Sean Thomas/The Cougar
No. 20 Houston looks to wrap up 2021 with its 12th win as the Cougars take on Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.
Follow along with our live scoring updates throughout the game:
Final: Houston 17, Auburn 13
The Cougars cap off their season with a 17-13 victory over Auburn in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl as UH picks up its 12th win of the season while snapping a four-game bowl losing streak.
Tune finished the game with 26 completions for 283 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Sophomore wide receiver Nathaniel Dell recorded 10 receptions for 150 yards on the day while Herslow caught five passes for 65 yards and one touchdown.
Fourth Quarter (3:27): Houston 17, Auburn 13
After failing to score in its last six possessions, UH finally sparked momentum as it completed an eight-play, 80-yard drive with Tune finding senior wide receiver Jake Herslow for a 26-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Third Quarter (3:52): Auburn 13, Houston 10
After forcing the Cougars to punt on their first offensive possession of the second half, the Tigers drove 78 yards down the field on 11 plays as quarterback TJ Finley found wide receiver Kobe Hudson in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Auburn its first lead of the game.
Third Quarter (12:12): Houston 10, Auburn 6
On the first possession of the second half, the Tigers’ drive led by running back Tank Bigsby was held up deep in UH territory by the Cougars’ defense and resulted in a 35-yard field goal by Patton to cut the lead to four.
Second Quarter (3:10): Houston 10, Auburn 3
After UH extended its lead to two possessions, Auburn quickly responded with an eight-play, 67-yard drive that was stood up by the Cougars’ defense at their own 10-yard line and capped off by a 28-yard field goal by kicker Ben Patton.
Second Quarter (6:58): Houston 10, Auburn 0
After both teams traded four punts and Auburn turned the ball over on downs deep in UH territory, the Cougars finished a nine-play, 44-yard drive with a 52-yard yard field goal by senior kicker Dalton Witherspoon.
First Quarter (8:46): Houston 7, Auburn 0
On UH’s first drive of the game, the Cougars drove 87 yards down the field in 12 plays and capped off their first possession of the game with a 5-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Clayton Tune to freshman running back Alton McCaskill to get on the scoreboard first at 7-0.
