Auburn QB Payton Thorne Mum on Crucial 4th-Down Play

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne was loathe to discuss the 4th-down play to begin the 4th quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne didn't throw an interception against Georgia, but found controversy regardless. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The losing streak extends to three for the Auburn Tigers as another game slips through the tracks. The Tigers fell 31-13 to the Georgia Bulldogs in a game that looked close on paper everywhere but the scoreboard.

Unlike Auburn’s three previous losses this season, interceptions were not a factor that ultimately led to the loss. However, quarterback Payton Thorne still found himself on the receiving end of a head coach Hugh Freeze tirade after a botched 4th-down play.

Thorne realizes that Auburn’s performance was not mistake-free but believes improvement was made overall.

“There’s never gonna be a perfect game,” Thorne said. “We didn’t play good enough to win today. I don’t know what the score was at halftime but it was a game in the third quarter. We did a decent job of putting a drive together at the start of the third.”

A miscommunication between Thorne and head coach Hugh Freeze on a crucial fourth-and-one on a drive where Auburn could have made it a one-score game resulted in Georgia taking over on down in plus territory. 

“Well we ran the wrong play,” Thorne said. “I had an option to throw it and the look that I got, we had a guy I needed to handle. I don’t want to get into much detail on that.”

Freeze had no such qualms about placing the blame for the missed opportunity.

"He absolutely didn't go with what we had called," Freeze said of Thorne after the game.

Auburn took advantage of Georgia's porous run defense. Coming into the game the Bulldogs were 13th in the SEC in run defense at 128.4 yards per game. Auburn tuned up Georgia for 137 yards on the ground, including 91 yards from Jarquez Hunter on just 13 carries.

A performance like that can be a positive thing to take away and serve as a confidence booster.

“We’re doing a good job on the ground,” Thorne said. “Our guys up front, it starts with them. They’re doing a good job. Jarquez, DA (Damari Alston) and (Jeremiah) Cobb doing a good job back there. Jarquez is one of the toughest guys to tackle in the country. He’s doing a really good job and I’m happy for him. I thought he played well today.”

Georgia’s defense played Auburn differently than anticipated, having more players in coverage as opposed to stacking the line of scrimmage.

“Obviously they got a great coaching staff over there,” Thorne said. “They put their plan together like we put ours together.”

The first bye-week could not come at a better time for the Tigers. In two weeks Auburn returns to action against Missouri, another road contest against a ranked opponent. Missouri was No. 9 in the country to start the day, but they're expected to fall after getting blown out 41-10 by Texas A&M.