Hugh Freeze Preparing Hank Brown for the Unexpected When Auburn Takes on Arkansas

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is sticking with QB Hank Brown - but they have to keep it simple yet creative in the matchup with Arkansas

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze knows quarterback Hank Brown is facing a much tougher opponent in Arkansas. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images / John Reed-Imagn Images

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze has appeared pretty relaxed this week. It's funny how inserting the hand-picked "it" guy makes the shoulders relax.

The change at quarterback worked out well. But Freeze knows that the Arkansas Razorbacks will throw something different at quarterback Hank Brown. 

For the first time, Freeze is anticipating his receiver group seeing more press coverage, which presents a new set of challenges for Brown to cope with.

"The secondary, they're going to challenge you," Freeze said of Razorbacks' set of DBs. "We haven't been challenged like this. They are going to get up press you and will bring a mixture of quarters, man and some three, but they disguise it pretty good."

Seeing different looks is part of the learning curve for Brown, but it sounds like Freeze will have his guy ready for Saturday. 

Freeze won't put Brown in any situations where he feels he'll be in over his head. However, his four touchdowns last Saturday against New Mexico are a sign they can be a little creative.

The bottom line remains that playing clean football will secure a win. Nobody is forgetting how turnovers sank them against Cal.

"I have said it before, I just believe in being balanced, and I think we were really balanced the other night," Freeze said. "I don't know the numbers run-to-pass, but the yards were very, very balanced. Some of it is predicated on how we feel about our match-up. O-line against their box. Some of it is predicated on the box count and how many is in it as opposed to us throwing the football with it.

Like all veteran head coaches, Freeze knows when to offer praise, and when to put forth constructive criticism toward his QB.1. Brown is still a young quarterback. So Freeze knows he has to manage his development as they go.

Part-and-parcel of that is establishing a winning formula because that alleviates the pressure after a shocking defeat. Just ask the dethroned Payton Thorne.

Even so, calling an offensive game plan that isn't overly ambitious and fits Brown best is fundamental to success. 

"We won a football game," Freeze said. "It's going to be tougher now. That doesn't mean that the game plan has to be exquisite. It doesn't have to be some 84 plays that we have to have to win the game."

It would be unfair to say that Freeze and Co. are simply proceeding with caution. More so, they're keeping a lookout from the crows' nest for potential icebergs.