Auburn fans are probably feeling a bit of deja vu right now. If you're asking what was the score of the auburn football game, you likely saw a result that felt frustratingly familiar if you've followed the Hugh Freeze era so far. The Tigers just wrapped up their 2024-2025 campaign at the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville, and it wasn't the offensive explosion many hoped for.
Final score: Wisconsin 24, Auburn 13.
It was a cold, somewhat dreary afternoon at Nissan Stadium. Honestly, the game felt a lot like the rest of Auburn’s season—flashes of absolute brilliance from the young wide receivers mixed with backbreaking mistakes that left everyone in orange and blue scratching their heads. You’ve seen this movie before. The defense plays well enough to win for three quarters, but the offense just can't stay on the field long enough to give them a breather.
Breaking Down the Music City Bowl Disaster
Let’s get into the weeds of how we got to that 24-13 finish. Going into the game, the betting lines had Auburn as a slight favorite. People thought the "Freeze Warning" was finally going to take effect with a full month of bowl prep. It didn't.
The first half was a defensive slog. Auburn’s DJ Durkin-led unit actually looked sharp early on, flyng to the ball and making life miserable for the Badgers' run game. But the Tigers' offense? Stagnant. Payton Thorne struggled to find a rhythm, and the offensive line, which has been a patchwork project all year, gave up pressure at the worst possible times.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the score was 17-13. Auburn had a chance. They had the ball. They had the momentum after a big connection to Cam Coleman. Then, a tipped pass led to an interception. Wisconsin marched down, scored, and basically iced the cake. It’s the kind of loss that makes you want to look at the recruiting rankings just to feel something positive again.
Why the Score Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Scoreboards are liars. Sometimes. While 24-13 looks like a comfortable win for Wisconsin, it was a one-possession game for about 90% of the afternoon.
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The real story was the "Big Three" freshmen receivers. Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, and Malcolm Simmons showed exactly why Auburn fans are still optimistic about 2025 and 2026. Coleman had a catch in the second quarter that looked like something out of a Madden glitch—high-pointing the ball over two defenders.
But you can't win in the SEC (or against high-level Big Ten teams) when you go 3-of-14 on third down. That’s the stat that haunted Auburn all year. When you ask about the score, you’re really asking about the efficiency. Or the lack thereof.
A Look Back at the 2024 Regular Season Scores
To understand why the Music City Bowl ended the way it did, we have to look at the roadmap of the season. It was a rollercoaster.
The Tigers finished the regular season at 6-6. Just enough to get to Nashville, but not enough to satisfy the boosters. The Iron Bowl was, as always, the peak of the drama. That 24-21 loss to Alabama was a heartbreaker that probably drained the emotional tank before the bowl game even started.
Remember the New Mexico game? That 45-19 win felt like the turning point. We all thought, "Okay, the offense has arrived." Then came the Oklahoma game. A 27-21 loss where Auburn led for most of the game only to let it slip away in the final minutes. That game was arguably the most "Auburn" game of the century. High drama, incredible atmosphere, and a result that left fans staring into the middle distance for three days.
The Defensive Standouts
Despite the 13 points on the board in the bowl game, the defense shouldn't be the scapegoat. Keldric Faulk is a monster. Period. He’s going to be playing on Sundays very soon. Throughout the season, the defense kept the score respectable even when the offense was turning the ball over in their own territory.
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If you’re looking at the box scores from September through December, you’ll see a trend. Auburn’s defense rarely gave up more than 28 points. In modern college football, that should lead to an 8 or 9-win season. The fact that Auburn stayed stuck at 6 wins tells you everything you need to know about the red zone struggles.
What This Means for the 2025 Season
So, the game ended 24-13. Now what?
Hugh Freeze is under a microscope. There’s no other way to put it. You can’t have a top-5 recruiting class and a losing record in bowl games for long at a place like Auburn. The fan base is patient, but that patience has a shelf life, especially with the 12-team playoff now being the standard.
The focus now shifts entirely to the transfer portal and the incoming freshman class.
The Quarterback Situation
This is the elephant in the room. Every time someone looks up what was the score of the auburn football game, the conversation inevitably turns to who was under center. Payton Thorne has been a lightning rod for criticism. While he’s shown grit, the consistency just hasn't been there.
Hank Brown saw some action this year, and while he looked promising in flashes, he also showed the typical freshman growing pains. The word around the Plains is that Auburn will be aggressive in the portal this spring. They need a veteran presence who can distribute the ball to those elite young receivers.
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Final Stats and Noteworthy Details
If you're a numbers person, here is the raw data from the Music City Bowl that led to that 24-13 score:
Total Yards: Wisconsin 342, Auburn 288.
Turnovers: Auburn 2, Wisconsin 0.
Time of Possession: Wisconsin 34:12, Auburn 25:48.
That time of possession is the killer. You can't ask a defense to be on the field for 34 minutes against a physical team like Wisconsin and expect them not to crack.
Actionable Steps for Auburn Fans
The season is over, but the work for the "Believe" crowd is just starting. If you want to stay ahead of the curve before spring practice kicks off at Jordan-Hare, here is what you should be doing.
Monitor the Transfer Portal Closely
The window is open, and Auburn needs help at offensive tackle and potentially at quarterback. Follow local beat writers who have eyes on the complex—names like Justin Hokanson or the crew at 247Sports. They usually get the scoop on who is visiting before it hits the national wires.
Check the Early Enrollee List
Several of those 5-star recruits are expected to be on campus for spring ball. Seeing how they transition to the college weight program over the next three months will be the biggest indicator of whether 2025 will be different.
Rewatch the Film on the Young Receivers
Don't just look at the final score. Go back and watch the individual routes run by Simmons and Coleman in the bowl game. Their separation numbers are elite. That is the foundation Hugh Freeze is building on. If the Tigers find someone who can consistently get them the ball, the 2025 scores will look a lot different than 24-13.