'We will finish, whatever that looks like': Hugh Freeze on the rest of the season after Auburn falls to Vanderbilt

Um, you know, just very disappointed. I thought our defense played their guts out and played well enough to win and probably did the best job against, um, that squad of anyone all year and, um, you know, outgain them again and for like the fifth time this year, it feels like, and, and don't have anything to show for it because we, uh, we're just not able to finish and whether it's, uh, finishing drives with points, um, from our field goal unit or whether it's, um, us not converting third downs. Uh, we, we struggled at, at, at all of that today and, um, certainly disappointed that we didn't stack, um, upon last week's effort just, I didn't think we strained as well offensively as, as we did last week. Um, at Kentucky, you, I'm sure you heard the Boo Birds probably since the frustration. I think there's an expectation this team would be better in year two. Why is it not? Yeah, I, I didn't hear any, I don't hear that. But, um, you know, we're just not consistent enough, obviously, you know, in critical downs offensively, I think our defense is playing really at *** high level, um offensively when we're not able to um create explosive runs, it seems that we really struggle to protect the pastor and to, to throw and catch some. So, um, but, you know, and we're not playing very well in special teams, so that's *** bad combination. Ok. The second one, coach you mentioned not being able to put together *** complete game from your perspective. What is the next step in being able to do that this season? I'll go back to work Monday. Uh, see we're open next week, so we'll have *** good week to try to get *** little healthier and, and obviously, uh, figure out, you know, what we think we can do with, um, the three remaining games, um, particularly offensively, I think our defense is playing well enough to keep us in games. We've got to figure out *** way to, to finish drives and score points, but we're not, uh, we're just not, we're not playing well on third down and we're not finishing the drives that we do have, you know, the first drive of the third quarter. I thought it was great and we go right down and, you know, hopefully come away with points and we don't, and that's kind of *** momentum killer. And, uh, we, we failed to keep our energy up too. It felt like on the sideline as compared to the other night at Kentucky got coach *** big reason for your win against Kentucky was your run game, you know, especially J we Hunter. What was different today than what you experienced against Kentucky last week. Well, I thought Vandy did *** good job, you know, played *** lot of bare front and, um, did *** lot of different things that were gonna take away some of the run game from us and, um, thought they tackled extremely well and we, I have to watch the film to see, you know how well we strained at the point of attack. Um, it's hard for me to tell that, but you, you know, some of the credit goes to them. They've been very, very good against the run all year. And, um, word today for sure whether or not that was *** combination of, of us poorly executing or whether that was them, I have to watch the film and see he was, was j was banged up and he, he only had two carries in the, in the second half. He looked, um, he, he, he, I don't think he's banged up but he, he did look gas to me. But, uh, on the second half was, uh, it just kind of, I mean, I can't remember how many possessions we have, but we didn't have many. And, um, when we did it, uh, the last two for sure were we got it, we got to go. And so you're not handing in the ball in those circumstances. But, um, other than that, I, I don't know that we had but two other possessions uh coach, given, given the struggles scoring, uh any maybe plans after this to change uh play call and duties or how you guys are, are maybe managing that. No, I don't think um we're at that point just um maybe limiting, you know, the scope of what we're trying to do. He looked like Peyton was *** little, his shoulder, *** little, getting him some issues and, and how much did that impact things there in the second half too? Uh, he, I said, you gotta be honest with us and he said he was good to go. So, you know, you trust him to, to tell you that. And, um, it, it did look like he kept favoring and kept bothering him. But, um, he felt like he was good enough to go coach after the joy of last week to this point here. I mean, this is something that could be deflating for the team they've talked about. No, not wanting any more silver linings and this is the point in the season. How do you evaluate this team? And where do you all kind of go from here as you look to find that consistency? Well, I, I think finishing in anything you do is important and the easiest thing to do is for people to check out in life or in football and, and that's what the voices will say to so many. And it's one of the things I've been very proud of this team is, I don't think that they've given into that and checked out and they continue to try to lay *** foundation for the future of this program. And that will be the expectation moving forward. I liked, um, some hard truths that were shared in the locker room from people like Keld Dr and Luke deal and, um, you know, but the expectation will be that we finish whatever that looks like and, and that we, um, that's something they'll look back on in years and, and be, be glad that they did that brings you peace and purpose and any time you check out, I don't think that's the, uh, I don't think that's something that brings you much, uh, fruit of any kind that's good. Are you on the, uh the leverage penalty on the field goal? What was the explanation from the official? And is that something you guys work on throughout the week? Um I better be careful here but, uh, that certainly was *** critical call in the game and one I strongly disagree with, um, on the line of scrimmage, you can put your hands on. Um, if you're lined up on the line of scrimmage, you can put your hands on the back of the, the offensive lineman, you can't land on them. I didn't think we landed on them. I'll have to watch the film and see y'all probably had *** better view of it than I did. But, um, it was certainly *** critical call in the course of the game. My understanding you talked *** bit about the last three games you guys have left. But what is your message? Just knowing you guys got to win out to make *** ball game. Oh, man. 11 practice at *** time starting with next week. I'm not. Um, we won't, we won't go down that road, man. It's just stacking days that allow us to get better. You call *** time out with, with 201 left in the game. What went into that decision with the two minute one? That was *** bad decision there? Sure. You should let that one go down to the two minute warning there. Yep. Thank you.