Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze couldn’t hide his frustration following Saturday night’s loss to Georgia — and much of it stemmed from one of the most puzzling goal-line calls of the college football season.
The Tigers had dominated much of the first half and appeared poised to extend their lead to 17-0 before a controversial fumble ruling changed the entire tone of the game.
During a quarterback sneak from Jackson Arnold, Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson punched the ball loose near the goal line. Defensive back Kyron Jones recovered for the Bulldogs, and officials ruled it a fumble, despite replays suggesting the ball might have broken the plane before coming loose. The call stood, costing Auburn a crucial touchdown and, ultimately, momentum.
Freeze made his feelings known during his halftime interview. “I have no clue,” he said when asked about the ruling. “Our kids have played really hard, really well. We should be up more. We dominated the first half.” He later added, “They’ll have no clue how that didn’t break the plane. We’re due a break maybe one of these times.”
Even ABC rules analyst Matt Austin, a former SEC official, believed the call should have been overturned. “From the synced-up view, it looks like he’s got the ball right in front of the No. 11 on his jersey,” Austin said. “If you look from the back, his No. 11 is definitely across the goal line.”
Auburn ultimately fell short, dropping another close game against a ranked opponent, something that’s become a frustrating pattern under Freeze. After the defeat, he summed up the team’s struggle in blunt terms, as quoted by Jerry Humphrey III on X, formerly Twitter: “We find ways to not win football games, and that’s what we have to change.”
The Tigers’ inability to close out winnable games continues to be a defining issue in Freeze’s tenure. Despite flashes of brilliance and competitive play against top-tier programs, mental mistakes, costly penalties, and late-game collapses have repeatedly held Auburn back.
Meanwhile, former Auburn safety Terrance Love, who transferred to Colorado this summer, is reportedly no longer on Deion Sanders’ roster after just one appearance this season, per Brian Howell of Buffzone. Love’s exit marks another abrupt chapter for a once-promising Tiger recruit.
Auburn will look to regroup before hosting Vanderbilt next week, hoping to flip the narrative that’s haunted them all season, finally.
