Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy discuss Payton Thorne’s season-long improvement for Auburn

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has evolved from an early-season turnover machine to an asset as the Tigers head into Saturday’s Iron Bowl vs. Alabama, two former SEC quarterbacks said.

During Saturday’s edition of SEC Nation live from Tuscaloosa, SEC Network analysts Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy broke down Thorne’s play this season. Thorne has thrown eight interceptions this season, but just two in his last five games.

“This is an offense that has gotten better,” said Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. “It’s an offense that’s not the same as it was earlier in the season. Payton Thorne is getting better. They’re buying into the Hugh Freeze system.”

Tebow said the biggest difference is that Auburn has started to commit to the run. Jarquez Hunter has three 100-yard rushing games in his last four, and the Tigers are 3-1 in that span.

Thorne has thrown seven of his 20 touchdowns this season in the last two games, including a career-best five vs. Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago. Freshman receiver Cam Coleman has five of those scoring receptions.

“Payton finally looks a little bit more comfortable,” Tebow said. “I know he’s played a lot, but he’s more comfortable. He’s just not trying to force the ball. Early on, he’s just forcing it to try to make plays, especially early in the season at Cal. Now he’s letting it come to him. I also think he’s a little bit more comfortable with Hugh’s play-calling.”

McElroy, who won the national championship in 2009 as Alabama’s quarterback, said Freeze’s offense is complex, which is difficult for quarterbacks at times. Additionally, Auburn’s young receivers — including freshmen like Coleman and Malcolm Simmons — took some time to adjust.

“I also think it’s a recognition that this is a somewhat advanced system as far as feeling and understanding where the guys are, where the defenders are,” said McElroy, who will call Saturday’s Iron Bowl for ABC. “… There are last-second, last-millisecond decisions to be made in this offense that are very difficult. He had young wide receivers and those guys weren’t always where they were supposed to be. He threw it where he thought they wanted to be and they weren’t. They thought they were supposed to be somewhere and he thought they were supposed to be somewhere else.

“So I think the miscommunication led to a lot of mistakes, but now because of the rep equity they’ve built throughout the season, they’re playing a lot better and executing at a higher level. But it still starts with committing to the run. Give Jarquez 25 carries. … Payton just plays better when the pressure isn’t on his shoulders. Take that decision-making off his plate.”

Alabama’s defense is among the national leaders in takeaways, but has also had some high-profile meltdowns in the Crimson Tide’s three losses. Linebacker Deontae Lawson, who is out for the season with a knee injury suffered last week vs. Oklahoma, puts pressure on the Crimson Tide’s other defenders, McElroy said.

“(Alabama’s) defense is very linebacker-dependent,” McElroy said. “So you look at the games where their linebackers have struggled. Last week I thought they struggled. Some of the misdirection, the eye offense stuff happened, but it also happened against Tennessee. It also happened against Vanderbilt.

“So with Deonte Lawson out, Jihaad Campbell has to take his game to another level today. The good news is he can, we’ve seen him do it, but the linebackers have to play well.”

The 2024 Iron Bowl kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. ABC will provide TV coverage.