Gus Malzahn Names One Player Who Never Got the Credit He Deserved
In 1902, the Auburn Tigers began their quest for gridiron domination, finishing 2-4-1 in what would become their first of 122 years of competition. Over the course of more than a century, Auburn has won double-digit games 14 times, claimed two national titles, and nearly won another in 2013.
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Twelve years ago, Auburn went 12-2, going from pre-season unranked to a date with the Florida State Seminoles in the BCS Championship.
Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn
Auburn ultimately lost 34-31, but the journey to Pasadena, California, was that of legend, including a walk-off field goal return against their rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and a victory against the Georgia Bulldogs at the horn that featured a tipped Nick Marshall pass that went to receiver Ricardo Louis for 73-yards.
Despite the heartbreaking finish to the season and their third title in program history avoiding their clutches, many of the Auburn faithful hold that 2013 team in high regard.
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On Thursday, ESPN's Paul Finebaum took to Twitter, asking his following to "name an athlete who never got enough recognition in their career." Gus Malzahn's respond? The aforementioned Nick Marshall.
Malzahn coached Marshall during the 2013 season, with the dual-threat passer throwing for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns against seven picks as a first-year starter. More notably, he tailed 1,068 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground and routinely upped his performances in the fourth quarter.
Marshall returned in 2014, again playing under Malzahn, and showed significant improvement as a passer. However, Auburn failed to build on its previous year's success, going 8-5 and losing 34-31 in the Outback Bowl.
Related: Auburn WR Getting Recognized as 'Most Underrated' Player in College Football
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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