Three defensive keys for Auburn football's SEC clash vs Tennessee

Auburn football is locked in and ready to face its first road test of the season on Saturday when it battles Tennessee in Neyland Stadium and hopes to keep several strong defensive trends alive.

Last week, the Tigers earned their first SEC win of the 2026 season by defeating Vanderbilt, 21-15, doing so despite allowing the Commodores to outgain them in total yards, 311-279. On the positive side, Auburn also continued the trend, which shows a correlation between points allowed and wins. Auburn is 3-0 when it allows less than 16 points in a game, continuing the trend last Saturday by limiting Vanderbilt to just 15 points.

Other trends of note for Auburn football through four games include turnovers and sacks. Auburn picked off Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis in the game, which extended its turnover-creation streak to four games. Auburn has also logged multiple sacks in three straight games, keeping the streak alive after sacking Curtis four times.

Auburn will need to keep these trends alive on Saturday to pull off an upset on Rocky Top, but there are other factors that need to bounce the Tigers' way. Here are three defensive keys for the Auburn Tigers for their key SEC matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

Pressure Faizon Brandon into making crucial mistakes

Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon has made a name for himself despite being a true freshman. Through five games, Brandon has passed for 697 yards and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions. However, he was pressured 23 times in Week 4's game vs. Texas, according to Pro Football Focus; 10 of those resulted in sacks.

For history to repeat itself on Saturday, Auburn's defense must outwork Tennessee's offensive line and live in the backfield, forcing Brandon to rush his decision-making.

Limit what Tennessee's receivers can accomplish

It is no secret that Auburn has struggled to keep the lid on opposing pass coverage this season, allowing 239 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 14 in the SEC. The good news is that Tennessee is conservative through the air, passing for just 196.5 yards per game.

This could be a good week for the Tigers' pass defense to make a difference in the game.

Stay strong in limiting the run

As conservative as Tennessee is at passing the football, they are just as aggressive at running it. Tennessee ranks No. 2 in the SEC by producing 260 yards per game, with three rushers gaining over 100 yards on the ground. Auburn, however, has held opponents to under 115 rushing yards in each of their three wins this season.

This area is each team's strength, and Auburn will need to stand tall and limit what the Volunteers can do on the ground.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Three defensive keys for Auburn football's SEC clash vs Tennessee