Hugh Freeze believes the first play of Auburn’s 28-21 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss Saturday night should’ve gone differently.

Sophomore Robby Ashford was the first quarterback to trot out onto Pat Dye Field Saturday – giving him his first official start of the 2023 season.

The first play call sent into Ashford and the Tigers’ offense was designed for Ashford to shove the football into the belly of running back Jeremiah Cobb, who was coming across the backfield in motion.

“Everybody thinks it’s going to be a zone read,” Freeze said Monday. “Well, the first play was a zone slap play where there ain’t no read. You hand that sucker off and the backer fit outside and there’s a crease right up the chute.”

Instead, Ashford faked a handoff to running back Jarquez Hunter and kept the football before trying to hurry around the left edge, only to be stopped three yards behind the line of scrimmage, putting the Tigers into a second-and-long situation early.

“Play one of the game should’ve been, like, maybe a 50-yard run,” Freeze. “Go watch the film.”

For those who don’t care to dig through film themselves, it supports Freeze’s argument:

Had the ball found the hands of Cobb, wearing No. 23, as it was intended to, the opportunity was there for the freshman running back to rip off a big run as both receivers along the right sideline had laid their blocks, giving Cobb an open lane.

“That first play, you go a minus-3 instead of a whatever it would’ve been. It may have not been 50, but it was going to be a good run,” Freeze said. “We were fixing to be second-and-short or first-and-10 again, or touchdown.”

Instead, Auburn was forced to work from behind the sticks and the Tigers’ first drive eventually stalled at its own 48-yard line after traveling 23 yards on seven plays.

While Freeze’s comments were moot come Monday morning with the ink of Auburn’s checkmark in the loss column already dry, it did provide a possible explanation for he and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s return to the two-quarterback carousel between Ashford and junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne.

“The last thing I ever want to do is throw our kids under the bus, because they’re trying hard. And I’m not going to do that, but y’all have been around the game long enough to know that sometimes you might have a really good call and it just didn’t get executed right,” Freeze said, hinting that maybe Ashford has struggled with Auburn’s playbook.

Meanwhile, when Thorne was named Auburn’s starting quarterback midway through fall camp in August, Freeze mentioned the transfer quarterback’s understanding of the offense as a deciding factor.

“The reason Payton is getting the nod, is just the leadership ability and the understanding of the offense,” Freeze said on Aug. 17. “He’s been in some really good battles, and it just seems like he was more efficient in the decision-making to this point.”

However, as Thorne has continued to fall well short of the hype he arrived to The Plains with, the noise clamoring for a change at quarterback – whether via Ashford or redshirt freshman Holden Geriner – has become louder and louder with each passing week.

And Freeze finally gave into the noise Saturday, first tossing the keys of the Auburn offense to Ashford, who was initially asked to pilot a “13-man personnel” package, which featured the use of three tight ends.

It was a package Freeze was more involved in crafting and one he was excited about.

“I was very involved in that 13-personnel package last week. Very much so in it. Really thought we might – could – shorten the game with that,” Freeze said. “Didn’t work quite like anticipated. We had some really good plays out of it at times. But you know, it’s not always the play-caller either.”

Auburn’s play calling hasn’t been – and shouldn’t be – immune to criticism as the Tigers’ offense ranks near the bottom of the barrel in several categories.

On Monday, Freeze was asked if he’s ever coached an offense that has struggled quite like this.

“I think you can go look at my offensive stats everywhere I’ve been, and the answer is no, never,” Freeze admitted.

So the search for an offensive identity continues into Week 8 for Freeze and the Tigers.

And that search starts with the continuing question of who Auburn’s best bet is under center.

“It would be nice to have one (quarterback) for sure,” Freeze said after Saturday night’s loss. “But we’re searching to see what the best avenue is for us to go and win.”

The decision to start Ashford against Ole Miss Saturday pointed to the possibility that the belief in Thorne being the best avenue might be shifting.

That said, Ashford can’t continue to make mistakes like the one he made in the opening play from scrimmage on Saturday.

“We’re eager and excited and Robby’s so athletic,” Freeze said of Ashford. “I’m going to teach him from it.”

Despite the mistake, it’s clear Freeze’s leash on Ashford hasn’t run out just yet.

“I’ve said from Day 1 that I think Robby has a place,” Freeze said Monday. “Is his place every down? We’ll see this week.”