As the old saying goes, you play how you practice.

And that was an issue last week as Auburn went on the road and fell to No. 22 LSU 48-18.

“Throughout the week last week, we really didn’t have the excitement that we usually have,” Auburn freshman defensive end Keldric Faulk confessed Monday. “When we played Georgia, everybody was flying around and getting to the ball. Last week, it kinda went flat.”

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was critical of his team’s effort in Baton Rouge the second he walked off the field at Tiger Stadium. And those gripes continued on Monday during his weekly press conference.

“It’s one thing for a team to have more talent,” Freeze said. “But I didn’t think we showed up with the right energy and drive and competitive spirit, and that lies in my lap. That’s disappointing.”

When a handful of Auburn players met with the media on Tuesday, it was evident that Freeze had harped on his displeasure with the energy the Saturday prior.

“Coach Freeze definitely harped on that in the meeting,” said veteran cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. “I feel like we came out flat also, but we can get definitely change that.”

Knowing a team only plays as well as it practices, if Auburn wanted to see a change on the field Saturday, it first had to see a change on the practice fields.

And from the sounds of it, the Tigers did.

Freeze said Thursday during his time on Auburn’s Tiger Talk radio show that he was looking for “passionate, hard-working” practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Which we did,” Freeze said.

Freeze added that having junior defensive back Keionte Scott back in action after being out with an injury for nearly a month helped Auburn’s practice efforts, too.

“Keionte Scott changes our team,” Freeze said. “And he’s been back around us this week and he just picks everybody’s spirits up. He really does, particularly defense.”

Scott suffered a high-ankle sprain against Samford on Sept.16 and has been out of commission ever since after having tightrope surgery on Sept. 18.

Generally, Freeze looks for that same passion and hard work during Thursday’s practice, too.

But this week was different.

“We switched it up and did a walk-through today and are gonna pick it up and go a fast Friday,” Freeze said Thursday. “Just to just to give our kids a little change up.”

Typically, those days are flipped, with Friday’s practice reserved for relaxed walk-throughs.

However, after last week’s enthusiasm-lacking performance on the road, Freeze isn’t taking any chances at the Tigers coming out flat again, despite the fact Saturday’s game against No. 13 Ole Miss will be played in the comfort of Auburn’s home, Jordan-Hare Stadium.