The time has come for a tough stretch of games in the month of October for the Auburn Tigers and Head Coach Alex Golesh, who are seeking to make a statement on Saturday.
Auburn is taking on its first road game of the season when it heads up to play the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium, a place the program has not played since 2013.
Tennessee is coming off of a close 20-17 defeat at the hands of the Texas Longhorns in its conference opener, one that saw the Volunteers have a number of opportunities to take full control of the momentum.
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel and his staff look at Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown as a player that must be limited, as he is a dual-threat who can make plays with his legs.
Auburn, just like the Volunteers, is sitting at 3-1 on the year with a 1-1 conference record after taking down the Vanderbilt Commodores 21-15, only giving up 199 passing yards.
In a key game to kick off the second full month of the year, here are three players to watch on both sides when the SEC foes take the field for a 2:30 p.m. CST matchup on Saturday.
Tennessee Volunteers
Faizon Brandon (QB):
While the Tigers only gave up 46 rushing yards to a mobile quarterback last week, signal callers who can use their legs have been lethal against Auburn in the past, and Faizon Brandon might be no exception. Despite going 17-for-29 for 145 yards and one touchdown through the air, Brandon is another true freshman that possesses a lot of talent and can use receivers like Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley to his advantage. He also has 49 rushes for 139 yards and three touchdowns so far, being able to create plays when put under pressure in the pocket. His decision-making on the fly will be something to watch.
Arion Carter (LB):
Tennessee is seemingly very strong on the defensive side of the football, and having a guy like Arion Carter at linebacker certainly helps that case. The 6-foot-1, 238-pound senior is a brute force that leads the Volunteers in total tackles early in the year with 27, while also having a sack, pass deflection and fumble recovery. Carter is coming off of a game where he put up 11 tackles on the No. 1 team in the country, hoping to carry that momentum into a key SEC game on Saturday alongside a host of other stout defenders.
Qua Moss (DB):
The secondary certainly has some weapons for Tennessee, and Qua Moss is one of those guys who has stood out as a leader through the month of September. Totaling 16 tackles so far, the speed that Moss possesses helps him stand out. That speed showed against Texas, as the senior returned a punt for a touchdown. His ability to track a receiver down will be lethal, especially with the Tigers not having lethal speed at that spot. His defense will be a crucial spot in the pass game.
Auburn Tigers:
Chas Nimrod (WR):
It is a return back to Knoxville for the former Tennessee wideout who is Chas Nimrod, but one of the newer Auburn skill guys is labeling this as just being another game for him. Nimrod had the lone receiving touchdown for the Tigers in the SEC, going for 33 yards in the first quarter. While he may not be basing this game on emotion, his play will certainly be a factor as he is racking up more and more targets by the week. Him being a reliable pass catcher will be crucial to offensive success.
Cody Sigler (DL):
Currently, Arkansas State transfer Cody Sigler is leading all SEC defensive linemen in solo tackles with 14 on the year, being just a small sample of the work he has done since arriving on the Plains. Through four games, he is already about halfway to his total tackle count from 2025, as he has 17 currently compared to 35 all of last year. Sigler’s force against an offensive line that gives up a lot of sacks will be something to watch, especially early in the action as Auburn attempts to establish momentum.
Xavier Atkins (LB):
With a lot of storylines floating around Saturday’s action, one to keep note of is the battle of two stout linebacker rooms. Xavier Atkins is a crucial part of the one that the Tigers have, and with 17 total tackles over the last two games, the junior is starting to find a true groove as the heart of conference play nears. Atkins’ communication of the looks that he gets from the Volunteers offense will be paramount, as Tennessee has a lot of weapons it will use to try and throw the Auburn defense off schedule.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
