Hugh Freeze breaks down two ways to make life easier on Payton Thorne

As Auburn heads into its second season under coach Hugh Freeze, the head man is promising that his offense will look significantly different as he opens things up more for quarterback Payton Thorne.

Thorne was fairly limited in scope last year, and it was somewhat apparent.

The goal this year is to have the offense firing on all cylinders as Thorne continues to grow more comfortable within the offensive scheme. Freeze broke down how he hopes to make life easier on Thorne.

“The RPO game, No. 1, we have to run the football,” Freeze said. “We were pretty decent, I think third or fourth in the conference last year in rushing. I love our backs. I like our tight ends, I think our O-line has some maturity to it.

“So obviously if you run the football you can stay out of third-and-longs. But it’s foolish for us to think that every first down is going to be an ideal box to run the ball against. So Payton has to make the correct decisions on how do you control that extra guy.”

Decision-making will be a big theme for Auburn this year. The quarterbacks the last few years have not been great in that regard.

Cutting down on turnover rate is a big focus, for sure. But there are also more simple calculations the quarterback will have to make that can make life easier on Payton Thorne and company.

“Is it a me-me call and the back is off and he’s taking it and we are throwing the dadgummed RPO?” Freeze said. “Is it I like the run and I can handle it just by reading him? Or do I need to send the whole O-line to him? So it’s my job and we didn’t do all that last year, and that’s the world I’m from. It’s mine and Kent (Austin)‘s job to make sure he understands that that down and distance matters. If it’s third-and-1, don’t you me-me this danged thing. Let’s find another way to control it and get the first down and move the chains.”

If things go well, the entire offense will operate in concert to make life easy on Thorne. But there’s a lot on Payton Thorne’s plate in terms of play recognition and adjustment.

Being able to handle that, especially on early downs, is key.

“If we’re first-and-10, get us in the right RPO and let’s handle it,” Freeze said. “I think that is the biggest key to winning first down that allows you to stay out of third-and-long, and obviously penalties. But if you win first down, a win for us is four yards, there’s very few third-and-longs. So I think that combination with quick game.

“To throw quick game you’ve got to have Randall Cobbs that can win a route. You’re going to have to win a slant, you’re going to have to win something. The quick game we don’t have to protect very long. So if you can be efficient in those two worlds you don’t have to worry about third-and-longs.”