AUBURN | In 2020 at Liberty, Hugh Freeze’s offense averaged 38.2 points per game. His Ole Miss offense led the SEC averaging 40.8 points and 517.8 yards in 2015.

That’s what made last season especially frustrating for a coach used to putting up big numbers on offense as Auburn was one of the league’s worst averaging 30.9 points and 351.2 yards.

The offseason saw Freeze re-tool most of that side of the ball hiring Derrick Nix as offensive coordinator and running backs coach and promoting Kent Austin to quarterbacks coach.

He’s worked with both extensively throughout his coaching career.

Seven of AU’s nine scholarship wide receivers are new and AU should have at least two new starters on the offensive line including transfer left tackle Percy Lewis.

One of the few constants will be quarterback Payton Thorne, who Freeze is betting on to have a bounce-back season.

Just Thursday morning, right before AU’s first practice of fall camp, Freeze witnessed the progress that Throne and his offense have made during an offensive meeting when Nix and Austin were going over an RPO concept that doesn’t have a good answer when the defense lines up a certain way.

Freeze was about to step in and say something.

“I’m getting ready to say it in my mind, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, this one right here. This is the one,’ and Payton’s like, ‘We’ve already talked about it. I’m going to check fits right there.’ Good. I’m golden,” said Freeze.

It represents a big step for Thorne understanding and executing Freeze’s offense, which relies heavily on RPO concepts.

“There’s one look that I don’t think this concept has an answer for. Not many people would see it that way, probably, or know it within our building,” explained Freeze.

“We have to understand the entirety of the offense, and I feel really comfortable that he’s at a point that he’s in pretty good position for that.”

The process started with spring drills and continued with many meetings and workouts this summer.

“There are really three main issues that can happen, if you know RPO offense,” said Freeze. “You better have answers for those, and you better not have the same answer every single time.

“If you sat down and talked with him right now, he knows very clearly what my three answers are, and hopefully, he'll start learning, situationally, which one of those he should go to. I think that's why he feels more comfortable coming out of spring practice.”

Auburn will hold the second practice of fall camp Friday morning.