Regrets? Hugh Freeze has some

AUBURN | Any loss can spark regrets from a coaching staff.

A loss like Auburn suffered against Oklahoma Saturday, blowing an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead, can spawn a lot of them.

Hugh Freeze was asked about those during his Monday press conference and reeled off a pretty long list starting with the Tigers’ second drive of the game, which ended on the Sooner’s 1-yard line without any points.

"In the first half it could have easily been 24-7 at the half," said Freeze. "We get down to the one or two and had two shots from there and went with a package we’ve been working for several weeks. I truthfully regret not giving it to Jarquez (Hunter) down there at least once."

Freeze was also disappointed in how Auburn finished the first half. The Tigers had a first down at the OU 19-yard line with 37 second left, but used their final two timeouts after a sack and a 6-yard run by Hunter on the next two plays.

On 3rd and 10 with 18 seconds left, quarterback Payton Thorne completed a 6-yard pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who was tackled immediately, allowing the clock to keep running.

Auburn’s field goal unit rushed on the field in what’s called a mayday drill and Towns McGough got off a 31-yard attempt as time expired but it sailed wide left.

AU was bailed out by an illegal substitution penalty but McGough’s second attempt from 27 yards also sailed wide left, leaving more points on the board in the first half.

"I thought the offense did a good job to get us in field position to kick the field goal. I thought that was a really good drive," said Freeze. "It was a weird situation on play right before mayday, and we executed it very well. You didn’t really want to have to do that. The ball should have done to the end zone, but that really wasn’t Payton’s fault. I want to own everything that needs to be owned."

Things really went South for Auburn following Thorne’s touchdown pass to Luke Deal on the second play of the fourth quarter to give AU a 21-10 lead.

The Tigers’ next drive came after a 4th-down stop by the defense with 11:43 left in the game. A 22-yard run by Jarquez Hunter got the ball to the OU 33-yard line but the next three plays, two incomplete passes and a run for no gain by Hunter, left AU with a 51-yard field goal attempt that McGough pushed left.

The drive took just 1:31 off the clock.

"Wish I would have just played with two-down territory and maybe ran and see if I could have got into the fourth-and-one," said Freeze.

Oklahoma scored a touchdown four plays later to cut the lead to AU’s lead to 21-16 with 8:32 left.

AU converted two first downs on its next drive including a 16-yard run by Hunter for a first down on the OU 49-yard line. Facing a 3rd and 4 on the 43, Thorne’s pass was intercepted by OU linebacker Kip Lewis and returned 63 yards for a touchdown.

"You wish you just throw that away or protect the sack and we punt it, but again in hindsight, just let me control it and let’s run the ball and then punt and see if we can play defense," said Freeze.

Auburn plays at No. 5 Georgia Saturday. Kickoff at Sanford Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.