10/18 at 02:21 AM

The first self-directed boos of the 2009 Auburn season were heard Saturday at 9:24 p.m.

Chris Todd’s throwaway pass, which sailed over the heads of players on the Auburn sidelines with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, signaled another three-and-out and put the winded Auburn defense back on the field with the game tied.

It was more than enough time for upset-minded Kentucky to run the Tigers out of Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in 48 years.

Randall Cobb’s 4-yard, go-ahead touchdown run, set up by a 61-yarder just plays earlier, put the wraps on Kentucky’s 21-14 victory over the suddenly reeling Tigers, who now have plenty of question marks to go with the answers those first five wins appeared to provide.

“We had our chances to win the game and had a chance to close the door on several occasions,” coach Gene Chizik said. “But we didn’t do it.”

Auburn’s last-ditch possession only elicited more frustration from whatever was left of the 86,217 in attendance.

Driving with some momentum and stationed at Kentucky’s 43-yard line, Auburn’s third-and-1 turned into a third-and-6 when tackle Andrew McCain was whistled for a false start. Another false start from a bizarre formation stacked the Tigers back 5 more yards.

Two Todd incompletions and a few Kentucky kneel downs later, the Tigers trudged into their South end zone lockers with their second consecutive loss.

“It’s going to be hard to win games when we score that little of points,” Chizik said. “We weren’t able to get it going with any consistency. I think that was pretty evident tonight.”

Auburn’s offense accounted for just 7 points, with the game’s first score coming on a 69-yard Neiko Thorpe touchdown run after a blocked field goal. The least a Gus Malzahn-coordinated offense had ever accounted for was 14 before Saturday night.

Ben Tate carried the ball more than he ever has in an Auburn uniform, but wasn’t able to break any big runs. His 31 carries resulted in 132 of the Tigers’ season-low 315 yards of offense.

Todd was ineffective and inaccurate, finishing 10-of-24 for a season-low 80 yards and an interception — just his second of the season.

“We had our chances to hit some open receivers on some different routes,” Chizik said. “It didn’t seem like we were clicking in the passing game like we needed to be.”

The Tigers defense, reeling from allowing 495 yards to Arkansas the previous week, allowed the least amount points it has since the season-opener, but surrendered the most rushing yards since 2006.

Kentucky, playing with true freshman quarterback Morgan Newton in his first career start, ran for 282 yards on 49 attempts. The last time Auburn surrendered more than 250 on the ground was a 2006 loss to Arkansas, when the Malzahn-led Hogs’ offense piled up 279.

Derrick Locke put up 126 yards in his first-career 100+ rushing game, but Cobb was the bigger pest. A former quarterback, Cobb made Auburn’s linebackers repeatedly grasp the chilly air on a number of his 12 carries out of the Wildcat formation.

“We’re always talking about finishing, but we didn’t finish,” defensive tackle Jake Ricks said. “This is a real gut-check for us.”

Two second-half possessions in particular typified the Tigers’ more concerning struggles on offense.

Saddled at its own 4-yard line on its first possession of the third quarter, Auburn moved 68 yards before stalling at the Kentucky 28. Faced with a fourth-and-5, the Tigers elected to go for it instead of attempting a 45-yard field goal.

Todd’s pass to Darvin Adams fell incomplete and the Tigers came away with nothing.

“We felt like we were wearing on them a little bit,” Chizik said. “We felt good about making it. It was going to be 45 or a little more with the wind blowing. We didn’t feel great about that.”

Auburn’s opening possession of the fourth quarter kicked off arguably the most undisciplined 15 minutes of football since the 2008 season.

The Tigers got as deep as the Kentucky 32-yard line but ended up as far back as the Wildcats’ 48 before they were forced to punt. Auburn committed five penalties for a combined 40 yards on the drive — 45 when you count the illegal formation penalty on the punt.

Kentucky scored on the following possession, rushing for all but 14 of the 75 yards, to tie the game, 14-14.

The Tigers finished with a season-high 10 penalties for 76 yards. Kentucky had zero.

“You can look directly in the fourth quarter to penalties,” Chizik said. “We couldn’t overcome the penalties.”

Kentucky’s win was just its sixth ever against Auburn and its first since 1966.

“It’s been a long time that Kentucky has beat Auburn at Auburn and it’s a long time that Kentucky has beat Auburn at all,” Wildcats coach Rich Brooks said. “So, obviously, this is a huge win for us.”

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