Auburn's Hugh Freeze and Hank Brown Destinies are Intertwined

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterback Hank Brown fundamentally need each other if they're going to survive and thrive against the SEC.

Auburn Tigers Quarterback Hank Brown and head coach Hugh Freeze during the game against the New Mexico Lobos / Photo by Zach Bland, Auburn Tigers

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze will be guarding against complacency against Arkansas. After all, the Hogs previously overlooked offensive unit has already amassed almost 2,000 yards in three games this season.

On the flipside, the Tigers defense gave up 450 yards going against the freewheeling Lobos offense - there's plenty of room for improvement.

"Offensively, it's a lot to deal with, with the way they're using their quarterback in the run game and in the pass game," Freeze said to reporters this week. "And their running backs are really, really solid with an improved O-line."

Taking a look at the Auburn offense, things took a dramatic change after the shocking loss to Cal. Consequently, Freeze felt his hand had been forced and unceremoniously yanked struggling-incumbent signal caller Payton Thorne from the lineup.

Despite the sample size being far too small as yet, Thorne's youthful replacement, Hank Brown just happened to look pretty good when throwing for a quartet of scores against New Mexico. 

Given the humbling nature of what happened only two weeks ago, you might think Freeze would hold the reins of Brown pretty tightly this week, but he can't help praising his new quarterback.

"So, I've always had this sneaky belief that he had something to him, and now we are getting ready to find out at what level, there's no questions he does, but what level is that at right now compared to the rest of the SEC. We are getting ready to find out," Freeze told the media.

Of course, Freeze has been onboard with Brown ever since he was the head coach at Liberty when he recruited the lanky red haired passer to join him.

Auburn has been the perfect landing place for both of them to reunite for sure, but you sense their future ambitions also seem to blend together pretty darn well.

"So, I've recruited Hank since he's a tenth grader. He was committed to us there," Freeze explained. "I don't know if you all know that or not. So, I've believed in Hank a long time and just got to know him and his family really, really well because they came on a lot of visits and a lot of games. And I've always felt like he had this 'it' factor to him as an individual."

Perhaps what is the most welcome aspect of facing up to the more hard and fast challenges of SEC play will bring, is that the Auburn program gets to see if Freeze really can pick himself a winning quarterback. 

In the meantime, Brown and his head coach have an affinity that can most certainly deliver some short term results while get the train back on the tracks, and for Brown it all boils down to their chemistry.

"There's something different about Coach Freeze and authenticity," Brown said on Tuesday at media availability.

As a direct by product, we all know how recruitment on the high school quarterback front is a viper's den at the best of times. It's fanciful I know, but just imagine if Auburn discovered they could genuinely hitch their wagon to Brown and his four years of eligibility?

That's a nirvana position for all concerned, but best be under no great illusions, any further slip ups plants a cherry bomb under a whole plethora of best laid plans. The pressure to win in the SEC is now. Ask Payton Thorne.

Only stacking another win truly keeps the wolf from the door for another week at best. It's funny how despite the vast age difference between Freeze and Brown, they're still bonded together like brothers for the foreseeable.

Well, until further notice at least.