What Auburn Tigers Should Expect of Payton Thorne vs. Alabama A&M

Auburn Tigers starting quarterback Payton Thorne struggled in 2023. His first chance to erase those memories is Saturday night against Alabama A&M.

Auburn Tigers starting quarterback Payton Thorne /

The Auburn Tigers open their season on Saturday evening at Jordan-Hare Stadium against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. One of the biggest questions going into the season will be the play of quarterback Payton Thorne. Was his sub-par play last year a symptom of an undermanned roster? Or was his poor play a main factor in Auburn's disappointing 2023?

Regardless of Alabama A&M's roster, recent history or tendencies, Thorne needs to not only show, but play great. Granted, many do not think the Bulldogs possess the skill position talent to stay with Auburn, especially on offense. 

However, this game needs to focus on what Payton Thorne should do. When you play a program that you own a significant advantage over, the competition with the game needs to end quickly. Basically, put the games out of reach. For Payton Thorne, he needs to start the game, execute and then ditch the helmet and sit down. 

For his part, head coach Hugh Freeze has no doubts in his starting quarterback.

“I’m very confident sitting here today," said Freeze on Monday. "At the same time, I’ve said it every time since spring practice that ultimately he’s got to get the job done. I wouldn’t be going with him if I wasn’t confident in him. I’ve always believed in him and believe in him even more today than I did in January because of what I have seen, what I witnessed, and what I hear in meeting rooms and film rooms.

"I think he's excited to prove that to a lot of people also.”

Start Throwing Early

Now, with all due respect to Jarquez Hunter, Thorne needs to account for the tiger's share of the offense. In effect, that helps Auburn in the long run. First, by preserving Hunter for the next eleven weeks you lessen the chance of injury, halting some of the wear and tear that SEC running endures. 

Throwing the football well on any level, from youth to the NFL, depends on establishing rhythm. The first game of 2024 needs to act as a full speed scrimmage. Thorne can work on routes with live defense running around. In these live fire snaps, Thorne can gauge the speed of his young wideouts, and get a feel for where the rush will come from. As a result, all three levels of the route become experimental areas. 

Chemistry with Freshmen

Looking at Auburn's depth chart, you will see three freshmen wide receivers. If this game veers out of hand, Thorne needs to work in every freshman wideout, in the hopes of building quality chemistry.  Cam Coleman will start and spent the spring at Auburn, so the chemistry between him and Thorne should exist to a point. 

Now, Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain, and Malcolm Simmons do not enjoy a similar relationship with their quarterback. Half of the expectation does fall on the coaching staff shuttling the wideouts in and out. Yet, when they do Thorne needs to feed them exclusively.

Overview

Auburn should handily defeat Alabama A&M on Saturday. ESPN Gamecast gives Auburn a 99% chance of winning, and they won't even post a line. Posting a Techmo-Bowl statline against the Bulldogs won't mean Thorne and the Auburn offense will hum this season, but that's what he needs to do regardless.

Leave no doubt, stay healthy and prepare for the tougher parts of the schedule.