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Why Nick Marshall Could Win the Heisman

By Caleb Calhoun

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By now, you have probably heard about Auburn Tigers backup quarterback Jeremy Johnson’s prediction that the guy he is sitting behind, Nick Marshall, will win the Heisman this year. Most people are brushing this off.

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But the sophomore quarterback who is waiting on his turn to replace Marshall after he leaves has a point.

Why are we even questioning if Marshall is a legitimate Heisman candidate? Because he hasn’t put up the passing numbers?

When has that been the Heisman criteria? There’s a quarterback named Eric Crouch who won the Heisman back in 2001 and had 800 fewer passing yards than Marshall.

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    • What about the myth behind Marshall’s inefficiency in the passing game? Although he only threw for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns last year, he also only had 6 interceptions and completed nearly 60 percent of his passes. That’s always the benchmark you want for a mobile quarterback, and although being sacked 19 times isn’t great, it’s nowhere near as bad as some of the most hyped up drop-back passers going into this year.

    Marshall’s rushing total will also likely increase this year. In 2013 he had 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns despite Tre Mason being the primary rusher. Mason, who had 1,816 yards and 23 touchdowns, is gone. Some of those numbers will go to Marshall, which could be enough for him to surpass Cam Newton’s rushing totals in 2010.

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    • Still have questions about his passing abilities? Go back to that national championship game.

    While it’s true the Tigers lost, Marshall did show just how good he can be throwing the football. It only slightly shows up in the numbers as he was 14 of 27 for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns, but don’t discount the defense he was playing against. And then look at the two passes he completed to Sammie Coates on that final drive when Auburn scored what could have been the winning touchdown. Mason got all the credit for the drive, and it was well-deserved, but Marshall made two very accurate throws.

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    • Throughout all of last year, when it was time to throw, Marshall came through. Although that business in Georgia was just sheer luck. And this is not a ringing endorsement of him to become the Heisman frontrunner.

    But to simply discount a quarterback who led his team to the national championship, is a dual threat, could potentially put up gaudy stats, and is a proven performer in the clutch, is ridiculous when we’re talking about the Heisman. Oh, and having Gus Malzahn coaching him is another huge plus.

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