Alabama’s upcoming opponent has looked quite different compared to the start of the season. Auburn fired Hugh Freeze earlier this year and promoted DJ Durkin to interim head coach.
Freeze, with his offensive background, struggled to get the Tigers’ offense clicking. When asked Monday about how Auburn’s film has changed since the coaching switch, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer focused on the offensive side.
“I’d say probably offensively,” DeBoer said. “You can see a bit of a philosophical shift in their offense and what they’re trying to do. They seem to be playing more freely and putting up a lot of points over the last couple of weeks.”
Auburn dismissed Freeze after a 3-point loss to Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Since then, the offense has shown more competence, scoring 38 points in an overtime loss to Vanderbilt and 62 points in last week’s win over Mercer.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack praised Auburn’s offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, who took over playcalling after Freeze’s departure.
“I’m really happy for Derrick; he’s doing an excellent job,” Wommack said. “You can see a noticeable difference. They’re executing within their players’ strengths, getting the ball to their playmakers, and creating explosive plays in both the run and pass game. It’ll be a tough challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Against Mercer, Deuce Knight starred at quarterback while Ashton Daniels sat out to preserve his redshirt. Knight started over Jackson Arnold, who will also be available against Alabama. Crimson Tide coaches expect to see multiple quarterbacks in the Iron Bowl.
“They’re not drastically different regardless of which quarterback plays,” Wommack said. “Sometimes you get a passer or a runner, but overall, their approach is similar. We expect to possibly see two or three quarterbacks, but it won’t change how we prepare from a game plan standpoint.”
Alabama and Auburn are set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.