Hugh Freeze has been chastised this football season for assigning responsibility to his Auburn players while analyzing key losses. He did it again after losing on Saturday.
The head coach described a fourth-and-one call in the fourth quarter of play as the Tigers attempted to close an 11-point deficit.
Auburn formed a shotgun formation near midfield before snapping the ball and watching quarterback Payton Thorne take off running. He’d be stopped far short of the gain line, returning the ball to the Bulldogs with a turnover on downs.
Georgia eventually scored to put the game out of reach, making the fourth-down decision a talking point.
Hugh Freeze explained what transpired following the game. He blamed Thorne, claiming that his signal caller went rogue with the play call.
“He did not comply with what we had requested. Payton, a thinker, decided to attempt running a zone read. “I think everyone was a little confused.”
This is a tendency that has continued to emerge on the Plains this season.
Freeze has often blamed players for their mistakes rather than accepting responsibility. He claims he is simply telling the audience what happened. Others say he’s undermining his squad.
Following a loss to Cal, he said that his staff called a near-perfect game that went unexecuted. Following the loss against Arkansas, things remained the same.
Auburn has struggled offensively this season. The Tigers lead the SEC in turnovers and average only 15.5 points per game versus Power 5 teams.
Hugh Freeze appears unwilling to accept responsibility for his role in the bad output. He’ll seek to right the ship as the Tigers prepare for a bye week.
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