Recap: Tennessee defeats Auburn 24-14

The Tennessee Volunteers scratched, clawed, and outphysicaled the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium, earning a hard-fought 24-14 win to pick up their first SEC win over the 2026 season.

George MacIntyre came on for a struggling (and hurt?) Faizon Brandon (3/8 passing for 0 yards and a pick), completing 8/10 passes for 86 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers. DeSean Bishop was the shining star of the game, turning 34 carries into 220 yards with three touchdowns and becoming the first Tennessee running back since 2019 (Eric Gray vs. Vanderbilt) to top 200 rushing yards in a game. Safety Dejuan Lane was an absolute MONSTER for the Vols, totaling 9 combined tackles, two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a crucial interception he returned for 32 yards.

The first half of this game was as forgettable as it gets. The teams combined for eight punts to start the game before good field position led to a Tennessee field goal and 3-0 lead. But late in the half, Brandon, who was clearly struggling and hesitant, stared down his receiver and threw it right to an Auburn defender to set up the Tigers in the red zone. Byrum Brown, whose running seemed to constitute a big chunk of Auburn’s offense, ran seven yards for a touchdown and 7-3 lead late in the half. MacIntyre drove Tennessee to field goal range, but Tennessee’s WR was tackled in bounds and the Vols couldn’t quite spike it in time for a field goal try.

Auburn punted to start the second half, and Tennessee FINALLY got a drive going, moving 82 yards in six plays for a 10-7 lead. MacIntyre found Matthews on a deep in route and hit him in stride for a very badly needed 42-yard gain. Four plays later, Bishop broke free off the right side for a 25-yard touchdown and a lead the Vols wouldn’t give back up.

They stretched the lead to 17-7 one play later on their next drive, following Lane’s interception with a 44-yard touchdown run by Bishop. After a couple of punts, Brown ripped off a 57-yard run for Auburn to set them up in the red zone. The Tigers faked the QB run and hit a wide open pop pass for a 16-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14.

But Tennessee put the game away late in the fourth quarter with heart, grit, and toughness. After stuffing Auburn on fourth and a foot at their own 25-yard line, Tennessee drive it 24 yards to take a 24-14 lead, converting on fourth and 1 on the way. Bishop bowled in from five yards to close the scoring. Auburn drove the field one more time, but a Tevis Metcalf interception near the goal line with around a minute left sealed it.

Up next for Tennessee is Arkansas on the road next Saturday.