Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, players talk first game of season

we don't know pton looking back at it how how' you feel like everything went yeah I thought we had a pretty good day obviously he was able to put up a good amount of points um and I thought we executed pretty well obviously there's a couple plays you wish you could have back but that's every game so um thought we did a good job some stuff we can build on and then obviously look back on the little mistakes that were made and correct those and move forward with this Pon considering your family background everybody do you is it easier for you maybe when the head coach kind of gets upset like coach yeah take that yeah it's definitely uh it's nice for me having last year under my belt with Coach free and obviously we have a better relationship this year and have spent more time together so um that makes things easier too um and so I I'm just trying to listen to what coach is saying you don't you try not to read into the tone or anything that coach is talking to you with and you just listen to what he's saying and then I I respond with what I'm seeing and we try to get on the same page and and move forward and um but yeah you know having being around coaches I guess my whole life is is a benefit uh to that but uh but yeah I'd say it's more so just being around coach for each longer how was communication first game with the helmet all those things how did it work for you it was good you know I heard coach um plenty clear I thought our equipment guys did a really good job with having that all set up and um you know getting reps I guess with that through camp and being comfortable with that so I thought it was pretty good that with a combination of how much you're doing at the line of scrimmage does it does this game feel like it's it's a lot more into your hands now that you've been through one of them uh yeah I would say so uh obviously you know with with the helmet communication if it's about 15 seconds if coach sees something on the sideline you know he can let me know without having to do a whistle or something something like that like some coaches do so I think I think that happened once uh during the game and then um and then yeah I'm able to you know handle stuff more at the line scrimmage as well being um comfortable with this offense and and Coach being able to to trust me uh to do those things so um so yeah that's say so how different is this offense than what you were doing at this time of year uh quite a bit different very very very much different what's the big why um quite detail and like knowing what we're doing um and having confidence in what we're doing I'd say that's the biggest that's probably the biggest um difference a lot more is on you as in this offense I mean you got to make no decisions on the field uh yeah I'd say so I'd say the coach has giving me uh more opportunity to uh help the guys out up front and just be on the same page and so also help myself out you know get myself protected um and then uh redirect certain things and allow us to get in the best play possible for that play now I'm not going to be 100% on that every game though but um you know if we're on the same page if we're all wrong you know in a way we're right because we're on the same page it's it's uh something that I've learned in the past they used to call it law loud and wrong if you're loud and wrong and everybody's on the same page you have a chance but if five guys doing this this and five guys doing that and one guy's doing his own thing it's not going to work so um so yeah I'd say I feel good right now with with what we're doing have you been yelled at that much after a touchdown pass um I don't even remember what what which one it was so wide open bandre the S one oh oh uh yeah probably not he went mississipp be red ass on you yeah yeah he wanted me to protect myself on that one but uh but I'll make sure that that that doesn't happen again what did you see out of the the young wide receivers in their first game under the lights and and kind of how they responded yeah they did a good job obviously cam getting the on early was great c not a young receiver but got a couple times so that was that was good to see and fun to connect with him uh but then the other freshman I thought they did a good job you know there's little things that um little detailed things that they're just going to keep getting better at that that we have to get on the same page about but thought they did a good job under the lights like you said in front of our fans for the first time handling all that you know it's not always easy when you're playing High School football just a year ago so uh I thought they did a good job with all that stuff and obviously it was cool to see them get the end zone as well ask your asked your teammate Sam and roommate if he had a celebration playing against his own team he said he might have a pen sign the ball and give it to Justin Willcox as a celebration yeah I'm not surprised do I think he'll actually do that no but I do think he'll be he's going to be awfully excited has he given you any tips on on their defense uh not much you know I didn't want to ask him in sit there and like try to cheat on the test if you want to think of it like that I just don't think that there's you know a ton if you get too caught up and like hey you know it is kind of like a test you try to cheat on a test and all say you don't do all that good like just study for the test you know so um I'm just going through my normal process and if he has little you know tidbits of information uh that he has and I'm sure I'll get him from him and I'll hear this week but uh I'm just going through my normal process and breaking them down uh myself and obviously with our coaches as well uh going about it that way after you score 73 in a game what's the focus heading into week two we ask all like just cleaning up things is that kind of the focus now this next step progression as an offense yeah for sure you know as week week to week goes on you always want to keep getting better you want to Peak in you know November December ideally and so uh for us you know you get week one out of the way you see it as almost like a you know preseason game in the NFL is and then um you know this week obviously put it back behind us nothing we can do about now um doesn't really mean anything to us now and uh it's on the C focus on this game plan that's ahead of us and um executing that it's all about