Where does Hugh Freeze and his staff need to go heading into the offseason?
Auburn fell flat on their face in the Music City Bowl against the Maryland Terrapins, 31-13. The entire team looked lethargic and while I’d like to credit that to the death of bowl games across the country, the effort displayed was inexcusable. The honeymoon stage with Freeze is over, it’s time to walk and chew gum at the same time. He took the right approach in year one, considering the roster resembled that of Vanderbilt, but him being absent from the game plan this past week isn’t acceptable under any circumstance.
I don’t know that the coaches tried to execute effectively on offense
-Ike Jones on the Weekend Tailgate
There isn’t much else to be said about the abysmal performance we witnessed Saturday absent from the our livestream. The conversation is shifting towards coaches and culture this offseason. Saturday, it was announced Colorado Defensive Coordinator, Charles Kelly, would join Auburn’s staff as a defensive backs coach and Co-DC. This hire fits like a glove in the absence of Wesley McGriff (joined Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M). Kelly is a stout recruiter who is struggling with his X’s and O’s, the opposite of Ron Roberts. The pairing should translate into a cohesive system on the defensive side of the ball for the next few seasons.
“A lot of loose leashes around here on this team that we need to get rid of and just find a group of people that’s going to really come together as a team and lock in.”
-Auburn Tight End Rivaldo Fairweather
The locker room needs structure in 2024. It’s apparent the team isn’t behind Payton Thorne. Whether he remains the starter or he doesn’t, the job needs to be challenged, honestly. Let Hank Brown and Holden Geriner show their abilities in spring ball, because while it may be against, B10 Backups, Hank Brown showed me something yesterday, something I’ve yet to see from Payton Thorne. Confidence.
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