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Hugh Freeze on officiating in Auburn loss to Georgia: 'Not getting many breaks'
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- Hugh Freeze on officiating in Auburn loss to Georgia: 'Not getting many breaks'
Auburn 's 20-10 loss to No. 9 Georgia won't strike many as odd on the scoresheet, but the 2025 version of the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" had an extra level of controversy on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Officiating in the game has come under scrutiny, particularly for a sequence late in the first half that turned what would have been a 17-0 Auburn lead into an eventual Georgia field goal on the opposite side of the field.
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Quarterback Jackson Arnold appeared to break the plane with possession of the ball on a QB sneak, but officials ruled he lost possession of the ball prior to crossing the plane, resulting in the Bulldogs taking over at the 1-yard line. Georgia marched down the field for a field goal before halftime to shorten its deficit to 10-3: a 10-point swing in the Bulldogs' favor.
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was visibly frustrated when asked about the officiating as the teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime.
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"I have no clue. I think this is. ..." Freeze said, before stopping himself. "Our kids have played really hard, really well. We should be up more. We dominated the first half.
"We're due a break, maybe, one of these damn times."
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Freeze was more measured in his responses in his postgame news conference, but no less frustrated with the officiating.
"It sure feels like we're not getting many breaks," Freeze said in postgame . "I mean, there were a lot of things, but I felt like we broke the plane. All you have to do is — the nose of the ball has to break the plane. I thought that we had a pretty good shot of that. But it didn't go our way."
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He also called out a sequence in the fourth quarter where officials gave a fresh play clock to Georgia — facing third-and-9 with 13:06 left in the game — when it appeared the Bulldogs were set to take a delay of game penalty. Video showed Georgia coach Kirby Smart appearing to call timeout, though he contended he was pantomiming Auburn players clapping on defense, which should incur a delay of game penalty.
"I don't know how they should have had either a delay of game or a timeout. Not a whole new play. Still not sure what happened there."
The drive ultimately resulted in a missed field goal for Georgia, which maintained a 13-10 lead following the possession. Regardless, Freeze has shown a clear frustration with SEC officiating, not only in the Oct. 11 loss to Georgia, but also in the Tigers' SEC-opening loss to Oklahoma.
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In that game, officials overturned an Auburn defensive scoop-and-score after it ruled an Oklahoma receiver never maintained control of a catch. The crew also mistakenly allowed a touchdown on a play in which a Sooners receiver appeared to be leaving the field as a sub — which should have instead resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Auburn (3-3, 0-3 in SEC play) is still looking for its first win in conference play. The Tigers will get that opportunity at home vs. Missouri on Oct. 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hugh Freeze comments on officiating in Auburn loss to Georgia
