Auburn suffers heartbreaking defeat to Oklahoma after late Thorne pick-six

The Auburn Tigers suffered a brutal loss against the Oklahoma Sooners in a final score of 27-21 at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Payton Thorne was phenomenal for the first three quarters for the Tigers after being benched last week against Arkansas and returning in the second half following three first half interceptions from backup Hank Brown, but the game was essentially decided on a fourth quarter pick six by Thorne on 3rd and 4 to give the game away:

That just happened. @KipLewis9 | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/xmmZmYgoma

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 28, 2024

The interception came on the heels of what was a tremendous first three quarters from Thorne. Having to weather an early storm, the Tigers offense looked like a different unit in the first half than it had.

After some trouble over the first three drives, Thorne delivered a 31-yard touchdown strike to KeAndre Lambert-Smith to tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter.

BIG. PLAY. DRE. ALL. DAY. 💥

📺 ABC | @drelambertt pic.twitter.com/uLOySm4j4U

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 28, 2024

Thorne would lead another touchdown drive the next time the Tigers had the ball, ending it off with perhaps the best throw he had made while playing at Auburn, a 48-yard dime to Malcolm Simmons:

The name is YUNG MALCOLM 🍿

📺 SEC on ABC | @MalcolmSimmons0 pic.twitter.com/WOgM5XavaG

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 28, 2024

The second half was going as well as the first did for Auburn with the defense doing their job and the offense putting them up by two possessions early in the fourth quarter on Thorne’s third touchdown pass, this time to Luke Deal:

LUKE DEAL ARE YOU SERIOUS 😱

📺 SEC on ABC pic.twitter.com/k3ugmD9bLC

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 28, 2024

Auburn’s defense would hold strong once again on the ensuing Oklahoma drive, stopping the Sooners on fourth down and pushing the game to the brink of being over:

That Auburn Defense @_JayRashaan 📈 pic.twitter.com/JMdNnJmSj9

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 28, 2024

Things unraveled from there after an Auburn missed field goal was followed up by a quick Oklahoma touchdown. It was on the ensuing Auburn drive where disaster struck and Thorne threw the pick-six.

Auburn would get the ball two more times but was unable to muster up anymore points with a Sooners field goal in between when the Tigers failed to convert on fourth down in their own territory.

Thorne finished 21 of 32 for 338 yards and three touchdowns and the one critical interception. Moving forward, Auburn will likely continue to start Thorne at quarterback, but things only get tougher with a trip to Georgia on deck next week already sitting at 2-3.