PAGE 7 December 2022
STATE SWIMMING CHAMPS - Boaz recently won its second Class 1A-5A state swimming championship with 304 points. Gulf Shores was second with 269 points. UMS-Wright (168), LAMP of Montgomery (162) and Whitesburg Christian (157) rounded out the Top 5. The AHSAA 2022 State Swimming and Diving Championships was held at James E. Martin Aquatics Center on the Auburn University campus. Boaz is coached by Dustin Thomas. SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPS - Troy University defeated Coastal Carolina 45-26 to win the 2022 Sun Belt Championship. It marked a record seventh Sun Belt Conference Title for the Trojans. ALABAMA SOCCER - Alabama soccer trio Reyna Reyes, Riley Mattingly Parker and Felicia Knox have been named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America team. Reyes and Parker earned First-Team All-America honors and Knox earned third-team honors for helping lead the Crimson Tide to a College Cup appearance in the midst of the program’s best-ever season. Alabama fell to UCLA 3-0 in the College Cup Semifinals to close out the 2022 season. SEC FOOTBALL CHAMPS - The top-ranked Georgia football team rolled to a 50-30 win over No. 14 LSU in the 2022 SEC Championship Game on Saturday, December 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. It was the Bulldogs first SEC title since 2017. Georgia’s offense produced 529 yards, while LSU (9-4) generated 549 yards of offense, including 502 through the air. Georgia has now captured 14 SEC championships and improved to 4-6 in the SEC Championship Game. ALABAMA GYMNASTICS ON TV - Nine out of Alabama gymnastics’ ten regular season meets will be broadcast or streamed on the ESPN family of networks during the 2023 season, including all five home meets. This also includes Alabama's Jan. 20 match-up with Florida on ESPNU. Alabama’s trip to Georgia on Feb. 17 will also be broadcast on the SEC Network, with the Tide’s remaining dual meets against LSU, Missouri and Boise State all slated to stream on SEC Network+ via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. Alabama Gymnastics season tickets are now on sale through the Alabama Ticket Office located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum and through RollTide.com. ALABAMA GOLF ADDS THREE - Alabama men’s golf head coach Jay Seawell has announced that Luke Coyle, Jack Mitchell and Tristin Wisener have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Crimson Tide program for the 2023-24 season. To read more about each player check out www.thesportsledger.com AUBURN GYMNASTICS - Auburn's gymnastics team will welcome another talented class to the Plains in 2024 as the program recently had three future athletes sign National Letters of Intent with the Tigers. Joining the team next year will be Bryn Bartman (Black Mountain, North Carolina), Julianne Huff (Hoover, Alabama) and Lyden Saltness (Chisago City, Minnesota). AUBURN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Two top prospects have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Auburn women’s basketball program for the 2023-24 season. The Tigers will welcome Timya Thurman (C, 6-5, Linden, AL) and Savannah Scott (C, 6-4, Conway, AK) to The Plains next fall. JSU BASEBALL SIGN SIX - The Jacksonville State baseball has added six student-athletes from the high school ranks in the state of Alabama. The players include: Sam Silas (Holtville, Ala./Holtville HS), Gabriel Young (Mountain Brook, Ala./Mountain Brook HS), Drew McCormick (Oxford, Ala./Oxford HS), Colin Woodham (Millbrook, Ala./Stanhope Elmore HS), Hudson Walburn (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Vestavia Hills HS) and Evan Smallwood (Hoover, Ala./Spain Park HS). To read more about each signee visit www.thesportsledger.com. Sideline Sports Freeze and his staff developed 20 players who earned All-SEC honors, including All-Americans Cody Prewitt, Senquez Golson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Evan Engram, Laquon Treadwell and Trae Elston. Treadwell was named Ole Miss’ first ever SEC Freshman of the Year in 2013 and became the school’s first Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2015. Nkemdiche was the first defensive lineman to be named a Hornung Award finalist. Engram won the Ozzie Newsome Award and Pop Warner College Football Award following the 2016 season. Eleven Ole Miss players were selected in the NFL Draft during Freeze’s time as head coach, including first- rounder Engram as well as D.J. Jones, Derrick Jones and Chad Kelly hearing their names called in the latest draft. In 2016, the Rebels had three first-round draft picks in Tunsil, Treadwell and Nkemdiche. He has also coached former NFL starters Michael Oher and Greg Hardy. A 1988 graduate of Senatobia High School, Freeze received an associate’s degree from Northwest Mississippi Community College in 1990 and was a two-year letterwinner on the Ranger baseball team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in coaching and sports administration from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1992. It was while attending USM that he became active in mission projects, serving as a missionary in Houston, Salt Lake City, St. Petersburg, Russia and Australia. Freeze also served as the state president for the Mississippi Baptist Student Union. Born in Oxford and raised in Independence, Mississippi, Hugh, and his wife, Jill, are the parents of three daughters: Ragan, Jordan and Madison. His daughter Jordan attended Auburn University and currently resides in Auburn.
