Hugh Freeze addresses Auburn using two quarterbacks, the plan moving forward

Hugh Freeze used two quarterbacks in two different ways in Auburn’s 59-14 win over UMass to open the season.

That plan won’t stop by the way. The old saying is “if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” Well, Auburn has two and two good ones according to Freeze.

Payton Thorne is the starter but Robby Ashford, who pushed Thorne in the training camp battle, was used in red zone and goal line situations.

“As soon as we got down there, we put him in,” Freeze said of Ashford. “So that’s on the call sheet, that’s the plan. I mean, it wasn’t something that I just said, ‘Hey, how about let’s try Robby here.’ It was planned. I think every game plan is different, I just think he’s super talented. And I think there’s a lot of things we can do with him.”

Ashford was just two-of-six passing for three yards but ran nine times for 51 yards and three touchdowns. Thorne meanwhile had a decent day at the office going 10-of-17 passing for 141 yards and a touchdown.

“And I know people are in this world and day in time, you know, you can’t play two quarterbacks and I don’t know maybe they’re right,” Freeze said. “But we’re 1-0 and if we go 2-0 doing it, we’ll keep doing it. But I just think we need them both. You see how talented he is down there. So sure, it’s always gonna be a possibility.” 

Will it work against Cal in Week 2? That remains to be seen. It may not even look the same as it did against UMass.

But you better bet Freeze and Auburn will try and try again.

“You can’t be so predictable,” Freeze said. “But we obviously weren’t in game one. And there’s not enough tape to get really great data yet on what our tendencies are. So we’ll come up with a game plan for Cal. As I’ve said all along, Robby will always be a part of our game plan.”

Thorne transferred in the offseason from Michigan State and won the ensuing quarterback battle. He had a successful career with the Spartans so it was logical to see him as the starter at Auburn.

Ashford impressed a lot of  people since last year and was certainly tough to leave off the field going into the fall. At this point, Freeze won’t be shy about using both quarterbacks.