How Payton Thorne’s week one performance stacks up with the rest of the SEC
Week one of the college football season is officially behind us, and Pro Football Focus has evaluated every SEC quarterback’s performance.
The conference went 12-2 on the weekend, with South Carolina and LSU suffering losses to stiff competition from the ACC. Several SEC quarterbacks put together stellar performances while others wish they could get a fresh start in week two.
As for Auburn, the Tigers played three quarterbacks in their 59-14 win over UMass on Saturday. Payton Thorne started the game and ended with 141 yards and a touchdown. Hugh Freeze says that he was pleased overall with Thorne’s start.
“He made three decisions that were not good, but he played good and protected the football,” Freeze said Saturday. “We didn’t ask him to do a lot in the passing game, truthfully, but I thought he was solid. He’ll be ready to improve on what he sees.”
The surprise in Saturday’s game was the role that Robby Ashford played in the win. Freeze mentioned that Ashford would always have a “package”, and it appears that he will be crucial to red zone success. Ashford scored three times on Saturday, all on quarterback runs.
“Every press conference that I’ve been in I’ve said Robby Ashford is vital to us winning football games and I don’t know how else to say it. He is vital to us winning football games,” Freeze said. “I don’t know what that looks like week-to-week, but I know that he’s vital to us winning football games and we need him.”
How did Thorne and Ashford’s week one performance stack up against the rest of the SEC’s signal callers? Here’s a look at the grade that each SEC quarterback received from PFF following week one’s action.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
PFF Grade: 93.7%
You will not find many programs that had a better day passing the football than the Ole Miss Rebels did last Saturday against Mercer. In the Rebels 73-7 win over the Bears last Saturday, starter Jaxson Dart passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He made four “big-time throws” and only experienced one dropped pass.
Dart’s performance was only a sample of what SEC fans can expect from Ole Miss quarterbacks this season. Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns while LSU transfer Walker Howard tossed an additional 56 yards.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
PFF grade: 92.3%
Milroe completed his first start with flying colors. He went 13-of-18 for 194 yards and three touchdowns and had zero “turnover-worthy plays” in Alabama’s 56-7 win over Middle Tennessee State. Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson also took snaps, but neither QB graded above 75%.
For more Alabama football news, visit Roll Tide Wire.
Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
PFF Grade: 91.9%
Weigman only completed 66.7% of his passes in Saturday’s 52-10 win over New Mexico, but it is what he did with those completed passes that tells the story. His completions were good for 8.7 yards per catch, and he tossed five touchdowns. His receivers did not drop a pass, and he was sacked just once despite being pressured 13 times.
For more Texas A&M football news, visit Aggies Wire.
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
PFF Grade: 85.7%
The Hogs rolled to an impressive 56-13 win over Western Carolina on Saturday in Little Rock, and Jefferson was the main reason why. Jefferson connected on 78.3% of his passes (18-of-23) for 246 yards and three touchdowns. His offensive line helped him perform to a high level. They allowed him to throw 23 passes in 24 tries with just one sack. He made two “big-time throws” and created just one “turnover-worthy play.”
For more Arkansas football news, visit Razorbacks Wire.
Brady Cook, Missouri
PFF Grade: 79.6%
The season-opener for Brady Cook was an effective one. Cook completed 80% of his passes (16-of-20) for 170 yards and a score. He made one big-time throw and his receivers dropped just one of his passes. The offensive line aided his performance by allowing just four pressures in the Tigers’ 35-10 win over South Dakota last Thursday. Missouri had a quarterback battle that featured Cook, Sam Horn, and Jake Garcia during the preseason. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz elected to stay with Cook, which looks to be a great decision so far.
Joe Milton, Tennessee
PFF Grade: 78.3%
Milton’s supporting cast backed him up well in the Volunteers’ 49-13 win over Virginia in Nashville on Saturday. Milton completed 21-of-30 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while only experiencing two pressures and one drop from a receiver.
For more Tennessee football news, visit Vols Wire.
