Nick Marshall's best passing games came during disappointing stretch

AUBURN – The last play of Nick Marshall's college career did not showcase much of the talent Auburn fans came to expect during his 26 games with the Tigers.

Marshall didn't unleash a deep pass, like the one he threw earlier in the game to Ricardo Louis for a 66-yard touchdown, or break free running into the open field, which was all but eliminated from his repertoire in the final four games of the season.

Instead, one of the more prolific quarterbacks in program history flipped the ball to tight end C.J. Uzomah, who passed it back on a bizarre double-pass play on third-and-12 and Auburn lost to Wisconsin a play later on a missed field goal in overtime of the Outback Bowl.

It was an odd finish to a two-year run that saw Marshall develop into a more accurate passer, completing over 60 percent during six of the last seven games, including three games over 65 percent, and supply Auburn with some incredible moments both in the incredible 2013 run and disappointing 2014 season.

"With this being my last game as an Auburn Tiger I really wanted to come out and get a win; but things happen," said Marshall, who was 15-for-22 for 217 yards with two touchdowns in the Outback Bowl. "We just fought through the whole game and in the end it didn't end how we wanted. I'm still blessed to have been an Auburn Tiger."

Marshall's best passing performances came down the stretch of what turned into a collapse for the Tigers, with losses in their final four FBS games. Yet in those loses only the late fumbles against Texas A&M had anything to do with Marshall, whose 456 yards against Alabama set a program record.

He was as precise a tactician as ever against Wisconsin with his deep throw to Louis and perfectly placed scoring pass to Uzomah, both of which gave Auburn the lead.

"I thought Nick did some good things," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "Their plan was to keep him from running the football. Their ends were soft and they were making us give it and we figured that would be a possibility. But Nick made some good throws. The throw to Ricardo and the throw to C.J. were extremely good throws."

Malzahn needed a steady hand to run his Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense and found it in the subdued Marshall, who won the starting job after just two weeks of practice in Aug. 2013 and never looked back.

Marshall was one of the most efficient passers in the country when his team was trailing by seven or less in each of the past two seasons, ranking second (221.4) only to Louisville's Kyle Bolin (242.3) this season but with five more touchdowns.

"I'll look back like it was a great experience being here these two years," Marshall said. "I became an Auburn man just like (offensive coordinator Rhett) Lashlee and coach Malzahn told me I'd be."

From the game-winning score against Mississippi State, the Prayer at Jordan-Hare and game-tying touchdown pass in the Iron Bowl in 2013 to the game-winning pass to D'haquille Williams at Kansas State and stellar performances against Ole Miss and Alabama this season, Marshall helped deliver Auburn wins.

His legacy won't include a Heisman Trophy or National Championship, but he did help lead the turnaround in 2013 and had the greatest passing performance in program history in the Iron Bowl.

Marshall had his share of off-the-field issues before and during his time on the Plains, but what he meant to the program on the field over the past two years is difficult to overstate.

"He left it all out there on the field and that's just the type of player that he is," center Reese Dismukes said. "He's a winner and I'm going to miss being with him."