Auburn's season-opener in Waco was everything they wanted it to be. A 14-point win over their opponent Baylor was the start Hugh Freeze desperately needed to kick off the season.
That said, it is still one down, 11 more to go for the Tigers. Some of those will be against some of the most daunting teams in college football, like Georgia. Freeze knows winning against them will take a tad bit more than what they set the bar at against Baylor, at the least.
During his post-game conference, Freeze revealed the areas in which his team lagged, and will need the fixing right away.
“I thought we looked a little sluggish, and to see us fight through that and find a way to get a win and against a good opponent to open the year, I think, and we can really build upon it, because I know we can play better than we did tonight,” Freeze said.
“I know we weren’t as fast as I’ve seen us be tonight, and I’ll take a hard look at that for sure. I thought it was a solid, solid effort, and just thankful we’re 1-0 against a pretty good football team,” Freeze added.
The Tigers' offensive line thoroughly impressed with 307 rushing yards, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. More than that, they gave QB Jackson Arnold good enough pass protection to score two touchdowns, one of which was a game-sealing 27-yard run.
If Freeze can add a consistent, high-tempo rhythm to his already explosive offensive line, the Tigers might easily outdo the initial regular season expectations by Week 6.