AUBURN | It was the kind of loss that could derail a season. Hugh Freeze is hoping it spurs the team to take a big step forward.

Auburn returns to action Saturday night against New Mexico a week after a disappointing 21-14 loss to California with Hank Brown starting his first game at quarterback in place of Payton Thorne.

“Offensively, it was an awful performance. We've got to find some consistency there,” said Freeze. “It'll be a good test of our character as adversity always reveals what that is. And we'll continue to see that as we try to build this program.”

Following the loss, which included just 286 yards of total offense and five turnovers, junior running back junior Damari Alston spoke to and called many of his teammates.

“Just telling the guys we can still accomplish whatever we want to accomplish this year,” said Alston. “The game didn’t go as we wanted it to, that was bad execution on the offensive side of the ball.

“Every week should be a faceless opponent and it’s Auburn vs. the World. We’re playing against ourselves. That’s how it should be every week. We want to approach this week with just great intensity that we had all fall camp, this whole year, this whole summer. Just letting the guys know we can’t lose that and the goals we came here to do.”

Freeze is counting on Auburn’s team leaders including its four captains — Thorne, Luke Deal, Eugene Asante and Jerrin Thompson — along with its culture council.

“I expect us to respond like you should, and the leadership of the team has to demand that,” said Freeze. “I did talk to the culture council and all of them are saying the right things, but you have to carry that over in your prep.”

Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.