The hardest part of Auburn’s schedule is past. After an 0-4 start in SEC play against four of the league’s better teams, Auburn will turn its to an easier slate beginning with Mississippi State this weekend.

Auburn, now 3-4 overall, needs a win this weekend in order to feel more comfortable about making a bowl game. But the issue for Auburn is the not fact that it is 3-4 right now, which was largely expected, but instead the way it has lost these games.

Head coach Hugh Freeze will address the loss and look ahead to the game against the Bulldogs this weekend during his 11 a.m. press conference on Monday. Refresh the page below for updates once his address begins.

– Hugh Freeze starts off talking about how close Auburn was to beating two ranked teams (Georgia and Ole Miss) at home. Praises the fans for the impact they had on creating an environment where Auburn can try to win these games at home. Thanks them for their support despite the frustrating year this has been and the years that have gone by. “We are Auburn, we should take a backseat to no one,” Freeze said.

– Freeze calls the “bumps” of this season temporary.

– Freeze said he thinks the defense played well. But what “haunts” Auburn is the lack of ability for the offense to convert third downs. “We need, desperately, to convert those.”

– Calls all these issues on offense “growing pains”

– Asked about whether he’ll keep rotating QBs, Freeze said he will follow what the offensive staff thinks is best. Payton Thorne still sounds like the starter despite Robby Ashford still having a package.

– Asked about play calling, Freeze said Philip Montgomery is still doing the play calling. He said he jumps in and sometimes the offensive line coaches jump in.

– Freeze said he has never had a stretch of bad offense like what this Auburn team has had in his coaching career.

– Freeze said the offensive game plan is totally different depending on which quarterback is in because of their different skill sets.

– Freeze said he was “very involved” with Auburn’s 13 personnel sets

– Freeze thinks he’s seeing the culture he wants to build at Auburn taking hold behind the scenes. It’s been steady improvement and still not where he wants it to be, but it’s getting better, he believes. A lot of that sounds like making sure players aren’t lazy and are doing their jobs. “I see the growth in that.”

– Freeze said DBs coach Wesley McGriff is still in the building working with the team, but is going through a “personal issue”

– Center Avery Jones was “missed” in the second half. He is doubtful for this week.