NCAA Football Auburn TigersSEC Football

Nick Marshall Leads Auburn Football To Blowout Victory Over LSU

 Oct 4, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall (14) runs a touchdown past LSU Tigers safety Jalen Mills (28) during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Marshall was very productive for the No. 5 Auburn Tigers as they rolled to a 41-7 victory over the No. 15 LSU Tigers. The Auburn quarterback passed for 207 yards along with two touchdowns and ran for 119 yards with two more scores on the ground. Marshall showed his Heisman quality in the SEC battle and with the loss, and LSU head coach Les Miles starts 0-2 in conference play for the first time in his tenure. The 34-point blowout is also the largest margin of defeat for any LSU team since Miles took over the program in 2005.

Auburn’s dominating performance will give the poll voters a lot to consider, as the No. 2 Oregon Ducks, No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners were all upset this week. Auburn completely outmatched LSU on offense, gaining 566-280 in total yards. Marshall led Auburn to score on the first four possessions, while the defense shutout LSU in three quarters of play. LSU won the three previous meetings in the “battle of the Tigers,” but failed to even keep a close game, and the rest was eventually history.

Marshall continues to improve week after week and is quickly proving why Auburn might make a run for the first ever four-team playoff. The upcoming schedule for Auburn will be major determining factor for that possibility, with five of the remaining seven games against teams ranked in the top 15. The Tigers are sure to have their work cut out for them and will need Marshall to have a bigger leadership role for a possible return to the national championship game.

The SEC West is now the most contested division in college football, with three undefeated 5-0 teams (Auburn, Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels). All three had convincing wins this week that should propel them into the top 10 rankings. However, it won’t be for long with Auburn traveling on the road to take on the Mississippi State next week.

Jeff Hauser is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @radiohauser.

Share Tweet