Following Auburn's 59-14 rout of UMass on Saturday, the players knew exactly what to do. Led by Luke Deal and other veterans, they swarmed the podium usually reserved for the mic man and started celebrating with the student section.

Yes, that student section. The one that stayed almost to capacity until the very end despite having a lot of reasons to leave, the score being foremost one of them. At other schools and during some eras on the Plains, that section would have been barren following the third quarter of a blowout as the students started plotting their plans for the rest of the day. But there's something different about Auburn students, isn't there?

Watching the scene unfold, I couldn't help but see the pure joy coming out of every face. It had been a long offseason full of hype and hope, and even though it was against a mediocre at best opponent, the Tigers delivered on the field.

There was fun being had everywhere you looked. Jaylin Simpson, taking advantage of the slacking of celebration penalties, did a front flip into the end zone to celebrate his pick-six. Robby Ashford had a big grin on his face after all three touchdowns he scored in 10 minutes in the second quarter. Eugene Asante came into the media room yelling "WORK!" at the top of his lungs.

Heck, even Hugh Freeze got into the act. The head coach admitted that he doesn't mind looking like a fool if it means his players don't commit any dumb penalties, so there he was, the 53-year-old man dancing on the sideline. And I use the term dancing loosely. It looked more like he was born in the town in the movie Footloose.

But his dance moves don't matter. Neither does the opponent or the past. If Cadillac Williams saved this program last season and brought some fun back to Auburn football, this team and this staff have brought that to full scale. And let's not forget what Cadillac did. If he wasn't already an Auburn icon, he cemented that status last fall.

There's still a long way to go for this program and this team. Opponents will obviously get more difficult, starting with the trip to Cal this week. The Tigers will be tested again, and to throw a trip to Pat Dye in, and again and again. Things are far from where this program can compete with the elite of the college football world.

But the hope is there, and the fun was evident from the very beginning of Tiger Walk to the post-game celebration by the players, coaches and fans that filled up Jordan-Hare Stadium with its largest crowd in history.

If there was a Freeze Warning in Auburn on Saturday, no one thought that meant a smile staying permanently on everyone's face in attendance. Payton Thorne and Ashford celebrated every touchdown like it was their first. The students sang the alma mater like it was their last time.

It was a joyous day in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Freeze said he woke up on Saturday with a grateful heart. After seeing how much enjoyment everyone had, plus getting his first victory in what hopes to be many, I can assure you he went to bed with the same feeling, especially after taking in the scene at Toomer's Corner.

The fun has returned to Auburn football. Now, try and wipe that smile off your face. I bet you can't.