Auburn goes into the second half of its season on a much more optimistic note after closing out the first half on a three-game winning streak.The 21st-ranked Tigers (4-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) are coming off a bye week, and now they face key challenges starting Saturday, when No. 17 Arkansas (5-2, 1-2) visits the Loveliest Village on the Plains. Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn is set for 6 p.m. ET (ESPN).The next week, the Tigers go to No. 23 Ole Miss.Auburn coach Gus Malzahn credits a resurgence in the offense to the bounce-back by his team, which lost two of its first three games to a pair of highly ranked teams, Clemson and Texas A&M.Quarterback Sean White, an accurate passer, is beginning to play with more confidence, senior receiver Tony Stephens is stepping up his game, and Kamryn Pettway is joining with starter Kerryon Johnson to give the Tigers a one-two punch at running back.Pettway was particularly key in a 38-14 win over Mississippi State in Auburns last outing after Johnson went out with an ankle injury. A sophomore, Pettway responded with a career-high 169 yards rushing against the Bulldogs. Johnson is expected back for the game against Arkansas.Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee took over play-calling from Malzahn during the winning streak and went back to a run-first mentality. Lashlee noted that even with an emphasis on the running game behind Johnson and Pettway, the Tigers havent forgotten how to pass and are capable of throwing it more than the 18 times they did against Mississippi State.That time is coming, he said.Auburns defense has been pretty solid all year, giving up only 10 touchdowns in all. Four of those scores came long after the issue was already decided in Auburns favor.The truth of the matter is, I think every player you coach wants to be able to look at something and say, You know what, were doing this pretty well and were getting better, were making progress and we got a lot of ways that we can improve, first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. Weve done a really nice job, but how can we make it better?Arkansas is coming off its first SEC win of the season after holding on for a 34-30 victory over Ole Miss. The Razorbacks lost two of their previous three outings, sandwiching a rout of Alcorn State in between losses to SEC West leaders Texas A&M and Alabama.You have to keep it in perspective, Hogs coach Bret Bielema said. I told those guys on Sunday, you lost to two teams that are undefeated, might be the two best teams in college football. Keep in perspective where we are, keep working, keep grinding, and someday well be there.The win over the Rebels, secured when defensive back Santos Ramirezs hit on Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly forced Kelly to cough up the football on the Rebels final drive, did help bring restore some confidence to a team that was disappointed it didnt have enough to upset the No. 1 Crimson Tide the previous week.I thought our guys really rebounded well, Bielema said. Ive always said with high expectations comes a high price when you dont reach those things. Our guys responded really well.Junior quarterback Austin Allen continued his solid play in his first season as a starter by completing 19 of 32 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns and sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III rushed for 180 yards on just 27 carries against the Rebels.The Auburn-Arkansas series has been closely competitive since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992 with Auburn holding a slight 12-11-1 edge since then. The only other time they met was in the 1984 Liberty Bowl, won by Auburn 21-15.In the 25 meetings overall, Auburn has outscored Arkansas by just 633-629, though 11 of the past 15 meetings were decided by 17 points or more. Last year it took four overtimes before the Razorbacks escaped with a 54-46 win after the teams finished regulation deadlocked at 24-24. Cheap Nike Air Max 1 China .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Cheap Nike Air Max 1 Shoes .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. http://www.cheapnikeairmax1.com/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Wholesale Air Max 1 China . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Cheap Nike Air Max 1 Wholesale .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. With catcher Yan Gomes mired in a season-long slump, the Cleveland Indians went to extra lengths Saturday to help their veteran catcher.And they took a page from the movie Major League to do it.?The Indians held what second baseman Jason Kipnis described as a sacrificial ceremony for Gomes in the clubhouse before their game against the Minnesota Twins?in Minneapolis.?It included a chicken offering to the baseball gods and Jobu. ?A blessing was said, with veteran Mike Napoli asking Jobu to absolve Yan Gomes of any wrongdoings he may have committed to thee.?The ceremony concluded with Gomes slicing a store-bought chicken in half with a knife.?Gomes entered Saturdays game batting .163 this season, with just one hit since June 29 and no extra-base hits since June 25.?Kipnis told reporters that Friday nights game, in which Gomes went 0-for-4, was the line in the sand for the catchers struggles.?We bought a chicken from [Target], Kipnis told reporters, according to MLB.com. We bought a little blade and we had him chop it in half. We sacrificed a chicken to the baseball gods and Jobu. We gave them gifts and peace offerings. Hopefully, theyll acceptt them and turn the tide on our catcher.dddddddddddd?One game in, the ceremony hasnt produced immediate results for Gomes. He was not in the starting lineup for Saturday nights 5-4 loss, but entered in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter and flied out. He flied out again in the 11th, then committed an error at home plate in the bottom half of the inning that allowed the Twins to score the winning run.Cleveland manager Terry Francona laughed out loud when asked about the exorcism before the game.I thought that was probably clubhouse humor to the nth degree, Francona said. Its probably stuff that you dont do in the normal workplace, but I thought it was good. It showed Gomer how much they care about him, which is good.The Indians entered the day with 53 wins, second most in the American League. Maybe Jobu has helped. Next to Kipnis home locker, theres a shrine straight out of Major League featuring two Jobu dolls and three airport bottles of Bacardi rum.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.? 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