From battling with food poisoning a day before gameday, to coaching Auburn football to its first conference victory of the season, head coach Hugh Freeze started Monday ‘s press conference saying ’It‘s a good day’.
“We had some good answers to things that they tried to do. It was a team that had been very difficult to rush the football against in all the games they’ve played, with the exception of the Florida game. I thought we did that better than most have done in really several years against them. I think Mark and the staff do a great job.”
Auburn’s 24-10 victory over the Kentucky saw the Tigers take home three weekly conference awards Monday morning.
After finishing the opening quarter with negative rushing yards, The Tigers racked up 498 total yards of offense led by Jarquez Hunter’s 278 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
On defense the Tigers forced two turnovers as Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee both finished with interceptions. Dorian Mausi led with 10 total tackles and Keldrick Faulk’s two first half sacks ranks him fourth in the conference with seven this year.
Postgame, Freeze did not hide his emotions celebrating with the team in the locker room as the players surrounded him singing the lyrics to Bankroll Fresh‘s song ‘Take Over Your Trap’.
In a moment that looked like normal football celebration, for Freeze that moment represented the weight off the chest of the entire football program.
With all the blown leads and close call defeats this season. To Freeze, Saturday’s victory was a breath of fresh air.
“Relief? Yes. I said this last week and I mean it: I’ve never experienced a season where every single game we had a legitimate chance to win,” Freeze said. “Like, we just haven’t learned how to win yet, and so I told them at halftime, ‘It’s time to experience what it’s like to find a way to win.’ And that’s where the celebration came from, truthfully. The postgame joy of seeing them get to experience what it’s like to finish a game.”
Freeze embraced his team confirming they made him feel better after not arriving to Lexington Ky. until Saturday afternoon dealing with his sickness.
“I’m just glad they had fun with it. It did make me feel better, for sure,” Freeze said. “I probably would have… I don’t know, I would have felt awful if we hadn’t won it. Did feel better. They can call the games whatever they want, if we win. I don’t care. I’m glad they had some fun with it, for sure.”
Auburn’s next matchup with Vanderbilt will be televised on the SEC Network at 11:45 a.m. The radio broadcast will be featured on the Auburn Sports Network.
