The first three games of the 2023 season are in the rearview mirror for the Auburn football team, and they are preparing to head into a tough stretch to begin SEC play. The Tigers have used their first few games to try and find their identity and prepare for conference play, but now it has arrived.
Head coach Hugh Freeze knows the Tigers are about to be tested, but said that so far he’s been pleased with the team and the way things are going. In his press conference this week, Freeze noted that the team is about to face top dogs when it comes to recent recruiting with the stretch of Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU per AL.com:
"“It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe… but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit half a class and these others have been stacking it.”"
This past weekend was a tough one in terms of injury reports for Auburn football with several key players struggling, and Freeze said that a lot of the younger guys on the team will have to be “baptized into the SEC” this weekend.
Though the head coach had strong feelings about the 9:30 p.m. kickoff on the West Coast against Cal, he believes that an early kickoff in College Station will be no big deal for his team:
"“I love early kicks on the road. I think our kids will. I don’t think it’s a huge challenge, truthfully,” Freeze said of kicking it off against Texas A&M at 11 a.m."
As for the defensive talent in Texas A&M’s secondary, Freeze is hopeful that the wide receivers room will continue to improve as QB Payton Thorne finds his rhythm on the offense:
"“We’re still learning who we are, truthfully, in the wide receiver room… You’ve gotta keep yourself in third and manageable (against Texas A&M).”"
While a lot of different players have seen the field in the first three games, Freeze will have to focus on putting the best guys out there against A&M in hopes the Tigers will walk into the Georgia game with a 4-0 record.