AUBURN | The Tigers will stay in state for their bowl game.

Auburn will face the Houston Cougars in the Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 28. It marks the second time the Tigers have played in the game, the last coming in 2015 in a 31-10 victory over Memphis. The kickoff is at 11 a.m. CT.

Auburn started off November with SEC title aspirations after a 6-2 start, but a four-game losing streak including a heartbreaker to Alabama in the Iron Bowl resulted in a 6-6 finish. The Tigers have now made nine straight bowl games.

"Our mindset is to end the season with a win as we build momentum for 2022, while allowing our guys to enjoy a great bowl experience,” Bryan Harsin said. “This game is an opportunity for a number of our players to play close to home and many of our fans to easily attend after Christmas. We want the Auburn Family to turn the new Protective Stadium in Birmingham orange and blue, creating a home field advantage on game day.”

The Cougars finished 11-2, losing to Cincinnati 35-20 in the AAC Championship Game on Saturday.

The Tigers and Cougars have met six times, with Auburn holding a 5-1 advantage. The last meeting came in 1973 when Shug Jordan led the Tigers to a 7-0 win.

The game will take place at Protective Stadium, the new home of the UAB Blazers. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN.