Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] had a disappointing season in 2023 where he passed for just 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] overhauled the receiving unit during the offseason in hopes of giving Thorne the opportunity to replicate his 2021 success when he passed for over 3,000 yards and led Michigan State to 11 wins and a Peach Bowl win.
It is still too early to tell if Thorne can bring Auburn similar success in 2024, but he has gotten off to a great start.
Thorne passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns in Auburn’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M on Saturday. Thorne eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the first time as a Tiger and his four touchdown passes are the most he has thrown since the 2022 season in Michigan State’s season-opening win over Western Michigan. It was his best performance in an Auburn uniform since he passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State last October.
After the game, Thorne discussed his excitement of being able to connect on multiple deep passes.
“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. 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.”
Who are some other players that are worthy of a “Tiger of the Game” nod? Here are the players that caught the eyes of Auburn Wire writers Taylor Jones, Brian Hauch, Tyler Raley, and Auburn fans for their performance against Alabama A&M.
Taylor Jones: Jalen McLeod
Following a strong scoring output, it is easy to see why the Auburn offense is earning a bulk of the attention. However, limiting Alabama A&M to three points and 242 yards can not go unnoticed. Jalen McLeod was Auburn’s top defensive player on Saturday after recording five tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack.
Brian Hauch: Malcolm Simmons
The “Freeze Four” had a stellar debut as [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] all logging at least one reception, with three of them finding the endzone.
However, it was Simmons that had the most impressive debut. Simmons hauled in a team-leading 91 receiving yards with an offensive touchdown. His first score came in the 3rd quarter when he recovered a blocked put in the end zone and earned his first receiving touchdown seven minutes later when he brought in a 57-yard pass from [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag].
Tyler Raley: KeAndre Lambert-Smith
The debut of “Big Play Dre” was memorable. Penn State’s leading receiver from a year ago ended his first game in orange and blue with three catches for 80 yards and a team-leading two touchdowns. Look for Lambert-Smith to be a life force for Payton Thorne this season.
Fan vote: Payton Thorne
Auburn fans have spoken, and they have chosen quarterback Payton Thorne as the “Tiger of the Game” after his performance against Alabama A&M. To have a say in who wins next week’s “Tiger of the Game” award, visit Auburn Wire on X (formerly Twitter) after every game to cast your vote.
Tiger of the Game leaderboard
Here’s an updated look at how many “Tiger of the Game” honors each Auburn player has earned this season:
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Tigers of the Game: Shades of ‘vintage’ Thorne graced Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday
