Struggling Auburn transfer must have ‘Bo Nix game’ vs LSU in Week 7

Struggling Auburn football quarterback Payton Thorne needs to evoke the spirit of the last Tigers quarterback to march into Death Valley and knock off LSU, Bo Nix, when AU takes the field in Week 7 in Baton Rouge.

Auburn has a chance to go nab their fourth win of the season with a win over LSU — a team rife with question marks with two losses on their record to Ole Miss and Florida State already and nearly a third against Missouri in Week 6 before the Bayou Bengals backdoor-covered late on October 7 in a 49-39 win on the road.

Just like the chance they had in 2021. And the comparisons to that season, another campaign in which a first-year head coach was trying to establish himself on the Plains, certainly don’t end there…

Payton Thorne needs to solidify his spot as Auburn football QB1

When Nix marched into Death Valley and stared the impossible in the face before delivering perhaps the 2021 season’s best win in hindsight, right along with the Ole Miss at the very least, he had been dealing with questions about his starting spot.

Nix had been coming off a narrow win over Georgia State in which TJ Finley had to replace him under center late and led the Tigers to a home victory that never should have been as close as it was. His starting job was very much in question.

That’s where Thorne is now, with Robby Ashford and his red zone efficiency next in line and Holden Geriner and his room-best arm behind that. Having yet to throw for 100 yards against a Power Five opponent this season, Thorne is facing questions about whether or not he truly is the best option at QB.

March into LSU and beat a ranked Tigers team, and Thorne answers all those questions in one fell swoop. Just like Nix did two years ago.