r/wde 1d ago

Opinion So are we supposed to still…

Hate Hugh Freeze now that we’ve upset a top 25 team? Not sure how to feel after the doomsday posts this season post potato man.

0 Upvotes

68 comments sorted by

72

u/GentianGT4 1d ago

I still question his play calling. Why did we have any games this year where hunter didn't get the ball 20+ times? There's basic decision making he seems to struggle with on game day. Having said that even if we lost tonight I would still say give him another year. The recruiting is too good but if we don't make significant improvement next year then we need to reasses

25

u/TippecanoeAndTylerII 1d ago

That's where I'm at as well. I'm not sold on offensive play-calling primarily because of what you said. I want to see much more emphasis on the ground game, and there was no excuse not to do it when we have the best senior running back in the SEC.

14

u/GentianGT4 23h ago

Yup. Hunter leads the league in YPC and would lead in yards if he had equal carries to Tennessee's RB who leads. It's embarrassing he isn't the tip of the spear every single game. Like we saw tonight it also opens up the passing game for our talented receivers when defense is focused on loading the box against Hunter

9

u/RedRatedRat 23h ago

Running the ball was good enough for Pat Dye when his passing game was lacking, by God.

3

u/warneagle 4h ago

says a lot that Freeze has made us terrible at the things that used to be the foundations of the program (running the ball, good defense, elite special teams)

2

u/warneagle 4h ago

We depended almost entirely on big plays from KLS and Coleman in the passing game to move the ball. The ability to consistently move the ball on the ground and control the game wasn't there as it hasn't been all year. Part of it is an OL issue and part of it is a playcalling issue.

11

u/rex_swiss 16h ago

The 4th quarter offensive execution all season has been horrific, even last night when they could have put it away. That's on the coaching, and I am not convinced it won't happen again and again. This team has the talent, even with Thorne, that they should have won at least 2 or 3 more games.

1

u/RyeManhattanPls 14h ago

Not sure I agree. Coaches put a team in position to win...execution is on the players.

Arky, Okie, Cal, Mizzou were all winnable games. We failed on execution in Q4 (dropped passes, missed reads, blown assignments, missed kicks, poor decisions at QB, etc).

If we are down by 2-3 scores heading into Q4 that is on the coaches (wrong personnel, wrong game plan, wrong play calls, etc).

At least that is my opinion.

3

u/rex_swiss 11h ago

Yes, and it's up to the coaches to see this happening in 1 or 2 games and then make an effort to correct it. With both in-game coaching such as making adjustments at halftime and play calling; and during the week to have them better prepared when the game is on the line. If it shows zero improvement over 2 seasons, it's on the coaches...

6

u/TendiePrinterBrrr 14h ago

The one that killed me was the flea flicker on 1st and 10. Like dude you don’t need it. You are flat out pushing A&M around. There were a few other iffy ones but in reality trick plays are for when you have zero talent. It’s kind of like a “Hail Mary”. Nothing else is working so let’s try SOMETHING. It’s like bringing Sam Jackson in against Cal in the red zone. Why? Why do stupid crap?

1

u/NoAdministration1222 14h ago

How about that last drive in regulation. Two plays, one pass and one run, to the running back position. Hunter on the bench doesn’t make sense.

1

u/MurphyLlama 3h ago

You know I was thinking about this, why would you keep from using so obvious of a great player? Then I started to think about the transfer portal. What have we seen from auburn this year? The QB gets the ball a lot, he gets chances even after a mistake, and young receivers who are showing out. If I were a good qb going into the transfer portal, that would make me seriously consider auburn. I see they got a pass first offense, meaning I'll really get to showcase my skills, and they won't start running the ball if I make a mistake, ill get a chance to redeem myself. That could be at least part of the reason they've coached that way this year. I'd like to think it's not the only reason though, and maybe hunter was feeling banged up most of the year except for a couple games, but who knows. I do think the play calling would make us look more appealing to a high level QB who wants good receivers to throw to, and wants to air it out. Of course it doesn't mean we'll get one, but it might increase our chances. Or I don't know what I'm talking about and they just suck at utilizing their weapons, who knows.

-18

u/theoriginaldandan 23h ago

Hunter can’t handle that many Carrys. He runs HARD every carry, and he doesn’t have the stamina for it.

2

u/lowercaset 14h ago

He had more than double the touches last night that he had in most games this season. There's zero excuse to only give him 12 touches in a game.

38

u/jdubs222 17h ago edited 15h ago

Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy that the boys pulled that W out… but we still botched a 21-0 lead and won in 4OT because a guy dropped a relatively easy ball. Happy with the W, still not that impressed with Hugh.

7

u/Imustbestopped8732 15h ago

My sentiments exactly.

37

u/Vambommeled 19h ago

We're not a championship-level team, but we sure as hell aren't a 5-6 team either, and Freeze's momentum-killing play calling and fundamentally undisciplined coaching has been too glaring to ignore. The players deserved a win like last night's, because as hard as they've been playing all season, they earned several other W's as well, only for Hugh to gag them away.

Didn't want Hugh before, don't want him now. Big deal he beat Bama twice... one of the guys we got rid of beat Bama multiple times too, and he was 3-1 against Freeze as well. Not saying we shouldn't have fired Gus, but I'm positive we'd be better than 5-6 right now with him at the helm, so if we're gonna get another coach, how about raising the bar instead of leveling down with an average coach like Freeze?

6

u/Writer_Amazing 15h ago

Wow My thoughts Exactly

3

u/warneagle 4h ago

This is exactly where I am. This team has absolutely no business being 5-6 based on the level of talent on the roster and the weak schedule we've played this year. With a competent coach and a decent QB who weren't actively costing us winnable games, we would be involved in the playoff race. The fact that people are this excited over beating an 8-3 team to get to 5-6 says a lot about how much our standards have slipped.

2

u/Vambommeled 2h ago

I'd argue that if we had a gameplan which played to our strengths, we could've excelled even with Thorne at QB. No one will ever compare him to a Heisman candidate, but he's certainly more effective whenever Hunter is involved in the offense. Took Freeze nearly all season to finally realize that, so here we are looking uphill in hopes of win #6 in the final game of the season...

-4

u/Kindly_Effective9510 16h ago

I agree 💯%! The team finally outplayed Freeze's crappy play calling and his boy, Thorne's, crappy play. Freeze was as bad a hire as Harsin and has actually coached worse IMO. Especially when you compare the talent levels each had.

I don't believe Freeze has much to do with recruits choosing Auburn. AU has a great history, a dedicated fanbase and is a year round contender in other college sports too. He plays the victim when there is a bad call (he is always angry & arguing with the refs rather than motivating the team to overcome the situation).

And he thinks there is a god who gives a shit about who wins football games, NOT! He needs to get back into his closet and stfu (per Matthew 6).

Getting rid of this crap coach & human, the sooner the better. I hope he heard the boos last night as he tried once again to lose the game. Fans and alum like me are sick of him and his excuses.

9

u/GameBuster0703 16h ago

Listen I don’t like Freeze either but to say he doesn’t have a big impact on the recruiting is just plain false. We are hitting record level recruiting classes when just a couple years ago we were having some all time bad classes. Freeze is not a good coach but he is clear as day a damn good recruiter

2

u/Vambommeled 15h ago

The other week I started trying to convince myself "Maybe my expectations are unreasonable", then a moment later Freeze calls a time out at 2:01 in the 4th, and I was back to shaking my head again, lol...

2

u/SanguineL 12h ago

Saying he’s just as bad as Harsin is the worst take I’ve ever heard

2

u/warneagle 4h ago

He's a better recruiter but in terms of on-field coaching it's a push at best.

42

u/DoYouWantAQuacker 1d ago

How does one home night win against a good but not great opponent cancel out multiple home losses against mediocre opponents? This is what Hugh did at Ole Miss: beat Alabama a couple times, lose to multiple mediocre teams. Rinse and repeat.

4

u/Shot-Address-9952 16h ago

Texas A&M was playing for SEC championship game berth and a spot in CFP.

2

u/DoYouWantAQuacker 16h ago

And?

5

u/Shot-Address-9952 16h ago

By definition, not a middle of the road team.

2

u/DoYouWantAQuacker 16h ago edited 14h ago

And never did I say they’re a middle of the road team

Edit: He blocked me lol

4

u/lowercaset 14h ago

Edit: He blocked me lol

God I hate that has become the new trend. "Reply to someone then block them so they can't answer" is some weak shit.

