Auburn Football: What Bowl Game Records Are Most Likely to Be Broken?
Nov 29, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall (14) throws a second quarter touchdown pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Passing Yards: 394, Career Touchdown Passes: 4, Touchdown Passes: 3
Ben Leard threw for an Auburn bowl record of 394 passing yards against Michigan in the 2001 Citrus Bowl. Leard completed 28 of 37 passes and connected for three touchdowns, which tied Reggie Slack‘s 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl record for the Tigers. Slack and Phil Gargis (1973-74) share the Auburn bowl career record with four career touchdown passes.
The Citrus Bowl performance surpassed current Auburn wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig‘s 370 yards through the air against Army in the 1996 Independence Bowl.
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Leard’s 394 yards were the second most in a single-game for Auburn entering the 2014 season, just one spot behind the 416 yards he amassed against Georgia in 1999. That record stood for 15 years, until Nick Marshall broke it with 456 yards and three touchdowns on 27-for-43 passing against Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
It was an out of character passing day for the senior signal caller, who has thrown for 2,315 yards this season, but it showed Marshall has the ability to put up big numbers through the air.
Last season, Marshall had 217 passing yards and two touchdown tosses in the BCS National Championship Game. With three more TDs through the air in this year’s Outback Bowl, he would break the career bowl game touchdown record.
Next: Opponent Points Scored, Rushing Yards and Rushing TDs