Auburn vs. Oklahoma: Score and Reaction for 2017 Sugar Bowl

The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners started the season with losses in two of their first three games, but they made amends and put the finishing touches on a 10-game winning streak when they dispatched the No. 14 Auburn Tigers 35-19 in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night.

The triumph at the Superdome in New Orleans represented the Sooners' first in a bowl game since their 45-31 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2013 season.

Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Baker Mayfield was in fine form, as he finished 19-of-28 passing for 296 yards and two touchdowns in a tone-setting performance.

In addition to his work as a dropback passer, Mayfield was brilliant as a scrambler, helping extend plays that resulted in positive gains downfield, as Texas Tech Red Raiders signal-caller Patrick Mahomes II observed:

Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo provided a statistical nugget that illuminated just how dynamic Mayfield has been with rushers in his face:

Sooners running back Joe Mixon also starred in the win, compiling 91 rushing yards, 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma became the first team this season to score more than 30 points against Auburn.

Samaje Perine added 17 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown to become the program's all-time leading rusher, while Heisman finalist Dede Westbrook caught six passes for 59 yards and a score in an affair that turned lopsided in the second half.

The Sooners offense didn't begin to percolate until late in the second quarter, when Mayfield and Mixon got in a groove.

Mixon recorded 73 receiving yards, 45 rushing yards and a touchdown over the game's first 30 minutes, and he broke DeMarco Murray's school record for all-purpose yards in a season, according to the program's Twitter account.

The Auburn offense leaned on running back Kamryn Pettway (24 carries, 101 yards) to do damage in the early going, and the ground-oriented approach took the pressure off quarterback Sean White before White departed with a right forearm injury.

According to 247Sports' Brandon Marcello, White's father later said his son broke his arm on the game's first drive but stayed in until he was escorted to the locker room and ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

John Franklin III (3-of-7, 25 yards) took over at quarterback, and that was music to the Sooners' ears.

Oklahoma started to stack the box against Franklin—who attempted just 19 passes during the regular season—but the Tigers refused to budge from their one-dimensional stylings.

Auburn continued to stick with its run-first approach while facing a deficit in the second half, and that strategy proved problematic, as Matt Hinton of Uproxx explained:

AL.com's James Crepea echoed that sentiment as the Tigers offense started to flounder in the third quarter:

Oklahoma seized a 15-point lead by the time the frame came to a close, and Auburn was left to try to mount a comeback without a reliable passing attack.

Jeremy Johnson assumed quarterbacking duties in the fourth quarter, but at that point the Tigers were in a 22-point hole.

With Auburn sputtering, Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey offered his take on the Crimson Tide's rival's dearth of schematic versatility:

"

Auburn offense so boring to watch

— Fruit PUNCH (@marlon_humphrey) January 3, 2017"

If there's good news for the Tigers, it's that Monday may represent the last time the team has problems under center for some time.

Baylor Bears transfer Jarrett Stidham will compete for the starting job next season, and a strong showing could catapult him ahead of White on the depth chart.

The Sooners, meanwhile, will look to build on their superb finish and keep things rolling in 2017. Mayfield will return for his redshirt senior season and look to guide Oklahoma back to the College Football Playoff following a one-year absence.

Postgame Reaction

According to the Tulsa World's Eric Bailey, Mayfield was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.

And with the celebration underway, the Sooners posted photos of head coach Bob Stoops raising some familiar hardware:

The program also relayed video from a jovial locker room:

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talked about the loss and the future (via AuburnTigers.com's Jeff Shearer):

Malzahn said it was a "tough night at the quarterback position," according to Auburn Gold Mine on Twitter.