AUBURN | Rivaldo Fairweather downplayed his record-breaking season after Saturday’s Music City Bowl loss to Maryland.

But he was plenty upbeat about the improvement the Tigers can make after a tough offseason and some roster turnover.

“Next season we will come back 10 times harder and Coach (Hugh) Freeze said, ‘We're going to set a standard here’ and it's a lot of loose leashes around here on this team that we need to get rid of and just find a group of people that's going to really come together as a team and lock in and put their life on the line to win a game here,” said Fairweather.

Freeze labeled it the “disease of me” and said AU struggled with it at times during his first season.

“I think that's in a lot of areas of life now, and we're not exempt to it in our locker room,” said Freeze. “I think we've got to face it head on. It's not everybody for sure, but there's just a lot of things that I'm hopeful that can be a part of the Auburn football program that, man, we really do care, love, trust one another to put the team first. I think those are the ones who are going to excel in building sustainable programs that compete at a high level.”

Fairweather, a FIU transfer, certainly did his part this season catching an Auburn single-season record 38 passes for a tight end. He also led all AU pass catchers with 394 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

He had five catches for 45 yards against the Terps.

“I proved that I could do it in the SEC,” said Fairweather. “Coming next season I'm coming back 10 times harder to be the best tight end in the nation and that's my mindset going in this offseason. I'm going to have a heck of an offseason. I'm going to put my head down and work the whole offseason and get ready for the first game coming next year.”

Spring semester begins Jan. 10.