Just five months ago, Auburn narrowly lost to Florida State in the National Championship after having gone 3-9 just one season prior. So, what was the reason for such a drastic change of success? Among other things, Gus Malzahn was the reason behind Auburn’s success. Being the brilliant coach that he is, Malzahn brought in the talent he needed to run his offense. With no viable quarterbacks on the roster, Malzahn turned to Nick Marshall, a junior college quarterback that was formerly a four-star cornerback commit to Georgia. Malzahn turned Marshall into an SEC champion in his first season. With a full year under his belt, what is to be expected of Marshall next season?
No matter what, Marshall will be the main component of the offense, but his development as a passer will determine how the offense works. Malzahn can change his offense to fit his talent at the drop of a hat, and he knew that Marshall was not ready to throw 25 to 35 passes per game last year. Last season, Marshall averaged 17 passes per game, which was perfect for a JuCo transfer that was not passing oriented to begin with. Instead of forcing an inconsistent passer to continually throw, Malzahn let Marshall win with his feet. Marshall ran nearly as much as he threw, averaging 12 rushing attempts per game. Depending on how mature Marshall has become as a passer, that may change.
After a full year, development from Marshall should be expected, and with that, more responsibility becomes his. Marshall had even begun to come on a bit near the end of the season. To some extent, Marshall is a poor man’s version of Cam Newton, who Malzahn had had just four years ago. The difference is that Newton threw more, and with more success. Though Malzahn can succeed with a run-heavy attack like in 2013, his claim to fame came from dominating team’s through the air. As a high school coach, Malzahn’s team broke the state record for passing touchdowns, as well as having plenty of success through the air with multiple college programs. With Marshall now being comfortable, expect Malzahn to begin throwing more often. Marshall only threw 239 passes last year, but in 2014, that number will be closer to 300. Passing more will, in theory, prolong the game and create more drives for the offense, allowing for even more opportunities. All of that roots from Marshall having to be the passer that Malzahn needs, which, to a slight degree, he will be.
Marshall had eclipsed over 3,000 yards with 26 touchdowns last year, but he is capable of more. He has all the physical tools that coaches dream to have, and if anyone can extract the raw talent from Marshall, it is Malzahn. 2014 is a new season, and the Auburn football team will be a new team- a better one. Marshall’s end-year production will surpass his 2013 totals. For the sake of comparison, Marshall’s 2014 numbers will be roughly 3,750 total yards and 35 touchdowns. Now, with the increased passing workload comes interceptions, but that is to be expected and Auburn’s defense is stout enough to handle it. Marshall is not Cam Newton, but Malzahn is a genius that will be able to allow him to be equally productive.