As Auburn was about to pull away for the trip to the team hotel Friday, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee called quarterback Jeremy Johnson to the front of the bus.
“Are you ready?” Lashlee asked his talented 6-foot-5 freshman quarterback.
Johnson answered with the confidence of a grizzled veteran: “Yes.”
“Well, we’re going to start you this Saturday,” Lashlee informed Johnson.
The news quickly swept over an excited Auburn fan base, almost as quickly and effectively as Johnson directed the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) to touchdown drives on 7 of their first 8 possessions in a 62-3 runaway victory over FCS-opponent Western Carolina (1-6) during Saturday’s homecoming game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“From that point on I just stayed focus on my play,” Johnson said Saturday
Making his first career start in place of banged-up junior starter Nick Marshall, last year’s Mr. Alabama football was as good as advertised, going 17-of-21 passing for 201 yards and four touchdowns before exiting with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
Walking off the field after the game, Johnson got a hug and some words of encouragement from Lashlee before being blanketed by cameras like a newly minted celebrity.
“It was really just showcasing (my skills) and showing the world that it doesn’t matter what level I play on, I can play,” Johnson said. “I can play football and God blessed me with the ability … and I just showed the world.”
Marshall missed his first game this season after suffering an injury to his right knee in the fourth quarter of last week’s 30-22 victory over Ole Miss.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn wouldn’t say if Marshall would start next week in a pivotal Western Division showdown at No. 9 Texas A&M.
“We wanted to rest him and make sure he is 100 percent — we’re hoping so,” Malzahn said of his decision to sit Marshall. “We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow and Tuesday in practice.”
Behind Johnson and a potent running game, led by 133 yards from Cameron Artis-Payne and another 100 from Tre Mason, Auburn finished with a school-record 712 yards of offense, including 511 rushing for third-most in program history. The 712 yards eclipsed the previous high of 695 set against Southwestern Louisiana in 1985, when the Tigers racked up a school-record 565 rushing yards. Auburn was 15 yards from eclipsing the 526 rushing yards set against Furman in 1946.
Johnson was on from the start, completing his first four consecutive passes, including an 8-yard touchdown strike to senior Jay Prosch — the first of both their careers — to put Auburn up 14-0 less than 5 minutes into the game.
After skipping a pass to Ricardo Louis for his first incomplete pass, Johnson didn’t miss his second chance, hitting Louis in stride with a lofting pass into the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown two plays later to go ahead 21-3 on Western Carolina.
“It was kind of my fault because I tried to throw the ball too early, and it kind of slipped out of my hand,” Johnson said. “But we knew we had them the next time so that’s why we came back with it the next play.”
A pair of 50-plus yard touchdown runs from Corey Grant (51) and Mason (53) bookended a drive during which Johnson made his one major mistake — an interception by the Catamounts’ Fred Payne on a floating pass intended for Louis that halted a string of four consecutive touchdown drives to start the game. Mason also added a 20-yard touchdown run to cap Auburn’s opening series.
Despite Johnson’s impressive debut, Malzahn squashed any potential for a quarterback controversy immediately after the game.
“No, not at all. I think we proved today that we have two very capable quarterbacks, and I think that will do nothing but help us moving forward,” he said.
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