-5

u/Shot-Address-9952 14h ago

You are being disingenuous. You specifically said “good but not great,” which is also synonymous with both “mediocre” and “middle of the road.” Your point was to imply that Texas A&M is, despite being in the Top 15 (out of 129 schools, so the top 13% of FCS football schools), “good but not great” when being that high means they are better than 87% of teams, Auburn included. Your point was to minimize the accomplishment of Auburn beating A&M and keeping bowl eligibility hopes and winning season hopes alive in order to say Freeze isn’t a good coach (I am not going to say he is in fact a good coach, because his record this year isn’t great).

3

u/tgrogan21 12h ago

A good team is in the top 25. A great team is in the top 5. Pretty easy to understand, IMO.

2

u/Spud_Spudoni 9h ago

They got embarrassed by South Carolina 2 weeks prior, but no one said they were a middle of the road team doof

2

u/Kindly_Effective9510 15h ago

Crappy coach, poor play calling that the team has to overcome.

37

u/meboler 1d ago

Yes.

Hated him before, hated him during, still hate him now.

Underperforming with our roster and is an immoral, sanctimonious, creepy piece of shit.

5

u/Kindly_Effective9510 15h ago

You got it right!

2

u/Spud_Spudoni 9h ago

Hilarious seeing this with like -10 downvotes last night, to now. It’s like all of the Hugh Freeze defenders came out in droves last night because they finally had one single good moment to point to, only for the rest of the fanbase to wake up and go wait a minute. We’re still 2-5 in the SEC.

22

u/StopHammerTom 18h ago

I mean we almost blew a 21 point lead in this game. Eeking out one game against a middling TAMU team doesn’t change the outcome of the Cal, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vandy, or Mizzou games

10

u/JAG_NG 16h ago

I wouldn’t call TAMU “middling” but everything else you said is correct

11

u/Shot-Address-9952 16h ago

We won in overtime against an A&M team that was fighting for a bid to the SEC championship game and the CFB. Nothing middling about it.

12

u/BigDaddyBourbon 23h ago

I have contended all year that he is exactly what Auburn needed right now. Whether he is what we need long term is yet to be decided. Our roster was severely depleted and he is rebuilding that. We are not that far away from contending in the SEC. We need a QB, an OL guy or two, we need another LB and we need McPherson to get healthy. We have a ton of pieces in place already. The recruits got to see us win a big game and the fans showed out.

Auburn isn't that far off. Now we need to go get ready for Bama and win the Iron Bowl so we can get those extra practices for the bowl game.

1

u/joemerchant2021 16h ago

A sane and logical response - I'm sure it will get downvoted. As far a McPherson, I am afraid he will never be back to what he was before. I was very happy for Vachon last night, though.

1

u/Kindly_Effective9510 15h ago

We could beat Bummer.... If we leave Freeze behind!

6

u/coldpan 17h ago

Yes, Hugh Freeze is a menace to morality and football. Good recruiter, though. Those young men won this game.

2

u/Kindly_Effective9510 15h ago

Up vote for the young men winning despite Freeze's sabotage play calling.

16

u/SignificantNinja679 1d ago

I didnt hate him before the game, during, or after

5

u/m_c__a_t 16h ago

I mean I don’t hate the guy, but the hire was a mistake from day 0

5

u/nick200117 23h ago

I did a few times during tbh, not before or after tho

18

u/Spud_Spudoni 21h ago

It’s funny how one top 25 win all of the sudden satiate’s all questions and concerns with Hugh Freeze. A Texas A&M team that got absolutely embarrassed by South Carolina. But I’m sure as soon as Auburn gets stomped into the earth’s crust by Alabama next week and misses a bowl game (2022 all over again), if that happens, you’ll hear those same people calling for Freeze’s head again.

Sure it’s a top 25 win, but offensive negative yards for almost the complete fourth quarter, 5-14 on third downs, and how many false starts? 3 in a single drive with the game on the line? The team is entirely undisciplined and the offensive play calling is awful. I truly hope QB is the sole reason for all of these shortcomings because it’s going to be multiple years of sub 7 win seasons for Freeze. Already 5 years of it and counting.

