Despite going 3-0 out of the gate and climbing back into the AP Poll for the first time since 2021, not everything has gone according to plan so far for the No. 22 Auburn Tigers.

One area that has been a consistent struggle for the Tigers this season is defending the pass.

Despite shutting Ball State down and limiting it to 71 yards through the air in Week 2, the games against Baylor and South Alabama were different stories.

"Some of it is technique that we’ve got to coach better," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "Some of it’s miscommunication by some of the young kids. Like I told them this morning in the team meeting, we’ve got to quit feeling like we have to be perfect and when you’re not perfect having a long face. That’s not going to get it."

Freeze is preaching the message of bouncing back after a big play to his secondary, a message he believes will make a lasting impact as the season continues to move along.

"There are really good football teams and really good coaches that have a good plan and somebody is going to make plays on you," Freeze said. "It’s about playing the next play and the next possession and getting the things we did not do properly corrected and being able to do that within the course of a game. You can’t do that if you’re still worried about ‘I didn’t get this done and I’m down on myself.’"

Taking it one play at a time and not dwelling on what happened last is a difficult but impactful skill.

"You can’t worry about that last possession," Freeze said. "You’ve got to get ready to play the next one. I think that’s the growing that needs to happen right now so the DJ and his staff can get things corrected for the next drive without you being clouded by ‘I just messed that up.’ Let’s get it fixed so it doesn’t happen again, but you’ve got to let that go and play the next play."

If Auburn buys in to that message and develops the ability to bounce back from anything an offense does, it could be a special season for the program.