Auburn left Neyland Stadium with the kind of result that exposes every flaw in a hurry. Tennessee handled the Tigers 24-14, sending Auburn to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play, and the story of the afternoon was as plain as the gray sky hanging over the stadium.
The Tigers’ defense gave them a chance for a while. The offense did not.
Auburn’s unit on that side of the ball never found a real rhythm, continuing a problem that has followed the Tigers against Power Four opponents. The slow start showed up again, only this time it lasted well beyond the opening couple of drives. Auburn didn’t get much going until the fourth quarter, and even its touchdown before halftime came with help from Xavier Atkins’ interception, which set the Tigers up deep in Tennessee territory.
There were a few signs of life on the ground, especially later in the game. Byrum Brown and Omar Mabson II combined for 169 rushing yards, giving Auburn something to lean on once the run game finally started to come alive.
But that wasn’t enough to erase the damage from the early lull. Like the Florida game, the sluggish opening proved costly, and this time the Tigers ran out of time before they could flip the script.
The defense, meanwhile, did its part to keep things manageable for much of the day. Auburn held Tennessee to 323 total yards and just 125 in the first half. The pressure showed up early, too, with Da’Shawn Womack recording two early sacks and the Tigers repeatedly getting after Tennessee’s true freshman quarterback, who came in after a rough outing against Texas last week.
That quarterback, Brandon, never really settled in and was benched in the first half for George MacIntyre. Tennessee’s offense looked stuck before the break, even with poor clock management helping Auburn avoid more damage before halftime.
But the game changed after that. Once MacIntyre entered, the Vols found a different gear, and the second half belonged more and more to Tennessee.
DeSean Bishop was the biggest problem Auburn couldn’t solve. He ripped through the Tigers for 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, a crushing performance for a defense that used to pride itself on making life miserable for opposing run games. Giving up 200-plus rushing yards has now happened twice this season, and this one came at the worst possible time.
Auburn also made the kind of self-inflicted mistakes that turn a close road game into a loss. Brown had three turnovers, and the Tigers’ fourth-down failure deep in their own territory helped put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Add in the penalties - 11 of them, including seven pre-snap flags - and the picture gets even messier. The offensive line was hit with false starts on Auburn’s first three drives, and Neyland Stadium’s crowd clearly had something to do with that early disruption.
That was the difference in a game like this. Against a ranked opponent on the road, Auburn couldn’t afford the turnovers, the penalties or the wasted chances. It had all three.
Now the Tigers head into the bye week with plenty to clean up before another SEC road trip, this one to Georgia.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Gave Fans A Reason To Watch One Elite Recruiting Battle
Auburn has jumped into one of the earliest recruiting races on its calendar, extending a scholarship offer to Jeremiah Tillman, a four-star edge rusher and linebacker in the 2029 class. The offer puts the Tigers in the mix with a prospect already drawing attention from programs such as Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, and it gives Auburn another chance to sell what has long been one of its calling cards on defense.
Tillman already has a visit to Auburn lined up for Oct. 24, a date that should offer the staff a chance to make a strong impression in person. He has shown interest in Auburns defensive culture and atmosphere, which is exactly the kind of feedback the Tigers want to hear as they try to stay competitive in a battle that figures to only get bigger from here. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Heads Into Bye Week Clinging To One Reason For Hope
Auburn heads into its bye week with a lot to sort through after taking a second loss to Tennessee, but there was at least one encouraging sign to carry forward. Center Cole Best pointed to the teams unity and its refusal to quit even as the game turned difficult, and Auburn did show some improvement in the run game during the second half. For a team still trying to settle into the grind of SEC competition, those are the kinds of small but meaningful details that can keep a locker room from splintering.
Head coach Alex Golesh has kept the focus on accountability without turning to finger-pointing, which matters when the results are not matching the effort. The bigger concern is the sense that Auburn may simply be working through a talent gap against the leagues more complete rosters, a challenge that does not disappear over a bye week. Still, if there is one reason for hope, it is that the Tigers continue to play for one another even while the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Tennessee Loss Exposed A Problem Up Front Fans Feared
Auburns loss at Tennessee did more than add another blemish to the record. It put a spotlight on the kind of issues that have been hovering around the Tigers for weeks, especially up front, where the run defense and offensive line both drew harsh reviews in Pro Football Focus grading of the game. In a 24-14 defeat, the numbers backed up what the eye test suggested: Tennessee was able to control too much of the game at the line of scrimmage.
The PFF breakdown also offered a closer look at how individual players fared in the matchup, with Donovan Haslam, Mark Matthews, David Sanders Jr. and Dejuan Lane all evaluated for their roles. On the other side, Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre earned strong marks for his efficient work after replacing Faizon Brandon, which only added to Auburns frustration. For a team trying to steady itself, the concern is not just the result in Knoxville, but what it says about how difficult the Tigers are becoming to trust where the trenches decide games. [Read more 🡒]