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There has been a heavy buzz on the Plains surrounding the recent additions to the football program from the transfer portal.
Auburn has added an experienced offensive lineman in Jaden Muskrat, as well as a solid upgrade to the Jack position with Jalen McLeod. The wide receiver room has also received a bump with the transfer of Caleb Burton, a highly-touted high school prospect from the state of Texas. But the transfer that has made the most noise is the addition of former Michigan State quarterback, Payton Thorne.
Thorne was a staple of the 2021 Spartan squad that finished 11-2 and won the Chick Fil A Peach Bowl over Pittsburgh. During that season, he passed for 3,240 yards and 21 touchdowns. Thorne’s presence will definitely ramp up the quarterback battle with incumbent Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner heading into the fall.
Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire recently ranked each SEC quarterback following spring practice exercises and says that if Thorne can return to his 2021 form, that Auburn “should be a lot more dangerous on offense.”
Following the announcement of Thorne’s transfer to Auburn, we at Auburn Wire decided to do a breakdown of his ten best performances during his three-season career at Michigan State based on his final grade from Pro Football Focus.
From his coming out party at Penn State to his amazing performance at Rutgers, here’s a look at Payton Thorne’s best performances during his time at Michigan State.
Sept. 17, 2022 at Washington
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 71.5
The best game of Thorne’s 2022 campaign resulted in a loss. In Michigan State’s 39-28 loss to Washington in Seattle in mid-September, Thorne passed for a season high 323 yards, and completed a 71% of his passes, his second-highest completion percentage of the season.
Oct. 16, 2021 at Indiana
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 73.4
One of several games from Michigan State’s impressive 2021 campaign is the Spartan’s 20-15 win over Indiana. The win was Thorne’s fifth-highest rated games of the 2021 season, and it was one of seven games that Thorne graded 70-or-higher. The win over Indiana was not one of his more memorable games stat wise, as the passed for just 126 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 10 additional yards.
Nov. 8, 2021 vs. Maryland
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 73.6
After dropping their first game of the season a week prior to Purdue, The 9-1 Spartans bounced back by trouncing Maryland at home, 40-21. Thorne completed 73% of his passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns. His top target of the game was Jayden Reed, who reeled in 143 yards on eight catches.
Dec. 12, 2020 at Penn State
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 74.4
The 2020 game at Penn State, though dubbed a loss, was the game that introduced the college football world to Payton Thorne. Thorne’s third game of his freshman season would be his best of the year, as he threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns were to receiver Jalen Nailor.
Nov. 12, 2022 vs. Rutgers
Syndication Lansing State Journal
PFF Grade: 74.5
Thorne’s 256-yard passing performance would begin a streak of three-straigh games of 220-plus passing yards. Thorne also rushed for 33 yards in Michigan State’s 27-21 win over the Scarlet Knights.
Oct. 2, 2021 vs. Western Kentucky
Lansing State Journal
PFF Grade: 75.1
Thorne completed 20-of-30 passes for 327 yards in the Spartans 48-31 win over Western Kentucky. At the time, it was Thorne’s best performance of the season. However, he would shatter that mark just one week later at Rutgers. Although he won the war, Thorne lost the passing battle to former Western Kentucky and now New England Patriot quarterback, Bailey Zappe, who threw for 488 yards and three touchdowns in the game.
Nov. 5, 2022 at Illinois
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 80.1
Thorne’s third-lowest passing output of the season would still be enough to lift the Spartans to a road win at Illinois last season. Thorne passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan State’s 23-15 win over the Fighting Illini. His longest touchdown pass of the game was a 16-yard toss to Jayden Reed in the 3rd quarter.
Oct. 15, 2022 vs. Wisconsin
Nic Antaya/Getty Images
PFF Grade: 83.2
Not only was Thorne proficient in passing by completing 75% of his passes, but he also turned in clutch performance to give his team a 34-28 win over Wisconsin in overtime. His 27-yard pass to Jayden Reed in the 2nd overtime was the dagger. He ended the game completing 21-of-28 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Sept. 11, 2021 vs. Youngstown State
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 89.8
It was just your typical day at the yard for Thorne in Michigan State’s 42-14 win over Youngstown State in 2021. He threw a career-high four touchdowns in the win over the Penguins, which kickstarted a season where Thorne passed for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to an 11-2 season and a Peach Bowl victory.
Oct. 9, 2021 at Rutgers
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
PFF Grade: 91.2
If the 2020 game at Penn State was the game that introduced the world to Thorne, the 2021 game at Rutgers was the game that put Thorne on the map. Thorne passed for a career-high 339 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan State’s win over Rutgers in 2021. All three of his touchdown passes were to Jaylin Nailor, and went for distances of 63, 63, and 65 yards.
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