Auburn Tigers QB Payton Thorne: ‘We Got Something To Build On’

Auburn’s quarterback is pleased with what he saw from his team in the season opener against Alabama A&M.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne got 2024 off to a hot start against Alabama A&M. / Photo by Zach Bland, Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers took care of business against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in their first game of the 2024 campaign.

The Tigers picked up a 73-3 victory and were led by a dominant first half performance from quarterback Payton Thorne.

Thorne went 13-of-21 for 322 yards and four touchdowns without stepping onto the field in the second half.

Thorne explained what it means for Auburn to have the threat of making a big play on its side, something the team provided numerous examples of in this game.

“It was great, nice to see that we were able to take some shots down the field and connect on them and then obviously finish it the rest of the way and get in the endzone,” Thorne said. “It means a lot. You know it’s good to get out here and do it against another team and see it happen and it’s something we have to build on.”

Thorne believed that the offense gained confidence in this game and talked about how that will benefit them.

“At the end of the day, like you and Coach (Freeze) said, it’s good to do it with somebody else,” Thorne said. “We play against our defense all fall camp and then you bring all the scouts in to get ready for this game, but to actually do it in your jersey, in front of your fans, under the lights. It means something. You have to take something from that. You go out there and you take the good things that we did and then you build on those and then obviously there’s other things to learn from the tape, too.”

With its win over Alabama A&M, Auburn became the 13th FBS team to reach 800 wins. Thorne elaborated on what that accomplishment means to him and what it was like to be a part of it.

“It’s pretty cool,”  Thorne said. “It means a lot. Obviously you come here and you know the logo carries weight behind it. It’s a school that has a lot of tradition and a lot of great players that have come and played and a lot of great teams before us. You’ll be able to look back on that years down the road and say you were a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Thorne is confident in himself and Auburn’s offense to take the next step in 2024. The win over Alabama A&M was a piece of that puzzle.

Auburn takes on Cal next week at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game is scheduled for 2:30 CDT. Cal struggled with UC Davis in the first half on Saturday. The Golden Bears held a 14-13 lead at the break before pulling away 31-13 in the second half.