AUBURN, Ala. – All last week head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford had to answer questions about the struggling offense. Auburn had passed for an average of 105 yards per game through the first four SEC games.
"It's time for us to put up or shut up," Freeze told his quarterbacks ahead of Saturday's game against Mississippi State.
Message received. Thorne got the ball first and marched the Tigers down the field on a 7-yard, 75-yard scoring drive. He completed his first pass to Caleb Burton for 15 yards. He hit Jay Fair on a quick slant to pick up a critical first down on third down. He found Fair again for 7 yards and then threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Shane Hooks to make it 7-0.
"Our emphasis was starting fast this week and making sure we have a good first drive," tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said. "We went out there and we marched down the field running our tempo offense that really worked for us. We've got to continue doing that."
It was all Thorne on the next drive. He completed shorter passes to Camden Brown, Fairweather and Malcolm Johnson Jr. He picked up a first down with his legs. And on first-and-10 from the Mississippi State 45-yard line, he threw a perfect deep ball, hitting Ja'Varrius Johnson in stride for his second touchdown toss of the first quarter.
"When you connect down the field early on, you feel good about it," Thorne said. "And even just the little 5-yard hits – that's good early in the game to get those completions, keep those guys involved in the game, and make the defense react to it."
"I thought both (quarterbacks) showed signs this week in practice of improvement, but (Thorne) started hot and I felt good about our plan," Freeze said.
The offense had themselves a Saturday, especially @PaytonThorne 🎯
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) October 29, 2023
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The biggest sequence of the game came late in the first half. Leading 17-3, Auburn got a critical fourth-down stop from its defense just outside the red zone. The offense came back on the field with 1:14 remaining and 70 yards to the end zone.
"You're thinking score," Thorne said. "You're thinking field goal at worst."
Facing third-and-4 and the possibility of going 3-and-out, Thorne found Johnson over the middle for 14 yards. It was the spark the Tigers needed. Hurrying to the line, Thorne threw it wide to Fairweather for 11 yards. He tossed it short to Jarquez Hunter who picked up 21 yards. He ran it himself for 9 yards, and then he capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb out of the backfield.
"We moved the ball down the field, and guys made plays," Thorne said. "I thought Var had a great catch on the one that got tipped. To keep us rolling there was huge. And then Jeremiah finishing it off in the end zone. He made a good catch over the shoulder and did what he was supposed to do."
At the end of the first half, Thorne was 15 of 20 for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
The offense, looking to preserve a 24-3 halftime lead, slowed down some in the second half and leaned on Hunter and the running game, but Thorne was still an efficient 5 of 6 over the final two quarters. He finished his day 20 of 26 for 230 yards and completed passes to 11 different players to lead the Tigers to a 27-13 victory over Mississippi State.
"I saw the quarterback I've been seeing every day," Fairweather said. "We really look amazing in practice, and finally we get to see our quarterback being comfortable in there and slinging it around and making the right checks, making the right throws, making the right reads. That's the Payton I've been seeing since he first got here.
"We're going to continue to see that Payton. This boosts his confidence. I know he's going to come out here every day and go to work, and he's going to take it back to practice and continue to keep pushing. I know he is going to be amazing the rest of the season."
For Thorne, he was just happy to get the win. Like Freeze, it was his first SEC win.
"It feels good," the Michigan State transfer said. "Getting in the locker room and celebrating with guys. A win is a win in college football. They're not easy. And so, you celebrate them. We did that. We'll enjoy it tonight and then it's back to work tomorrow."