Hugh Freeze confirms Robby Ashford will keep having a role behind Payton Thorne

Auburn Tigers starting quarterback Payton Thorne had a few struggles in Saturday’s Week 3 win over Samford. At the same time, his backup and the Tigers starting quarterback last season, Robby Ashford, did well in his limited role in Saturday’s victory.

Given the play by both quarterbacks to start the season, some have started to wonder if a change back to Ashford could be in the future of the Auburn program. According to the Tigers head coach, Hugh Freeze, he likes who he has as a starter. Still, that does not mean that Ashford won’t have a significant role in the offense behind Thorne.

“That’s the plan, as long as we’re playing well,” said Freeze. “Look, this is just like life; you gotta do your job well. And if you do your job well, things usually work out. If you don’t, things usually don’t work out. We have confidence, and I thought he threw it really well the other night and made one bad decision. But the other week, we should own as coaches. So, I hope he continues to build on that… And gain confidence from it.

“At the same time, I’ve been clear about Robby has a role. I do believe, particularly against the level of athleticism we’re getting ready to see. I think there’s a role for him too. He threw it well when he came in the other night. But you can be herky-jerky, in and out. I think that’s something we all agree on.

Ashford has seen his fair share of action this season, accounting for 33 percent of Auburn’s touchdowns scored on offense (5 of 15). He has done much of his damage on the ground as he carried the ball 15 times for 76 yards with four rushing touchdowns. Through the air, Ashford still has some room to grow throwing the football. He has completed six of his 13 pass attempts for 61 yards with one touchdown, but he has yet to be sacked or turned the ball over on the season.

As mentioned above, Thorne has had a few struggles early on despite leading the Tigers to a 3-0 mark to start the season. The former Michigan State quarterback has completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts, 43 of 63, with four passing touchdowns and two on the ground. But Thorne has had some issues in the turnover department on the season as he is thrown three interceptions, with two of them coming last week in Auburn’s 45-13 victory over Samford.

According to Freeze, as things currently stand, he is not in jeopardy of losing his starting position. However, now that Auburn is headed into SEC play, he has a plan to utilize Ashford’s athletic ability in order to keep opposing defenses on their toes.