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3 takeaways from the debut of Hugh Freeze at Auburn

By Jake Mitchell

AUBURN, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Auburn Tigers hugs mascot Aubie of the Auburn Tigers prior to their game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 02, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Auburn Tigers hugs mascot Aubie of the Auburn Tigers prior to their game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 02, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Auburn football cruised to victory in the debut of head coach Hugh Freeze, hammering UMass by a lopsided score of 59-14.

59. 842. Final. 14. 891

The Hugh Freeze era at Auburn opened on Saturday, with the Tigers handling business against UMass. To sum up the feeling around a program that was in a dire position just a year ago: things are different.

To set the stage, Auburn football is exiting the darkest period in its history. First, it ousted Gus Malzahn, a perennially successful head coach, when a group of influential boosters attempted to install former defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as head coach.

Steele is instead now the defensive coordinator at Alabama, and the power struggle over head coach was won by Athletic Director Allen Greene, who hired Bryan Harsin.

The Harsin era was an absolute flop, lacking a single notable positive moment for this program. Harsin was ousted in the middle of the season a year ago, and Greene no longer holds his position either. New AD John Cohen was brought in, and his first priority was hiring a coach. After a search, he found his man in Hugh Freeze.

The beginning of the Freeze tenure occurred Saturday, with Auburn football hammering UMass 59-14. The story of this era of Auburn football is yet to be written, but things are looking up on the plains.

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