Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne missed all but one of Auburn’s Music City Bowl practices on campus before the team broke for Christmas because he had the flu, he said while speaking to reporters Wednesday in Nashville.

Auburn arrived in Nashville on Tuesday and Thorne’s availability came at Vanderbilt’s practice field before the team’s first on-site practice there.

Thorne said he feels good ahead of the Music City Bowl set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Thorne practiced Wednesday after not being seen on the field during a media viewing window last week.

But head coach Hugh Freeze said Thorne’s flu symptoms are part of a bit of a bug running through the team ahead of the game against Maryland.

“Yeah, we’ve had a run of sickness,” Freeze said Wednesday. “We actually left two guys at the hotel today, too. We had a run, last week, of guys missing practice with flu-like symptoms. (Thorne) seems to be feeling good, but it’s really good to let him get outside and hopefully get him today and tomorrow. I haven’t seen the weather for tomorrow, but this is a good day for him to have a good practice, for sure, because he did miss — shoot — last week, I think every day but one.”

Freeze did not state which players were still feeling sick or who dealt with sickness other than Thorne.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]