execution and so um we do those things we're going to beate going back to the young guys what does it mean for you you know you've said these are guys are going to play in college obviously a long time and catch a lot of touchdown passes probably go to the league and catch a lot of touchdown passes but I mean at the end of the day you get to be the first guy to throw a touchdown pass to them in college just kind of what does that mean to kind of nobody's ever going to take that away from you that's never going to change yeah you know it's it's cool and I have an opportunity to I see it as a a duty for me to educate these guys on on certain things you I feel like I've had a really good relationship in the past with my receivers in high school and college and um just helping them understand what the quarterback is looking for and what you know I'm seeing and trying to also talk to them about hey I know this is what you're seeing because I've learned that from these other guys that I play with or tell me what you're seeing because you might see it differently you know and just get on the same page and so um just trying to get them and the best they can be now and obviously I won't be playing with them next year but I hope that I can leave an impact on them and better their career and hopefully one day they can look back and say thanks for for helping me out a little bit you know that' be be pretty cool you probably remember your first game as a freshman how valuable is that experience for these young guys now that they have one under their belts uh it is valuable you know um getting out there and there's that little bit of uncertainty no matter how confident you are you still have never played on that stage no matter how what American game you played in or uh you know XYZ you never played in Jordan Stadium you know you made a come of games and uh Sidelines and what not but never down to 50 uh with other people screaming so it is valuable and it's good that uh they step into the next week and you know by the time the middle of season gets here end of the season it should feel normal for those guys so I think it is valuable hey it's not going to be like this all the time I don't think I have to tell them that they know that you know uh I can't remember the last time a team averaged 73 points year so I have to imagine that they uh they know that uh things are um going to be more difficult especially in this league in the teams that we play and this week C's got a good defense good team and so um you know we'll put a good week practice together and then uh like I said before do our best to go out there next enjoy ourselves out there on Saturday to opportunity 50/50 ball for everybody yeah for sure you know we've been doing in practice uh during the Spring during the summer so uh you know now I guess all that's left is doing the game so I have full complete trust in him and so when that time comes I won't be afraid to do it what do you think back to to last year's cow game what what comes to mind for you um not many good things honestly it was a long ways away uh it was a unique trip for us we stay two nights there actually which I had never done in college for a regular season game so um that was interesting something you can look back on I guess but uh yeah I don't take much from last year obviously we won the game which was the goal every goal is to win so we battled and found a way to won or win and then um you know fourth quarter we we came through when it matter you can take that with you but other than that you know it was a pretty boring game offensively and uh I told somebody this morning I felt bad for the people that were watching that game it was probably a snoozer but uh we won so that's all that matters does it does it M hey when need go prove ourselves or is that kind of the mindset no matter who you're play yeah you know you're always trying to prove yourself every week you know um as a player and then also as a team and so um you know I learned early in my career from one of my pre previous coaches that's football's a game what have you done for me lately you know it's every week and so uh you only get one chance a week and so you better go ahead and uh put everything you have into US you don't have any regret you know after that game and after that season so um it's our job this week to focus in on Cal not worried about last week not worried about the next next week and uh you know get the job done on Saturday did you even break a sweat on the first three possessions six plays three touchs it was about so other than that but I think I don't know we I think we had six plays and three touchdowns somebody said so uh that might be a first too so that was cool but um but yeah you know I guess it was a good start do do are you a social media guy do you read or any of those things no I hate social media I'm one of those people that you know is the classic I hate social media um but uh no I don't have Twitter or X I haven't had that for a couple years now which has been great um I deleted it partially because of football but also just like the world like I don't I don't see anything positive on Twitter or X or whatever the heck you want to call it um and so uh don't have that don't have Tik Tok I never got Tik Tok so if I got Tik Tok I probably sit on for three hours if everybody does so I don't like the whole idea of these algorithms putting everything that you are your brain is wanting to see it puts right in front of your face and just keeps scrolling like I don't I don't think that's good so um don't have that don't read anything and so I think that's a good thing for everybody and especially a college athlete oh absolutely absolutely I always talk my uh that's my U alltime coach you know he he's been my coach my whole life so I I value his opinion a lot too I you evaluate your performance I think I played well um going through the film together and uh just a couple couple things that uh he saw it clean up and um almost all the time the same things that coach ree is saying too or coach Austin is saying so uh they're very much in lock step with uh you said yall watch the F you got here yeah yeah yes sir he was here so um after the game I was with him for a little bit and then on Sunday we sat down and watch the film together good pring their former team and they score a goal they kind of go like this so they don't celebrate what would your celebration be if you scored against your former teammates um we might get a flag for this I'll