The Auburn Tigers came into Rupp Arena on Saturday and dominated the Kentucky Wildcats from start to finish. Auburn hadn't won in Rupp Arena since 1988, but that streak was snapped on Saturday when they beat the Wildcats 94-78.

Auburn is the No. 1 team in the country and today, we learned the hard way that it’s with good reason. The Tigers dominated the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats 94-78, leading for 39:21 of the 40 minutes to get their first victory in Rupp since 1988.

Both Kentucky and Arkansas suffered tough losses over the weekend to Auburn and South Carolina, respectively, but how coaches Mark Pope and John Calipari responded couldn't have been more different.

Kentucky came into Saturday's matchup with #1 Auburn hoping to pull off a major resume win, but instead, Auburn came out of the gates quickly, and the Wildcats

The Auburn Tigers made a statement with this weekend's 94-78 thumping of the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats, and UK coach Mark Pope knows it. Speaking to the media following the loss, Pope was forced to give credit to his team's SEC rival.

The Auburn Tigers rolled into Lexington and jumped all over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. Plenty went wrong in the game for Kentucky, but head coach Mark Pope was particularly frustrated with the team’s energy throughout the game.

Mark Pope knows Kentucky has to improve before the end of the regular season, after a devastating loss to Auburn.

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope breaks down what went wrong in loss to No.1 Auburn. The Tigers won for the first time at Rupp since 1988.

Mark Pope was as down as anyone after Kentucky’s 94-78 loss to Auburn. There is no shame in losing to the No. 1 team in the country, but the Cats didn’t do themselves any favors, turning the ball over 18 times and making just 4-17 three-pointers.

Auburn was in control. The post Unbelievable Auburn Forces Mark Pope to Throw Himself Under the Bus for "Poor" Kentucky Performance appeared first on EssentiallySports.