Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze expressed his disappointment following the Tigers’ 24-14 defeat to Arkansas on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, emphasizing that Auburn lost to a team he considers less skilled.
In a discussion on Tiger Talk with the Auburn Sports Network, Freeze reiterated that this loss, much like the earlier one to Cal on September 7, was particularly disheartening due to the perceived gap in talent.
“I mean no disrespect to Arkansas… I have great respect for Coach Sam Pittman, and I hope he finds success for the rest of the season, but the tough reality is, if we faced them nine more times, we would win all nine,” Freeze stated. “That’s what makes this hard to accept—not just for us, but for our fans as well.”
Freeze pointed to the five turnovers committed by Auburn during the game as a significant factor in the loss, which limited the Tigers to just 61 offensive plays. Despite outgaining Arkansas 431 yards to 334, the Razorbacks managed 22 more plays and capitalized on the turnovers, scoring 10 points as a result.
Earlier in the day at a news conference, Freeze maintained a similar sentiment, acknowledging Arkansas’s achievement while insisting, “This was a game we believed was winnable. It’s tough to accept when you don’t come through.”
The coach noted that Auburn’s five turnovers against Arkansas echoed a similar performance in their loss to Cal. He asserted that the team’s offensive strategy does not need revision, describing it as “sickening” that Auburn averages 8 yards per play yet fails to convert those stats into points.
Freeze also mentioned that he and his staff will be evaluating quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Hank Brown throughout the week to determine who will start against Oklahoma. He remarked that Thorne, who came in for Brown in the second half, “looked really sharp.
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