Freeze Vows Special Teams Improvements After Oklahoma Loss

AUBURN, Ala.- Throughout the matchup this past Saturday against now No. 7 Oklahoma, the Auburn Tigers special teams units had miscues that highly contributed to the outcome of the game.

Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is aware of these issues, and addressed his concerns in a Monday afternoon press conference. 

“Well, Monday is about the truth, and you know I am a positive guy and we’re going to get better, but it’s hard not to say that our special teams in that game is probably the difference on the scoreboard,” Freeze said.

“Even with everything else that happened. I love them all and we are going to play the next play, but starting three possessions inside the 10-yard line against them, and giving them the ball inside the 20-yard line, and catching a punt that is going into the endzone. We got an onside kick that I think was going to go 10 yards and they are just watching and I think we are going to get, and we recovered it at nine-and-a-half (yards). Missing a field goal. It was not a good outing for us at all.”

At the end of the day, there are three phases to the game of football. Offense, defense and special teams, the overlooked factor in a football game from a spectator point of view until it becomes a problem. 

And it was a problem during Saturday's loss.

Auburn Kicker Connor Gibbs missed a 50-yard field goal, which would have made the score 13-13 late into the third quarter. Instead, the Tigers were stuck trailing 13-10.

There is also one play in particular that comes to mind with the Auburn special teams that coach Freeze mentioned. When wide receiver Malcolm Simmons caught a punt within their own 10-yard line that was likely going to bounce into the endzone for a touchback.

Notably, during training camp wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. said “One man army right there,” referring to him being the team's punt returner. Singleton has yet to return a kick for Auburn. 

"I promise you that has been addressed heavily, and it has to improve," Freeze said of Auburn's return game. "We have a dangerous return guy, but if we can’t coach and execute properly to give us the ball at least at the 20- to 25-yard line, then we need to fair catch everything. Our offense is good enough, but it's no fun starting inside the 10 against teams like that. We overcame it a little bit, but there is no sugar-coating the special teams play of that game.”

Auburn has a chance to correct these mistakes this weekend when Auburn hits the road for the second straight week to take on the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

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