Auburn’s Travante Stallworth injured

Freshman Travante Stallworth, who had seen his role in the Auburn offense increase over the past few weeks, suffered an apparent right ankle/foot injury on kickoff coverage in the first half Saturday.

Stallworth, who had taken over some of the speed sweep responsibilities during Onterio McCalebb’s ankle-related absence, came up lame on a second-quarter kickoff after a tackle attempt. He tried to walk off on his own power but needed assistance to make it to the sidelines.

Stallworth was then taken to the locker room and did not return to the sidelines for the second half.

On his only carry of the game, Stallworth gained 16 yards and picked up a first down. Of his five carries this season, four have picked up first downs.

Coach Gene Chizik had no update on Stallworth’s status but said he’d probably know more by today.

Luper leads team out of tunnel
For the first time all season, running backs coach Curtis Luper was able to jog onto the field with the rest of the team.

He made sure it was one of Auburn’s most memorable on-field entrances of the season.

Luper, who coaches from the press box with cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley, stormed out of the South end zone tunnel first Saturday, waving an American flag in honor of Veteran’s Day.

“We just thought it was appropriate,” Chizik said.

Luper served as an air-traffic controller with the U.S. Army from 1988-92. During his tenure, he spent eight months combined at Fort McClellan in Anniston and Fort Rucker near Enterprise.

Approximately 300 military personnel from Fort Benning (Ga.) were in attendance Saturday.

Chizik said the team welcomed members of the Armed Forces into its practices last week, “just as a recognition and celebration for what those guys do for our country.”

Patch work
In honor of injured safety Zac Etheridge, Auburn players and coaches will wear white wristbands, embroidered with a navy No. 4, on their left arms.

Etheridge tore ligaments in his neck and cracked his C5 vertebra last week against Ole Miss. He is out for the season and has an uncertain future in football.
Some players, like freshman safety Daren Bates, went beyond the wristband. Bates wrote “Zac” on his right arm.

“I just wanted to show that I talked to him last night, show him that I love him and I still want to be out there with him,” Bates said.

Moving on up
Tailback Ben Tate continued his upward ascent through the Auburn record books, moving up two spots to 13th all-time for rushing yards in a single season.

Tate’s 75 yards gave him 1,142 on the season. He currently sits with 3,102 for his career, ranking him fifth all-time and putting him 266 behind Joe Cribbs (1976-79).

Defensive end Antonio Coleman’s sack in the first quarter gave him 21 for his career, which tied him for third all-time with Tracy Rocker (1985-88) and Craig Ogletree (1986-89).

Up-and-down day for Pierre-Louis
Philip Pierre Louis’ struggles on punt returns came to a head in the third quarter Saturday.

Attempting to corral a Trent Hawk punt over his shoulders inside the Tigers’ 5-yard line, Pierre-Louis never got two hands on the ball. His momentum carried him away from it, and Furman’s Julian Hicks was there to pounce on it.

The Paladins scored a touchdown on the very next play.

Pierre-Louis didn’t lose his job, though. He returned all of Furman’s punts and kicks in the second half, finishing with 24 return yards on five run-backs. He added 63 yards on three kickoffs, including a 34-yarder.

Pierre-Louis joined Anthony Gulley in the secondary for part of the second half as well. Chizik said Pierre-Louis was out there simply for depth purposes and does not have a future at the position.

She’s the winner
Christian Becraft, a Huntsville native, was named Auburn’s 2009 Homecoming queen at halftime.

The four other finalists were Grace Anthony (Vestavia Hills), Kimmery Henderson (Enterprise), Grace Ann Sooter (Homewood) and Abby Womack (Mountain Brook).

By the Numbers
14 – consecutive completions made by Chris Todd to start Saturday’s game
5 – consecutive possessions that ended in an Auburn touchdown to start the game
0 – snaps for Todd, Ben Tate, Antonio Coleman, Auburn’s linebackers and the entire starting offensive line in the second half.
287.2 – Todd’s quarterback rating after going 17-of-18 for 256 yards and four touchdowns, all coming just in the first half.