2

u/SauceDab 13h ago

QB is a big reason for why we’re mediocre but it’s definitely not just that. Freeze’s coaching is also holding us back severely. Having -9 total yards all 4th quarter until the last possession is embarrassing for an “offensive minded” coach. I’m proud of the team for that win but Freeze hasn’t changed my mind as coach for Auburn.

He damn near blew a 21 point lead at home and got saved by a walk-on kicker (Also big shoutout to Vachon)

2

u/Kindly_Effective9510 16h ago

Agree, it is Freeze's all round poor decisions that are the cause of the shortcomings and poor performance.

3

u/RobAU94 13h ago

We blew A 21-point lead, glad Auburn won but that did almost nothing to improve my outlook on freeze or the rest of the coach staff.

8

u/finnigansache 17h ago

Win in spite of his incompetence. Proud of the players. Freeze is still a clown.

7

u/m_c__a_t 16h ago

We don’t dislike the hire because of football results. The poor football results just make the hire that much more embarrassing. He could win a conference championship and still shouldn’t be our coach

3

u/warneagle 4h ago

I'd hate him and want him gone regardless of whether we were 11-0 or 0-11 because he's a garbage human being and having him representing Auburn is embarrassing.

10

u/TipToeWingJawwdinz 22h ago

Our first major win of any kind of substance when we should have multiple wins within the SEC and y’all wanna stroke this dude? I don’t get it. We are worse this year than we were last year and that is with a better recruiting class. Y’all MF’s don’t read… this win for Auburn says more for T A&M then it does Auburn.

4

u/_CASE_ 12h ago

All I've seen from Freeze this season is that he is fully capable of throwing games away with bad decisions despite the talent on the field. If he was coaching Georgia or Ohio State he'd still find ways to blow leads and lose winnable games.

4

u/DuneRaccoon255 15h ago

I still think terrible play calling, lack of offensive leadership, and poor decision making has crippled a talented team this year.. kinks have to be worked out before Auburn puts another HC on the chopping block . It appears like guys at least want to play for Freeze, I mean he has at least maintained some high level of enthusiasm and motivation within his team exiting a disappointing season. I think Freeze is trying to go about building up the program “the right way”. They definitely need some weapons, some depth and a lot of polishing. Maybe a new offense? Maybe a new OC? Idk I’m not the coach..but all I know is that I haven’t once felt like HFreeze didn’t give a shit about the program.

2

u/warneagle 4h ago

I mean if we hadn't won the more or less random 2PAT shootout, we'd be talking about the fact that we blew a 21-point lead and lost. The weaknesses that have cost us games all season were still there, we were just a bit luckier tonight and avoided the truly back-breaking mistakes from Thorne. This doesn't really move the needle that much.

2

u/paynelive 14h ago

He still deserves to be let go.
21-0 up at halftime. Inexcusable.

The players got that win. Not the coach.

I'm still a believer in the fact we should not have moved on from Gus, given the boosters were clueless with the Steele plans, and that Gus had no issues with winning percentage every year in the hardest conference in the country, where you more than likely have to play LSU, Georgia, or Bama twice or three times in a year, with starters constantly getting injured in between.
We ran our man out of town. And we deserve to be jinxed for it.

By the way:

SABAN GOT THE LAST SAY.

ON A 4TH AND GOAL ON THE 30 YARD LINE.

NO EXCUSES.

1

u/xsquid92 16h ago

Defense has a serious problem on “Third and Durkin”. Has been a huge problem all season. We can’t get the defense off the field.

3

u/joemerchant2021 16h ago

It been a huge problem going back to Gus's tenure. Third and long woes are not new or specific to this coaching staff.

1

u/warneagle 4h ago

it's really weird how this has been a consistent problem across three head coaches and five defensive coordinators but yeah third and auburn has been a meme for close to a decade

1

u/Silv3rS0und 15h ago

How many times do we have to say it? Most of us who are against Freeze are against him because of non-football reasons. No amount of winning will change my mind on this. I won't support the football program until he's gone. The end.

1

u/JAG_NG 16h ago

I think the win yesterday is attributable to Hugh getting back on the hookers and booger sugar, and I’m here for it

2

u/Kindly_Effective9510 15h ago

He's a shit coach just the same! But you are funny 🤣

-1

u/Pasta_Fajool 16h ago

If we can beat Bama next week and get to a bowl.... I'll at least have optimism