Payton Thorne, Auburn
PFF Grade: 74.3%
Thorne’s debut with the Auburn Tigers saw him complete 55.8% of his passes (10-of-18) for 141 yards and a touchdown. He made three “big-time throws” and stayed away from the dreaded “turnover-worthy play.” Thorne may have started the game for Auburn, but he was not the highest-graded quarterback to suit up for Hugh Freeze. Robby Ashford ended the game with an 81.6 due mostly to his performance on the ground. He rushed for 51 yards on nine carries, scoring on three of those plays.
Carson Beck, Georgia
PFF Grade: 70.9%
Beck was Kirby Smart’s pick to take over the role of starting quarterback following the departure of Stetson Bennett. He was able to pass for 298 yards and a touchdown, but he was not as effective as most would have liked in the passing game. He completed 21-of-35 passes (65.6%) with zero drops. Like Thorne at Auburn, Beck was not Georgia’s highest-graded passer in the Bulldogs’ 48-7 win over UT-Martin. Brock Vandagriff ended the game with a 92.4 grade after completing 2-of-3 passes for 77 yards and a score. One of his completions was defined as a “big-time throw.”
For more Georgia football news, visit UGA Wire.
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
PFF Grade: 70.5%
The above photo from South Carolina’s 31-17 loss to North Carolina in Charlotte on Saturday night explains the numbers that Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler posted. Rattler was pressured an astonishing 21 times last Saturday, being sacked eight times. He somehow managed to complete 75% of his passes (30-of-40) for 354 yards.
Jayden Daniels, LSU
PFF Grade: 67.4%
Florida State’s defense was top-notch in Sunday’s 45-24 win over LSU in Orlando, and the evidence can be found within Jayden Daniels’ performance. Daniels dropped back to pass 45 times in the Camping World Kickoff and managed to get off just 35 passes. He was pressured 16 times with four sacks and completed just 22-of-35 passes for 347 yards. Expect Daniels to shine next week as LSU hosts Grambling State next Saturday.
For more LSU football news, visit LSU Tigers Wire.
AJ Swann, Vanderbilt
PFF Grade: 62.4%
In Vanderbilt’s 47-13 win over Alabama A&M last Saturday, Swann failed to follow his season-opening performance over Hawaii. Swann completed just 51.7% of his passes (15-of-29) for 194 yards. He was pressured just three times with one sack, and his receivers had zero drops. This week, the Commodores travel to Wake Forest. If Vanderbilt wants to pull off an upset, they will need Swann to make better throwing decisions.
Graham Mertz, Florida
PFF Grade: 62.0%
Mertz hoped to get a fresh start by transferring to Florida from Wisconsin. However, he may want to try again next week. In Florida’s 24-11 loss to Utah last Thursday, Mertz completed 44-of-51 passes for 333 yards and a touchdown. However, he spent plenty of time running for his life, as he was pressured 13 total times, with five of those pressures turning into sacks. Mertz hopes to get some relief this Saturday when the Gators host McNeese State at the Swamp.
For more Florida football news, visit Gators Wire.
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
PFF Grade: 62.0%
The Bulldogs’ first game in a new system saw a drop in Rogers’ usual production. Rogers passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns in Mississippi State’s 48-7 win over Southeastern Louisiana. His Saturday performance was a change of pace from his usual work, as he did not attempt a “big-time throw” or a “turnover-worthy pass.” He was pressured six times in the win.
Devin Leary, Kentucky
PFF Grade: 55.2%
Kentucky fans who expected an immediate impact from NC State transfer Devin Leary will need to be more patient, as he was not as effective as most of Big Blue Nation had hoped in the Wildcats’ 44-14 win over Ball State. Leary managed to complete just 54.8% of his passes (17-of-31) for 244 yards and a touchdown. He did not have a “big-time throw”, and he made one “turnover-worthy” decision. His receivers dropped two passes, and his offensive line allowed 11 pressures and one sack. Leary will have a chance at a “do-over” next Saturday when the Wildcats host Eastern Kentucky.
