Cam Newton's 1,473 rushing yards were a big factor in the success of Auburn's 2010 national championship season.
Like Newton, quarterback Nick Marshall has shown his mobility to rush for big time yards. The senior currently holds the school record with eight 100-yard games rushing as a quarterback.
While head coach Gus Malzahn has built his hurry-up, no-huddle offenses around mobile quarterbacks, a good passing game also helps.
Passing is an area Marshall has made huge strides to be effective in since last season, and the senior's league-leading 156.6 pass efficiency rating in 2014 SEC games proves it.
Marshall has always had an ability to make big plays with his legs, but wasn't confident to do the same with his arm until this season.
"He's trying to throw the ball first, and if he goes through his progressions and it's not there, he needs to feel confident to let his instincts take over and go make plays," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.
The Tigers' signal-caller is tied for eighth in Auburn career touchdown passes thrown and is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the nation's top player; and the Davey O'Brien Award, which goes to the top quarterback.
"My confidence level is really high right now," Marshall said after the close win at Kansas State. "Last year, I would've probably flushed out of the pocket on (a late fourth quarter completion to Duke Williams for the win against Kansas State). But, this year, I just trust my linemen with everything in me, and I know they trust me."
Now that Marshall is more versatile on the field, opponents cannot be sure what to expect from Auburn's offense.
"We can go deep, we can throw it short, we can run the ball on you," said junior wide receiver Sammie Coates. "It's just one of those things that coach Malzahn brings out. We can do either one with Nick throwing it the way he's throwing it, and the way we're running it."
Auburn's coaches are more confident to call the plays they need to call now that Marshall is more comfortable throwing the football, Lashlee said.
"He's not going to throw into bad situations," Lashlee said. "If he needs to scramble and ad lib like he did a few times (against LSU) he can. As a coach you trust him more and more to call things to give him chances to make plays knowing that if it's not there he's going to make it right. That's probably the biggest change from last year to now."
Lashlee said coaches felt Marshall had a really good grasp of the run aspect in the Tennessee game last year. That's when they started giving him more to add to his game.
"We have really trusted him fully since then," Lashlee said. "There were times when he didn't always make the right decision. Sometimes he makes it right when he's wrong if that makes any sense. But he has gotten better this year at not being greedy."
Marshall will need to make a few more plays in the passing game against a Samford team led by Auburn great Pat Sullivan and in-state rival Alabama to be remembered as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks to play at Auburn.
"He's proven that he's matured to the point that he's going to look to be a passer first," Lashlee said. "He's not going to be a guy that just drops back and tries to take off running."
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