Although he was not the starter for last Saturday's game against the Florida Atlantic Owls, true freshman quarterback Jeremy Johnson garnered special attention once again from the SEC for his relief of injured starter Nick Marshall.
Johnson was named the SEC's Freshman of the Week on Monday for the second time in three weeks. The Montgomery native completed 10-of-16 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn's 45-10 victory over Florida Atlantic.
"The coaches tell me to prepare as a starter and to stay focused like a starter," Johnson said after the win. "That's all I did throughout this week and throughout the game. I just came out there and executed."
Johnson entered the game for Marshall, who injured his shoulder, early in the second quarter of Saturday night's win. While Auburn's offense up to that point in the game consisted of running plays and short passes, Johnson's first play from scrimmage was a 36-yard deep ball to receiver Sammie Coates for a touchdown.
The former Carver Wolverine showed off his arm strength later in the game, finding the speedy Coates for a 67-yard touchdown.
"We work on those shots every day in practice," Johnson said. "We work on seeing their angles, and wherever their angle is, that's where I put the ball."
Johnson's first SEC Freshman of the Week award came after his debut performance against Western Carolina two weeks ago. He completed 17-of-21 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns against the FCS-level Catamounts.
"When Jeremy was able to step right in, I felt like we didn't miss a beat," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. "I felt like he played well."
Johnson's latest Freshman of the Week award was the fourth consecutive individual recognition for the Tigers this season. Defensive end Carl Lawson picked up Freshman of the Week honors after the Ole Miss game, and Marshall was SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Auburn's upset win against Texas A&M.
According to Lashlee, Marshall should be healthy to practice this week for Saturday's game at Arkansas.
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