ATHENS, Ga. – Mike Dyer took a handoff on Auburn’s first play of the second half against Georgia on Saturday and ran 17 yards for a first down.

It was more than just an auspicious beginning to the final 30 minutes for a feature back that struggled to 4 yards on six carries in the first half.

It put the sophomore back over 1,000 rush yards on the year, the second time he’s eclipsed the millennium mark in two years with Auburn.

Dyer’s the first back since Carnell Williams (2003-04) to run for 1,000 yards in two straight seasons and only the fifth back in program history to accomplish that feat, with Williams, Stephen Davis (1994-95), James Brooks (1979-80) and Joe Cribbs (1978-79).

Dyer carried 13 times for 48 yards Saturday, putting him at 199 carries for 1,037 yards on the year.

His 2,130 career yards put him 11th on Auburn’s career rushing list, behind 10th-place James Joseph (2,264).

Still, Dyer wasn’t too pleased with his feat.

“When we win games, I’d probably be happy about that,” Dyer said. “But not right now.”

Bell injured

Junior cornerback T’Sharvan Bell injured his left knee on a 9-yard run by Georgia’s Carlton Thomas near the end of the third quarter Saturday.

Bell was down on the field for a couple of minutes before two trainers helped him to the sideline, with the cornerback heavily favoring his left leg.

Bell left the game and was on crutches after, with a brace on his left knee.

Head coach Gene Chizik said he didn’t yet know the severity of the injury to Bell, who has started all 10 games for the Tigers this year, tallying 45 tackles and two interceptions.

Smith gets the start

Sophomore Ryan Smith got his first career start Saturday, taking fellow sophomore Demetruce McNeal’s place at safety.

Smith recorded five tackles on the night, and McNeal made seven off the bench.

McNeal started the Tigers’ first nine games at one safety spot and is third on the team with 59 tackles, also adding two interceptions.

“(Smith) had done a good job, but those guys are both going to play a lot,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “So he got the nod tonight. And I was very proud of Demetruce and how he prepared after that happened.”

Uzomah’s first

Freshman wide receiver C.J. Uzomah’s first two passes ended in an interception intended for Quan Bray and an incompletion trying for DeAngelo Benton.

But on the third pass of his college career, the former high school quarterback found paydirt.

Uzomah lined up in the slot on a third-and-goal from the 4 and took a pitch from quarterback Clint Moseley and threw to the end zone, where Philip Lutzenkirchen boxed out two defenders and caught his team-leading sixth touchdown pass of the year, tying the game at 7 with 6:13 to go in the first quarter.

For Uzomah, a Suwannee, Ga., native, it was pretty sweet.

“It was really a great feeling I got to score a touchdown against my home-state team,” Uzomah said. “Obviously it wasn’t the result we were looking for, but we’re looking to build off this loss.”