10.28.23 Fooootball Articles

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cbssports.com

Auburn Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs: How to watch, schedule, live stream info, start time, TV channel

Scout Staff

3–4 minutes

Who's Playing

Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers

Current Records: Mississippi State 4-3, Auburn 3-4

How To Watch

When: Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium -- Auburn, Alabama

TV: SEC Network

Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)

Follow: CBS Sports App

What to Know

Auburn and Mississippi State are an even 4-4 against one another since September of 2015, but not for long. Both teams will face off in a SEC West battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn is limping into the contest on a four-game losing streak.

Auburn's game on Saturday was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell 28-21 to Ole Miss.

The losing side was boosted by Jarquez Hunter, who rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 53 yards.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State was not the first on the board last Saturday, but they got there more often. They welcomed the New Year with a 7-3 win over Arkansas. The win made it back-to-back wins for Mississippi State.

The team won by holding Arkansas to a paltry 200 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Mississippi State's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Nathaniel Watson and his two sacks.

Auburn now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Mississippi State, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Looking forward, Auburn is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. The pair have had problems against the spread this season as they are both 2-5.

Auburn came up short against Mississippi State when the teams last played back in November of 2022, falling 39-33. Thankfully for Auburn, Rara Thomas (who picked up 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.

Odds

Auburn is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Mississippi State, according to the latest college football odds.

The over/under is set at 41.5 points.

See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Auburn and Mississippi State both have 4 wins in their last 8 games.

Nov 05, 2022 - Mississippi State 39 vs. Auburn 33

Nov 13, 2021 - Mississippi State 43 vs. Auburn 34

Dec 12, 2020 - Auburn 24 vs. Mississippi State 10

Sep 28, 2019 - Auburn 56 vs. Mississippi State 23

Oct 06, 2018 - Mississippi State 23 vs. Auburn 9

Sep 30, 2017 - Auburn 49 vs. Mississippi State 10

Oct 08, 2016 - Auburn 38 vs. Mississippi State 14

Sep 26, 2015 - Mississippi State 17 vs. Auburn 9

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Brian's Column: Hugh Freeze, it's time to show some fight

Brian Hauch

3–4 minutes

Auburn Football started this season with extremely tempered expectations. The program would have a new starting quarterback, a revamped offensive line, transfers starting at multiple positions along the defense, and a new head coach in Hugh Freeze.

The Bryan Harsin era set back the Tigers a few years, and Freeze was brought in to help get the program in the right direction.

In many aspects, he has done just that, mainly through the recruiting trail. Freeze has overhauled Auburn’s recruiting tactics, getting four and five-star commits to become Tigers frequently.

Freeze has had to pick up the pieces of the mess left by Harsin since he arrived on the Plains, and while he’s done a good job rebuilding an Auburn culture that was lost, it’s time for him to take a minute and focus on “the now”.

That “now” is beyond ugly right now. The Tigers have lost all four of their games in the SEC. The offensive side of the ball, that is supposedly Hugh Freeze’s specialty as a head coach, is a disaster.

Freeze has seemed to completely give up on quarterback Payton Thorne  but refuses to move on to Robby Ashford full time, or even Holden Grenier. a shot.

To be fair, Freeze did warn Auburn supporters about something like this happening at the beginning of the season with his team’s lack of talent compared to other SEC schools fairly apparent.

While that’s a fine assertion at the beginning of the season, you would still like to see some signs of improvement, and there has been virtually none.

In Auburn’s gritty week two win over Cal, the offense scored 14 points while accumulating 230 total yards.

Payton Thorne threw for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Rivaldo Fairweather caught 3 passes for 39 yards, and Jay Fair caught 2 passes for 25 yards.

Now, if we fast forward to Auburn’s loss at home last week against Ole Miss, the offense scored 21 points (7 of them coming in the games final seconds). They accumulated 275 total yards, Payton Thorne threw for 100 yards and 1 touchdown, and the team only had 2 players catch over 1 pass.

