Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne jogged out onto Pat Dye Field for the pregame coin toss, as he does every week as one of the Tigers’ four team captains.

However, after Auburn received the opening kickoff, which landed in the Tigers’ own endzone for a touchback, it was sophomore quarterback Robby Ashford who trotted out onto the field for Auburn’s first offensive snap.

Saturday night was Ashford’s first start since last season, when he won over the job midway through the 2022 season.

Ashford finished last season with just more than 1,600 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, since bringing junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne to The Plains in the offseason, it’s been Thorne’s offense to run.

Thorne won the starting job back on Aug. 17 after a three-man battle between himself, Ashford and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner.

But as Auburn’s offense has played too many games in which it appeared stuck in the mud with its tires spinning, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze decided to make a change Saturday night against the 13th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels.

However, come Auburn’s second drive of the night, it was Thorne who was brought back onto the field against the Rebels, indicating that Freeze might keep his two-quarterback rotation rolling against Ole Miss Saturday night.