By Brant Daughtry
Let’s try this one again.
Auburn Football has been headed downhill for a bit. The negligent tenure of Bryan Harsin hastened that downfall, and Auburn has had back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in decades. Auburn needed some new leadership, and an overhaul on a decimated roster.
Enter Hugh Freeze, disgraced former Ole Miss coach, cheater, and known ego-maniac. But also, a man hoping for forgiveness, claiming he’s learned from his past mistakes, and, as he’s proven to this point, a very good recruiter. He’s also a coach who wins more than he loses, averaging about eight wins against four losses for each season as a head coach. The idea is that he, a head coach who knows the SEC landscape and what it takes to win (and how to use deep pockets to recruit), will come in with greater resources than he’s ever had, and meet those equally high expectations.
If you’ve listened to me on SportsCall, or followed me on social media (@brant_daughtry on Twitter/X) you know I have my doubts about Freeze, in regards to both his character and ability to coach. However, no one ever really asked me my opinion when this hire was being decided, so I’m going to do my best to put my own biases aside and cover this man and the football program he runs in the most fair way possible. If he does well, and Auburn wins a bunch of games, I’ll gladly admit to being wrong. If Auburn continues to float around mediocre and Freeze is eventually fired, I’ll give a hearty “I told you so.” But this isn’t about Hugh Freeze, at least not yet.
Welcome to the UMass Preview.
“Minute Man” is Usually an Insult
Usually, previewing in Week 1 is difficult, as I have to look purely at what a team did the year before. If I did that for UMass, this wouldn’t be nearly as fun. The Minute Men were beyond helpless, winning just one game, coming against FCS opponent Stoney Brook. Things were bleak in year one for Don Brown, who’s making his return as head coach after spending several very successful years in the mid-2000’s in Amherst.
Luckily, we’ve seen UMass already this year, as they played, and beat, future Auburn opponent New Mexico State in Week 0, matching their win total from last season. And suddenly, this doesn’t look like the worst team in FBS anymore.
Usually I throw information about previous meetings in this paragraph, but this is actually the first time Auburn and UMass have met on the gridiron. If you care about such things, Auburn is 86-27-7 in regular season games facing opponents they’ve never played before. Big thanks to JoshDub (@joshdub_), the ultimate Auburn stats guy, for that piece.
Looking at this year’s UMass squad, the player who stands out the most, if you can believe it, is transfer quarterback Taisun Phommachanh. The former four-star began his college career at Clemson, before spending last year at Georgia Tech, and now transferring to UMass. It seems he’s found his groove, or at least did through one game, as he led UMass to a win almost by himself. He completed 10 of his 17 passes for 192 yards, and didn’t turn the ball over at all. He also spread the ball around well, completing at least one pass to seven different receivers. That’s a solid stat line, but more impressive is that he led the team in rushing yards with 96, and scored a touchdown with his legs as well. He’s a good athlete who seems to be in a position that works for him now, and won’t be a pushover.
Players to Watch For:
Running Back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, #15- Lynch-Adams was the third leading rusher for UMass last season, and gets the starting nod last year. In Week 1, he rushed 15 times for 79 yards and scored twice. He’s the Robin to Phommachanh’s Batman.
Defensive Back Jordan Mahoney, #7- Mahoney didn’t show too much in Week 1, but that’s largely because he wasn’t thrown at much. That’s with good reason. He led UMass in picks last season with three, and also forced and recovered three fumbles last year. He finished with 42 total tackles last season, good for 5th on the team. He’s a physical, athletic corner, and Auburn will have to be aware of where he is.
As with most paycheck games, this is more about Auburn than it is UMass. They’re significantly improved, using the transfer portal to great effect, much like Auburn. But Auburn is still Auburn. This game is less about the final result and more about the feeling. Auburn is as “aligned” as it’s ever been, for whatever that’s worth. But this is also the honeymoon phase, where everything is roses because you’re still undefeated. This will be the first step in seeing how long this phase lasts.
