Auburn’s head coach Hugh Freeze made an early arrival in Lexington, Kentucky, ahead of the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference matchup against Kentucky on Saturday night. He was seen on the sidelines before the game, after opting not to fly with the team the previous day due to health issues.

Reports indicated that Freeze was unable to travel with the team on Friday after becoming ill. An Auburn football representative later confirmed that the coach was dealing with nausea that was described as a brief “24-hour bug.” However, he managed to fly to Lexington on Saturday morning and joined the team during their pregame activities, including the customary Tiger Walk to Kroger Field, a few hours before the slated kickoff time of 7:45 p.m. ET. The spokesperson noted that Freeze followed his typical pregame routine and even took photos on the field.

The Tigers, who had a record of 2-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play, aimed to snap a four-game losing streak and improve their chances of making a bowl game. Auburn has a strong historical performance against Kentucky, having claimed victory in their last nine visits to Lexington since 1966. Meanwhile, the Wildcats, with a record of 3-4 and 1-4 in the SEC, are looking to rebound from recent defeats, including losses to No. 25 Vanderbilt and Florida, as they try to return to a .500 record.