The Auburn Tigers' 20-10 defeat to the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday was defined by controversial officiating that frustrated coach Hugh Freeze. The Tigers held a 10-0 lead before several disputed calls shifted momentum in the Bulldogs' favor at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Trevor Denton posted on X that Freeze didn't hold back about the officiating.

“It felt like we broke the plane,” Freeze said. “Should've had a delay of game or a timeout, not a whole new play. It certainly feels like we're not getting many of the breaks.”

Auburn's momentum-shifting fumble controversy

The pivotal moment came late in the second quarter when Jackson Arnold appeared to score on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Officials ruled Arnold fumbled before crossing, despite replays suggesting the ball broke the plane. Georgia recovered and kicked a field goal instead of Auburn going up 17-0.

Freeze expressed confusion during his halftime interview.

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“I have no clue,” he said. “Our kids have played really hard, really well. We should be up more. We dominated the first half.”

Even ABC's rules analyst Matt Austin believed the call should have been overturned after reviewing the synced-up angles.

Another bizarre sequence occurred in the third quarter when officials signaled Georgia head coach Kirby Smart called a timeout, then reversed course and let the play continue. Freeze questioned how Georgia avoided either a delay of the game penalty or being charged a timeout.

The fumble call completely flipped the game's trajectory. Auburn's offense managed just 40 yards after halftime while Georgia scored 17 points. C.J. Allen's forced fumble energized the Bulldogs, who controlled possession and field position throughout the second half.

The Tigers dropped to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in SEC play, extending their conference losing streak to three games. They'll host the No. 14 Missouri Tigers next Saturday, looking to snap that skid and keep bowl hopes alive in a must-win situation.