Irons, Cope earn SEC Player of the Week honors

Junior running back Kenny Irons has been named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week and junior center Joe Cope is the Offensive Lineman of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

Irons rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn's 31-30 victory over Georgia Saturday in Athens. Irons rushed for a 30-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 6-yard score in the second quarter en route to 125 first-half rushing yards.

He has surpassed the 100-yard mark by the end of the first half in four games this season.

The Georgia contest marked Irons' fifth straight game over 100 yards, making him the first Auburn running back to accomplish the feat since Rudi Johnson in 2000.

Irons has 1,102 yards rushing this season, the 13th-best single-season mark in Tiger history. The Dacula, Ga., native has also rushed for a team-leading 12 touchdowns.

Irons' honor is the second of the season for the junior. He was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 17 after rushing for 182 yards against Arkansas.

Cope finished with a 97 percent overall grade, accumulating six pancakes and three cockroach blocks against Georgia. He was part of an offensive line that helped the Tigers tally 506 yards of offense, including 227 yards on the ground, against the nation's eighth-ranked defense. Cope has started all 10 games for the Tigers this season.

It is the first SEC weekly honor of Cope's career.

The awards are the ninth and 10th SEC weekly honors to be bestowed on an Auburn player this season. Others include Leon Hart (Offensive Lineman -- Nov. 5), Marquies Gunn (Defensive Lineman -- Oct. 31), Travis Williams (Defense -- Oct. 3), Blake Field (Freshman -- Sept. 26), Brad Lester (Freshman -- Sept. 19 and Oct. 3) and Will Herring (Defense -- Sept. 10).

Irons, Cope and the 11th-ranked Tigers (8-2 overall, 6-1 SEC) end the regular season by hosting No. 8 Alabama (9-1, 6-1) Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on CBS.