Auburn vs. Kentucky Football 2009
Tigers Look to Rebound from Loss as They Face the Wildcats
Oct 12, 2009
Auburn suffered its first loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, which took the Tigers out of the top 25 rankings. The Tigers were No. 17 before the 44-23 loss.
The Tigers played impressively through their first five games, but were unable to stop Petrino’s pass-happy offense in Fayetteville. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was able to pass for 274 yards and two touchdowns over the Auburn secondary.
The Razorbacks’ rushing attack also was strong as they ran for 221 yards. Auburn’s offense was not helping the matter as they went into half-time down 27-3.
In the second half, the Tigers were able to get the offense going and get within 11 points with Arkansas, but it was a little too late. This loss has made Gene Chizik and his staff realizes where their squad needs improvement most.
The loss also has seemed to motivate the Auburn players, who feel as if they should have won the game if not for their poor play in the first half.
The players became a little over-confident after moving into the rankings, but they now know not to overlook any opponents as they will practice hard this week and work to improve for their game this weekend against Kentucky.
Knee Injury to Starting UK Quarterback
Kentucky played strong this past weekend against the South Carolina Gamecocks, but was also unable to win its matchup. The Wildcats led 17-14 at the half, but were unable to win the game after their quarterback, Mike Hartline, injured his knee and was taken out.
Hartline will undergo an MRI to find out just how bad the damage is, but his play was much improved in the game compared to his past two matchups. Hartline was 9-for-14 for 137 yards and a touchdown against South Carolina.
However, Will Filder served as Hartline’s replacement and was only able to throw 2-for-8 for 16 yards. He also had a two-point conversion batted down, which gave the Gamecocks the 28-26 victory over the Wildcats.
Tigers Too Much for Wildcats
This weekend’s game should be a good SEC matchup, but Auburn will likely be too much for the Wildcats to handle especially if Hartline is unable to start. This is the first meeting between the schools since 2005, and Auburn leads the series 24-5-1.
The Auburn players are very motivated after their loss and will likely come out and play even harder looking to make a statement.
Kentucky is now 2-3 after three consecutive losses to SEC opponents, but it should not be overlooked that they are all three ranked teams. Alabama and Florida are two of those opponents, which are ranked No.1 and No. 2 in this week’s AP poll.
Auburn has not yet faced its toughest SEC foes, as they will travel to take on No. 10 LSU the week after Kentucky. The Tigers also still have Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama ahead in their schedule.
This weekend will show just how tough the Tigers are and how they will fare against their tough opponents in the future. Gus Malzahn’s offense will likely rebound with a strong performance by quarterback Chris Todd and their solid running attack led by Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb.
Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof will also likely have his group ready to stop the Wildcats. They should not have as tough of a time as they did with Mallett since Kentucky will probably have to go with their backup quarterback this weekend.
Auburn should come out ready to make a statement this Saturday and win it by at least two touchdowns. This will be an important tune-up game as the Tiger prepare for their trip to Baton Rouge the following week to take on LSU.
