Hugh Freeze still burning after Iron Bowl loss in November

The 2023 Iron Bowl is one that will go down in history with the other dramatic finishes in this rivalry. Whether you want to call it “4th-and-31,” the “Mil-throw” or the “Gravedigger,” it is certainly one that Auburn fans will not soon escape from the pain it brought them.

The same can certainly be said for Tigers’ head coach Hugh Freeze , who was reminded of the pain at a speaking engagement on Tuesday.

Up 24-20 in the fading seconds of the fourth quarter, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe sent a pass up on 4th-and-31 that was caught by wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the deep corner of the end zone to help give the Crimson Tide a 27-24 victory.

It was the second consecutive Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium that Auburn had taken away from it in heartbreaking fashion after holding a lead in the fourth quarter.

“You bringing that up again makes me sick, makes my stomach turn because we should be 1-0 in the Iron Bowl and that means something to me, it means something to our people, means something to our players. It’s sickening that we didn’t get it done in that game,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze.

Despite the nightmare of an ending, Freeze made sure to emphasize that the loss was not going to be a motivator for the upcoming season, as it just is not part of his coaching philosophy.

“I’m not big on using games as motivation,” Freeze said. “I think things like that, those are insignificant motivators long term because you lost a game you could have won. I really don’t use that a whole lot.”

Now, the Tigers head into the 2024 season looking to avenge that loss when they take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 30, the first Iron Bowl for new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Auburn kicks off the newest football season on Aug. 31 when it takes on Alabama A&M at 6:30 p.m. CST at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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