Auburn was dominant for a half against Louisville on Saturday. But the Cardinals offense came alive under the quickness of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose scrambling ability made it hard for the Auburn defense to pin him down. Overall, Gus Malzahn was happy with the way his team played in its season opener.

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • Jeremy Johnson makes some poor decisions when out of the pocket. He attempted to throw a deep one to Ricardo Louis when three defenders were closing in on the receiver. One of the three was bound to make the pick. He also attempted to throw one on the run to Melvin Ray, but wasn’t quite accurate enough.
  • Auburn’s run game is more reliable than its passing game. This follows logically from our first takeaway, but the last Auburn drive before the half comes to mind. Malzahn gambled by having Jeremy Johnson throw one deep downfield to Ricardo Louis. Not only was it incomplete, but it broke up a rhythm that had been established with the run game and ended in a field goal instead of a potential touchdown.
  • Peyton Barber is Auburn’s number one running back. Malzahn only had glowing things to say about Barber after the game, and even had Barber up at the front with him during the post-game press conference. Barber also may be one of the only primary running backs who made it out of the game still healthy.
  • Montravius Adams is an ever present force on defense. He is always in the mix and always looking for ways to disrupt. His presence caused Louisville to fumble a handoff early in the first quarter, which Justin Garrett then scooped up to march it back for a big Auburn touchdown.
  • Duke Williams is taking a back seat. Malzahn was asked about the lack of touches given to Williams during the post-game press conference. He simply stated that other guys were open with the types of plays they drew.

REPORT CARD

Offense: B- — While individual elements of the Auburn offense deserve an A, the offense is only slightly above average when taken as a whole. They were out-rushed by Louisville, who gained 238 yards to Auburn’s 190 yards. Especially when compared to the hype that surrounded them this offseason, Auburn’s offense was very underwhelming.

Defense: B+ — The defense gave up a decent chunk of points in the second half, which makes its weakness against mobile quarterbacks very evident (here’s looking at you, Dak Prescott). However, its performance in the first half of the game was impressive, complete with goal line and fourth-and-short stands.

Special Teams: A — While I was personally disappointed Auburn didn’t station someone down by the goal posts when Louisville attempted a 61-yard field goal, the Tigers specials teams avoided mistakes and recovered an onside kick. Kicker Daniel Carlson also made a 56-yard field goal, which broke his personal best.

Coaching: A- — Malzahn’s best moves were quickly noticing who played effectively and sticking with those players throughout the game. Will Muschamp also proved why he deserves to be on the Tigers’ payroll. One thing I didn’t like, however, was that unsportsmanlike penalty call on the Auburn sideline, which cost the team 30 yards.

Overall: B — Auburn is going back to the practice field this week with solid areas that need improvement. The Tigers showed moments of championship-caliber play, but work still needs to be done in order for all parts of the team to play at that level.

GAME PLAN

At the start of the game, Auburn spread out the playing time among its various offensive talent, both among running backs and wide receivers. Once Malzahn saw who was being most effective, he stuck with those players. One would like to think that Auburn wanted to maintain a balanced offensive attack, but after three interceptions the passing game was almost entirely eliminated.

Muschamp’s signature defense seemed unstoppable for the first half, but showed inconsistency at stopping the run during the second. Muschamp will need to address this throughout the course of next week.

GAME BALLS

  • RB Peyton Barber: This one is obvious. Barber ended the game with 24 carries and 115 yards.
  • WR Ricardo Louis: He did everything Johnson needed him to do, both rushing and catching the ball. He ended the night with 21 rushing yards, 54 receiving yards, and 2 total touchdowns.
  • DB Tray Matthews: Game balls could have gone to a variety of defensive players, but Matthews gets it because of his interception on the very first play of the game. Not only did that set up an Auburn touchdown, but it set the tone for the defense.

INJURY UPDATE

  • DE Carl Lawson came out of the game early due to irritation in his hip flexor and was seen moving back and forth from the training table, walking with a limp. He was cleared to play but stayed out of the rest of the game. From all reports, the injury seems minor.
  • RB Roc Thomas left the game during the second quarter due to an undisclosed leg injury.
  • RB Jovon Robinson also was seen limping to the sideline after carrying the ball only twice. No word yet on the extent of both running backs’ injuries.
  • DB Tray Matthews left the game late in the fourth quarter after falling awkwardly during a tackle. While trainers evaluated him on the sideline, it seemed like it could have been a shoulder injury. It was clear that Matthews was in a lot of pain.