Fans praise Birmingham Bowl, Protective Stadium; Auburn comes up short against Houston
Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley draws a crowd in the pocket during Tuesday's Birmingham Bowl. The Tigers fell to Houston 17-13 after leading in the fourth quarter. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
Inconsistency reared its head again and Auburn fell again.
The Tigers lost their fifth straight game to close the 2021 season, falling 17-13 to No. 20 Houston in the 15th annual TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, the first at Protective Stadium in the Uptown Entertainment District.
“I think the inconsistency showed up more this year than the consistency did,” coach Bryan Harsin said. “But we’re not going to stop. That’s the beauty of it.”
As was the case often in 2021, Auburn (6-7) fought back, taking a 13-10 lead in the third quarter after trailing 10-3 at intermission. Once again, the Tigers couldn’t hold the lead, yielding a 26-yard TD toss from game MVP Clayton Tune to Jake Herslow with 3:20 on the fourth-quarter clock.
“We’ve got to finish games,” Harsin said. “When they put points on the board, we’ve got to be able to drive down and execute drives (to get a) touchdown. We’ve got to be able to put one in the end zone. We had our opportunities. That’s what it comes down to.
“It’s not so much about finishing games as much as it is consistent execution,” the Tigers coach said. “You’ve got to sustain the focus and effort necessary to be successful in a game. The fourth quarter is when it gets magnified because that’s the last quarter of the game. It’s a continuation of the execution we should have the entire four quarters.”
Auburn running back Tank Bigsby netted 96 yards on 16 carries and caught five passes for 68 yards. Kobe Hudson had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown from T.J. Finley, who completed 19 of 37 passes for 227 yards.
“We were off in some areas,” said Harsin, whose Tigers fell to 24-20-2 all-time in bowl games. “We did some good things. I think we ran the ball well at times. We hit a couple of down-the-field throws, (but) we didn’t hit many. At the end of the day, you’ve got to find a way to put points on the board and be able to hold them. I think our defense played well.”
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Tune, the MVP, connected on 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Nathaniel Dell had 150 yards on 10 catches.
Alton McCaskill had 78 yards rushing on 14 totes; he had four catches for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said his Cougars (12-2) would have had a good season no matter the outcome of the bowl game. But they didn’t settle for good.
“You want it to be great?” he asked. “Go win against Auburn, in SEC Country, in Birmingham, Alabama, in front of their crowd. That would be a great win and that would put the stamp on a great season and I think we did that.”
The 45,000-capacity stadium drew an announced crowd of 47,100. Orange and blue could be seen throughout the stands, not unlike the Tigers’ showing when they beat Memphis before a record 59,430 in the 2015 game at Legion Field.
The Tigers and Cougars established the attendance mark within the cozier Protective Stadium. And the new venue drew rave reviews.
“It was a great atmosphere,” Holgorsen said. “We’ve had a good time here in Birmingham. These guys do a great job with the bowl game. This stadium is awesome. The accommodations were awesome.”
University of Houston President Renu Khator echoed that sentiment.
“I thought it was an absolutely lovely environment,” she said. “People were so gracious, so generous. It was just a perfect venue.”
Rob Herslow, whose son caught the game-winning pass, said his family had a lot of fun in Birmingham.
“This place is beautiful,” he said. “The stadium was nice. The restaurants are nice. We’re very happy to be here.”
Robertsdale’s DeWayne Jones tries to get to several Auburn football games each season. Tuesday was his first time bringing his family to Birmingham for a game.
“I think the new field is nice,” he said. “It’s a very nice area … great location and great amenities around it.”
Stribling Wheeler wore an Auburn shirt and a UAB cap. He and his wife, Jordyn, graduated from the university on Birmingham’s Southside.
“We’re here supporting our second-favorite team in our first-favorite place,” the Fultondale resident said. “We’re happy to be here in Protective Stadium. We were season ticket holders this year for UAB.”
Auburn fan Chris Webb traveled to Birmingham from Denver. Despite disappointment over the outcome, he was impressed with the Southern hospitality for which the Birmingham Bowl prides itself.
“The city of Birmingham has been nothing but welcoming,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about the fans from Houston and Auburn fans. The game didn’t go our way and that’s the way life goes. But outside of that, it was an excellent time.
“I highly recommend coming down here for the next Birmingham Bowl,” Webb said, “no matter who your team is.”
