Just 5 days after retiring as Auburn’s basketball coach, Bruce Pearl showed up on the sidelines at Kyle Field to cheer on the Tigers against Texas A&M. At 65, Pearl retired with a 694-270 career record and smoothly shifted into an ambassador role, staying close to the Auburn he helped build. He got to enjoy a big game without any hoops related pressure and fans hoped his presence would spark the team to play harder. But Auburn couldn’t execute. Fresh off a close loss to Oklahoma, the Tigers fell short as the Aggies rode their own momentum from a last-second win at Notre Dame. Now after Auburn fell 16-10, Pearl didn’t hold back. He voiced what every fan was thinking about Hugh Freeze’s struggling Tigers.

Bruce Pearl has been all over Auburn football this fall. He cheered on the Tigers in Waco for their season-opening win over Baylor and hasn’t slowed down since. After 40 years in coaching and 11 seasons on the Plains, Pearl may be retired, but he’s still deeply connected to the program. Now, with Auburn dropping consecutive games to fall to 3-2, the old coach didn’t mince words, calling out the struggles on offense.

Pearl fired off a bold take on X after Auburn’s close losses. “We lost by 7 pts at #11 Oklahoma and by 6 at #9 Texas A&M! Our defense is elite and we had chances to win both games on the road,” he wrote. Then came the bigger point, saying, “We’ve got to find an identity on offense and when we do we’re going to win football games.” Coming into the A&M matchup, Auburn’s offense looked like it could finally click, but early on, little changed. Sacks and miscues returned, and Pearl’s words suddenly felt all too real.

The Tigers didn’t hand the ball off to an RB until the 2nd quarter, despite Freeze admitting last week he should have “forced the run” more. More importantly, Auburn’s first half was a mess. Penalties (5) outnumbered first downs (4), and the passing game barely sparked. Every drive felt fragile, teetering on the edge of a mistake. Yes, the same issues that sank them against Oklahoma were back, leaving the offense flat. Even Auburn’s penalties were piling up, mostly on offense, and false starts led the way. At halftime, Hugh Freeze didn’t hold back, calling out starting OT Xavier Chaplin, who had 2 of the team’s 4 false starts. These penalties kept drives from gaining traction. First and second down mistakes forced constant third-and-longs, and the Tigers never converted a single third down throughout the game. As a result, scoring became a struggle. But the defense?

Auburn’s defense held strong, keeping the game close even as Texas A&M moved the ball with some consistency. Big plays from Mario Craver and KC Concepcion were limited, and the Tigers avoided giving up the long TDs the Aggies are known for. When the offense stalled, the defense came through, none bigger than Xavier Atkins’ interception, returned to the 2-yard line to cut the lead to 3 in the 4th quarter. Once again, Auburn’s defense shined, but the offense couldn’t deliver in return. Moving on is the key, and Pearl made it clear, stating, “Let’s get ready for Georgia, Auburn family! Jordan-Hare ’Em.” But social media didn’t take Auburn’s loss as easily.

The internet is not kind to Auburn and Hugh Freeze

Auburn’s offense never got going. Nine punts, endless drives that went nowhere, and Jackson Arnold barely moved the chains. Meanwhile, Le’Veon Moss broke loose for 139 yards and a TD, carrying Texas A&M to a 4-0 start. The Tigers’ defense held at times, but it wasn’t enough. Auburn couldn’t convert third downs, finishing 0-of-13, and totaled just 177 yards on the day. Here, social media noticed, and they weren’t kind.

Top Tier Auburn tweeted, “It’s time to consider Deuce Knight for QB1.” Then College Football Report laid out Freeze’s struggles bluntly: “1-10 vs. Ranked Opponents,  14-16 Overall Record, 5-13 in SEC Play,” “Absolutely embarrassing,” they added. But it didn’t end there, former players jumped in with their own takes.

Caleb Jones joked, “If Auburn’s offense had just stayed at the hotel, I think they’d still have a chance to win.” The sarcasm had a grain of truth in it. The offense’s continued struggles have fans and analysts alike questioning Hugh Freeze’s leadership after another tough loss.