Birmingham Bowl 2015: Game Grades, Analysis for Auburn vs. Memphis

The Auburn Tigers dominated the Birmingham Bowl, winning 31-10 and shutting down Paxton Lynch of the Memphis Tigers. 

Auburn's defense had a ticker-tape day, while Lynch's draft stock took perhaps the worst turn it ever has. 

The victory for Auburn secures a winning (7-6) season and allows a fractured team to go into the offseason with some positive momentum. With that, let's check out the game grades for each positional unit. 

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Memphis Tigers

Pass Offense: F

Lynch had arguably his worst collegiate outing on Wednesday, going 16-of-37 passing for just 106 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Lynch's draft stock could take a tumble as a result, but ultimately his poor performance did Memphis in from the start. If you can't rely on your best weapon, it's hard to win games. 

Rush Offense: D

Memphis isn't a rushing powerhouse, but it still entered the Birmingham Bowl averaging 186 yards per game on the ground. Auburn nearly cut that total in half, limiting Memphis to just 99 yards on 31 carries and no touchdowns. Yes, Lynch couldn't throw the ball to draw defenders out of the box, but the rushing attack couldn't keep defenders close enough to the line of scrimmage at the snap in order to free up some space in the secondary for Lynch to pick apart. 

Pass Defense: A-

The quarterback situation is a mess at Auburn, so defending the pass wasn't a tall task for Memphis. Nonetheless, it had three picks, including one pick-six, and limited Auburn to just 150 yards through the air. If there's one shining light in this game for Memphis, it's Reggis Ball's two interceptions. 

Rush Defense: D+

The entire world knows Auburn is going to try and run the ball, considering it doesn't have a quality option under center. That beforehand knowledge did Memphis no good, as Auburn pounded away all day to the tune of 252 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries. 

Special Teams: D

A blocked field goal and a pair of blown punt return coverages were all huge momentum swingers in this game. A 53-yard field goal by Jake Elliot was nice, but not enough to undo all the special teams snafus Memphis had. 

Coaching: F

With former head coach Justin Fuente having left to take the Virginia Tech job, Darrell Dickey was tasked with coaching this game in the interim capacity. If this was any sort of job interview for any head coaching openings in the future, he failed miserably. Memphis couldn't operate on any fundamental levels and was outplayed thoroughly by an Auburn team that struggled to find an identity all season. 

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Auburn Tigers

Pass Offense: D-

Auburn didn't have a good passing attack this season, that's just the reality. Sean White threw two picks, Jason Smith threw another and Auburn attempted just 17 passes. Still, it had one touchdown and didn't rely on its biggest weakness. So a bad grade here was essentially meaningless. 

Rush Offense: A

Auburn established the tempo of this tilt on the ground early and often. As a team, it racked up 252 yards and three scores on 56 carries. Jovon Robinson paced Auburn with 124 yards and a score, while Peyton Barber added 41 yards. Ultimately, this game was decided on Auburn's ability to control the clock and score on the ground. 

Pass Defense: A++

Not enough can be said about Auburn's defense against Lynch (I've never given out the double-plus on a grade). Lynch looked completely out of sync all game, finishing with just 106 yards on 37 attempts with no scores. Considered one of the top NFL draft prospects, the Auburn defense was humbling to say the least. 

Rush Defense: A

Memphis failed to get anything of significance going in the run game either thanks to a stout box. On 31 carries, Auburn held Memphis to just 99 yards. Keep in mind that although Memphis is a passing team first, it still averaged 186 yards per game. So limiting Memphis to under a century was another impressive feat for Auburn. 

Special Teams: A

A blocked field goal against Memphis, no missed kicks on its end and a couple of great punt returns made special teams another X-factor in this game that Auburn dominated. 

Coaching: A+

If head coach Gus Malzahn was on a hot seat, he just cranked down the thermostat with this win. He completely shut down Memphis' biggest strength—Lynch—while allowing his team's best attribute—running the ball—to take complete control. From halftime on, Auburn dominated this game and left no doubt.