Auburn’s offense has not improved at all, and that is pretty unacceptable, especially considering the defense continues to be one of the better units in the SEC.

In a year in which Auburn has a chance to go to a bowl, and hosts an Iron Bowl, Hugh Freeze and his staff need to reel it in and focus on what is in front of them. It’s time to worry about the finish of this season and not the start of the next one.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

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si.com

Auburn Daily Roundtable: Tigers entering potentially ugly game with Mississippi State

Lance Dawe

7–9 minutes

The Auburn Tigers are looking to end their four-game losing streak and win their first SEC game of the Hugh Freeze era.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will go to Jordan Hare coming off of a big against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Auburn lost to Ole Miss last weekend. Freeze and the Auburn Tigers have been looking for more of an offensive identity this season. Based on Freeze's comments this week, it's expected that we will see both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford at quarterback this weekend.

Here is our staff's thoughts on the game:

The O/U for this game is at 43.5. Do we go over or under?

Lindsay: As State's reportedly going to be without Will Rogers, give me the under.

Zac: I’m taking the under. I think both offenses are the weakness of these teams while the defenses are playing well.

Alex: Under

Daniel: I do not think this game will hit the over. Both offenses are struggling and facing a defense that is put together.

Joshua: Considering previous contests and Auburn's current offensive production I would go under.

Steve: I’ll take the under. Not confident in either of these offenses to score.

Ben: I'll go over with a breakout at home

Shel: Under. Auburn has a fairly decent offensive showing against the Bulldogs and the defense might shutdown Mississippi State with Will Rogers out.

Jeremy: Ha is this Auburn Mississippi State? State scored once last week give me the under

Can you talk me out of believing this game will be very ugly?

Lindsay: I cannot and will not. This is what we deserve.

Zac: There’s a chance that Auburn’s offense clicks. But I’m going to bet on it being a physical game that favors the defenses.

Alex: State will be without a quarterback, so they’re gonna be playing scrap ball. And you can safely say Auburn doesn’t know what they’re doing with quarterback, so I think both teams are going to try to keep it on the ground and just get out of here with with the much-needed SEC win. I’m sure both teams will be underestimating each other so yes because of that it will be ugly.

Daniel: No. No I cannot.

Joshua: Not sure, we are entering game 8 for the season and the offense is misfiring on all cylinders. It will likely be an ugly game.

Steve: No, and based on how the season has gone so far, for both teams, I don’t expect it to look any better Saturday.

Ben: Ugly? Maybe for the first half and I believe AU runs away with it in the 2nd half with adjustments at half along with facing an ugly Miss St team

Shel: No. That’s impossible. It will be ugly no matter how many points are scored by Auburn.

Jeremy: I don’t know. Again is this Auburn Mississippi State? This game is at home for Auburn and I could see it going well.

Which quarterback plays better for Auburn?

Lindsay: I honestly don't think either one will - State's pass coverage is probably the "best" part of their defense, so that handicaps Thorne a bit, and what have these quarterbacks shown us recently to make us think they'll play well, even at home?

Zac: I think Payton Thorne will play better for Auburn.

Alex: I bet both quarterbacks play the same. With pro and cons arguing points for both that for the most part equal out.

Daniel: I think Thorne will play better. Mississippi State’s pass defense is not overly stellar so I believe Thorne will take a step forward.

Joshua: I feel Robby Ashford plays better in the running scheme for Auburn. The receivers are consistently missing the mark so Payton Thorne's accuracy means very little.

Steve: Hard to say, but I’ll go with Thorne, just because he played better last week.

Ben: This is the R. Ashford game that he can RUN ALL OVER MSU as well as hit soft spots in their secondary that proves he can actually throw

Shel: Payton Thorne will play better than Robby Ashford for the Tigers on Saturday.

