Auburn beats Louisville in season opener
Auburn set the tone early in the game with an interception off of an incredibly ill-advised pass by Louisville quarterback Reggie Bonnafon that resulted in a quick touchdown shortly thereafter. Louisville’s defense generated opportunities for their offense, but missed opportunities were a theme of the game for the Cardinals as they failed to capitalize off of turnovers.
Going into the second half, it seemed Louisville was a few Auburn errors away from making this a competitive game. Finally, towards the end of the third quarter, the Louisville offense was able to take advantage of an interception with a Lamar Jackson 10-yard run for a touchdown.
It was too little, too late for Louisville even though they scored 24 points in the second half and ended up coming within seven points of Auburn. Auburn made some costly missteps during the game, but played well enough to come out on top.
The victory came at a price. Auburn’s starting safety Tray Matthews sustained a painful injury to his left arm towards the end of the game after tackling Louisville receiver Charles Standberry.
Three Stars
Auburn receiver Ricardo Louis was an impact player with two touchdowns, including a beautiful 33-yarder four minutes into the third quarter.
Louisville defensive back Josh Harvey-Clemons had two interceptions for Louisville in the first half of the game, neither of which his team’s offense could convert into points. The Louisville secondary was one of the bright spots of the Cardinals effort.
Peyton Barber had a very productive game with 115 yards on 24 attempts, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Quarterback Jeremy Johnson did not live up to his preseason hype, throwing for only 137 yards. Barber proved to be a reliable force on the ground, making meaningful contributions to the game in the absence of a strong passing attack.
Odds
Auburn was an underdog by 10.5 points, and only won the game by 7.
Next Week
Next week, Auburn will take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at home next Saturday, a game they are very unlikely to lose. Louisville also has a home game on Saturday against the Houston Cougars who finished 8-5 in the AAC last season.
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