Auburn notebook: Offense hits the skids

Where’s the early O?
With their 46-yard output Saturday, the Tigers have combined for just 75 first-quarter yards of total offense in the past two games.
All but one of the Tigers’ yards came on the ground, as Chris Todd struggled throughout the first 15 minutes. After completing his first two passes, Todd missed on his next four passes, including his second interception of the year.
Before last week’s Arkansas game, the Tigers averaged 107 yards of offense in the first quarter. They now average a little more than 87

Moving and shuffling: There were some new faces in Auburn’s starting lineup and few returning bodies on the sidelines.

Antoine Carter, who missed the season’s first three games while recovering from offseason knee surgery, started in place of Michael Goggans at defensive end. Goggans, who was not hurt, had started the previous 18 games.

Though he didn’t appear in the starting lineup as promised by the game’s opening introductions, linebacker Eltoro Freeman was back with the team. Freeman did not travel to Arkansas last week because of “personal reasons” and was not at Sunday’s practice.

Adam Herring picked up his second consecutive start at weakside linebacker.

Cornerback Walt McFadden, who missed the entire second half of the Arkansas game with a bruised knee, made his 18th consecutive start. He wore a protective sleeve on his right knee under his pants.

Punt returner Anthony Gulley was back on the sidelines for the first time since the Tennessee game but not back at his usual position. Philip Pierre-Louis remained Auburn’s punt returner.

Moving on up: Former Auburn tailback Ronnie Brown had a front-row seat to watch Ben Tate pass him on the Tigers’ all-time rushing list.

Tate’s 38 yards in the first half pushed him past Brown to seventh. Brown, who was seen coming out of the Auburn locker room before the game, was recognized alongside Reggie Torbor during a first-quarter timeout. Both currently play for the Miami Dolphins.

He’s back: Senior Gabe McKenzie saw his first meaningful action of the season Saturday, lining up as a defensive end midway through the first half.
Bogged down on the depth chart at tight end, McKenzie was moved to defensive end three games into the season. He had previously seen action only during late moments with the game already decided.

Back on paper: Defensive end Antonio Coleman didn’t waste much time getting back on the stat sheet Saturday, picking up his first tackle of October on Kentucky’s first offensive series.
Coleman, who is battling wrist and knee injuries, did not record a tackle in the Tigers’ games at Tennessee and Arkansas. He expressed frustration with his role in the defense early this week and met with coach Gene Chizik on Monday.
Both said the meeting was productive.

A brief scare: Auburn’s already depth-stricken defense breathed a heavy sigh of relief when safety Zac Etheridge returned to the field less than five plays after appearing to have suffered a serious arm injury.
Etheridge injured the arm while making a tackle on the second-to-last play of the first quarter. He returned to action on the same drive.

Block that kick: Auburn’s blocked field goal that resulted in a 69-yard Neiko Thorpe touchdown return was the first blocked kick to result in a score in 28 years.

Chris Martin returned a blocked kick 77 yards for a touchdown against Georgia Tech in 1981.

The Tigers have now blocked two kicks this season and had an extra point botched in the first quarter last week at Arkansas.

“Every day we’re in pads, we work the heck out of that, now,” Chizik said earlier this month. “That is not a down off.”

Video killed the Tigers: Auburn was on the wrong end of two video reviews during the first half.

A 23-yard pass from Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton to Chris Matthews in the second quarter was originally ruled incomplete before video evidence proved Matthews got a foot in bounds.

Tate was originally ruled to score a touchdown from 5 yards out late in the second quarter before video evidence showed that he was down at the half-yard line. Tate scored from that distance two plays later to give the Tigers a 14-7 lead at the half.

By the numbers
0 – Kentucky penalties
6 – Auburn penalties on one fourth-quarter possession
2 – false-start penalties on back-to-back plays on Auburn’s final offensive possession, turning a third-and-1 into third-and-11.
282 – Kentucky rushing yards, the most Auburn has surrendered in a game since 2006.