AUBURN — Auburn coach Hugh Freeze took the podium Monday morning with the answers to a majority of the questions surrounding Auburn football.

The biggest issue he wants to resolve heading into Saturday's Oklahoma matchup is the number of turnovers the Tigers have committed. In the last two games, the Tigers has committed 10 turnovers and have 14 total on the year in four games.

More: What does Auburn football have to do to salvage season following Arkansas loss?

"Obviously, losing seven points on the run, on the fumble in the end zone is a big, big swing. And then in field goal range, two other turnovers," Freeze said. "We can't turn the football over, and obviously we've got to coach the quarterbacks better and running backs better in ball security and decision-making to be able to be an effective offense.

"It’s sickening, truthfully, to know that you’re averaging almost seven yards per rush and creating explosive plays and not scoring the points that should come with what those stats say. I’ve never been with any team that turned the football over and won football games. Go watch the game, and you see we’re moving the football. I believe in what we’re doing. I don’t think there’s any changes that need to be made other than 10 turnovers are tough in two football games.”

Freeze pulled quarterback Hank Brown at halftime of the Arkansas game. Brown finished his afternoon completing 7 of his 13 passes with three interceptions. Payton Thorne finished with 213 passing yards and two touchdowns to Keandre Lambert-Smith after taking over in the second half.

Freeze explained his reasoning to benching Brown, saying he did not want to make the same mistake he did against Cal when Thorne committed five turnovers in that defeat.

"What really went into that decision is that I had experienced that two weeks earlier and wasn’t going to continue down that road," Freeze said. "It has nothing to do with my confidence in Hank Brown, but at that moment our team needed something else to try to give us a shot. We were in a close game, and I know that the plan is effective and working, so let’s try to some somebody who takes care of (the ball) a little better on this given night. That was the reasoning.”

As far as his decision on a starter for Saturday, Freeze said it's going to be a "battle this week."

"It’s going to be a battle this week to try to figure out who can master the plan against all of these fronts we’re going to face against Oklahoma," Freeze said. "You watch the first drive and you believe Hank (Brown) is making all of the right decisions until we get to the 25-yard-line, or whatever it is. We get a check down wide open and he makes that decision and then made two other poor ones. But he looked really, really sharp at times.

"Payton Thorne in the second half looked really sharp. He had a pick, but I think the ball was catchable. I know quarterbacks get the blame all of the time, but I thought it was a well-thrown ball and the right decision."

More: Champ Anthony injury update: Auburn football DB injures leg vs Arkansas

Auburn defensive back Champ Anthony went down Saturday with a gruesome left leg injury in which he needed to be carted off the field. Freeze confirmed that his surgery was successful and that he is in high spirits.

With Anthony's absence, Freeze mentioned how the secondary will look and which players they will be leaning on in that group the rest of the season.

"We are thin. Antonio Kite and JC Hart are going to have to play a lot of snaps," Freeze said. "We have to get Jay Crawford ready as a freshman. That's really what we are down to. Those four guys are going to get a lot of reps because we would kind of like to keep Keionte (Scott) at nickel. That's where we are right now.”

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Hugh Freeze on QB starter for Oklahoma game Saturday