“There’s nothing like confidence”: Lessons Auburn can learn from their demolition of Alabama A&M

Auburn won its season opener on Saturday night 73-3 after getting off to a quick start and never looking back.
Payton Thorne, the starting quarterback who is returning, played the best game of his Auburn career.
Auburn’s four rookie receivers found the end zone three times, and its biggest addition through the transfer portal was Penn State transfer receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who scored two touchdowns.
The Tigers’ defense prevented the other team from reaching the end zone.

In addition, Auburn scored a touchdown on special teams. Towns McGough, a rookie kicker, made a flawless replacement for Alex McPherson, who missed the game due to a stomach ailment.

Auburn received all the expectations it could have from a season opener.

But since Alabama A&M was a below-average FCS club, supporters of other teams—including some cautiously confident Auburn fans—were quick to try to minimize the significance of the victory.

And those people may be correct.

Hugh Freeze, the head coach of Auburn, is a practical man who understands that the Tigers’ schedule will only grow harder.

However, a match like this one and the outcome are by no means meaningless.

When asked how Auburn’s offense could produce big plays, Freeze responded, “There’s nothing like confidence,” in his post-game press conference.

“In my opinion, having a game like this, where you can make those, only helps the kids become more confident. They may even come to believe in our cunning and play calling becomes more effective, allowing them to make better plays,” Freeze continued.

The offense lit up the scoreboard with chunk plays (averaging a program-best 13.7 yards per play), so Auburn’s second-year head coach may have said as much, but the same idea holds true for every position on the team and every aspect of the game.

Linebacker Jalen McLeod of Auburn BUCK, who recorded five tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a sack to help lead the Tigers’ defensive effort, said the team’s confidence was bolstered by their performance on Saturday, especially in slowing Alabama A&M’s running game.

Auburn’s second-year head coach may have suggested as much, but the offense lit up the scoreboard with chunk plays (averaging a program-best 13.7 yards per play). The same goes for every position on the team and every facet of the game.

Auburn BUCK linebacker Jalen McLeod, who led the Tigers’ defensive effort on Saturday with five tackles, two stops for a loss, and a sack, stated the team’s confidence was boosted by their performance, particularly in slowing down Alabama A&M’s running attack.

Thorne remarked, “It’s better to do it against someone else.” It means something to truly perform in your jersey in front of your supporters while the lights are on. There is something you need to learn from it. We were playing a Division I football team. It’s not as though we participated in high school sports or anything.

There are more things to learn from tonight as well, so you go out there and build on the excellent things we accomplished.