Auburn Tigers put SEC on Alert after Blowout Win

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze lays down a significant marker of hostile future intent.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze thanks the fans after the game as Auburn Tigers takes on Alabama A&M / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Saturday night, the cascading avalanche of the Auburn Tigers' 73 points against a seriously over matched Alabama A&M squad led to drastic measures.

Cutting the 3rd and 4th quarters down to ten minutes a piece showed admirable mercy from both head coaches - they should be applauded. It also provided a more common sense solution to the on-going carnage, especially during a game where the most hotly-contested match ups were played out at the concession stands.

Furthermore, if it's a little intrigue you were looking for, at least the end zone provided some because that's where coach Freeze huddled up with some potential new recruits. In fairness, taking a little precious time to squeeze in some valuable recruitment pitches proved to be pretty darn easy on this particular night.

Heaven knows, it might well have seen the rampant Auburn Tigers rack up a century of points if they had been afforded ten additional minutes, but adult intervention saw to that.

"Obviously, I wish they were all kind of like that," Freeze said after the game. "They won't be, but it is good to see a lot of kids get involved and a lot of faces. We got a lot of things to clean up, but certainly pleased with a lot of aspects."

What does emerge from the showcase of Auburn’s new weapons is tantalizing enough for us to at least indulge ourselves just a little. This season, the Tigers offense is going to unleash the "Freeze Four", we can safely assume, and that entails forcing the ball downfield much more aggressively - these young pass catchers are legit.

As the bulldozer got steam rolling downhill on Saturday night, three quarters of the young quartet named after the coach who successfully lured them to the Plains, managed to announce their arrival on the big stage by scoring touchdowns.

Quite surprisingly, Cam Coleman didn't have the longest one either, the much-hyped receiver saw his 44 yard score eclipsed by Perry Thompson's 70 yard trip to the end zone, and Malcom Simmons’s late 57 yard effort from backup quarterback Hank Brown. 

Do your dance, @fhsperryt1 🕺 https://t.co/FTjzDKl31U pic.twitter.com/U5lrJY2j84

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 1, 2024

"They were stuffing the box," Coleman noted of the failed A&M strategy. "We had to throw the ball. When we threw the ball, we made big plays."

Notice has undoubtedly been served to the SEC that the anemic passing game of last year has been unceremoniously stuffed in the trash can by Freeze and offensive coordinator Derrick Nix. 

Connecting deep downfield should put a real spring in the step of starting signal caller Payton Thorne, but in all fairness, he would have encountered significantly more problems if he were simply shelling peas on Saturday night.

That doesn't mean Tigers fans should be dancing like Pat McAfee just yet, even a dummy could tell you a smorgasbord of significantly more formidable challenges will lie ahead.

Therein lies the rub, nobody should be getting overly carried away right now, but every boxer on the way up through the ranks beats on a tomato can while doing so.

Despite all of this, the general overview is that Freeze is fully prepared to let Auburn's intentions be known, and good and early.

After all, hitching his wagon to his loaded receiving group moving forward is simply the right thing to do - buckle up folks.