Tennessee heads to Fayetteville this weekend with momentum, a bruising run game, and a defense that’s been flattening people. Arkansas, meanwhile, is trying to find some footing at all.
The Vols come in at 4-1 after a 24-14 win over Auburn, a result that counts as a clean SEC victory even if the film showed plenty of rough edges. True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has not looked comfortable since league play began, and against the Tigers he went 3-of-8 for 0 yards. He also threw a costly interception that handed Auburn a short field and led to a touchdown.
Josh Heupel responded by turning to redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, who finished 8-of-10 for 86 yards. MacIntyre looked more decisive, and there’s a real chance Tennessee spends the rest of the year in something close to an Erik Ainge/Rick Clausen split, with both quarterbacks getting starts. Tennessee fans know exactly how that movie ended in 2005, and they’d prefer not to relive the 5-6 finish.
If the passing game keeps sputtering, Tennessee has a clear fallback: DeSean Bishop. The Vols don’t usually hand the ball to one runner this heavily, but Bishop carried it 34 times for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns against Auburn. He’s the offense’s most reliable piece right now, and he’s doing it as a walk-on from Karns HS.
The defense is carrying its own weight, too. Tennessee forced 3 turnovers, racked up 4 sacks, forced 4 three-and-outs, and came up with a huge stop on 4th-and-short late in the game that set up the clinching touchdown.
Through five games, the Vols lead the nation with 23 sacks and are tied for 5th in the FBS with 42 tackles for loss. Xavier Gilliam, the Penn State transfer, has been a force with 8.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks, while senior linebacker Arion Carter leads the team with 33 tackles.
That’s why this Tennessee team is starting to look a lot like the 2024 Playoff version: a young quarterback, a workhorse back, and a defense that makes life miserable. Jim Knowles has clearly been a major upgrade as defensive coordinator.
Arkansas is on the other side of that equation. The Razorbacks are 2-3, and their three losses to Utah, Georgia, and Texas A&M have come by a combined 122-34. They’re 116th in the FBS in total offense at 335 yards per game, and quarterback KJ Jackson has had a tough time getting anything going, with 6 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions.
The ground game hasn’t helped much either. Braylen Russell is averaging just 27 rushing yards per game, and the passing attack leans heavily on senior wideout Chris Marshall, who leads the team with 35 catches. Sutton Smith is next on the list with only 11 receptions through five games.
Defensively, Arkansas has some individual production, but not enough overall resistance. Washington and North Carolina transfer Khmori House leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and ranks second with 33 tackles.
Ben Boggle, who came from Southern Illinois and West Virginia, leads the Razorbacks with 35 tackles. Still, the unit has allowed 28.4 points per game, which ranks 108th in the FBS.
New head coach Ryan Silverfield isn’t getting any honeymoon period. In his weekly press conference, he said he understood the frustration from Arkansas fans and that the team is still working hard to improve.
These teams met in Fayetteville in 2024, and Arkansas pulled off a 19-14 win after a late score and a Tennessee mistake on the final play, when Nico Iamaleava ran out of bounds instead of getting off a last throw to the end zone. Razorbacks fans stormed the field, and Rocky Top was played over the PA in mock tribute. That was also Arkansas’ last home win over a Power 4 opponent, a streak now sitting at nine straight losses.
The series itself has had its share of strange turns. Tennessee leads it 14-7, and the most famous moment may be Clint Stoerner’s fumble in 1998, which kept the Vols’ national title hopes alive. Arkansas has also delivered some painful blows of its own, including the 1992 upset that helped keep Tennessee out of the first SEC Championship Game and the 1999 win that might have knocked the Vols out of the BCS title picture.
This one doesn’t feel like it will join that list. Tennessee is the better team, and Tennessee is expected to win.
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DeSean Bishops recent play has been part of Tennessees upward trend, adding another layer to a matchup that already looks demanding for Arkansas. The Razorbacks will need a sharper showing to make this competitive, but the expectation around this game is that Tennessee has the edge, with a projected margin of at least two touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]