Coaches are allowed to communicate with one player directly on both offense and defense before each play until 15 seconds remain on the play clock. The new technology especially changes how many teams operate their offenses, including Auburn.
Hugh Freeze said before the season that he expects more teams to huddle this season than before, due to the changes. That was the case for his offense against Oklahoma last Saturday.
“We huddled more than we ever have, more than I ever have in my career,” Payton Thorne told reporters Tuesday, recalling Saturday’s game. “It was a change up, and I enjoyed being able to talk to my guys before every play and just look at them.”
When asked during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference, Hugh Freeze’s tone regarding helmet communication had changed since he first started using it.
“I’m starting to enjoy the helmet communication,” Freeze said Wednesday. “We used it quite a bit last week and we were efficient and worked well.”
Freeze’s frustration at the beginning of the season with helmet communication seemed to be a matter of getting used to the new technology. He always recognized the advantages it could bring, but also acknowledged the growing pains that came with it.
“I’m probably going to throw the helmet-to-helmet communication on the ground a few times today just because it’s new to me,” Freeze said before the first practice of fall camp. “But we’re certainly going to try to use it and find out how you can use it to be advantageous to you.”
The next test major test for the helmet communication’s effectiveness will be how well Auburn can utilize it in a much louder environment. Auburn’s matchup with Georgia Saturday is its first road game of the season, and the first time the new technology will be put to the test will 90,000 people are screaming at the offense.
“We’re making it loud at practice for them to have difficult time communicating and see how they handle that,” Freeze said. “Having alternative plans of how we are going to do play calling, or whatever it takes to try to make sure our kids at least have a good understanding of what’s fixing to go on.”
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com
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