After a much needed bye week, Coach Hugh Freeze sat down with the media to discuss the week off and the upcoming matchup with Missouri.
Opening remarks…
“Excited about getting back into a game week. We had a much-needed off week last week, which was good for our physical bodies and our mental side. Obviously disappointing to be sitting where we are record-wise, and determined that we must play more consistent football in all three phases. We’ve got to coach that better. We spent a lot of time last week looking at what we think needs ot be done in order for us to do that because we’ve got, obviously, a very difficult schedule ahead. Two games on the road at two teams that are playing really, really good football. That starts at Missouri this week, and they’ve won seven straight home games.
“I know everybody has their rankings of coaches, and the better talent you have, the better coach you are, for sure. To me, some of the better coaching jobs are done with some of those lesser rosters in recruiting. And you look at people like Eli (Drinkwitz) and (Mark) Stoops, and Clark Lea now, too, that I think are doing incredible jobs at their respective programs with the kids they’ve had. They’ve had some time to develop their culture and get their players in. But Eli, I think he does one of the better jobs in the country in all aspects in managing the new world that we’re facing. He’s obvsiouly one of my closest friends in the business. It used to be Gus (Malzahn) when he was in the conference, and now it’s Eli and Kirby (Smart) who I talk to the most. Eli for sure. I have great respect for him, who he is, how he does things. It’s going to be a tall task for us there, to go and compete with a really, really good Missouri team. They’re the best skill players we’ve faced yet, and their quarterback is playing at a really high level also.
On the biggest emphasis for the team during the bye week…
“We had two practices. Obviously we were on fall break. We lifted and conditioned on Monday, then had a Tuesday and Wednesday practice. I thought the Tuesday one, we attacked extremely well. Wednesday was energetic, as you can imagine, with them knowing they had fall break on Thursday and Friday. So it really fell at a good time for us. I thought their energy was great, the emphasis was on us – here are the things we’ve got to get better on. These short distances, critical downs on both sides, red zone, really what is our bread and butter. Let’s try to make it look maybe different ways, but we probably don’t need more. Let’s do less and keep doing it better. Had two really good days, truthfully, for an open week. I think having fall break really helped it, because I think everybody needed a little break – coaches and players. Obviously we did a little recruiting, also. But it was a good open week.
On being physical in practice during the bye week …
“We were really physical on Wednesday. Tuesday, not so much. I backed off that a little bit. Wednesday we were really physical, but we knew we could be with the two days off of school. I’m really pleased with most of the team and their response to the disappointment. Of course, we work hard at teaching the qualities we think this sport can develop in life, and worked hard on that last week and this week. We changed it up a little bit, we came in yesterday so they’re off today as far as practice. Man, what will you be known for and how you finish anything, I think is of great value in life. And that will set them up to have success long after they get through playing here if handled properly. I’m pleased with the response at this point.
On the value of the bye week for self-scouting…
“Self scouting, honestly, was about as good as it’s ever been. The balance and the unpredictability of formations, it’s pretty good. Obviously, our quarterbacks have, I think Payton (Thorne) has played well at times and we’ve struggled at times. It’s there for everybody to see, but I think as of late he’s played really consistent and we’re going to need that the next few weeks, for sure, to be able to compete against these teams we’re going in to play.
On his conversations with Payton Thorne after some of the confusion at Georgia…
“I don’t read the media. I don’t listen. I don’t have social media anymore. I’m very transparent and will tell you exactly the truth of what happened. Payton (Thorne) thought he needed to change the alignment of the back to handle an edge guy. Some of that may have been based on him asking an offensive lineman. Again, we have to do a better job coaching. That shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t a part of the process. If you go watch the film, if we leave our alignment like it’s supposed to be and we hand the ball off, Jarquez (Hunter) is running on a DB for an easy first down. I understand his thinking there, they just unfolded a linebacker on the backside, so obviously we didn’t coach it well enough for him to know he didn’t have to do that.
On the pass-run balance on offense…
“I think we need to get it to (Jarquez Hunter) more. What is the average per rush? That’s the one that I care about, but there’s no question (number) 27 needs to touch it more. That’s the frustrating thing. Some of our short-yardage deals have been called and not executed at a high enough level where he actually touches it. We have to get that corrected.
On the value of a bye week for young players…
“I mean, we’ve been going since approximately the first of August. That’s a long time on everybody, even the guys that have been doing it for a while. Particularly the freshmen that are brand new and have to go through the grind of school and be involved in everything that comes with that. I think that coming after six games, that’s about as good as you could want it to be. Now, you all correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it’s three games now and then another (open date), and then the final three. I don’t know if we could draw up for a year that you have two open weeks, truthfully, with them falling at better times. It’s been pretty good for us this season it looks like, and I think the freshmen certainly have benefitted. Everyone’s a little sore and beat up. We’ve had some physical games, and then the mental side of handling not being exactly where we are supposed to be, I think was good timing for that also.
On evaluating the offensive line…
“We are running the ball effectively, so we are doing some good things there. Pass (protection) has been dicey, not at every position, but it doesn’t matter, we are a team. So we have to continue to improve that. Dillion Wade has been playing some of both tackles when Too Tall (Izavion Miller) gets hurt, and that’s shuffled us around. And (Bradyn) Joiner has been jumping in at guard along with Tate (Johnson) some. The game moved a little bit fast for a couple of guys at Georgia with all of their shifting and stuff, and it showed. You can expect once people put on tape that something works, because Georgia did a great job of studying our Oklahoma game. I thought we did really good stuff in that game, they were shifting before the snap. They gave us some problems with just our mental execution of what I should do on this pass pro and what I should do on this run play for a couple of guys. We practiced that, but it didn’t show very well on film. We have to get that corrected for sure. Another thing, No one has asked me, but Corey Batoon is the defensive coordinator at Missouri. He’s one of my guys and was with me … eight to nine years on my staff. We’ve talked a lot of ball. He’s a heck of a guy and heck of a defensive coordinator. He’s doing a great job there for Eli. So that presents its own challenges.
