Payton Thorne, redshirt junior quarterback for Michigan State, believes he’s become a better player this season and has taken notice during practice while spending time with his offense.

“I think that this year in a whole I’m a better player than I was last year,” Thorne said per MLive’s Matt Wenzel. “The stats may not reflect that but I know that I’m a better player now than I was a year ago. That comes down to those things – processing things quickly, I feel like I’m seeing the defense well right now and getting to the right plays. I felt like the past few weeks it’s been getting better and better.”

This season Thorne has thrown for 2450 yards for 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His quarterback rating, an average of specific stats for grading, ranks 44th in the nation.

“Sometimes the stats don’t reflect that for one reason or another. There’s a lot of other things that aren’t on the stat sheet too,” Thorne said about his current statistical standings. “You’ve really got to watch the game and understand what’s happening to understand those things.”

Thorne has a 16-8 record as a starter and is in his 4th year with the Michigan State program.