Hugh Freeze spoke with the media on Wednesday to preview Auburn’s upcoming matchup with Maryland in the Music City Bowl on Saturday.

Freeze was complimentary of Mike Locksley’s program but knows that his team needs to end its season on a high note with a victory.

“We’re not quite the same team that finished the year [referencing opt-outs], but in some ways that’s exciting for kicking off the next year,” Freeze said. “We’re not in the Playoff this year, so it’s an extra game for young kids that we’re going to depend upon.”

He went on to talk about how important it is for the team to play at a high level every time it wears the Auburn jersey, adding that this group has been inconsistent in doing so this season.

When asked about the opt out of Terrapins’ quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, Freeze said that his team has the benefit of fielding an experienced quarterback in Payton Throne, although there are plenty of missing pieces around him.

“Payton has to play well, and the pieces around him have to play well,” Freeze said. “We’re thin at receiver, so it’ll be interesting to see how we perform with that. But, we’re excited to have Payton who has the experience of playing in bowl games before.”

Auburn and Maryland will square off at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game can be viewed on ABC.