probably won't do it but um I was talking to one of my teammates about it uh get the ball sign it and then go hand it to the head coach but I'll probably I'll probably just keep you probably get definit for that and Coach Nicks and Coach uh uh coach Hugh freeze he'll go crazy so yes talk how how did this one this past weekend feel um it felt it felt good honestly I mean I just kept it playing as simple after I scored but um obviously it was a shut out so it just felt good to see the guys get to do they doing me get an opportunity to go out there and do what I do just a little bit of showscase of things so it felt pretty good now that that pass wasn't intended for you was it um I think it was I mean like it was a free play so I uh I talked to Hank afterwards and he was like it was intended for me so I just went out to go get it for sure how how exciting was that um do that it was crazy cuz I'm usually in the slot but I was at the outside receiver and um we had call the free play and coach Dave was on the sideline he was like just be ready if they snap it which I already know but he was just like be ready if they jump on snap it and it's crazy cuz it happened and he told right before it happened that's what he told me and then it just happened right before my eyes and I just got off the ball and it got caught in the light a little bit and that's why you kind of see me fade then I jumped back I got lost in it but it was it was pretty exci for me you got up pretty high was that how you your vertical I didn't you know like you know when you make plays like that it's like you don't really think about it in a moment so I just went up to go get it and then I seen it afterwards and P was like you got up pretty high I didn't know this to be honest talk about talk about um me and pton this this first game we didn't really get to play with each other much we probably win this this next game but um I'm really looking forward to it I mean I always I've been to be honest I've been having dream us playing back back in the old days and it's kind of weird you know how J gets but uh um it's just crazy being a to play with an old team you know what I mean um first time playing receiver in college and my first time ever playing receiver period in high school was with P to just getting to do it again it's just kind of like a dream come true to be what are the emotions like playing C or is it is it a little bit overblown is it just another game does it mean a little more to you um it it definitely means a little more to me just because of the situation and like what happened at Cal but uh I think we we keep it playing as simple it's just another game for us you know last year they they had some Auburn had struggles against us last year um but I think this year it's going to be it's going to be much different you know just watching that film getting a couple looks at them they play a lot of man which I think they crazy up with the Run we have um a lot of single high stuff I kind of know a decent amount of guys on on the defense so I've been chopping it up with our guys our receivers on good to study in there like Tendencies and stuff like that don't get it don't get me wrong like they got some Ballers on defense you know that defense is pretty stout um I haven't watched much of the offense I know it's different lot of transfer guys but um it it definitely means more to me and some of the guys on defense from last year that that play now still for alurn they been talking to me about the running back and stuff like that cuz you know it was like a big thing about the interviews that me and him had um but I think it means a lot to me it definitely means a lot to a too when the guys on the team but it definitely means more to me for sure when you left Cal me how did you feel about Cal are you mad um it was more like I wish I could have had enough another opportunity not saying that they didn't give me another opportunity but I just had to be smart about what I did what was the next move because the ultimate end goal was to be to play in the NFL you know what I mean and I just didn't know if my future there would take me not because of the team but just because of the situation like last um but I got an opportunity to do something something bigger and be a part of something bigger than myself at Auburn so honestly I it was kind of like Bigg sweet you know what I mean it wasn't really like I was mad at the program mad at any of the coaches it was just like I God had a different plan for time for you to go yeah besid the weather what do you miss most about probably my teammates I mean the guys that I lived in the house with um I had a great B with those guys you know I had three receivers and a running back and we all just like those were the stars you know what I mean we play together a lot we kind of hung H out um uh probably the Auburn doesn't have many I'm in F but have any stores you got to go to Atlanta that's like a 2our guy but that's probably what I miss most just my teammates and like just being able to go to like certain stores and buy certain things you know what I mean that's really had a teammate that said when he watch film it wasn't the Auburn he thought it would be you think this team is the you you thought they think it would be yes I mean like being on the other side now I was like okay now I kind of see what is really like I mean obviously it's the SEC but it's like Aug this is a really good it's a great program you know Powerhouse um but what that experience was like first first career start home opener night game what was that [Music] like I couldn't even really explain it to you it's just the it's just like all the hard work just paying off going through Camp you know uh I don't know just all the everything just really paying off how do you feel like you played I feel it I feel like it was a good first first game it was some some good stuff I did watching the film and then it was some bad stuff I did but um it was a it was a first good solid game what do you think was working so well for you this preseason and really going back to I mean we've been hearing your name from the coaches since since Bowl practices how would you kind of assess your progression over the last you know seven or eight months I would say really becoming a college football player like really really learning how to play football um learning the other things just beside like things on the offensive line like learning what the receivers are trying to do understand like what's the