Photos: Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee 24, Auburn 14.
The first half was a mess. The second half was a team that remembered it could move the ball. Heupel made the call that changed it, and the rest of the day followed.
Faizon Brandon was spooked. On the field that was the right call. He finished with zero passing yards and minus 9 rushing. He was seeing ghosts that were not there. He was taking sacks he did not need to take. The interception, late to an open receiver, ended it. At the time I was neutral on the switch. Watching the second half, I do not think Tennessee wins that game if he stays in.
George MacIntyre came in with 3:42 left in the second quarter and finished 8 of 10 for 86 yards. No touchdowns. No interceptions. He did not have to be a star. He had to get the ball out and let the run game work. The 42 yard slant to Mike Matthews on the first drive of the third quarter was the whole picture. Tennessee could throw when it needed to. The idea of picking up yards was alive again. He looked like the game manager this offense has been missing for two weeks. Hats off to him for waiting and delivering when his number was called.
He directed all three second half touchdown drives. Tennessee outscored Auburn 21-7 after halftime. For most of that half it felt like the Vols had control.
There will be a lot of noise about Brandon. Should he have won the camp battle? Did Heupel miss on the starter again? Does Brandon stick around if MacIntyre takes the job and does not look back? Those are fair questions. For one Saturday the right call was the one that won the game and kept the season from spiraling. I will take winning over anything else.
The defense was the best unit on the field again. Sticky coverage. They got to the quarterback early and often. The linebackers are exceptional, and there are a lot of them. Dejuan Lane’s interception, returned 32 yards, set up Bishop’s 44 yard score and turned a one score game into a 10 point lead. Auburn still had a punch. Byrum Brown’s 7 yard run made it 7-3 at the half, and his 57 yard run set up a 16 yard touchdown to Arlis Boardingham that pulled it to 17-14. Tennessee stopped them on third and 1 and fourth and 1 late, and that was the door. Jim Knowles has made an immediate impact. I have loved watching that unit all year. It is a breath of fresh air in this program.
The offensive line looked better while being patched together. I do not know if the guard spots have found answers in the backups, but the run blocking was a lot better than it has been. Auburn is not a good football team right now. But their front seven is no slouch. Hats off to the line. Maybe they keep growing. It helped that MacIntyre got rid of the ball fast. They still do not pass block well, and that may be the only answer. Brandon wanted to scan and wait for people to get open. This line does not allow extra time.
DeSean Bishop had the game of his career. Thirty four carries, 220 yards, three touchdowns. Scores of 25, 44, and 5. That is the 12th best rushing day in program history, and 68 percent of Tennessee’s 323 total yards. He is one of the best backs in the SEC when he gets a crease at all. There may not be a more underrated skill player in the league. He is a workhorse. He shrugs guys off like they are not there, and his footwork has taken a jump from last year. Daune Morris came in and showed flashes. That room is in good shape, especially when it gets healthy.
It was good to see Tennessee pick itself up after last week. It was better to see Heupel make a tough in game decision. That switch changed the game. If MacIntyre can be the game manager this offense needs, this team can pile up some wins behind an elite defense and a run game.
Time will tell. I do not know that it is enough to get back to the playoff. In the first half, watching live, I thought this team would be lucky to get to 7 wins. After the move, and after the offense settled into a rhythm, I think they can get a couple more and land where most of us thought this season would land. Next offseason has to go a lot better than the last one if the goal is competing for championships. Ride this one out for now.
This team is pretty solid. It can make some noise if the ball bounces the right way. I like the direction of this year a lot better now than I did sitting there in the first half. Enjoy the ride. The SEC is going to be wild.
Trending up in October is not an awful place to be.