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College Football
Hugh Freeze previews tough matchup against Vanderbilt: ‘You’re basically playing Navy’
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Hugh Freeze met with reporters on Monday to help preview Auburn’s Week 10 matchup with Vanderbilt.
During his press conference, Freeze likened this Vandy team to Navy. Freeze meant that as a compliment to Clark Lea and the Commodores, highlighting how well they’ve managed games this season from a time-of-possession standpoint.
“One of the scariest things is, you’re basically playing Navy,” Freeze said. “It doesn’t look just like Navy, but Alabama had 44 real snaps of offensive football against them. Last year when we played them, the first time we touched the ball in the first quarter, I believe it was with 5:05 left. That’s uncomfortable. And so they know who they are and they’re good at being who they are.”
Here’s video of Freeze’s extended comments on Vandy’s offense:
Hugh Freeze on facing #Vandy: “You’re basically playing Navy.”
pic.twitter.com/8Yvt7oBEqC— Billy Derrick (@billyderrick10) October 28, 2024
The pace-of-play numbers back up Freeze’s comparison. Per Game on Paper, Vanderbilt’s defense has only faced 58 plays per game this season. That ranks 7th nationally. Vandy also leads the SEC in average time-of-possession per game, averaging 33:07 in conference games.
Freeze was also very complimentary of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia during his analysis. Pavia is a big reason why Vandy is able to shorten games so effectively. He’s been excellent on 3rd down this season, and the Commodores are tied for the best third-down conversion rate in the SEC with LSU at 49%.
It will be up to Freeze and Auburn to solve those issues on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m. ET.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
