Auburn Offense vs Kansas State: Position Grades
Sep 18, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall (14) drops back to pass during a 20-14 win against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback
Nick Marshall did not get off to a great start Thursday night. Marshall completed only six of his first 14 passes for 64 yards and he was intercepted when a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage flew into the air and into the outstretched arms of K-State linebacker Dakorey Johnson.
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Though, not all of it was his fault. The receivers dropped multiple passes, and the Auburn offense struggled to pick up yards on first and second down both on the ground and through the air.
However, when the pressure was on, and the Auburn offense needed their senior quarterback to make a play, Nick Marshall stepped up and got the job done. Marshall was 11-of-17 passing after his slow start, including two touchdowns and the game-sealing pass to Duke Williams on 3rd-and-9 with 2:06 left on the clock.
In my personal opinion, the Tigers did not need to rely on Marshall as much as they did. The Auburn offense probably could have succeeded had they concentrated more on the rushing attack in the first twenty minutes of the game. But, the fact that Marshall rose to the occasion and found a way to get his team a win is a great sign moving forward.
Gus Malzahn, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and the rest of the coaching staff believed enough in Nick Marshall to put the ball in his hands – and for Marshall to put the ball in the air – to win the game. He finished with 17 completions in 31 attempts for 231 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added 46 yards on the ground on ten attempts.
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was enough.
Grade: B