Auburn coach Hugh Freeze looked as baffled as everyone else watching Saturday’s game between his Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Heading into the fourth quarter and trailing Sam Pittman’s team, the Tigers had five turnovers. Hank Brown threw three first-half interceptions before Payton Thorne added another after starting the second half off a tipped ball.
“Very testing,” Freeze said. “That was out theme this week. Had no idea when I got up this morning to talk to them about being tested, it would be quite like this.”
Not that there is ever a good time for a turnover, the Tigers appeared to be their own worst enemy at times.
Still Freeze liked what he has seen in Thorne, who was inserted into the game for the second half after being benched the week before.
“I thought it was a good ball,” Freeze said on the interception. “… We made the right read. Have to catch that one. Payton’s played solid.
“He’s done it before. He’s played in these type of environments. Payton’s played well to this point. We just have to catch the football when we have wide-open guys running. We haven’t executed today and turned it over near about every possession we’ve had.”
The message appears to have been heard by his team.
On fourth and 2, Thorne hit KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 67-yard strike to close within 17-14 of Arkansas with 9:50 to play.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
