Redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown made an impressive debut in his first career start for Auburn, leading the Tigers to a commanding 45-19 victory over New Mexico at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Brown’s performance, which featured 235 passing yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, caught the attention of many, including college football analyst Paul Finebaum, who had been critical of Auburn following their Week 2 upset loss to Cal.
On *McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning*, Finebaum shifted his stance after seeing head coach Hugh Freeze’s decision to start Brown pay off. “Now I’m gonna defend Hugh Freeze,” Finebaum said. “Now we know why Hugh Freeze didn’t go into the portal, he knew he had a great backup, didn’t he? So I was really happy about that. I thought [Brown] played with such amazing poise. I wish I could say the same about the rest of the team.”
Brown completed 68% of his passes in a near-flawless performance, displaying the calm and precision that Finebaum believes the rest of the Auburn team should emulate. Despite praising Brown, Finebaum expressed concerns about other aspects of the Tigers’ play, particularly their discipline and defensive line. “They still look undisciplined at times,” Finebaum added. “But the thing that I’m less concerned about is the quarterback, and that’s the most important.”
While Brown’s performance was impressive, Finebaum tempered expectations, pointing out that the win came against a winless New Mexico team from the Mountain West, a far cry from the competition Auburn will face in the SEC. Still, Finebaum acknowledged that Auburn fans are eager to latch onto something positive after a disappointing start to the season.
“We should temper expectations, but we’re not going to,” Finebaum said. “Auburn fans were desperate to cling to something, and that’s the nature of fandom… good luck trying to calm everyone down right now.”
Brown’s first real challenge will come this Saturday when Auburn takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks in a pivotal SEC matchup. With kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET, the game will provide a clearer picture of what Brown and the Tigers can achieve in conference play this season.
