From Auburn and Tennessee Sports Information...
THE GAME
Auburn travels to Knoxville for the first time since 2004 to play Tennessee in the first road game of the season for the Tigers. The game will kick off at 6:45 p.m. CT and be televised nationally by ESPN.
AUBURN HEADLINES
- Auburn is looking to start a season 5-0 for the third time in the last six seasons and first time since 2006.
- Auburn has won 19 consecutive games overall and 11 consecutive games at Jordan-Hare Stadium with Gene Chizik on the coaching staff.
- Auburn has won four straight games against Tennessee, which ties the longest streak in series history for the Tigers.
- Auburn has come from behind to win in all four of its games this season.
- Auburn is third in the nation in scoring offense (45.3) and tied for third in total offense (526.3 yards per game).
- Auburn has scored 181 points this season, which is the most in the first four games of any season in school history, and just 27 points fewer than Auburn scored all of last year.
- Auburn has scored in every quarter this season, including touchdowns in 15 of 16 quarters, including 14 in a row.
- Auburn ranks sixth in the nation in rushing offense (261.3) and has two of the top four rushers in the SEC in Ben Tate (103.0 ypg) and Onterio McCalebb (91.2 ypg).
- Auburn has recorded four straight games of 400 or more yards of offense for the first time since the first four games of the 2000 season.
- Auburn is tied for eighth nationally in first downs (24.3) and has had at least 20 in all four games.
- Auburn is tied for fifth in the nation in turnover margin (+1.75), tied for fourth in interceptions (eight) and tied for fifth in turnovers forced (12).
- Chris Todd has nine touchdown passes in his last two games. Last year, Auburn had just seven touchdown passes as a team during the entire season.
- Todd ranks second in the nation in yards per completion (16.32), tied for third in TD passes (11) and sixth in passing efficiency (171.05).
- Senior Ben Tate ranks 17th nationally in rushing (103.0), and is ninth in school history with 2,371 career rushing yards.
- Senior defensive end Antonio Coleman has 17.0 career sacks, which ranks tied for sixth in Auburn history for career sacks.
TENNESSEE HEADLINES
- Series History: Auburn holds the all-time series lead over the Vols 26-21-3, but Tennessee has won 14 of 24 contests in Knoxville (14-8-2). The Vols' last win in the series was a 24-0 shutout of the Tigers at Neyland Stadium in 1999.
- Last Meeting: The Vols dropped a 14-12 decision to the Tigers last season at Auburn. Tennessee had four fourth-quarter possessions needing a field goal for the win, but couldn't manage to score. Montario Hardesty scored the Vols' only touchdown.
- Close Games, Close Series: Tennessee and Auburn no longer play every year, but the Vols and Tigers are entertaining when they do get together. The last 12 games in the series are split 5-5-2 between the two schools, and nine of those contests have been decided by 10 points or less. In those twelve games, Tennessee leads in total scoring 273-271.
- Kiffin vs. Chizik: The two programs' first-year head coaches share a common experience, and it was one of the most notable games in college football history. Lane Kiffin was the Southern Cal offensive coordinator in the 2006 BCS National Championship Game played at the Rose Bowl. He matched wits with then-Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. The Longhorns won a shootout, 41-38 to claim the national title.
- On Oct. 3: The Vols are 13-2 all-time on Oct. 3 and have not lost on that date since 1953. The last Oct. 3 contest was a 17-9 win over Auburn in 1998.
- October is Important: Tennessee embarks on a four-game stretch through the month of October that is critical to its bowl hopes. The Vols take on Auburn, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina this month. Against those teams, Tennessee has won just 51 percent of its games all-time. UT's has won 74 percent of its games against its November opponents.
- A win would: A win would snap a four-game losing streak to Auburn and give coach Lane Kiffin his first Southeastern Conference win.
- A loss would: A loss would be Tennessee's fifth straight to Auburn and would put the Vols in an 0-2 SEC hole for the second consecutive season.