Cited for a small amount of marijuana, Nick Marshall will sit out the Auburn Tigers' first game of the season, but the length of the punishment is unknown.

According to ESPN, Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn said Marshall being held from starting the game is "part of the punishment." The Tigers open against the Arizona Razorbacks in an SEC West matchup Saturday, Aug. 30.

Malzahn also said Jonathon Mincy, his team's cornerback, for the first game. A starter in his third season with the Tigers, Mincy was arrested for marijuana and charged with second-degree possession. The coach said both players are "responding well" to their punishments.

"I will say this: Nick Marshall is still our quarterback and Jonathon Mincy is still our cornerback," Malzahn told ESPN. "Like I said before, my hope is this will help them in the future."

Jeremy Johnson, a six-foot-five sophomore, made a total 41 pass attempts last season and completed 29, good for a 70 percent completion percentage. Johnsons, who will start week one, also threw for 422 yards and six touchdowns.

As a junior last season, Marshall surprised the SEC by throwing for 1,976 yards and running for 1,068 more. He also accumulated 26 touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Marshall and Auburn's host of running backs finished the season with 328 rushing yards per game, the best in the nation. Their offense scored an average of 39.5 points per game, good for 13th best in the nation.

A year after finishing 3-9 the previous season, Auburn went 12-1, beating Alabama for the SEC Title and losing to Florida State in the National Championship.

Marshall has paid his $100 fine for tinted windows, which prompted police officers to pull him over, and the $1,000 fine for possessing 8-10 grams of marijuana.

"Me and Rhett (Lashlee, offensive coordinator) decided Jeremy Johnson will have a bigger role, regardless," Malzahn said. "We feel good about our quarterback position."

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