Hugh Freeze claims special teams play is the difference in the scoreboard vs. Oklahoma

Hugh Freeze brought some honesty to his Monday press conference after Auburn lost to Oklahoma. Not just about his frustration with officials but how the Tigers played too. Specifically, on special teams. Usually an area of the game overlooked, Freeze was not afraid to admit the unit did not perform well in Norman.

“Monday is about the truth,” Freeze said. “I’m a positive guy and we’re going to get better but it’s hard to not say that our special teams play in that game is probably the difference in the scoreboard, even with everything else that happened. I love them all and we’re going to play the next play but starting three possessions inside the 10-yard line against them and giving them the ball on the 20-yard and catching a punt that’s going into the end zone.

“Got an onside kick that I think is going to go 10 yards that they’re just watching, I think we’re going to get. We recover it nine and a half. Missing a field goal. It was not a good outing for us at all. I promise you that has been addressed heavily and it has to improve… There is no sugarcoating the special teams play of that game.”

Those three drives starting inside the 10 were a complete disaster for Auburn. One of them resulted in points, a first quarter field goal to tie the game up at three. Another resulted in a turnover on downs after Jackson Arnold quickly got them into better field position due to a 40-yard throw to Cam Coleman. But a dropped punt put OU on its own 12-yard line, scoring within two plays.

However, the drive you can circle as a killer was Auburn’s final one. A nice return on a kickoff set them up around midfield before an illegal block in the back was called. Instead, Arnold took the field eight yards from the endzone and a loud section behind him. Nine plays later, R Mason Thomas got the game-sealing safety to win Oklahoma the game.

Freeze knows the unit needs to be better moving forward. Auburn cannot shoot itself in the foot on the road when facing SEC opponents — it’s too much to overcome. They face another great test this upcoming Saturday, going up against the Texas A&M Aggies. Until then, Freeze appears to have made special teams a point of emphasis for the week.