Auburn drops to 1-2 in the SEC following a 24-14 loss to Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. The Tigers turned the ball over three times and gave up 225 rushing yards to Volunteer running back DeSean Bishop. Tennessee also outscored Auburn 21-7 in the second half.
Here’s what some of Auburn’s impact players had to say following the loss.
Byrum Brown on fixing the mistakes:
”In practice. We'll turn the speakers up really loud and be very intentional, very detailed and be locked in from the jump.”
Brown on fourth down call:
“I trust in coach Gordon. I trust in coach Golesh. And whatever play they call, we've got to go execute it, and we didn't do that on that play.”
Brown on last interception:
“I was trying to throw it away, throw it out of the back of the end zone and it got tipped. That's all it was.”
Cole Best on pre-snap penalties:
“There were times where the crowd noise, like any away environment in this league, makes it tough. Thought about the other 50 percent was just communication and being on the same page as an O-line. And again, that points right back to me. I’ve gotta be better for us. I gotta be better for this team.”
Best on second half struggles:
“One thing I was proud of, just really the whole game, was no one wavered. I thought that everyone in all three phases of the ball just continued playing, sticking together. There was no finger pointing. And that's one thing that I never doubt on this team or in this entire program, is that guys are gonna keep swinging, keep fighting. And I thought one of the positives, I guess, in this game was we finally got some run game in the mid zone going. I thought there was some really, really good there. I like that we got Byrum loose a couple times, but there just wasn't enough at the end of the day.”
Omar Mabson on bouncing back offensively:
“That's just the key thing, just keeping us the main thing. Only worried about us, not letting any outside noise or distraction get in-between us. Just making us better and us getting better each and every day.”
Eric Winters on heading into a bye week:
“I’m just worrying about us. What can we do better as a team? Defense, offense especially. Just taking a look in the mirror and just worrying about us.”
Elijah Melendez on Tennessee’s run game success:
“I'll say just being physical in our gaps, just getting knocked back and being physical in our gaps. I think the D-line did a great job. That all falls down to me and the other linebackers just filling those extra gaps.”
Melendez on being a locker room leader:
“Everybody has something that they got to get better at, no matter what. And I'm going to take full accountability in myself and hold others around me accountable. And I feel like everybody on the team has at least one thing they got to get right at.”
Rayshawn Pleasant on rebounding after a loss:
“We just know we gotta get back to work, and starting with how we practice Sunday through Saturday. And I just got to get back to the drawing board next game.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
