**Hugh Freeze Criticizes Auburn Offense: ‘Sickening How We Can’t Protect the Ball’**
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze expressed his frustration with the offense after they committed five turnovers in a 24-14 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Running back Damari Alston lost the ball in the end zone during a long run, highlighting the team’s struggles. Auburn’s offensive issues contributed to a disappointing defeat at home, a game they were expected to win. Freeze pointed to turnovers as a significant problem in the game.
With 14 turnovers in four games, Auburn ranks last among 133 FBS teams.
“I’m at a loss for words; it’s just sickening,” Freeze said. “It’s infuriating that we can’t take care of the football on offense. I need to get that sorted out; it’s painful to watch.”
Quarterback Hank Brown, making his second career start and first against an SEC opponent, struggled significantly, completing 7 of 13 passes for 72 yards and throwing three interceptions in the first half.
“I thought he earned the right to start,” Freeze said of Brown. “I was eager to see how he performed in SEC play. I believe our players shouldn’t be defined by one performance.”
After Brown’s difficult outing against Cal, the Tigers turned to Payton Thorne in the second half against Arkansas. Thorne went 13 of 22 for 213 yards and two touchdowns, although he did throw an interception that resulted from a pass that went through the hands of true freshman Cam Coleman.
“I thought Payton played pretty well,” Freeze noted. “He had one interception that was off his hand, but it was the right read. I need to assess how difficult the catch was. Overall, I thought he did a solid job.”
Looking ahead to next week’s game against No. 15 Oklahoma, Freeze was uncertain who would start at quarterback. The kickoff is scheduled for 2:30/3:15 p.m. CT, with TV broadcast details yet to be announced.
“I have no idea right now,” Freeze admitted. “I’ll dive back into it tomorrow and work hard to get it fixed.”