On Missouri…
“I look at the consistency over last year and most of this year, obviously. Things can happen when you go on the road in this conference and a team gets the momentum and has the right game plan and the right call. Missouri had a chance to really stay in that game early (at Texas A&M). They had like three penalties and calls that went horribly against them. That kind of just snowballed and you see that happen from time to time. I don’t make too much of that. I know what I see on film and I know the consistency that they’ve been about almost every single game for the last 15 or so games. Facing Ohio State in a bowl game and having many of those kids back. This is a top 20 team for sure if not higher. Hadn’t lost at home in a long time. They are a real quality football team.
On working to improve execution…
“The thing that’s been good is having time. Today, we have most of the game plan in because we obviously started last week. Now it’s, ‘are we really, really sure from everybody in this room that you feel really, really good about your kids executing this against all these different looks that we may or may not see on this given play.’ Particularly on these critical down calls. Just having the time to just really go back and watch it again. Let’s go back and watch it again for the third time this morning on three different films. You have to block and tackle and catch the football and make the right read on the quarterback. But if we have a critical down, it would be very, very, very, very disheartening and infuriating if another situation happens on a fourth-and-one or a third-and-one where our kids don’t have a clear understanding of what should happen. That would be quite infuriating.
On establishing consistency as a program…
“It starts with us demanding it in practice. That’s become harder and harder to do in ways that we used to do. I don’t think you can get it if you don’t demand it consistently in practice. The second phase would be that your team demands it. So, one of the best teams are when you can take freshmen – let’s use Demarcus Riddick or Jay Crawford or Cam Coleman or Perry Thompson or Malcolm Simmons, any of them – and say, ‘Hey guys, let me show what this really is supposed to look like. Go watch these five guys.’ And that’s when you get on to some consistency. All right, who are those five guys right now for them? And I think that’s one of the things that we’re struggling with a little bit. Some of our best guys are younger guys that are trying to do it the right way, but when you start having a team when you have those older guys and you say, ‘go watch him and everything he does.’ That’s what consistency looks like and that’s where we’re trying to get as a program. That’s where someone like Missouri, I think they have those guys in the building right now. But they had time. We’re going to have them to and we’ve gotten better at that. But we still don’t have enough where you can say, ‘that’s exactly what it’s supposed to look like.’
On Missouri’s receivers vs. Auburn’s young defensive backs…
“It’s not one that you just get overjoyed about. They have veteran guys that have proven to be some of the best in this league, whether they’re going against the top-tiered corners and safeties or not. Due to some injuries and then just our youth, it’s obviously going to be a great test for us. We’ve got to find a way to get them some help and eliminate the explosive plays, which is very difficult to do against them. Again, it’s part of the growing process of where we are currently. I’m sure our kids will be excited for the challenge.
On the job DJ Durkin and his staff are doing with a young defense…
“I couldn’t be more pleased, truthfully, with the passion, the energy, and level of detail from our defensive staff. I know that they are frustrated with not performing well in certain critical downs like we all are. But as far as the buy-in from DJ’s leadership, to Charles Kelly to Vontrell (King- Williams) and Josh (Aldridge) and Crime (Wesley McGriff) and all the assistants on that side, I couldn’t be more pleased with what I see happening and what I think the future can be under their leadership. So very pleased with them.
On the 2025 recruiting class and keeping the current roster intact…
“Yeah, that’s why they want to come here. That’s the reason they should want to come. You’re coming to a place that has proven they can play for national championships—one of only six that has done it in the last 13 years. Twice, they have played for it, and it’s proven it can. We have the resources, now let’s get the roster that rivals the ones that are playing for it. If you want the opportunity in an environment that you know that fits you, come be a trend setter and let’s do something different. You know you could go to places that are currently doing it, or you could help restore a place that has proven they could also do it. I feel really good right now. Obviously, the battles for the guys we want are never over, and you’ve got to continue to fight for that, but I feel like we are in a really good position hopefully to finish strong with another top five-ish class.
On balancing playcalling from the sideline vs. Thorne changing the call at the line…
“Well, he didn’t have a complete understanding of the play and that’s our fault. It was a new little play as far as blocking scheme but didn’t have to handle the backside edge. And again, we obviously didn’t coach it well enough.
On his relationship with Eli Drinkwitz…
“(I got to know him) through Gus. He was an assistant with Gus. Throughout the years I don’t know where we started, truthfully, developing a friendship, but it came pretty naturally. We gravitate to one another in our lives, too, when we are at common places, whether it’s SEC meetings or whether it’s the Peach Bowl Classic. I think we’re made of a similar mindset of what coaching should be about the bigger picture of trying to keep the impacting of others as important as the win and losses, which is very difficult to do. I think we see all of those things very similarly. He is a person of faith, so we just talk about a lot of things, and we talk very frequently, truthfully. We talked twice this week already. You know I’ve got to cut him off, but he got some of my other friends there too that have coached with me, but the great thing is it’s a genuine, real friendship, not just a professional (one), something very similar to Gus and I.
