AUBURN | It was simple in game one.

Payton Thorne started and played most of the snaps and Robby Ashford came in when Auburn reached the red zone, scoring three rushing touchdowns.

There was nothing simple about the quarterback rotation in game two and Hugh Freeze wants to make sure it never happens that way again.

“I do not like the way the other night went with it,” said AU’s first-year head coach. “At the same time, I think Robby has to get his touches. So that is absolutely something that's on my mind, and we've got to figure it out.”

To be fair, Auburn’s entire offense struggled at California with turnovers, penalties and execution. But the quarterback play was a big part of it.

Until Auburn’s final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Thorne was 6 of 10 for 38 yards with one touchdown, one interception and one fumble. Ashford finished 1 of 3 for 0 yards and rushed for eight yards on four carries.

Ashford came in during the middle of AU’s fourth offensive possession of the first half with Tigers at midfield. AU ran three plays and punted.

He came in on a 4th and 2 at the Cal 42-yard line early in the third quarter but gained just one yard on a keeper. Ashford then started AU’s next drive late in the third quarter, gained one first down, but was replaced by Thorne on a 3rd and 15. AU punted again on the next play.

Ashford also made an appearance on AU’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive but it was Thorne that drove the offense forward, completing four consecutive passes including a 28-yarder to Rivaldo Fairweather on 3rd and 17 and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Fairweather.

Thorne’s final stats were 9 of 14 for 94 yards with two touchdowns.

“I don't know that that's exactly what I want it to look like, but we just had no juice, no momentum, and so you're kind of searching for it,” said Freeze. “We need Payton to play better, truthfully, too. Now, the last drive he played well. Prior to that I think a few of the throws were inaccurate. I thought he left the pocket early once.

"And look, I'm not beating up Payton. He played really well that last possession, but we really do need more consistency there throughout the whole game. And that's our challenge, is to get him and Robby and Holden (Geriner) to that point. And so they know that.”

Freeze has maintained throughout the preseason and during the first week that Ashford needs to have a role in this offense because of his dual-threat ability.

That hasn’t changed.

“Robby's got to get his touches,” he said. “We had a really good package for him, had a good drive going in that package. And then one of our running backs went the wrong way and created a negative play and got us behind the chains.

“So it was just one thing after another offensively, which ultimately it has to start with me and our offensive staff as to why we did some of the things we did.”

Auburn (2-0) hosts Samford Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+.