AUBURN, Ala. -- Balance. That was the key word for Auburn all offseason. Second-year coach Gus Malzahn was adamant that his offense would be more balanced in 2014 after the Tigers led the nation in rushing a season ago.

"That was really probably the number one priority in the spring," Malzahn said at SEC media days. "We led the country in rushing last year. When you do that, defenses have to take some chances. We've got to do a better job this year of making them pay when they do take chances."

Don’t be fooled, though. After Saturday’s 59-13 win against San Jose State, the adage "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" comes to mind.

QB Nick Marshall and Auburn strive for balance, but running the ball is working just fine for now. AP Photo/Butch Dill

Auburn looked like a carbon copy of last season's team, racking up 363 yards on the ground compared to just 135 through the air. The Tigers ran on 68 percent of their plays, which was less than last season's clip but still astounding when balance was supposedly the focal point heading into this season.

Obviously a lot of factors played into the game plan during Saturday’s rout. Nick Marshall was back at quarterback, and his strength is running the zone-read. The game was never really close, meaning the offense didn’t have to throw, and towards the end, they were more concerned with running the clock out.

But if it’s going to work that well in the future, why change?

"We definitely need to throw the ball to keep balance to keep things honest, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to go with what got you there and we were a running team last year," Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne said.

Artis-Payne has rushed for 289 yards and four touchdowns through the first two games.

"We just need to do what it takes to win," wide receiver Ricardo Louis added. "If that means running the ball the whole game, it’s fine with me."

Malzahn is calling the shots, though, and he still insists on the offense having more balance. If that is indeed the plan moving forward, then it comes down to Marshall and his ability to throw the ball. All offseason, we heard about how he’s improved as a passer, but through a game and a half, the results have been mixed.

On Saturday, the senior quarterback finished 10 of 19 for 101 yards and a touchdown. He started well, completing four of his first five passes, but then struggled with his consistency. At one point, he threw five straight incompletions. Of his 10 completions, only five were of 10 yards or more.

"There were a couple throws that I know I could’ve made," Marshall said. "It’s just going to take practice. We’re going to get better every game and every week and every practice."

The team’s best passer, Jeremy Johnson, is No. 2 on the depth chart behind Marshall. He didn’t see any action until the fourth quarter Saturday, but Malzahn and his staff have said that he will have a role for the Tigers this season.

So will we see Auburn throw more as the season progresses? Not if the rushing attack is working like it was against San Jose State.

But Malzahn has a plan, and there are not many coaches better at reading a game and calling plays accordingly.

"Whatever Coach Malzahn calls, we’re going to run," Artis-Payne said. "He’s a genius as far as picking apart defenses and seeing their weaknesses."