Auburn coach Hugh Freeze addresses his sideline outburst directed at quarterback Payton Thorne during Saturday’s loss to Georgia.
Auburn football fans had a rough Saturday as the team was dominated by Georgia, losing 31-13 in front of a loud Bulldogs crowd. To make matters worse, a miscommunication on a key play sparked controversy involving head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterback Payton Thorne.
The Tigers attempted a fourth-and-1 from their own 44-yard line while trailing 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. Payton Thorne was sacked in the backfield on what appeared to be a badly executed play.
Shortly after, viewers of the ABC broadcast saw Hugh Freeze yelling at Thorne, who was sitting on the bench.
Auburn football’s Payton Thorne ran the wrong play on crucial fourth-and-1 play against Georgia
After the game, Hugh Freeze explained that Payton Thorne misunderstood the call. The play was meant to be a run for Jarquez Hunter, who was averaging 8.3 yards per carry at the time.
“Yeah, he absolutely didn’t go with what we called,” Freeze said. “Payton’s a thinker. He knows football, and he decided to try running a zone read. I think everyone was a bit confused, but we definitely weren’t on the same page.”
Thorne agreed that the original play was a run for Hunter, but hinted that he had the flexibility to make his own read during the play.
“We’re running a run play, but I had the option to throw, too,” Thorne said. “The look I got required me to handle a guy, so I moved the back and ran the play. I think No. 11 came off the edge hard, and that’s who I was reading. I could go into more detail, but probably shouldn’t.”
The loss dropped Auburn to a 2-4 overall record, with an 0-3 mark in conference play.
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