The following is a schedule for college football bowls games that will be played over the 2022-23 Holiday Season. This includes the date, teams, locations, and times.
Friday, December 16 Bahamas Bowl - Miami (Ohio) vs. UAB 10:30 a.m. CT on ESPN at National Stadium (Bahamas) Cure Bowl - Troy vs. UTSA 2 p.m. CT on ESPN at Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL Saturday, December 17 Fenway Bowl - Cincinnati vs. Louisville 10 a.m. CT on ESPN at Fenway Park in Boston, MA Celebration Bowl - Jackson State vs. N.C. Central 11 a.m. CT on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta New Mexico Bowl - SMU vs. BYU 1:15 p.m. CT on ESPN at University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico LA Bowl - Washington State vs. Fresno State 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA LendingTree Bowl - Rice vs. Southern Mississippi 4:45 p.m. CT on ESPN at Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama Las Vegas Bowl - Oregon State vs. Florida 1:30 p.m. CT on ABC at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nevada Frisco Bowl - Boise State vs. North Texas 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN at Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas Monday, December 19 Myrtle Beach Bowl - Marshall vs. UConn 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC Tuesday, December 20 Idaho Potato Bowl - East Michigan vs. San Jose State 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho Boca Raton Bowl - Liberty vs. Toledo 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL Wednesday, December 21 New Orleans Bowl - South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky 8 p.m. CT on ESPN at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans Thursday, December 22 Armed Forces Bowl - Baylor vs. Air Force 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas Friday, December 23 Independence Bowl - Houston vs. Louisiana 2 p.m. CT on ESPN at Independence Stadium, Shreveport Gasparilla Bowl - Wake Forest vs. Missouri 5:30 CT on ESPN at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Saturday, December 24 Hawaii Bowl - MTSU vs. San Diego State 7 p.m. CT on ESPN Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, HI Monday, December 26 Quick Lane Bowl - Bowling Green vs. New Mexico State 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Tuesday, December 27 Camellia Bowl - Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern 11 a.m. CT on ESPN at the Cramton Bowl, Montgomery First Responder Bowl - Memphis vs. Utah State 2:15 p.m. CT on ESPN at Gerald Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX An experienced head coach at the collegiate level for 12 years, Freeze has quickly elevated each program he’s led, including Ole Miss and most recently, Liberty. The head coach at Liberty from 2019-22, Freeze led the Flames to four bowl games and a 34-15 record. At Liberty, he took former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis and developed him into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. “After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search, we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze,” said Auburn Athletics Director John Cohen. “Of all the candidates we considered, Hugh was the best fit. Fit has several meanings, but the most important factors were student-athlete development, football strategy, recruiting and SEC experience.” Freeze has experienced similar success at each of his head coaching stops prior to Liberty that include: Lambuth University (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16). The Oxford, Mississippi, native led each school to double digit win seasons, while helping Ole Miss to a top 10 national finish in 2015. His on-field coaching record in 12 years is 103-47. Freeze has nearly three decades of continued coaching success, including head coaching experience that has led to conference titles, nationally ranked recruiting classes and bowl appearances at multiple stops during his highly decorated career. "First, I want to acknowledge Cadillac Williams for the incredible job he did as interim head coach. The impact he made is immeasurable and cannot be overstated,” Freeze said. “Secondly, Auburn is one of the preeminent programs in college football and I’m very appreciative of President Roberts and John Cohen for this opportunity at Auburn.
Birmingham Bowl - Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina 5:45 p.m. CT on ESPN at Protective Stadium, Birmingham Guaranteed Rate Bowl - Oklahoma State vs. Wisconsin 9:15 p.m. CT on ESPN at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona Wednesday, December 28 Military Bowl - Duke vs. UCF 1 p.m. CT on ESPN at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium Annapolis, Maryland Liberty Bowl - Arkansas vs. Kansas 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN Holiday Bowl - No. 15 Oregon vs. North Carolina 7 p.m. CT on FOX at Petco Park, San Diego, CA Texas Bowl - Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss 8 p.m. CT on ESPN at NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Thursday, December 29 Pinstripe Bowl - Minnesota vs. Syracuse 1 p.m. CT on ESPN at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY Cheez-It Bowl - No. 13 Florida State vs. Oklahoma 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at Camping World Stadium, Orlando Alamo Bowl - No. 12 Washington vs. No. 20 Texas 8 p.m. CT on ESPN at the Alamodome, San Antonio, TX Friday, December 30 Duke's Mayo Bowl - No. 23 NC State vs. Maryland 11 a.m. CT on ESPN at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Sun Bowl - No. 18 UCLA vs. Pittsburgh 1 p.m. CT on CBS at the Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas Gator Bowl - No. 19 South Carolina vs. No. 21 Notre Dame 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville Arizona Bowl - Ohio vs. Wyoming 3:30 p.m. CT at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ Orange Bowl - No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson 7 p.m. CT on ESPN at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens Saturday, December 31 Music City Bowl - Iowa vs. Kentucky 11 a.m. CT on ABC at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN Sugar Bowl - No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State 11 a.m. CT on ESPN at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU 3 p.m. CT on ESPN at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State 7 p.m. CT on ESPN at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Monday, January 2, 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl - No. 22 Mississippi State vs. Illinois 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Citrus Bowl - No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue noon CT on ABC at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL Cotton Bowl Classic - No. 10 USC vs. No. 16 Tulane noon CT on ESPN at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Rose Bowl - No. 8 Utah vs. No. 11 Penn State 4 p.m. CT on ESPN at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California Monday, January 9, 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship Game 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA I’ve been fortunate to witness first-hand how special Auburn is during my time as a head coach in the SEC and while visiting my daughter Jordan who attended Auburn and currently lives in the community. I can’t wait to work with our student-athletes and the Auburn family to bring championships back to the Plains.” This season, Liberty finished the regular season 8-4 with a win at Arkansas and at home versus BYU, while three of their four losses came by a combined five points. Liberty was just one of five FBS teams in the country to win a bowl game each of the last three seasons, joining Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana. It also is the second team in NCAA history to win a bowl game during its first three full seasons at the FBS level, all coming under Freeze’s leadership. “I’m pleased that our Athletics Director John Cohen conducted a detailed and thorough national search process, and I look forward to welcoming Hugh and Jill Freeze to the Plains,” President Christopher B. Roberts said. “I am impressed with Coach Freeze’s focus on player development and his on-the-field success at multiple universities and at multiple levels.” Freeze guided Liberty to a 10-1 overall record in 2020 and the team’s first-ever national ranking as it finished No. 17 in the country. That season Liberty had the best start in program history (8-0), tied the program record for wins (10) and defeated two Power 5 programs in Syracuse and Virginia Tech. For his efforts, Freeze was a finalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award. Freeze has an eye for the nation’s most talented high school players, collecting four nationally ranked recruiting classes at Ole Miss. In 2013 and 2016, his recruiting classes ranked in the top five nationally, making them the best in program history.
Hugh Freeze Named Auburn Football Coach Hugh Freeze has been named the 31st head football coach in Auburn's 129-year history.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker