KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It’s game day, and No. 17 Tennessee football is set to host the Auburn Tigers in another Southeastern Conference affair. This will be the 55th meeting between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1900. The Vols have some ground to make up, as they are 22-29-3 all-time against the Tigers. The two programs last met on Nov. 21, 2020, with Auburn winning 30-17 despite a 173-yard rushing performance from Eric Gray.
My keys to a win go right to the trenches. In order for Tennessee to win, the Vols must play better on offense than they did last week. Tennessee will be without offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr. for the year, and at this time, Shamurad Umarov is questionable for Saturday’s game. But it’s next man up, and at this level, you have to be ready to adjust and move on.
On a wet day in Knoxville, the conditions may play a factor. That, in my eyes, favors the Vols, especially on defense. Tennessee is tied for the nation’s lead in sacks with 19. If the field is indeed wet, I believe that’s advantage Vols. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown has made some mistakes in the passing game, and he is also their leading rusher, with 237 yards and three touchdowns.
“A guy that’s played in this system for a long time, year one at Auburn, but has been playing in it,” Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel said on the Mike Keith Show. “He’s got really good understanding of what they’re doing. The plus one in the run game, his physicality is a huge part of their identity. We’ve got to do a great job winning, having gap integrity, destructing blocks and tackling him.”
If the Vols’ front keeps him contained and forces uncomfortable throws, this defense should have another solid outing. Tennessee has to get Auburn off the field on third down. The Tigers are 50 percent on the season in third down conversions. It would also be helpful if Tennessee can create a couple of takeaways. That would give Faizon Brandon and the Vols’ offense more opportunities and momentum to work off of.
Auburn has a solid defense as well. They do a good job of creating takeaways. Led by veteran defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, Auburn enters this week with 29 tackles for loss, which ranks fourth in the SEC and tied for 16th nationally. The Tigers are also third in the SEC with five interceptions this year. Xavier Atkins leads the way up front with seven tackles for loss and three sacks, while Elijah Melendez leads the team in tackles with 34. In the secondary, Andre Jordan Jr. has two of the Tigers’ interceptions.
“Really good up front,” Heupel said. “We’ve gone against the coordinator multiple times. He’s multiple on his fronts, his pressures and what he’s playing on the back end. So getting into the flow of the game early, winning up front and then doing a good job on third down. That will be critical in this one.”
Back to the Vols’ offense. Control the line of scrimmage and run the football. Tennessee needs to get back to the dominant rushing attack we saw during the first three weeks of the season. Given that the competition wasn’t SEC caliber, it’s more about fundamentals and taking advantage of what’s there. The running back room’s talked about that over the last few weeks. Even with the offensive line’s consistent performance under heavy scrutiny, there have been opportunities for the backs to make some plays. They have to get back to that.
“He felt like we left a lot on the field that we didn’t show up and do,” Tennessee running back Daune Morris said of what running backs coach De’Rail Sims told the room Monday. “But I feel like just going into this week, like Coach Sims was telling us, the details and the alignments, that’s our main focus right now.”
That will also take pressure off Brandon in the pass game. He has to let it rip, but in a smart way. After last Saturday’s tough day, he’s ready to get back to it.
“A guy that’s going to continue to grow and learn from every experience that he has,” Heupel said. “Some things he did well a week ago, some things that he’s going to learn from. It starts with small details, fundamentals, understanding some protection things and progressions and reads, and you just continue to progress every single week. He’s a true competitor and ready to go in this one.”
How to watch and listen
TV: ESPN
Play-by-play: Bob Wischusen
Analyst: Louis Riddick
Sideline reporter: Stormy Buonantony
Radio: Vol Network
Local: WIVK-FM 107.7 | WNML-FM 99.1
SiriusXM: Ch. 179 or 229
SiriusXM app: Ch. 953
Web: UTsports.com
App: Tennessee Athletics
Play-by-play: Mike Keith
Analyst: Jayson Swain
Sideline reporter: Brent Hubbs
Radio (Spanish broadcast)
Local: WNML-AM 990
Play-by-play: Carlos Lopez
Analyst: JP Vasquez
