Hugh Freeze praises young Auburn Tigers after 'chance to lay down'

Lexington, Ky. – A week of finding ways not to win games against conference opponents came to an end as Auburn dominated the final three quarters of a 24-10 victory over Kentucky.

“Obviously we had our chances to win a lot of football games this year, but for some reason – lack of confidence or not making the right decision or not making the right play – things didn't go our way,” head coach Hugh Freeze said after the game in Lexington.

“Tonight our kids found a way to win,” he added. “I just couldn’t be happier for them, for the Auburn family. We have the great fan base, the great following, the greatest fans and the greatest administration. Even in a year that was disappointing at times, everyone was very supportive. I couldn't be more grateful. Our children, our employees continue to come to work.”

Auburn came close with wins over Alabama A&M and New Mexico, but ultimately suffered defeat in games against California, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Saturday's win at Kentucky appeared to be more of the same, as the Tigers trailed 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

“Damn, we had a chance to lie down tonight,” Freeze said. “10-0 away. There is simply no end to them. I'm really, really proud of everyone's performance tonight. It's difficult to play against a really good defensive football team. I thought our kids handled everything really well.”

During his postgame press conference, Freeze cited an X post by Ben Stevens that made the rounds this week – that Auburn was one of only seven teams that offensively averaged more than 6.5 yards per play and less than 5 yards per play allow. Auburn was 2-5 before Saturday's games and the other six were a combined 36-4.

“I think we’re just so young,” Freeze said. “Believing that you will find a way to win instead of a way to lose is something you have to experience. Now that we have learned a path to victory, hopefully it will carry us forward and we will grow from it.”

After the first quarter, in which Kentucky defeated Auburn 110-38, the Tigers changed their plan of attack from pass-heavy to run-first. Jarquez Hunter managed 23 carries for 278 yards, the fourth-highest individual rushing total in school history.

Quarterback Payton Thorne also found solace after a bad start. Thorne was 5-10 with an interception in the first quarter. The rest of the way, he scored 15 of his final 16 touchdowns.

“We named things that he was really comfortable with and that I sometimes thought we could protect,” Freeze said of Thorne. “Honestly, the path back to the ball on the interception should have been better. I know it always shows at the quarterback, and sometimes it's them. But I thought this route could have gone differently. We play with a lot of little kids and we do that sometimes. I thought Payton was really, really solid tonight other than the last play before halftime. I thought he played winning football most of the time.”

As a team, Auburn ran for 326 yards on 50 attempts. Auburn outgained Kentucky by 500 yards to 224. At the start of the second quarter, the Tigers outscored the Wildcats 374 to 36.

It was a record night for Hunter. For the first time in his four-year Auburn career, he carried 20-plus scores and ran all over Kentucky's defense. 275 of his 278 yards came in the final three quarters. The Wildcats entered the contest ranked 21st in the country, allowing just 104.7 yards per game on the ground.

That number rose to 132.4 after Auburn finished.

“We came out and wanted to throw it early and of course we tried,” Freeze said. “People hadn’t tried it yet – no one except Florida. These are some good football teams that have really stopped rushing the football. I think that speaks very well for our running backs, our O-line, our tight ends. Our coaching staff, Jake (offensive line coach Jack Thornton) and Ben (tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua), have done a really good job putting together a plan for our running game. Our running backs also made it really difficult. It was a phenomenal evening and credit goes to the guys at the front and of course the way he did it. Damari (Alston) had some good runs too.”

Freeze has been battling a gastrointestinal infection in recent days and did not travel with the team on Friday. He said the trip and the Friday night meeting at the hotel were the only differences in his schedule.