Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze believes there are positives from their recent performance that can carry over into their upcoming game against the Georgia Bulldogs. After playing their first five games at home, the Tigers now face the No. 5 Bulldogs on the road, looking to rebound from a tough 27-21 loss to No. 21 Oklahoma, their third loss in five games. Despite the frustration of losing another close contest, Freeze knows the team must quickly shift focus to prepare for their most difficult challenge yet.
“We’ve got to get ready for a very difficult Georgia team, who’s loaded with talent, experience, and maturity,” Freeze said. He praised Georgia’s head coach, Kirby Smart, for building one of the nation’s top programs and emphasized the respect he has for Smart’s leadership and recruiting success.
While acknowledging the loss to Oklahoma, Freeze noted that Auburn did many things well and hopes those efforts can continue against Georgia. “If you look at 90% of the plays [against Oklahoma], there’s a lot of really, really good things that I hope can carry over as we get ready for a top-ranked team in Georgia,” Freeze said. He stressed the importance of not dwelling on the sting of the Oklahoma loss for too long, especially with a challenging schedule ahead that includes two top 10 teams on the road.
Last season, Auburn pushed Georgia to the limit, losing narrowly 27-20, and Freeze is aiming to give the Bulldogs a similar challenge this time. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., with the game broadcast on ABC and available for streaming on ESPN+.