Jeremy: N/A. Look, it’s a mulligan season. Freeze has been in Auburn for less than a year. It hasn’t been pretty. Any answer is wrong but I tend to favor the one who didn’t make the last mistake. Part of me prefers Thorne, but the receivers are just so bad it’s likelier going to be a struggle no matter what.

Who will be Auburn's leader in total yards, total tackles?

Lindsay: Yards is Jarquez, and tackles will be Asante.

Zac: I’ll take Eugene Asante.

Alex: It seems very much they want to get Jarquez rolling so I bet him and we’ll see with Keys coming back if he gets on that grind.

Daniel: I think Auburn’s leader in yard will be Thorne. Tackles? Eugene Asante.

Joshua: I believe Eugene Asante will lead in tackles, and Jarquez Hunter will lead in total yards.

Steve: Payton Thorne and Eugene Asante.

Ben: Battie with total yards (special teams, rushing, receiving) and on Defense: Hello Marcus Harris on tackles

Shel: Jeremiah Cobb, Eugene Asante.

Jeremy: Jarquez, Asante

If Auburn doesn't win this game, what will your reaction be?

Lindsay: Not great!

Zac: I’ll have a hard time counting six total wins on the schedule.

Alex: If they lose this game, they very much are not gonna make a bowl game, patience will be very thin. I think fans will be incredibly divided with 1/2 saying this was the wrong hire and the other half begging for patients. me personally, I will consider the year of failure even by the least optimistic of outlooks, and coming in as a touted program rebuilder and offensive coach to show just the opposite of that no matter what the excuses will be unacceptable

Daniel: If Auburn loses this game, the Birmingham Bowl becomes the ceiling for the season.

Joshua: If course I will be disappointed if they lose a 5th straight game, however I will always root for Auburn whether its good, bad, or ugly.

Steve: Utter frustration and disappointment.

Ben: Bad...AU needs this win, needs Vandy and needs NM St...AU HAS to got 3 of 4 before BAMA and this is a MUST or we will all have stuff to discuss FOR A WHILE with the meltdowns.

Shel: We’ll still be in a bowl game…maybe????

Jeremy: Whew. Let’s hope we’re not having this conversation Saturday. Say it with me; this is year zero. Auburn shouldn’t have hired Harsin.

Final score predictions.

Lindsay: 24-13 (Lindsay did not specify, and to be honest I think this response is incredibly fair)

Zac: Auburn 17, Miss State 10

Alex: Auburn 24, Mississippi State 17

Daniel: Auburn 17, Mississippi State 10

Joshua: Auburn 21, Mississippi State 10

Steve: Auburn 20, Mississippi State 10

Ben: Auburn 38, Mississippi State 17 (Release the Freeze)

Shel: Auburn 28, Mississippi State 10

Jeremy: Auburn 7 Mississippi State 6

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247sports.com

The Pregame Pod Everything you need to know about Mississippi State

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

Auburn may not have to face one of its most dreaded opposing quarterbacks from the past several seasons.

Mississippi State multi-year starter Will Rogers is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and his status for Saturday afternoon's SEC West clash is still up in the air, as the Tigers are looking to earn their first conference victory of Hugh Freeze's debut season on the Plains.

"No one has confirmed to me that Rogers is out," Freeze said Thursday night on Tiger Talk, Auburn's in-house radio program. "We've had to plan to play both because it's two totally different deals."

Rogers left Mississippi State's win over Western Michigan two Saturdays ago with a left shoulder injury. The Mississippi native had started 38 straight games for the Bulldogs program before last weekend's win at Arkansas.

Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett was tight-lipped this week about Rogers' injury and did not disclose any details about a potential return against Auburn.

In the Bulldogs' 7-3 win in Fayetteville, Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright started in Rogers' place and completed 8-of-12 passes for 85 yards, a touchdown and a pick, plus 60 rushing yards.

