After arriving to Nashville on Dec. 26, the Auburn Tigers’ football team is one day out from taking the field of Nissan Stadium, where they’ll clash with the Maryland Terrapins in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl Saturday at 1 p.m.

Friday morning in a studio room tucked away in the Opryland Resort, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze will sit shoulder to shoulder with Maryland head coach Mike Locksley as the pair of coaches come together for a joint press conference to preview Saturday afternoon’s Music City Bowl.

Friday’s press conference is scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. Follow along for updates:

— Freeze opens his press conference to say Auburn’s players are excited, though the Tigers will have a “different team” tomorrow after dealing with opt-outs and outgoing transfers.

— Maryland’s Locksley jokes that his daughter is an Auburn grad, adding that she better not be rooting for the Tigers if she wants her car payment paid.

— Locksley, who was previously at Alabama, says he and Freeze shared some offensive philosophies over a meeting while Freeze was out of coaching after his stint at Ole Miss.

— When asked about the health of the team after the Tigers suffered a “run of sickness” this week, Freeze said he received a favorable report from team doctors this morning. Freeze adds only one player is still dealing with a fever today.

— “It’s just about opportunities and I think we’re both excited about the start of how the 2024 team will look tomorrow,” Freeze said, referring to so many new faces playing in tomorrow’s game due to opt-outs and outgoing transfers.

— “I made no secret that our focus was entirely on the high school recruiting,” Freeze said to start his answer about adding former Cal quarterback Sam Jackson. “I got to witness Sam, obviously, live as we played… It’s a risk, probably. But I think he’s one heck of an athlete.”

— “Continuity is invaluable,” Freeze said when asked about having a tight-knit coaching staff. “We live in times where I doubt very seriously coaching changes are over.” Freeze adds that he doubts coaching changes across the sport are over and should Auburn’s staff look different, it’ll be important they come in ready to replicate the culture that’s been put in place.

— When asked what the bowl game means to Freeze, he says it represents both an opportunity to put a cap on the 2023 season, as well as a preview to the 2024 season. He adds he’ll celebrate his seniors who will be playing their last game in an Auburn uniform, as well as some players getting some of their first starts on Saturday.