Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has said repeatedly that Jeremy Johnson will have a role in the offense this year.

He also said that Nick Marshall had improved as a passer and would continue to be Auburn’s guy.

All that got a bit cloudier after Auburn’s season-opener against Arkansas. Marshall was suspended for the first half for a citation for marijuana possession, so Johnson got the start. Not only was he a serviceable fill-in, but he had a great first half. Johnson completed 12 of 16 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown.

Marshall’s game and a half have been up and down. He had just four completions against the Razorbacks and then struggled at times throwing the ball Saturday night against San Jose State. Accuracy was an issue against the Spartans; Marshall had a stretch of five straight incompletions.

After hearing about Marshall’s improvement all offseason and then seeing his performance thus far, Johnson’s arm strength and accuracy leap off the screen.

However, Malzahn has been quick to back Marshall saying he’s pleased with his performance thus far and citing circumstances such as missed blocks and the opposing pass rush.

Marshall said before the season that his goal was to raise his completion percentage from last year’s mark of 59.4 percent to 65 percent.

On his radio show Monday night, Malzahn pointed to passing efficiency rather than completion percentage and passing yards as the measuring stick for Marshall’s effectiveness.

“That’s more important than the yards,” he said.

Marshall has proven to be accurate. He finished the 2013 season strong with one of the top passer ratings in the nation during the final nine games of last season.

Even still, the fate of the 2014 Auburn season could rest on Marshall’s right arm. No defense has proven they can stop Malzahn’s potent rushing attack, but he knows there will come a moment when Marshall has to make a throw.

“There will be game we’ll have to throw for a lot of yards and I believe we can,” Malzahn said.