference, saying, “While I commend Coach Pittman and his team on their victory, we felt like this was a game we should have won. It’s tough to come up short in a winnable game.”
Freeze also drew parallels between this loss and the team’s earlier defeat to Cal, where Auburn again committed five turnovers. He emphasized that the team’s offensive identity doesn’t need an overhaul, but rather a focus on capitalizing on scoring opportunities. “It’s disheartening to see us averaging 8 yards per play but not translating that into points,” Freeze said.
Looking ahead to the upcoming game against Oklahoma, Freeze announced that the team would evaluate both quarterbacks, Payton Thorne and Hank Brown, before making a decision on who will start. Thorne, who replaced Brown in the second half against Arkansas, impressed Freeze with his performance, saying he “looked really sharp.”
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