Louisville vs. Auburn: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

No. 6 Auburn has high hopes for the 2015 season, but Gus Malzahn's squad will need to show much-greater consistency after barely escaping the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with a 31-24 victory over Louisville.

Auburn appeared to have put the game on ice after a seven-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Ricardo Louis helped give the Tigers a 31-10 lead, with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the scrambling ability of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who took over for starting quarterback Reggie Bonnafon late in the first half, sparked the Cardinals' piddling offense.

Brandon Radcliff's two touchdown runs helped cut the Tigers' lead to seven, but Auburn was able to run out the clock to seal the victory.

Auburn junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson was dreadful in this contest, completing 11 of 21 passes for 137 yards, one score and three picks, two of them going to Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons. Despite the struggles Malzahn expressed confidence in his signal-caller, per the Montgomery Advertiser's Matthew Stevens:

Despite not having an answer for Jackson's running ability, Auburn's defense was critical to victory in Will Muschamp's return as the team's defensive coordinator. The team forced two first-half crucial first-half turnovers that helped Auburn build up a 17-0 lead at the half. Malzahn praised Muschamp, per WDGM's The Game: 

Louis finished the game with three receptions for 54 yards and a score to go with 20 yards and another TD on the ground. Auburn running back Peyton Barber, who ran for all of 54 yards in 2014, finished the game with 25 carries for 109 yards.

Jackson finished with 16 carries for 105 yards and a rushing touchdown. His passing stats were pedestrian, as he completed nine of 20 passes for 100 yards and one pick, which came on the first play of the game.

Lined up at running back behind Bonnafon, Jackson took a direct snap, rolled right and lofted this ill-advised throw while falling out of bounds (via SEC on CBS):

The interception return set up a one-yard touchdown run from Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson, which helped give the team a quick 7-0 lead.

The Cardinals lost loads of talent to the NFL last year, but the front seven held tough for much of the game, harassing Johnson and stacking up the read-option ground game.

Harvey-Clemons essentially played center field for the first 21 minutes of the game, picking off Johnson on either side of the first-quarter break. WDRB's Eric Crawford trotted out the comparison to former Louisville safety Gerod Holliman, who picked off 14 passes last year:

Stevens diagnosed Johnson's first-half issues:

Louisville's offense under Bonnafon and Jackson sputtered just as much as Auburn's, and the game stagnated with all the mistakes.

A sloppy handoff midway through the second quarter between Bonnafon and running back Jeremy Smith put the ball on the ground, leading to an 82-yard scoop-and-score for Justin Garrett. SEC on CBS has the highlight:

Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson assisted in putting the team up 17-0 just before the half with a massive 56-yard field goal, a career best for the sophomore. It was a difficult kick to make, as AL.com's Brandon Marcello noted he had little time to set up:

The Tigers offense got off to a bright start in the third quarter. Johnson engineered a seven-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a pretty 33-yard touchdown pass to Louis. SEC on CBS has the play:

Johnson's good vibes wouldn't last long. Following a Louisville field goal on its next possession, Johnson tossed his third head-scratching pick of the game, this time to sophomore cornerback Trumaine Washington.

Finding a rhythm on offense, Jackson cut Auburn's lead to 24-10 on a 10-yard touchdown scamper with 1:21 to go in the third. He drew praise for his rambling and scrambling on Twitter:

Needing a score to reassert control over the game, Auburn mixed tough runs from Barber and simple throws from Johnson. Louis finished off the 12-play, 72-yard drive on a sweep play from eight yards out, helping put Auburn up 31-10.

Jackson's improvisational efforts sparked the furious fourth-quarter comeback, leading two scoring drives to climb within seven points, but Auburn held on for the victory.

On a fine day for Louis and the Auburn defense, the pressure will be on Johnson to cut down on the turnovers. The SEC West doesn't look quite as strong as it has in years past, with some considering the division truly up for grabs. The Tigers' SEC and College Football Playoff hopes fall squarely on Johnson's shoulders.

But Malzahn isn't putting too much stock into his performance, as he told the Associated Press (via FoxSports.com).

"He was trying to force a few things," Malzahn said. "He made some very good plays to help us win."

As for Louisville, the defense appears to have weathered the loss of talent to the professional ranks. Petrino's offense is a work-in-progress, but the Cardinals can put together a solid campaign with Jackson at the helm. Jackson's legs add a sparkling extra dimension to the team's offense, although his passing leaves much to be desired.