"We don't really know the current status of Will (Rogers), but Will is a great player and we understand what he brings to the table as a passer and he's a capable runner," Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante said this week. "I saw a little bit of the game of (Wright). He has a different type of motor in terms of running the ball capabilities. So we're taking all those things into account."

In Mike Leach's air-raid system, Rogers had torched Auburn the past two seasons, with 772 yards on 82.7 percent passing, with nine touchdowns and an interception in two wins for the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State underwent a schematic overhaul on offense after Leach's passing, and Rogers is now completing 61.4 percent of his passes this season, at 212.5 passing yards per game, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Wright is an experienced SEC quarterback, having started 15 games at Vanderbilt before transferring and hopping divisions in the conference this offseason. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Wright is a career 56.2 percent passer, with 23 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Wright has 1,103 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in his career, as well.

"It's quite different, really," Freeze said, explaining that Auburn has split its defensive preparations in practice this week between a game plan for Rogers and for Wright. "It's like when Robby (Ashford) goes in for us, people know it's more zone or power read stuff. It's the same with Wright — we know it's more plus-one runs and moving the pocket more. He's a very athletic kid, and that's not Rogers' gift. Rogers is a pocket quarterback who can stand back there and make every throw."

Auburn kicks off against Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. CDT on SEC Network.

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247sports.com

 

PMARSHONAU Auburn looks for historic turnaround

Phillip Marshall

3–4 minutes

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The bad news: In the past 73 years, no Auburn football team has had a four-game losing streak and finished with a winning record. The good news: None of those teams had a gauntlet like Auburn’s past four games and the resulting opportunity for a strong finish.

It’s also important to remember that not all losing streaks are created equal. If Auburn had played, a home game against a cupcake against, say, UMass or New Mexico State in October, there would be no losing streak beyond maybe two games.

So half empty or at least close to half full? That is a personal choice.

Auburn has had 10 seasons out of those 73 in which it had losing streaks of four games or more. Here are they are:

1950: 10 straight, 0-10 record (Earl Brown)

1951: 4 straight (last 4), 5-5 record (Shug Jordan)

1952: 5 straight, 2-8 record (Shug Jordan)

1976: 5 straight (last 5), 3-8 record (Doug Barfield)

1998: 4 straight, 3-8 record. (Terry Bowden/Bill Oliver)

1999: 5 straight, 5-6 record (Tommy Tuberville)

2008: 4 straight, 5-7 record (Tommy Tuberville)

2012: 5 straight, 3-9 record (Gene Chizik)

2021: 5 straight (last 5), 6-7 record (Bryan Harsin)

2022: 5 straight. 5-7 record (Bryan Harsin/Cadillac Williams)

Auburn’s schedule this season reminds me somewhat of Tennessee’s back in the day. The Vols schedule was front-loaded with difficult games. Down the stretch they played much weaker teams and gained a reputation for winning in November. In 1988, they started 0-6 and finished 6-6.

I say somewhat, because Auburn’s stretch run, while against weaker opponents than the last four games, is not nearly as soft as Tennessee’s was in those days. Auburn can win or lose any of its remaining games and will be a significant underdog against Alabama.

Can Auburn can get bowl eligible by winning at least three of the next five against Mississippi State at home, Vanderbilt on the road, Arkansas on the road, New Mexico State at home and Alabama at home? Can it do even better?

Auburn is a one-touchdown favorite in Saturday’s home game against Mississippi State. It will be favored a week later at Vanderbilt. Whether it is favored at Arkansas might depend on how the Razorbacks, who are off this week, play at Florida next week and how Auburn plays against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Auburn will be a significant favorite over New Mexico State.

The opportunity is there for the Tigers to make some good history and turn a losing streak into a winning season and a bowl trip. Before Alabama, they won’t see the likes of what they saw the previous four games.

What will it take? Clearly, it will take something better than we have seen on offense. It will take the defense continuing to play at a high level. It will take avoiding turnovers and needless penalties. It will take putting the disappointment of the past four games away and playing with passion and confidence.

