Coming into Saturday, it seemed clear that Auburn needed to get its first win in SEC play against a 2-5 Arkansas team; otherwise, Hugh Freeze may be out of a job. The quarterback play has been an issue all season long for the Tigers to the point where Hugh Freeze floated the idea of playing backup quarterback Ashton Daniels at times.
When the Auburn Tigers jumped out to an early 10-0 lead over Arkansas, it looked like Hugh Freeze might get a giant win to take some pressure off of himself. Instead, the Auburn Tigers started to melt down like we've seen countless times under Freeze.
The Razorbacks' offense found its rhythm in the second quarter, going on an 83-yard drive to score a touchdown. The next drive, Arkansas took the lead thanks to great field position, allowing them to go 48 yards for a touchdown.
At the end of the first half, it looked like Auburn might get another score to either cut the deficit to 1 point or take a lead into the half. Instead, Jackson Arnold picked a terrible time to look like Payton Thorne, as he got baited by an Arkansas defender resulting in a pick 6 that gave Arkansas a 21-10 lead at the half.
GO ALL THE WAY 13 pic.twitter.com/wvhwQ2In57
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) October 25, 2025
Hugh Freeze will be fired because of his trust in Jackson Arnold
After quarterback struggles derailed Auburn last season, Hugh Freeze went out and brought in transfers Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels along with star freshman Deuce Knight. It seemed as if Freeze was bringing in enough options to ensure that he would have all the resources needed in case the starter struggled.
Instead, Hugh Freeze has ridden Jackson Arnold to an 0-4 start in SEC play, and it appears as if the Tigers will drop to 0-5 in league play. Ashton Daniels is an experienced quarterback and could've certainly given this team similar, if not better results.
If Freeze was smart, he would've turned this offense over to true freshman Deuce Knight, as he's the future of the program. Last season, Billy Napier was smart enough to realize that DJ Lagway could save his job, and it bought him another year. Hugh Freeze didn't make that same adjustment, and it'll cost him his job.