Tennessee left Saturday with a 24-14 win over Auburn, and the reward came in threes.
The SEC handed out weekly honors on Monday, and the Volunteers claimed all three of the league’s player-of-the-week awards tied to the victory. DeSean Bishop was named Offensive Player of the Week, Dejuan Lane took Defensive Player of the Week and Jackson Ross earned Special Teams Player of the Week.
Bishop split his award with Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons, Lane shared his with Missouri linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, and Ross was co-winner with Texas A&M kicker David Olano.
Bishop put together the kind of outing that can tilt a game on its own. He ran 34 times for 220 yards and scored three touchdowns, with the heavy damage - and all three scores - coming after halftime. His second-half surge helped separate Tennessee from Auburn and turned a close game into a 10-point finish.
After the game, Josh Heupel pointed to Bishop’s running style and decision-making.
“The way he was running the football,” UT head coach Josh Heupel said after the game. “He’s feeling much better this week than he was a week ago.
But he’s a fighter. I thought he had good vision and made a couple of bounce cuts that were the right time.
Big-time plays by him. And ultimately just the way the game unfolded.”
Lane delivered a standout night of his own from the safety spot. He picked off Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown and piled up nine tackles, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, finishing as Tennessee’s most disruptive defender.
Heupel said Lane has kept climbing.
“A guy that has some experience in what we’re doing, right?,” Heupel said. “But he’s continued to grow, made some terrific plays.
Some pressures, was in the backfield causing havoc, obviously the pick. He’s continuing to grow and playing extremely well right now.”
Ross made his mark before the offense got rolling, helping Tennessee flip field position in the first half when the Volunteers were struggling to move the ball. His punting kept Auburn backed up and repeatedly put the Tigers near their own goal line.
“Special teams, phenomenal job,” Heupel said. “Jackson Ross in our punt unit, I think five (punts downed) inside the 11.”
Tennessee’s next stop is Fayetteville, where the Volunteers will face Arkansas. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
In Other News...
Rick Barnes Sends A Clear Message About Tennessees Defensive Standard
At UT Media Day, Rick Barnes made it clear that Tennessees defensive reputation is not built on simply finding ready-made stoppers in recruiting. Instead, the Volunteers coach said the program teaches that side of the floor, with most players arriving thinking of themselves first as offensive pieces and then learning quickly that defense, rebounding and ball control are the real currency for minutes.
Barnes pointed to the way players have grown into that standard over time, using development as proof that the identity can survive roster turnover. Even as the lineup changes, the message stays the same in Knoxville: if a player wants to stay on the floor, the defensive work has to show up first. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Shorthanded Defense Takes Another Hit Before Arkansas
Tennessee heads to Fayetteville this week for its third straight meeting with Arkansas, and the Volunteers are still trying to piece together a defensive rotation that has been tested repeatedly. Kedric Golston II is listed as out, adding another unavailable player to a growing list and leaving Tennessee with even less flexibility as it tries to keep its defense functioning at a high level.
Golstons absence does not come with a reported season-ending injury, but it does underline how thin the unit has become going into a matchup that usually demands depth and discipline. Even so, Tennessees defense has held up well overall, and the question now is how much more strain it can absorb before the extra absences start to show in a game that already carries some history. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Heads To Arkansas With One Much Bigger Question Than Uniforms
Tennessee heads to Fayetteville for an SEC road test at Razorback Stadium, and the Vols have already settled one small detail for the trip: theyll be in all-white uniforms. The bigger storyline, of course, is what the offense looks like with George MacIntyre expected to get the start because of Faizon Brandons shoulder injury, a development that shifts far more attention than any uniform combination ever could.
Even with that uncertainty under center, Tennessee brings a defense that has made life miserable for opposing offenses, entering the game as the nations leader in team sacks. That gives the Vols a clear path to stay in control if the quarterback situation settles quickly, but it also puts added pressure on a road offense that will need to do enough against Arkansas to let the defense keep dictating terms. [Read more 🡒]