The 2023 Auburn football A-Day spring game won’t look like past versions of the early-April intrasquad exhibition — with there being a goal score both the offense and the defense must strive for.
Auburn enters the spring with a new head coach but similar problems as years past. Among the familiar issues are an open quarterback battle for the starting job and a new coaching staff for both the offense and the defense.
Hugh Freeze explained what we’ll be seeing on April 8 during his coaching debut of the Auburn football program during a press conference following the first day of 2023 spring practice on February 27 (h/t 247Sports):
"“You walk in the stadium and on the scoreboard is defense 24, offense 0. And offense, your job is to score more than 24 and win. And defense, hold them to under 24 and win. That’s the most, probably, creative and exciting and competitive.”"
Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze why he’s making A-Day changes
Freeze doesn’t see the old way of doing things — i.e. dishing out arbitrary points based on different micro goals throughout the game — as the best way to decipher where his team is progress wise and said as much to reporters.
“I don’t like all the formats where, alright, you get a first down, that’s a point,” Freeze said. “I don’t like, alright, we’ll go with the 1 offense against the 3 defense and put up a bunch of points and make everybody feel excited. I think that’s a false sense of where we really are.”
For the first-year head coach, seeing his players healthy will go along way determining where the Tigers are from a developmental prospective. “I hope we’re healthy enough to just go out there and compete,” Freeze said. “I’ll tell the defensive staff, ‘You roll out whoever you want.’ But your job is to keep the offense under whatever point spread we agree upon.”
While figuring out the rules could be a challenge for those not privy to the rule changes come A-Day, the complex nature of Freeze’s arrangements could ultimately motivate his players more — leading to a better viewing product for the spring game.