Hugh Freeze on ‘frustrating thing’ about Iron Bowl loss: ‘Proved we could compete with Georgia/Alabama but lacked consistency’

Auburn went toe-to-toe with two of the top teams in college football in 2023, losing to Georgia and Alabama by a combined 10 points.

Hugh Freeze is proud of the way his Tigers team played in those games, but he’s also frustrated the Tigers weren’t more consistent. While Auburn had Georgia and Alabama on the ropes, the Tigers also lost to New Mexico State by 21 points, lost the bowl game against Maryland by 18 and lost to an unranked Texas A&M squad by 17.

Freeze joined The Paul Finebaum Show on Tuesday and shared that he was frustrated by the inconsistent play from his Auburn team last season.

“The most frustrating thing about it was we proved we could compete with the likes of Georgia and Alabama in those two games, but we lacked consistency throughout the year,” Hugh Freeze said. “And I have to look at myself and our staff first and say, ‘Alright, what are we missing?’ And that’s my goal is to get us to where we’re consistently in all of those games and winning the games we’re supposed to. And in Year 2 maybe picking up a couple that you’re not expected to win.”

The Alabama loss in particular was devastating for the Tigers. Auburn led 24-20 with less than a minute remaining in the Iron Bowl, before Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide converted a fourth-and-31 for a touchdown.

Alabama went on to win the game, as well as the SEC Championship, and reached the College Football Playoff.

Freeze was asked how his program tried to move past that loss, as well as the bowl loss to Maryland.

“Well, it’s not easy. Those take a toll on you, for sure,” he said. “They make you question a lot of things. And certainly coaches, most of us, have grown through experience and have some tough skin and some resilience about us. But it’s not easy. Losing games like that that mean so much to a program and to fans, it’s very difficult. But I do think everybody understood in Year 1, this is kind of where we are.”

Freeze went to work on the recruiting trail after the loss to Alabama and brought in a top-10 class. The Tigers are also recruiting well for 2025 and 2026, and Freeze feels good about where the Auburn program is headed.

“You just kind of keep your eyes forward and you keep grinding. But it does take some resilience and toughness from players and staff and fans to get through those difficult times and keep pressing on,” he said. “I think the recruits are seeing, ‘Man, they’re not that far off. Maybe we can help them do it at their place and write a new story.’”

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