Auburn QB Johnson remains turnover-prone in near-upset

The preseason comparisons were unfair from the start.

Entering his first season as the starting quarterback for the No. 6 Auburn Tigers, a team that garnered College Football Playoff predictions, Jeremy Johnson was already drawing comparisons to arguably the greatest player in school history, Cam Newton. The obvious follow-uo question to such high praise: If there was any credibility behind the Johnson-Newton discussion, why wasn't he starting over Nick Marshall in the first place?

That conversation has come to a screeching halt two games into the 2015 season.

On Saturday, for the second straight game, Johnson's decision-making was problematic. He committed two costly turnovers in a too-close-for-comfort 27-20 overtime win over FCS Jacksonville State, narrowly avoiding one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Johnson has tallied 373 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions to date, helping Auburn (2-0) beat Jacksonville State and an 0-2 Louisville team that lost to Houston on Saturday by a grand total of 14 points. One of the nation's most potent offenses is stuck in second gear.

For his part, Malzahn is standing by his quarterback.

When asked if he considered making a change during the Jacksonville State game, the third-year head coach responded, "Jeremy Johnson is our quarterback."

Auburn's issues run deeper than the quarterback situation -- the defense has struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks; the running game has not exactly overwhelmed its first two opponents -- but the interceptions need to stop, and fast, if the Tigers have any chance of navigating a difficult schedule. As of this writing, the Tigers have seven ranked opponents on the upcoming slate. Escaping that gauntlet with Johnson tossing two or three picks every game simply isn't realistic, even in Malzahn's run-heavy, fast-paced offense.

Johnson has now thrown seven interceptions in his abbreviated career on The Plains. For comparison's sake, here's how that mark stacks up to Malzahn's past two Auburn quarterbacks:

That's a much smaller sample size for Johnson, but considering he has yet to face a ranked opponent ... his performance has left plenty to be desired.

Once again, asking a first-year starter to mimic a Heisman winner that guided the Tigers to a title -- keeping in mind that Marshall, the dual-threat former defensive back, also led the Tigers to a championship game -- was ambitious from the start. But those interceptions rates are troublesome, especially when so many have come without significant pressure, instead just Johnson making poor decisions with the ball.

It should be noted, however, that on Auburn's final two drives of the game, Johnson completed four of his five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown.

"At the end of the game, when we needed him, he came through," Malzahn said.

It's early and Johnson will undoubtedly figure some things out along the way. But with a still-suspect defense and a rushing attack that (other than its late comeback against Jacksonville State) has yet to run opponents into the ground, Auburn needs more efficiency from the quarterback position.

The astronomical preseason expectations have been thrown out the window. With a road trip to No. 14 LSU's Death Valley on the horizon, Malzahn needs his quarterback to keep the offense on the field.