Nick Marshall vs. LSU: Stat Line, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall put on a brilliant dual-threat display in the No. 5 Tigers' dominant 41-7 victory over No. 15 LSU.

His ability to make scintillating runs and pass the ball efficiently put the game out of reach for LSU by halftime. 

CMP/ATT	YDS	TD	INT	CAR	RSH YDS	RSH TD
14/22	207	2	0	16	119	2

Marshall averaged just 137 passing yards through his team's first four games, good enough for his team to go undefeated, but a sign that improvement would be necessary for the team to march through the gauntlet that is an SEC schedule.

He didn't light up the LSU secondary on Saturday, but his performance was an encouraging sign for the team's prospects moving forward.

"Nick played like one of the better quarterbacks in the entire country," said head coach Guz Malzahn, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

The senior quarterback was locked in from the get-go in this contest. Marshall threaded a brilliant pass to wide receiver Sammie Coates for the team's first touchdown of the game, a 56-yard score that whipped the crowd into a frenzy that hardly dissipated throughout the game.

247sports.com's Justin Hokanson described the highlight-reel throw:

He put a brilliant move on an LSU defender to score on a seven-yard touchdown run just over three minutes later. Auburn Tigers provides a look at the play, via ESPN:

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee described the sensational play:

Marshall was responsible for two more scores before the half. He lofted a nine-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver C.J. Uzomah to open the second quarter, then broke through the middle of the LSU defense for a fantastic 29-yard touchdown run to make the score 31-7 in Auburn's favor at halftime. The Tigers' official Twitter account provides a look:

Sallee aptly described the way the play unfolded:

Marshall didn't have much to do in the second half but managed the game effectively and let the defense take care of LSU's lackluster rushing attack.

With Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon all losing this week, Auburn takes front-runner status along with Florida State for one of the four College Football Playoff berths. The Tigers would probably like to see Marshall take better advantage of his considerable arm strength moving forward and ensure defenses have to respect the team both through the air and on the ground, but the dynamite rushing performances should do for now.

It's unlikely that they'll get through a schedule featuring the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State without a notch in the loss column, but this team will have a strong chance with Marshall playing well and taking care of the football.