Auburn's Hugh Freeze Provides Fuel for Mizzou's 'Lesser Roster'

The head coach for Auburn provided possible bulletin board material ahead for the Missouri Tigers.

Oct 5, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze on the field against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

If the No. 19 Missouri Tigers needed some extra motivation against Auburn in Week 8, head coach Hugh Freeze provided plenty.

In a press conference Monday, Freeze intended to compliment the job Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has done to turn around the program and build a strong culture. Freeze's wording, however, left some to interpret it as a diss toward Missouri's roster.

"To me, some of the better coaching jobs are done with those lesser rosters in recruiting," Freeze said in his opening statement. "You look at people like Eli (Drinkwitz) and (Kentucky's Mark) Stoops and heck, (Vanderbilt's) Clark Lea now too that I think are doing incredible jobs."

Drinkwitz and the Missouri program has had to work its way up in recruiting status. Drinkwitz's first recruiting class in 2020 was ranked as No. 50 in the nation and No. 13 out of 14 in the SEC by 247Sports. In 2021, Missouri's class jumped to No. 30 in the nation and No. 10 in the SEC.

The years Drinkwitz and Co. spent working to developing a strong culture and a program capable of developing talent paid off in 2023, with Missouri finishing above .500 for the first time in Drinkwitz's tenure.

"They've had some time to develop their culture and get their players in," Freeze continued. "I think he (Drinkwitz) does one of the better jobs in the country in managing the new world that we're facing."

Missouri has taken pride in the fact that it hasn't been a blue blood. Clawing their way out of the mud is an essential part of the identity Drinkwitz has established. The team has lived by the "Something to Prove" mantra since the beginning of last year.

No matter what motivation Missouri gains from this, Drinkwitz and Freeze have a storied relationship. Both are connected with former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and had coaching stops at Arkansas State in the early 2010's.

"He's obviously one of my closest friends in the business," Freeze said. "I have great respect for him and who he is and how he does things."

Freeze did go on to compliment Missouri's offensive weapons, saying the team's skill players are the best Auburn will face so far this season.

Drinkwitz and Missouri will host Freeze and Auburn Saturday at Faurot Field, with kick off set for 11 a.m. for Missouri's 113th Homecoming game.