Auburn holds down Paxton Lynch, pulls away from Memphis in Birmingham Bowl

The Auburn Tigers dominated time of possession and held Memphis QB Paxton Lynch to just 23 yards on his first 14 pass attempts in a 31-10 victory in the Birmingham Bowl.

Still, three Auburn turnovers allowed Memphis to tie the game at 10 before halftime.

But in the second half, Auburn cleaned up its mistakes and continued playing stifling defense. Auburn intercepted Lynch in the red zone on the first possession of the third quarter, and Memphis never got close to scoring again. Auburn cruised to a 31-10 victory, clinching a winning record in 2015.

TAKEAWAYS

• Auburn’s defense was spectacular, holding Memphis to just three points and 206 yards. Memphis averaged 510 yards and 42.7 points per game during the regular season. Lynch completed under 50 percent of his passes for 108 yards and an interception. He only averaged 2.9 yards per attempt.
• After redshirt freshman Sean White threw two interceptions in the final moments of the second quarter, junior Jeremy Johnson ignited the Tigers’ offense in the second half. Johnson threw for an 11-yard score and ran for a 5-yard TD as Auburn built a 14-point lead. Johnson was also on the field for the final touchdown.
• Junior RB Jovan Johnson played an important part in the victory as well. Auburn controlled the clock with its running game, keeping Lynch and the Memphis offense on the sideline. Robinson gained 126 yards and scored a TD on 27 carries.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (B) —  If not for three first-half interceptions, the grade would be higher, but Auburn didn’t get much from its passing game. White had three completions and two interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown — in the first half. A strong second half and stellar running game allowed Auburn to pull away. The Tigers rushed for 251 yards.

Defense: (A) – Not enough can be said about the performance from the Tigers defense. It was easily the defense’s best performance of the season and maybe the best in several years. Lynch is a legit NFL QB prospect, and Auburn made him look bad. Memphis could muster only three points out of its potent offense.

Special Teams: (B-) — The Auburn special teams were a bit sloppy at times. They committed one fair catch interference penalty, and a couple poor punts set up Memphis with good field position. But the highlight was a blocked field-goal attempt in the first half after Memphis finally moved the ball a little bit. The block allowed Auburn to go into the half tied.

Coaching: (A-) — A lot of credit has to be given to interim defensive coordinator Lance Thompson. Dealt a tough situation when DC Will Muschamp left before the bowl game, Thompson came up with a solid game plan and inspired his players to perform the best they had all season. Coach Gus Malzahn’s decision to insert Johnson in the third quarter was also a great move.

GAME PLAN

The Tigers followed a game plan similar to the one some teams used this past Sunday in the NFL — if the opposing team’s great offense isn’t on the field, it can’t score. Auburn dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, established a running game, controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes and forced Lynch into uncomfortable situations.

GAME BALLS

• Jovon Robinson: 27 carries, 126 yards, TD
• Jeremy Johnson: 1-for-1, 11 yards 1 TD passing; 3 carries for 26 yards, TD rushing
• Tray Matthews: INT
• Carlton Davis: 11 total tackles, 0.5 sacks

INJURIES

Senior linebacker Cassanova McKinzy left the game with a leg injury and did not return.

Dave Holcomb

Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.