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Auburn, Tuberville facing rugged finish

Nov 15, 2008 - 11:29 AM (12) Georgia (8-2) at Auburn (5-5), 12:30 pm EST

AUBURN, Alabama (Ticker) -- In terms of the Southeastern Conference race, there won't be a whole lot on the line Saturday when Georgia visits Auburn in the latest renewal of the oldest rivalry in the Deep South.

But try telling that to Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, whose job could in jeopardy with the Tigers at just .500 following last week's 37-20 victory over Tennessee-Martin of the Football Championship Subdivision.

The preseason pick to win the SEC West, Auburn has been inconsistent offensively throughout the season. The Tigers are 10th in the SEC in scoring, averaging just 19.5 points per game.

Auburn (5-5, 2-4 SEC West) needs to win both its remaining games just to be bowl eligible, and it faces a daunting task. The Tigers take on top-ranked Alabama in their regular-season finale on November 29.

Auburn could salvage a .500 season by splitting its final two games, but the Tigers have two wins over FCS opponents and only one can be applied toward bowl eligibility.

Tuberville has had just one losing season in 10 years at Auburn, and that came in his first year when he went 5-6 in 1999.

Tuberville fired first-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin after just six games and took a more active role in the offense. But things haven't improved that much. Auburn had dropped four in a row before last week's win.

After splitting time with Chris Todd earlier in the season, Kodi Burns has played exclusively in the last three games.

Burns did pass for 319 yards at Mississippi on November 1, but also threw three interceptions and produced only one touchdown in a 17-7 loss.

Auburn is ranked 100th out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense, averaging 315.4 yards per game.

Georgia (8-2, 5-2 SEC East) locked down second place in the SEC East last week with a 42-38 win over Kentucky and is simply looking to improve its bowl position.

It wasn't easy, however, as the Bulldogs needed Matthew Stafford's 11-yard TD pass to AJ Green with 1:54 remaining.

Stafford, who has struggled of late, passed for a career-high 376 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for 123 yards and three TDs, joined Herschel Walker as the only Georgia running backs with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

The Bulldogs could gain a share of the SEC East title if South Carolina upsets Florida on Saturday, but the Gators already have clinched a berth in the SEC title game based on their 49-10 win over Georgia two weeks ago.