After 1,069 days at the helm of the Auburn football program, head coach Hugh Freeze made one last-ditch effort to potentially save his job, inserting quarterback Ashton Daniels back into the game with 2:01 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Daniels was picked off on the final play of the game, sealing Kentucky’s 10-3 victory. It marked the Tigers’ fifth loss in their last six games. There will be plenty of questions surrounding Freeze and his job security on Sunday morning on the Plains.
“I wish I could ask for patience, but that’s not something that people want to give in this day and time, and I understand that,” Freeze said. “I just know we’re so dang close.”
The storyline leading up to the Tigers’ ninth game of the season was Freeze’s decision to bench his high-priced transfer quarterback, Jackson Arnold, in favor of Daniels.
Daniels, the Stanford transfer, finished the night 13-of-28 for 108 yards and one interception. With the 6-foot-2 signal-caller clearly struggling, Freeze turned back to Arnold to start the fourth quarter.
Arnold didn’t provide the answer, going 2-of-3 for 15 yards and taking two sacks.
The quarterback carousel has become familiar to the Auburn family over the past two seasons. Last year, Payton Thorne was benched for six quarters, with Hank Brown taking over, only for Thorne to return. This season, Daniels started for more than five quarters before being pulled and later re-entered for a final drive.
“Offensively, there are zero excuses for how poorly we’re playing at times,” Freeze said.
In all five SEC losses, D.J. Durkin’s defense has allowed 24 points or less, and it has forced at least one turnover in four of the five games. Many members of the Auburn family have wondered how this season might have unfolded differently with a consistent offense.
“It’s very frustrating for one unit to play so well and not get results,” Freeze said. “I’ve never quite experienced this before.”
Auburn is now 4-14 in its last 18 games against Power Four opponents dating back to the 2023 season, and Freeze holds the lowest winning percentage among Tigers head coaches in SEC games since 1951 at .272 (6-16).
Following the clock hitting zero, Freeze was greeted with loud boos from Auburn fans, particularly the student section.
“My job is to get this team ready to play and win games, and we have failed to do that,” Freeze said regarding the “fire Hugh” chants from the students. “I still believe we’re close. That team plays hard for this university, and it’s sickening that we haven’t delivered.”
Freeze and his staff will head into work Monday morning with the goal of getting back on track against Vanderbilt next weekend. Kickoff in Nashville, Tennessee is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CST.
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
