By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Jeremy Johnson threw touchdown passes, and then threw some more, in a smashing debut as an Auburn quarterback Saturday.
But before you ask, don't. Coach Gus Malzahn will not entertain of any suggestion he has a new starting quarterback, even after Johnson threw four touchdown passes subbing for the injured Nick Marshall, and even after Auburn rewrote its record book with 712 yards in a 62-3 win over over-matched Western Carolina in a homecoming romp.
Called to action six games into the season, Johnson hit 17-of-21 passes for 201 yards in the first 2 ½ quarters before heading to the sidelines to stand by Marshall, who hurt his knee in last week's win over Ole Miss.
What did Malzahn see Saturday?
"What we proved today is we have two capable quarterbacks," he said.
It was Marshall who led Auburn to fast start, and it was Johnson who pushed the Tigers' record to 5-1 Saturday. Malzahn is hoping both can contribute against a much tougher opponent next week when the Tigers travel to Texas A&M.
"I want to make this clear: Nick Marshall is our starting quarterback. When he gets back, he'll be the starting quarterback," Malzahn said.
"Jeremy," he added, "will help this team win the rest of the season."
Marshall's injury opened the door for Johnson, who had his redshirt taken off later in a season than most. Malzahn said the "timing was perfect." Certainly, a Western Carolina team that seldom pressured Johnson and left receivers generally open gave him a chance to get a feel for the college game.
"I thought Jeremy did a solid job," Malzahn said. "He's been in the mix for a couple of week now, and our starter was not completely healthy."
Johnson said he was told he'd be the starting quarterback late Friday afternoon as the team bus left Auburn for an overnight stay in Montgomery. He promised offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee he would be ready.
He was.
But the game gave others a chance to shine. Cameron Artis-Payne gained a game-high 133 yards and scored a touchdown on only seven carries. Tre Mason rushed for 100 yards on only six carries. Corey Grant added 83. Former walk-on Chandler Shakespeare rushed for 63. And freshman Jonathan Ford, who played defensive back early in the game and was been two months removed from practicing with the offense, gained 45 yards and scored a touchdown on two carries.
Ricardo Louis caught a 46-yard touchdown beauty from Johnson; Tony Stevens caught a 22-yard touchdown pass and Quan Bray caught a 3-yard TD pass from him, too.
Even fullback Jay Prosch got in the act, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown pass. He said it was the first touchdown pass he's caught. Ever.
Auburn's 712 yards topped the Tigers' previous best day on offense, coming in 1985 when they gained 695 yards against Southwestern Louisiana.
Auburn led Saturday's game 42-3 at the half. The Tigers threw five passes in the second half. They scored only six in the fourth quarter.
The total yards were lopsided - Auburn's 712 dwarfed Western Carolina's 173. First downs also told the story. Auburn had 30. The Catamounts had only six.
How bad was it?
"The game could have been a lot uglier than it was," said Western Carolina coach Mark Speir.
He called Malzahn "a class act."
"They just out-manned us, out-powered us," Speir said.
The Tigers, winners of three games last year without Malzahn, hit the halfway mark of this season felling pretty good.
"I'm proud of the team at the halfway point of the season. We've done some good things. We've not arrived," Malzahn said.