Freeze has an opportunity to do what Shug Jordan didn’t do, Pat Dye didn’t do and Tommy Tuberville didn’t do by having a winning record in his first Auburn season.  The 2023 season can’t be a great one for Auburn and was never going to be. It can still be a good one, but much remains to be done.

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si.com

Auburn's rush yards before contact numbers are some of the best in the SEC

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

This stat puts into perspective how the offensive line has helped the running backs.

During Tank Bigsby's time in Auburn, it seemed like his talent was wasted as he would get contacted the second he touched the football. 

If felt like all of his big highlight runs, he was hit near the line of scrimmage and had to break a tackle to make a big run. 

One of the first things Hugh Freeze did when he got to Auburn was grab offensive linemen out of the transfer portal, and it seems to be working out thus far. 

Clark Brooks of SEC Stat Cat put out that Auburn's rush yards before contact number is 2.8, which is third in the SEC behind Tennessee (3.1) and Kentucky (2.9). 

The average in the SEC is 2.2, so Auburn is 0.6 above the average in the conference. 

This shows you why, despite the offensive struggles, Auburn has been able to run the football. 

The offensive line hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it has been a step in the right direction. 

This Auburn football team needs to lean on the run if they want to beat some of the lesser remaining opponents on their 2023 schedule. 

This season's offensive line has been a breath of fresh air for Auburn fans.

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247sports.com

Inside Keionte Scotts swift recovery return to Auburns defense

Nathan King

6–8 minutes

Keionte Scott felt the uncomfortable crackling through his helmet and knew right away.

That was on the first drive of the game in Auburn’s Week 3 win over Samford. Scott was making a pre-snap check, crept up near the line of scrimmage, and was turned toward a teammate when Samford snapped the ball. He was off balance when blocked by an offensive linemen, and his foot turned awkwardly.

The news wasn’t worst case for one of Auburn’s top players, but it was tough to stomach: Scott suffered a high-ankle sprain. He underwent what’s known as a “tightrope” procedure, and the rehabilitation began.

Just over three weeks later, Scott returned to practice. Five weeks later, he played almost the entire game on defense for Auburn against Ole Miss.

“Everybody, from my understanding, has considered this sort of a miracle,” Lekisha Hayes, Scott’s mother, said.

Scott’s ahead-of-schedule return to the field is obviously a huge boost for the Tigers’ defense, getting their starting nickel cornerback — and a player Hugh Freeze has said “makes a huge difference" in our leadership — back in the fold.

But how did Scott recover so quickly? Hayes said he outperformed the initial timetable given by Auburn’s medical team after his surgery, and that he was progressing “extremely well” by the second week after the procedure.

“We didn’t know,” Hayes said. “I mean, he was out. He was out indefinitely, when the doctors explained it and showed it. … They told us six-to-eight weeks. We just sort of thought, well, who knows what could happen to the season.”

Hayes and Scott’s sister were daily caretakers in the early stages of Scott’s rehabilitation, but help wasn’t far away when they needed it. Hayes had to call what she estimated to be less than five times in the middle of the night — most of the time if Scott’s pain suddenly increased — and it only took a few rings to get ahold of a member of Auburn’s medical staff.

“A couple times it was 1 in the morning,” Hayes said, as she began breaking into tears. “As a mom, you’re just overjoyed to be part of an amazing football program that treats your son like this. When we were recruited, they told us, ‘If you love Auburn, it’ll love you back.’ It was all of that, and 10,000 times more. I was blown away at the love and support Keionte received every day.”

There were times in the first week after Scott’s surgery where he could barely sleep because of the discomfort. When that pain began subsiding and Scott could put easily weight on his ankle was when the recovery took a big turn for the better, and Auburn’s staff began to think he could possibly be back on the field ahead of schedule.

