Rain may be the most interesting storyline around Saturday’s Tennessee-Auburn matchup in Knoxville.
After a stretch of sunny weather in the city, the forecast is turning messy for the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Neyland Stadium.
The Weather Channel is calling for a 51% chance of rain and scattered thunderstorms, with “rain showers early with isolated thunderstorms developing later in the day.” Its night outlook climbs to a 60% chance of rain.
AccuWeather is even more aggressive, putting the chance of rain at 88% and describing the afternoon as “partly sunny, a couple of showers and a thunderstorm.”
WATE 6’s Storm Team 6 also has Saturday at a 60% chance of rain with scattered thunderstorms.
For fans heading into the stadium, that points to a poncho-or-rain-jacket kind of afternoon, especially if the showers settle in late. If the timing gets ugly enough, a thunderstorm could even delay the game. At the very least, regular rain appears to be the common thread across the forecast.
That matters on the field, too. Wet conditions could put a dent in both passing games and push this one toward a run-heavy script.
Tennessee should be comfortable in that kind of game. Even after a rough Saturday against Texas, the Vols still rank third in the conference in rushing behind only South Carolina and Florida. They’ve piled up 966 rushing yards this season, averaging 5.46 yards per carry and 241.5 yards per game.
Auburn’s numbers on the ground are more modest, with the Tigers sitting ninth in the SEC in rushing through four games. They’ve collected 714 total rushing yards, good for 4.64 yards per carry and 178.5 yards per game.
The Tigers lean on senior Jeremiah Cobb in the backfield, but quarterback Byrum Brown is the real wild card. He leads Auburn in carries with 62, yards with 237, and touchdowns with three.
The forecast will be worth watching again on Friday and Saturday to see whether the rain chance improves, worsens, or stays where it is. If the weather does hold up, Tennessee looks built for a physical game in the trenches against Auburn.
No. 17 Tennessee will host Auburn (3-1) in Neyland Stadium, and the Vols will wear their new Neyland Legacy Smokey Grey uniforms for the SEC matchup.
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