STULTZ: Another setback for QBs

AUBURN | With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Auburn had thrown for a staggering low 45 pass yards, with 19 of those coming on the drive right before Payton Thorne threw an interception into double coverage to put any chance of a comeback to bed.

The numbers don't tell the entire story, although they do speak for themselves in an extremely bad way. The passing game that has been a problem against Power 5 teams all season was somehow worse on Saturday night against an Ole Miss team that came into the game ranked 112th in FBS in pass defense, allowing 261.5 yards per game.

Thorne and Robby Ashford, along with the slew of Auburn receivers who either can't or just refuse to get open, made Pete Golden's crew look like the 1985 Chicago Bears. And, let's face it, questioning moves by the Tigers' coaching staff, especially offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and head coach Hugh Freeze, can't be overlooked as well.

"Everything is up for evaluation," Freeze said. "It has to be."

With neither getting into a groove, the constant switching of the two grew tiresome on the home crowd, especially in the third quarter when boo birds came out for the first time in Freeze's tenure.

And it's not like it's just poor play. It's ugly play, the type that even the Iowa Hawkeyes would look at and feel sorry for. It seems that neither Thorne nor Ashford is the right signal caller for this offense. In front of a sellout crowd and the Auburn defense holding Ole Miss' explosive attack to just 14 points through almost three quarters, the Tigers continued to do nothing.

There has been some bad quarterback play this season from both guys, but switching them back and forth just doesn't seem to help, especially when Ashford garners some momentum, and then Thorne enters, for some reason, on 3rd and 1. At that moment, Ashford gives you the best option to convert.

The booing really gained a few decibels when, in that exact situation, Thorne entered, and then the Tigers got called for 12 men on the field. You can guess how the 3rd and 6 play worked out.

Is there an answer to this? I don't know. With seemingly no trust in Holden Geriner, who came on for one play and lined up at receiver in the most blatant double pass attempt ever, or Hank Brown, the Tigers are stuck with Thorne, who has been disappointing almost all season after transferring in to be the solution, and Ashford, who can make plays but isn't exactly the most accurate passer.

Sure, Thorne had a good drive late in the game, completing a 47-yard pass to Jarquez Hunter before hitting Rivaldo Fairweather for a nine-yard score, but it was too little, too late by that point. Do you trust him to improve so much that the passing attack is considered dangerous? Or do you roll with Ashford, knowing his capabilities?

I don't think Montgomery or Freeze know the answer for now, but something has to be figured out soon, or this season could be a complete disaster.