Auburn football finally gave its fans something to be excited about with its 24-10 victory over Kentucky, marking the Tigers' first SEC win of the season.
With many fans abandoning hope for the season due to the Tigers' close losses and inability to finish out games in recent contests, Auburn snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to its homecoming victory over New Mexico in September.
“We have obviously had our chances to win a lot of football games this year,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. “For whatever reason, lack of confidence or not making the right call or not making the right play, things just haven’t gone our way, and our kids found a way to win, and I couldn’t be happier for them and the Auburn family.”
With few fans expecting the season’s first SEC win to come so late in October, what does this victory signal for the team’s outlook, and what should fans anticipate in the weeks ahead?
With a 3-5 record, Auburn needs three more wins to reach postseason eligibility. The Tigers' remaining games are Vanderbilt, ULM, Texas A&M, and Alabama. Auburn will be home for its next three games with a bye after the Vanderbilt, and the Tigers' final game of the regular season will be in in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“The hope is that you come and win one on the road, and it grows your confidence for the next time,” Freeze said. “Because it's not going to get any easier with the teams we're playing. We're going to need that confidence moving forward.”
The Tigers have never fallen to Vanderbilt at home, but this isn’t the usual Vanderbilt team. They upset No. 1 Alabama earlier this season and are fresh off a narrow three-point loss to No. 5 Texas.
With renewed confidence and valuable SEC experience for their young roster, Auburn now has a chance to shift momentum.
Auburn ranks among only seven teams in the nation averaging over 6.5 yards per play while holding opponents to five yards or less on defense. The other six teams boast a combined 36-4 record, a stark contrast to Auburn’s own.
“For coaches, particularly when you go through the type of losses we have, I saw a stat this week that was one of the craziest metrics I’ve ever seen,” Freeze said. “Whether it’s been the lack of confidence, or us not believing in ourselves because of our youth, obviously turnovers played a role in some of those.”
When Auburn is at its best, it has shown that it can be a problem and one of the toughest teams in the country to face, but that hasn’t been enough to overcome their fourth-quarter woes this season. But they have a chance get back to .500, take down a top-15 team in the process, and change the entire narrative of the season.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
