HOOVER, Ala. – It’s been several months since Auburn’s dramatic run to the 2013 Southeastern Conference football championship, and the two biggest plays seem to have found their place in Tigers lore.

The 73-yard pass from Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis on fourth-and-18 to subdue Georgia was something else, but …

“The Alabama game was definitely better,” Auburn senior tight end C.J. Uzomah said Monday as the SEC’s annual media days opened. “Ricardo’s catch meant a lot to me with me being from Georgia. It was the best thing ever, and I’m going to brag about that one forever no matter what.

“But to win the most unbelievable game in college football history — I’m getting chills about that right now.”

Auburn is turning the page from its 12-2 surprise season, but the journey hit a rough patch last Friday when Marshall was cited for having less than an ounce of marijuana in Reynolds, Ga. Marshall was scheduled to be one of three player representatives at media days but “lost that privilege,” according to coach Gus Malzahn, who sent Uzomah instead.

Marshall is among the league’s top preseason Heisman Trophy candidates after accounting for 26 touchdowns last season and becoming just the fourth quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards. The SEC named him offensive player of the week on three occasions.

“Up until last Friday, Nick has been a model student, teammate and citizen,” Malzahn said of the senior who was dismissed from Georgia earlier in his career. “Nick made a mistake, and he’ll have to deal with the consequences. I’m not ready to say what those consequences are at this time, but he will deal with it.

“I know he’s regretful, and he feels very bad about it.”

Should Marshall get suspended, sophomore Jeremy Johnson could take the reins for the season opener against visiting Arkansas. Malzahn was quick to point out that Johnson was SEC freshman offensive player of the week on two occasions.