Tennessee football had a rough Saturday a week earlier, losing to Texas at Neyland Stadium. On October 3, the Volunteers answered with a 24-14 win over Auburn, and now they head to Arkansas for their first conference road game of the season.
A shaky start, a strong finish
The Vols had a sluggish first half against Auburn, including five negative-yardage plays in the first quarter. Coach Josh Heupel made a quarterback change late in the second quarter, replacing true freshman Faizon Brandon with George MacIntyre, who provided a steadying presence. From there, Tennessee leaned on its running game.
Bishop’s big day
DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns. Tennessee’s offensive line was also shuffled, with guards Wendell Moe (out for the season) and Sham Umarov (expected back soon) sidelined, so Nic Moore and Donovan Haslam stepped in.
A defensive stand that mattered
Trailing 17-14 midway through the fourth quarter, Auburn went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 24 and was stopped, giving Tennessee the ball and a chance to close the game. Safety Dejuan Lane was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his play, and Tennessee had three players honored with SEC weekly awards.
What’s next
The Vols are 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, ranked around No. 14 and 15 in the latest polls. They play at Arkansas on Saturday, October 10, and then host Alabama in the Third Saturday in October game on October 17. One oddsmaker had Tennessee as a double-digit favorite against Arkansas, but road games in the SEC are rarely easy.
What to watch
- Who starts at quarterback, and how the offensive line holds up.
- Whether Bishop can keep up his run-game success.
- How the defense handles Arkansas’s offense away from Neyland.
For Vols fans, the next two weeks could shape the rest of the season.