“The pain was the hardest part,” Hayes said. “That’s when I just had to go outside and pray. I’ve never seen him like that. I’ve never seen him where he can’t walk and where he can’t get up to feed himself. … The first time he ran out of the house, down the stairs, no boot or anything, I cried like a baby.”

Hayes heaped praise onto Auburn head athletic trainer Robbie Stewart.

“He recovered so fast because of this amazing medical staff,” Hayes said. “I really don’t see where they missed a beat in this whole process.”

Scott was evaluated for a possible return ahead of Auburn’s trip to LSU earlier this month, after he practiced that week. But Auburn decided not to chance it and wait one more week.

But at that point, Scott was back on the practice field with his teammates, after three weeks working primarily in the indoor facility with a trainer. He was occasionally joined by others with injuries that had popped up, like safety Jaylin Simpson, who hurt his calf in the Week 5 loss to Georgia.

“It was just the little things (Scott) would say,” Simpson said this week. “Like, I’d be out there like, ‘Man, my leg is hurting, bro. I don’t know.’ And he’s like, ‘one percent’. He just kept saying, ‘one percent, one percent’, which means just like, one percent better every day. Just get one percent better. He just kept saying small things like that. And he had been out for longer than I was, so I’m just like man, he’s so determined. And I’ve been playing more than him. I know he wants to be out there just as bad as me, so let me just get my mind right. I mean who knows, maybe I still would’ve had a bad mindset if he wasn’t there with me.

“So without him — that’s why I give him a lot of credit for my return. But his return is definitely very, very good for our defense right now.”

Scott offered his encouragement for teammates after they did the same for him. In the first couple weeks of Scott’s recovery, players popped by almost daily to check on their teammate.

“They’re the cutest little family,” Hayes said. “They just kept coming. They kept showing up. I didn’t even know all their names, but they were there.”

Scott’s return was an effective one, as he played 76 snaps against Ole Miss and was Auburn’s top player in coverage. As the Tigers’ defense was holding down the Rebels for what was nearly 30 minutes of scoreless game time, Scott was targeted three times in coverage and didn’t allow a catch, registering one pass breakup, too.

“The training staff did a good job of creating a plan and just trusting it and going to work every day,” Scott said postgame. “Just to be around my team again and be around those boys and practice with those boys again after just watching was just a blessing.”

Scott’s anticipated second season on the Plains was nearly derailed, but the Tigers instead are getting healthier by the week at a number of important positions. In addition to Scott, linebacker Austin Keys returned against Ole Miss after suffering a broken thumb in the season opener, and running back Damari Alston is cleared to return this Saturday after missing the past three games with a dislocated shoulder.

And Hayes has no doubts Scott will be at his best during this final month of Auburn’s schedule, as he looks to make up for some lost time — starting Saturday afternoon against Mississippi State (2:30 p.m. CDT, SEC Network).

“He is in love,” Hayes said. “He is in love with this team. I know he loves football, but he loves these boys.”

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

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[SaltyTiger 8,240]

Happy game day. Beautiful morning here in East Alabama.

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29 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Happy game day. Beautiful morning here in East Alabama.

i shudder to think what the meltdown on the board will be if we lose today. i might have to take off for a few days..........lol

[SaltyTiger 8,240]

7 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i shudder to think what the meltdown on the board will be if we lose today. i might have to take off for a few days..........lol

Don’t think about us losing and don’t worry about the board chatter. Going to be a great day.

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al.com

Why did Auburn's Hugh Freeze want to know how his players drove in foggy conditions?

Published: Oct. 27, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

3–4 minutes

Auburn Football

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze asked his players if they had their driver’s license. What for?

Head to Head: Auburn vs. Mississippi State

Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze went around to each position room this week and asked his players if they had their driver’s license.

“And is it current?,” Freeze said with a laugh during his time on Auburn’s Tiger Talk radio show Thursday. “That’s an important question for a football team, typically, is man, is it suspended? Because we need to know that if it is.”

