Auburn Tigers football (6-3) will celebrate its 83rd Homecoming game by taking on the Furman Paladins (4-4) this Saturday in its last regular season non-conference game.
The Tigers are coming off a 33-20 win over the Ole Miss Rebels, moving them to third in the West of the Southeastern Conference.
Senior running back Ben Tate ran for 144 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown in last Saturday's game. The 144 yards pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, making this the first time in his career he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
"Ben just continues to show up," said head coach Gene Chizik. "I am really proud of the way his leadership has come to the forefront for our football team, and he keeps running hard."
Senior quarterback Chris Todd threw for 212 yards on 12 attempts and a touchdown. The 28-yard touchdown pass gave Auburn the lead for the rest of the game and was Todd's 13th of the season.
Auburn's defense added two more interceptions last week against the Rebels and ranks 17th in the nation with 11 interceptions and tied for 27th with 18 total turnovers forced.
Senior cornerback Walter McFadden leads the team with four interceptions this season, which ties for second in the SEC and 25th nationally.
McFadden's four picks are tied for the most by an Auburn player in a single season since Junior Rosegreen's six interceptions in 2004.
After Sunday's practice defensive coordinator Ted Roof praised the defensive line and said their performance played a big role in winning the game.
"I thought that was a big factor in the football game," Roof said. "It allows you to get extra people in coverage and not feel like you have to blitz to get pressure on the quarterback."
The Furman Paladins are coming off a 52-27 loss to Appalachian State.
The Tigers will take on the Paladins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CDT in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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