concept of this run or this pass just learning stuff like that just becoming a real football player what have you learned from guys like dwade and you know Percy have been around a while what have you learned working next to them and obviously working at tackle with Percy uh well from both of them I just get they just passed down any tools they had any knowledge of the game they had just because you know they they've been playing football way longer than I have and just really learn from them do you feel like you're further along blocking pass blocking how would you sort of maybe assess where you're at in those two phases I would say I'm probably way better in the past game Run game Run game is good but I I can get way better in the Run game how much of your progression do you think has to do with just like you mentioned that confidence that's what some of your teammates have talked about sort of seeing that switch come on for you over the last few months have becoming a more confident player um really just starting off hot if you start off hot you you know you you got some good things going on you you just keep it going as long as you you know like how you play Tyler what's the last 18 months been like for you did you expect coming in to play right away did you think it would take time you think you be at first I was just trying to get as good as I can CU like coming into your first year at College I know I wasn't going to be a starter I just wanted to see like how good could I get in my first year you know I get the and uh to see what I can go from there about going this year going into this year I can see that I was going to get some playing time but as a b started now were you slowed a little bit in Camp he said something about kind of once you were healthy he he sounded kind of excited you were getting healthy again probably a week or two ago he sort of said that what were you kind of battling through uh it was uh a right quad Shir m and I uh I think I was out for like maybe maybe a week a week and a half how tough was that like what were you able to do and not do I don't I wasn't I think I know I missed the last couple weeks of um I want to say it was summer workouts and then I came back and I missed two days I think it was two three practice I came back on next following week tell what was it like being in offense and score 73 points I feel great yeah how much different how much better is it this year compared to year game yeah I don't know I really couldn't say but I could I could just say um that the chemistry with this team is way better than what last year was even though I wasn't playing but it's just like way closer than right now are you okay are you okay with how they're rotating I mean do you think that'll be okay if you play a few series and then Percy plays and then maybe you come back is that easy or is that is that hard to go in and out like that how does that sort of impact how you play oh yeah that was that was pretty hard um n it's not it's not really hard I wouldn't say it's that hard it it's good it's good that he's actually doing uh doing that cuz it it allows you to stay on top of your game like you know you have to go out here you got to if not you going get out you know not saying that's what they doing but we was just genely rotating but keep top of you Tyler talk about December of last year you know how does a how does a guy from Louisiana who is committed to Texas Tech how did how did you wind up at Albert that's a good question um I believe it was it was it was one visit I came on to was unofficial big when I came uh I was just coming down here to see like to see like how AR was I really lik AR first I did get the offer I believe the head Wasson last year I didn't get the offer from him and then he um I believe he ended up uh leaving school got fir or something like that and then uh he free he free became the head coach he was recruiting me at Liberty and then as soon as he came here I just you know I took one last visit and then uh when I came on visit I think I committed the same day how fast did that I guess you the relationship with freeze was already there from Liberty but a guy like Jake thoron you how quickly Did you sort of get to know him ahead of signing in December well I talked to coach a little bit when he was old Miss to a little bit when he Old Miss so um just me and him I can tell he was a really cool dude you know it's more to him than just football it's like it's a real relationship and that's some that's some a lot of a lot of recuits my they look they look at the like the money side of it whether they going to get playing time but it's like if you don't have a real relationship with your coach they not they can't fully develop you know that that's that's how I looked at it my recruit I just wanted like real relationships people I can actually play for you know what was it about freeze and Auburn that made you confident in making that decision you know the last minute close to Signing Day flipping to them what yeah t have you noticed any freshman so far this year that have impressed you you being in a room that you know that you're going to be able to kind stay fresh I would say Mars Mars probably one one of the big names um Demarcus R another big one of course a whole receiver group from C to be some off you last game Marland you are not really right I think you mean like here right now who's here right now um not really freshman but I can see like um bra having you know some very big improvements Jordan um EJ Harris is working hard let me see who else K you know starting First's coming back very well um like getting somebody else I'm trying to get all the l i good do you kind of like being in situations like that where again last your C I think could reset after the game like just going throw it throw it your way and hope you come down with it a big moment like that you you like kind this pressure this clutch moment oh yeah I I love the clutch move CU cuz I I did it in practice a whole bunch of times so the most I wed it a lot of times in practice and made those plays in practice so when they come my number um like G situation for a game in the touch I'm going be ready because I done it practice and and I trust my skill set my training C give you a hard time about the St oh yeah he did I a lie he did yeah but uh I I mean that's probably going to be the last job you ever see from me the whole season um first game you know just got to get that jum out the win and get ready for us ahead