Jovon Robinson (29) rushed for over 100 yards against Memphis. (USATSI)

Auburn's season certainly didn't live up to preseason expectations, but at least it was able to end things on a high note, as it beat Memphis 31-10 in the Birmingham Bowl.

It was not a pretty game, as Auburn would throw three interceptions, and at times it seemed as though the Tigers were determined to hand the game to Memphis. The problem was the Memphis couldn't solve the Auburn defense.

Story of the Game: This one was really all about Auburn. When the offense was turning the ball over in the first half, Memphis was able to stay in the game. That's why the score was 10-10 at halftime even though a Memphis offense that averaged 510 yards of offense per game this season had only 79 yards at the break.

In the second half, Auburn would stop turning the ball over, and the Auburn defense would continue to suffocate the Memphis offense. As a result, Auburn outscored Memphis 21-0 in the second half and won this game rather easily.

It was somewhat ironic that Auburn decided to have what might have been its best defensive effort of the season in this game. After all, before the year began, the school hired Will Muschamp to turn around a defense that struggled in 2014. It didn't help, as the defense was still a problem in 2015, yet after Muschamp left to take over at South Carolina, the defense put in a great performance.

Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, who many believe could be one of the first quarterbacks off the board should he enter the draft, had a horrible game. He completed only 17 of his 38 passes for 104 yards and an interception. 

Player of the Game: Nobody on either side had a truly remarkable game. So I guess I'm going to give this award to Jovon Robinson by default, as he rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, even if it took him 27 carries to get there.

I also considered the much-maligned Jeremy Johnson. The Auburn quarterback entered 2015 as a Heisman darkhorse, and was anything but. He had a good game on Wednesday, though, touching the ball four times and ending up with two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). That had to feel nice for him.

Highlight of the Game: The best plays in this game were bad plays. There was no mesmerizing touchdown run, or remarkable touchdown catch. So I had to choose between two plays, and I just ended up going with both because I couldn't decide which was worse.

Oddly enough, both plays feature bad things happening to the team that won by 21 points.

Tweet of the Game: Things only got stranger after the game.

Now, Reggis Ball was the Memphis player who had the pick six you saw above. So my theory is that he really wanted that football, and wasn't going to be denied.

Grade: It wasn't a great game. It was the kind of game that you really can't remember anything that happened a few hours later. So I have a hard time doing anything but giving it a D+. It would have been much worse if not for the Auburn defense.