After an ugly first half of play that showed Auburn having all the momentum on the road against Tennessee, the second saw that energy be dashed, as the home Volunteers came out firing to take a victory against the Tigers on Saturday.
Josh Heupel’s Tennessee squad improved to 4-1 on the year and 1-1 in SEC play with a 24-14 win in Neyland Stadium, one that saw starting quarterback Faizon Brandon be benched for backup George McIntyre late in the second quarter.
As a result, Auburn dropped to 3-2 and 1-2 in conference, putting up 345 yards of offense throughout the afternoon on the road, largely thanks to a bunch of quick stops by the Volunteers defense led by Jim Knowles.
The Tigers will now head into the bye week looking to fix a lot before a rivalry matchup with Georgia on Oct. 17. For now though, here is a final analysis of what things defined the Auburn loss.
Early woes in second half
After stopping a Tennessee drive in the second quarter to go into the half up 7-3, the Tigers got the ball to start the second half, looking to create a burst of momentum that was desperately needed in order to have a good chance of stealing this road contest. However, that was not the case, as the Volunteers put things to a halt.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Auburn gained a first down thanks to a pass from Byrum Brown to Christian Neptune. A few plays later though, that drive stalled and a punt occurred. Then on the next Tigers drive, Brown was intercepted one play after being sacked, giving Tennessee momentum to drive into the end zone two times to go up 10 points, leading it towards the end.
Big runs from DeSean Bishop
In connection to the bad start on the first two drives of the second half, it was Volunteers star running back DeSean Bishop who made an impact on just two big plays, putting up a 25-yard touchdown and 44-yard score in the third quarter of play.
Both runs showcased solid blocking from the Tennessee offensive line, which was touted for being a little worn down with injuries going into the game. Nonetheless though, it was the tempo that propelled the energy for the Volunteers, allowing the offensive line to ride some good moments and create the holes for Bishop to run through that extended the lead.
Auburn offensive woes
In a season where the Tigers started slow in most games on the offensive side of the football so far, Saturday afternoon was the same way, and while it did not cost Joel Gordon’s unit immediately, it did later. Auburn gained 345 yards, but it did not feel like it entirely.
Part of that was due to three turnovers from Brown, who was stripped for a fumble, while also being intercepted in the third and fourth quarters. That shortened two drives for Auburn and allowed Tennessee to get the ball back to its style of play.
Costly fourth down
If it had happened earlier in the game, it might not have mattered as much, but an unsuccessful fourth down in the second half of the fourth quarter deep in Tigers territory might have cost them the gain.
On a fourth-and-inches from inside the 25-yard line, Brown lined up under center and, instead of driving it up the middle, tossed it out wide to Omar Mabson II, who was stuffed by the Volunteers defensive line. That gave the ball back to Tennessee, who drove some more time down and ultimately scored to secure the victory with less than four minutes left in the final quarter of play.
Penalties, penalties, penalties
One of the biggest questions heading into the first road test for Auburn was how it would handle the crowd and would it be able to operate completely without many faults. That question was answered, and it was a clear no.
Seven of the Tigers’ 11 penalties on the day were a result of pre-snap miscues, and Auburn was driven back 89 yards as a result of all its penalties for the day. It was not the complete reason for the loss, but it definitely played a big part in limiting yardage for Joel Gordon’s unit.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