And while Freeze said all that between chuckles Thursday night at Baumhower’s Victory Grille, there was a legitimate reason he asked his players about their driving habits.

Freeze specifically wanted to know how his players approached driving in foggy conditions.

While his players’ answers ranged from making sure their lights were on to just driving a bit slower, Freeze was chasing a specific, one-word answer.

“The word I was looking for was ‘cautious’,” Freeze finally revealed. “I was raised in the country and I’ve had to drive in some foggy conditions and you drive very cautiously. And I feel like that’s the way we play sometimes.”

Freeze’s anecdote on the set of Tiger Talk Thursday night was an extension of the message he shared with his team Monday morning as part of the team’s weekly “life talk”. Monday’s life talks are generally about 20 minutes long, Freeze says. And the inspiration for each of them come from various sources.

This Monday, the message was all about “closed doors and unmet expectations”, which was a spin off last Sunday’s sermon given by Miles Fidell, who serves as the pastor at Auburn Community Church.

“All of us face — at some point or another — closed doors or unmet expectations. And that’s never going to go away in life,” Freeze said Wednesday, echoing his message to the team. “And how we handle them, I think, will really determine how we get through them.”

Auburn’s last four games have presented some pretty foggy situations as the Tigers have faced three teams currently ranked in the top 15.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s game against Mississippi State is set to start a much more favorable stretch for Freeze and the Tigers, who are looking to snap a four-game skid.

Freeze is just hoping his team can work its way out of the fog and therefore get out of situations in which the Tigers feel they have to play cautiously.

“I want to do everything I can to remove the fog and the fear. Fear is just a liar and it’s really not real unless you give it power. And I want us to play really free and loose.”

Freeze added that Auburn had two “really good” practices on Tuesday and Thursday as the Tigers prepare to host Mississippi State at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday afternoon at 2:30.

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Auburn’s Hugh Freeze remarks on the late Mike Leach’s ‘rare quality’

Published: Oct. 27, 2023, 7:30 a.m.

~3 minutes

Head to Head: Auburn vs. Mississippi State

In spirit of Auburn hosting Mississippi State Saturday afternoon, it wasn’t a surprise that Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was asked if he had his own “Mike Leach story.”

After all, it seems everyone in the college football world has a story featuring Leach, who coached at Mississippi State from 2020-22 before unexpectedly dying of complications from a heart condition on Dec. 12, 2022. He was 61.

“Coach Leach and I, we weren’t real close. I didn’t get to know him,” Freeze admitted Thursday night. “But I think everybody that was in college football had a Leach story.”

Considering Freeze was coaching at Liberty when Leach was at Mississippi State and Leach was at Washington State when Freeze was at Ole Miss, the two rarely crossed paths. However, there was one interaction Freeze had with Leach, which he recalled Thursday night during Auburn’s Tiger Talk radio show.

“Mine is really one phone call that I had with him about a possible hire I was going to make,” Freeze said. “Usually those take about five minutes, and Coach Leach’s conversation with me lasted about 30.”

Leach was never known for concise conversations.

More times than not, his press conferences turned into ramblings about who knows what. Pirates, wedding planning, dinosaurs, Big Foot, aliens... you name it, Leach had probably talked about it — and in great detail, at that.

But as Freeze experienced on that phone call that day, no matter how longwinded or awry conversations with Leach went, the late Mississippi State head coach was attentive.

“I will never forget how he just made you feel like you had his full attention. That’s a rare quality in coaching,” Freeze said. “Normally, we’re like, ‘Man, how fast can I get out of this conversation and back to what I was doing.’

“But Coach Leach, he honored every minute that we were on the phone together and I’ll never forget that.”

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[SaltyTiger 8,240]

11 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

i shudder to think what the meltdown on the board will be if we lose today. i might have to take off for a few days..........lol

A big War Eagle Fiddy!!