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Greg Ostendorf, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson to return from ankle injury

College Football, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn coach Gus Malzahn confirmed on Wednesday's SEC teleconference that sophomore running back Kerryon Johnson, the team's starter to begin the season, will return Saturday for the game at Ole Miss.

Johnson, who injured his ankle on the opening series against Mississippi State earlier this month, missed the rest of that game as well as Auburn's most recent game against Arkansas. Prior to the injury, he was the team's leading rusher with 538 yards and six touchdowns.

"He practiced yesterday," Malzahn said. "He's really close [to 100 percent]."

Johnson dressed for the Arkansas game and took part in pregame warm-ups, but Auburn didn't need him. Led by backup running back Kamryn Pettway, the Tigers rushed for 543 yards, the most ever by one team in a regular-season SEC game.

"The good thing is we didn't have to play [Johnson] last week," Malzahn said Tuesday. "I thought that was very important moving forward, not just this game but the rest of the year."

During Johnson's two-game absence, Pettway carried the ball 66 times for 361 yards and five touchdowns. Despite not playing the first game, he currently ranks among the SEC leaders in rushing yards and leads the league in yards per game (116). Fellow running backs Stanton Truitt and Kam Martin have also helped fill the void. Both players scored their first career touchdowns against the Razorbacks on Saturday.

On Saturday, Auburn will take its SEC-leading rushing attack into Oxford to face an Ole Miss defense that ranks last in the conference against the run.

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