Never has the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Nick Marshall been better on display than what we saw Thursday night in Manhattan, Kansas.
At times, many of the bad tendencies Marshall displayed in 2013, a lack of touch on deep balls, low passes that are batted down at the line and poor decisions on the zone read, reared their ugly head against the Wildcats.
It got to the point that the couch-seat coaches of social media began calling for Marshall to be yanked in favor of backup quarterback Jeremy Johnson.
But then came the moments of brilliance, such as the pinpoint pass to D'haquille Williams in the corner of the end zone for a third quarter touchdown.
Then it was his poised connection with Duke on third-and-9 in his own territory late in the fourth quarter, a completion that sealed Auburn's victory over a scrappy Kansas State team fighting to claw back late in the game.
Marshall's final pass Thursday night is a prime example of why Marshall is, and should continue to be, Auburn's starting quarterback: Gus Malzahn trusts him with the game on the line.
"He has that knack for when the game is on the line," Malzahn said of his senior quarterback. "He did it all last year, and he did it tonight. He helped find a way to help our team win the game."
This isn't the first, and likely won't be the last time that Marshall stepped up when given the opportunity.
Whether it's the oft-forgotten game-winner to C.J. Uzomah against Mississippi State last season, or his improvisation on the tying touchdown of the Iron Bowl, Marshall has shown an icy calmness in late-game situations.
While it's hard not to be critical of the quarterback as he continues to miss open receivers deep down the field, it's also important to realize how easy he's made late-game situations look as a starter.
Marshall has lost two games as a starter, and one of those required a last-minute drive from a Heisman trophy winning quarterback.
We've yet to see the significant passing improvement from Marshall that Malzahn and his coaching staff raved about this offseason.
But one thing hasn't changed: Marshall's teammates and coaches fully trust him to make a play when his team needs it.
It's about time Auburn's fanbase showed that trust as well.
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