Tennessee heads into Saturday with a chance to bounce back, but the assignment comes with a familiar twist: Auburn is bringing Alex Golesh back to Knoxville.
Golesh, Tennessee’s former offensive coordinator, is now leading the Tigers and returning to the place where he worked under Josh Heupel in 2021 and 2022. During that stretch, he helped shape one of the best Volunteer offenses ever assembled. Now he’ll try to do damage against his old boss in a matchup that has plenty of built-in familiarity on both sides.
Auburn arrives at 3-1 and is coming off a win over Vanderbilt. Its only loss came against Florida in a 44-39 shootout. Saturday will also be Auburn’s first true road game of the season, which adds another layer to a trip already loaded with questions.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is trying to regroup after its first loss of the year, a rough outing against No. 1 Texas.
The Volunteers’ offense never found a rhythm, with Texas’ defensive front overwhelming the line and Faizon Brandon looking rattled for much of the day. Getting Brandon settled again is a major task for the staff this week.
Oddsmakers expect a competitive game. Tennessee opened as a seven-point favorite on Sunday and has since moved to 7.5, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.
The total is 54.5. The Volunteers are 2-2 against the spread this season after back-dooring the Longhorns last Saturday, while Auburn sits at 1-3 against the number.
Golesh’s offense will bring some familiar looks for Tennessee to sort through, and one of the biggest pieces is quarterback Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh from South Florida. Brown has had a rocky start at Auburn, throwing five interceptions in his first four games. Former Volunteer Chas Nimrod will also return to Neyland as one of Brown’s top targets.
On the ground, Tennessee will need to keep an eye on Jeremiah Cobb, who is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Golesh is also expected to lean on Brown in the run game, giving Auburn another way to attack the Volunteers if the passing game stalls.
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What stands out most is how quickly she has bought into the bigger picture around Kim Caldwells team. Theuerkauf talked about chemistry, the gains made over the summer, and the trust she has in Caldwell as Tennessee starts to put its pieces together. For a program that expects newcomers to fit into a demanding standard fast, that matters, and it suggests Theuerkauf may be more than just another veteran guard in the rotation. She already sounds like someone who understands the assignment, even if the real proof will come once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]