‘Just keep scrolling’: How Auburn’s players are making sure one game doesn’t beat them twice

In today’s world, frustrated fans target athletes from all angles — just ask Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne.

In an interview with The Next Round on Tuesday morning, Thorne revealed that fans had tracked down his Venmo account and were requesting money from him after he and the Tigers dropped their Week 2 game to the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday.

Thorne tossed four interceptions in the loss, so it’s not a surprise that he’s been the whipping post for criticism this week.

“I know there’s a lot of hate going towards (Thorne) on social media and things like that. I just told him to keep his head up,” Auburn running back Damari Alston told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “That’s one of my closest friends. I hate to see fans turning on him.”

Alston went on to point out that “everyone was loving him” the week before after the fifth-year quarterback threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in Auburn’s season-opener against Alabama A&M.

And while a lot of the criticism might be pointed at Thorne this week, that isn’t always the case, nor does it stop other Auburn players from reading the negativity on social media.

Alston says when he see it, there’s really only one way to respond — and that’s by not responding at all.

“Most of the time I look at it and keep scrolling,” Alston said. “There’s nothing we can say. If anything, the things we say would probably backfire at us if we replied to comments.

“There’s nothing we can do other than come to this facility and know your brothers have your back and just go to work and get ready for the next opponent.”

Coming off a disappointing loss like Saturday’s, it becomes easy for a team to let one game bleed into the next. And next thing you know, you’ve essentially let the same team beat you twice.

However, in talking with Auburn’s players, it doesn’t sound as though the Tigers are letting that happen with Saturday’s date with New Mexico quickly approaching.

“Everybody’s got a chip on their shoulder,” said Auburn offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright. “We’re ready to go back out there today and compete with each other. Just hold each other accountable to our standard because last week wasn’t the standard.”