Bo Wallace unleashed on Auburn coach Hugh Freeze following the Tigers’ 24-14 home loss to Arkansas in which Auburn quarterbacks threw a combined four interceptions in the loss.
“I know that there’s people open and I know that we’re running the football,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to find a guy that won’t throw it to the other team, and we’ve got to find running backs that hold on to it.
“The scheme is what most everybody in the country is running, some sort of. But you’ve got to have a good quarterback in whatever system you’re going to choose.”
Wallace, who quarterbacked for Freeze at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2014, responded to those comments.
“We’re approaching the point that he’s thrown so many QBs under the bus that maybe no one wants to play for him?” Wallace posted on “X,” the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “His offense helped me tremendously put numbers up when I blew my shoulder out. But why is it someone else’s fault every time there’s a loss?
“But when there’s a win, I watch the press conferences just to count how many times the word “I” is used. Appreciate what he did for me, (but) my son wouldn’t be playing for him, though.”
For some context, Freeze did admit after Saturday’s game, “We’re not doing a very good job coaching quarterbacks right now.”
Hank Brown’s three first-half interceptions show the Tigers may have no good answer at quarterback. Thorne, benched after throwing four interceptions in a loss to California, started the second half and also was picked off once on a deflected pass. His 67-yarder to Lambert-Smith in the fourth quarter cut it to 17-14.
Wallace went to say Freeze is only about Freeze.
“But that dude has never helped me a day in his life,” he continued. “It was always only about getting a win for him, so he could collect his extra 100 racks a win. If y’all knew the medications and shots I was taking to get that man his money, you wouldn’t believe they would let you walk on a field like that.
“And with all that , I still feel the tires from the bus.”
Brown threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions last week against New Mexico. On Saturday, he was 7-of-13 passing for just 72 yards with the interceptions.
Thorne, meanwhile, was 13 of 22 for 213 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 67 yards to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Thorne was intercepted on a tipped pass.
Wallace said the blame should lay with Freeze, not the players.
“Do your research on his offenses, excluding his time at liberty,” he said. “Look at the interceptions every QB he’s had play for him throws. At some point, when it happens over and over every year, you look in the mirror, not at the players, to save face.”
Wallace made his truth of his former coach be known.
“All the guy did was break my body in half, and I played every game getting a numbing shot just to go get him his money,” he said. “Then, I graduate and can’t do anything to benefit him, and he hasn’t helped me ONE TIME !!! That’s the truth about who Hugh Freeze is.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
