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Auburn football quarterback Payton Thorne is ready to put the Week 2 loss behind him. The Tigers fell on the wrong end of a matchup with California 21-14, where the senior completed 14-of-27 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. After a solid Week 1 outing, it's more likely that Thorne will rebound from the disappointing performance in Week 2, but he also is receiving some unwanted attention along the way.
Auburn's loss has left a ripple effect across the football landscape, and apparently the betting public. So much so that fans are even requesting a refund from Thorne for their bets over the weekend, among other harsh criticism, per his appearance on “The Next Round.”
“Obviously everyone says just don’t listen to it and all that. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done because, in today’s world, they come at you from all different angles,” Thorne said. “You hear it verbally. That’s probably the least one. But, just walking down the street, you hear it sometimes. And then, obviously the social media, they hit you on Venmo, all types of stuff.
“You just have to block it out. You have to go back to where your foundation is in your life. And for me, that’s my faith and my family,” Thorne continued. “So just doing that, but also just keeping the focus on what’s next. Like I said, there’s nothing we can do about Saturday, but I can handle today.”
Auburn QB Payton Thorne says fans are requesting money from him via Venmo after losses to pay for lost bets.
Only in the SEC. pic.twitter.com/mK3BGxTuWO
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) September 10, 2024
Thorne had to set the record straight about the Venmo issue to avoid any misunderstanding.
“They’re definitely not sending cash,” Thorne said. “It’s funny. When they lose money, they want their money back but when they win money on a parlay, no one’s ever sent me any of the money.”
Auburn entered last week's matchup a 13.5-point favorite against Cal. The large spread was mostly due to them throttling Alabama A&M 73-3 the week before. The Venmo thing is pretty disturbing, to say the least. But Thorne can't be the only college athlete who's had to experience that outside noise, which is likely why he's doing his best to laugh it off.
Will Payton Thorne remain Auburn's starting quarterback?
Head coach Hugh Freeze has a huge decision to make ahead of Auburn football's Week 3 game against New Mexico. While Thorne could easily bounce back after throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1, Tigers fans have been clamoring for freshman Hank Brown to get more looks.
Despite the enormous potential of Brown, it appears that Freeze will likely give Thorne a redemption shot in a far less daunting matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 14 as they face winless New Mexico.
