Auburn Beats Kansas State: Nick Marshall Clutch Again
Auburn Beats Kansas State 20-14
Player of the Game: Nick Marshall-17/31 for 231 Yards and 2 touchdowns, 10 carries for 46 yards
It’s time to stop using the term luck when it comes to Auburn. The Tigers should have run out by now. This is a team that had three great escapes last year and nearly had another one in the national championship game. Then came Thursday night.
At some point, you have to take away the luck factor and say that there is some sort of catalyst behind this.
That catalyst is Nick Marshall.
As the Tigers beat the Wildcats in an SEC vs. Big 12 match-up between two ranked teams Thursday night, it wasn’t their usual “lucky” win. They had the ball with the lead by 6 in the fourth quarter.
But on third down with the possibility of giving the ball back to Kansas State, Gus Malzahn put the ball in his quarterback’s hands. All Marshall did was make a beautiful throw down the sideline to Duke Williams for a first down that cinched the game. This is Marshall’s style.
He may not be the most accurate SEC quarterback, but when it’s time to make the throw, he always comes through. Don’t forget that his only mistake in the national championship game against Florida State was scoring too quickly.
It was no different Thursday night. Marshall barely completed more than 50 percent of his passes. He had an interception. But when Kansas State took a 7-3 lead in the first half, he threw a touchdown pass on the next drive. With the game close in the second half, he threw another touchdown pass. Then came the third down throw he made to clinch the game.
Yes, Marshall is a very mobile quarterback and is the perfect fit for Gus Malzahn’s offense, but he also has that extra clutch gene that can’t be explained but shows at the most opportune times. It should also be noted that Marshall’s numbers could have been better because many of his passes were tipped at the line or dropped by his receivers.
In fact, his third down pass that clinched the game went to Williams, a guy who had 2 bad drops earlier in the game.
Auburn still had its share of breaks. With three 3 field goals and 3 turnovers Kansas State gave away a 19-point swing, leaving 16 points on the field and giving up a field goal. However, two of those field goals were beyond 40 yards on a windy night, and it’s not like Auburn didn’t have its share of bad breaks.
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The constant good fortune is no longer a coincidence. It is the result of a habit. The Tigers never panic or worry that they won’t be in position to win the game, and Marshall has that same mentality. It’s why he’s always able to make THE throw at THE moment when needed the most.
Consider that Auburn only had 128 rushing yards on the night. They had to win the game through the air, and Marshall had no trouble doing that.
And don’t undersell the win either because you can be sure Bob Stoops isn’t underselling the better teams in the Big 12. Kansas State has lots of expectations and was hyped up to play Auburn at home on a Thursday night. But Marshall made just enough plays to keep them from pulling off an upset, and that’s been his style of play since the beginning of last year.
Why stop now?