Hugh Freeze, battling illness, arrives late to coach Auburn vs. Kentucky

Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze did not travel to Lexington along with the rest of his team for his team's upcoming game against Kentucky.

But Freeze is still expected to pace the sideline when the Tigers and Wildcats kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Freeze is battling an illness whose symptoms suggest food poisoning and was unable to make the trip with the team Friday, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

However, Freeze reportedly flew to Lexington on Saturday morning and is expected to continue coaching with the Tigers. It is not the first time that Freeze has had to take up coaching duties due to illness.

During his tenure as Liberty's coach, Freeze held team meetings from a hospital bed before a game against Syracuse in August 2019 while recovering from surgery to treat a severe staph infection. Freeze was eventually wheeled into the stadium and coached the game from a hospital bed in a former radio/television booth in the Arthur L. Williams Stadium press box.

Even though the circumstances aren't quite the same this time, Freeze will still be a welcome presence on the sideline in a crucial game for Auburn. The Tigers (2-5) are looking to end a four-game deficit that saw the program lose three straight games to ranked teams (Oklahoma, Georgia and Missouri).