In his press conference on Monday, Auburn Tigers Head Coach Hugh Freeze gave a major shoutout to one position group. Unfortunately, it was not the kind that was good. Auburn's 17-24 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners was a weird game where things went wrong for the Tigers all afternoon, but no group had it worse than special teams.
“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."
Throughout the game, the Auburn offense was forced to start deep in its own territory three different times due to special teams mistakes, including when sophomore wide receiver Malcolm Simmons fielded a 66-yard punt that should have been left alone to go into the endzone.
The Tigers looked undisciplined, with multiple penalties on kickoffs and a careless mistake during the onside kick near the end of the game. Not to mention a terrible snap to punter Hudson Kaak earlier in the game that resulted in Kaak trying to run the ball, getting tackled for a loss, and handing the ball to Oklahoma 13 yards from the goal line. And, as usual, there was a missed field goal, this time by Connor Gibbs.
"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," Freeze said. "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. I promise you that has been addressed heavily, and it has to improve."
The Tigers will return to action this weekend with another road game against a ranked opponent, Texas A&M, with kickoff once again set for 2:30 p.m.