AUBURN, Ala. – Fans might see New Mexico State on the schedule and gloss past it, looking ahead to the following week and a certain rivalry game. Hugh Freeze knows better.
Yes, Auburn is coming off a dominant SEC road win at Arkansas and is playing arguably its best football of the season right now. Yes, the Tigers became bowl eligible with the win. But there's plenty still to play for, and they need to prepare and attack the upcoming week for New Mexico State like they would any other game.
"It's good to be bowl eligible, for sure," Freeze said Monday during his weekly press conference. "We're excited about representing Auburn, wherever that is, but we have more work to do. That starts this week with our return to Jordan-Hare and playing what I think is one of the better Group of Five teams. They've gotten better and better and better as the year has progressed. I know Jerry Kill really well. He is one heck of a ball coach, and he'll have his guys ready. So, we're going to need Jordan-Hare to be at its best, and we need to keep the momentum going.
"We'll be faced with some of the normal challenges of wanting to rest on last week, and all those things that come as temptations. We'll have to fight against that. So, the leadership with the team, I'm going to ask them to help me with that."
Watch the full press conference above as Freeze previews Saturday's New Mexico State game.
