One Major Aspect That Will Play Big Role in Auburn’s Tennessee Matchup

The Auburn Tigers are underdogs as they head to Knoxville for their first true road game of the season in a matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers, but there is one aspect of the game that could prove to be the difference in this matchup: the trenches.

Of course, the play of the offensive and defensive lines is always important in big-time matchups, particularly in the SEC, but these two programs match up in a way that could prove to be interesting in that regard.

For one, Tennessee currently ties with LSU as the SEC’s leader in sacks by team with 19, while Byrum Brown currently ranks first in total sacks taken with 14 through four games this season. The Tigers have struggled to find an offensive line scheme and rotation that works well for them, and Tennessee will be a major test of the work they have put in over the last four weeks.

However, Tennessee also ranks third in sacks allowed this season, though that number is undoubtedly inflated by the 10 sacks that the Vols allowed against Texas this past week. The Texas game illustrated a strong way to put an end to the Vols’ strong offense, and the Tigers may be able to take advantage of that fact this Saturday.

The Tigers are quite strong in the defensive trenches, boasting Cody Sigler, who is more of a run stopper but has still brought in a sack in a season that began with PFF ranking him as the highest-rated SEC returning defensive tackle this season.

Additionally, sophomore defensive lineman Walter Mathis, Jr brought in his second sack of the season against Vanderbilt, while fellow sophomore Malik Autry, formerly a five-star prospect, is beginning to emerge as a strong option for the Tigers with 1.5 sacks on the season so far.

Where the Tigers may be able to bring the most pressure, though, is through their linebackers, as junior Xavier Atkins currently leads the Tigers in sacks with three, while sophomore breakout Elijah Melendez follows closely with two.

The Tigers certainly have the pieces to pressure Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon and make things difficult for the Vols’ offense, but that advantage goes both ways. Though Byrum Brown has looked stronger under pressure this season, he’ll need to stay on his feet if he wants to keep the Tigers’ offense running.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a football game in which the trenches didn’t matter, but the makeup and early production trends of these two teams dictate that the trenches could be one of the key deciding factors in this game. Tennessee appears to have the early advantage, but if the Tigers can dominate on Saturday, they’ll have quite a solid chance of upsetting the Vols.

Enjoy our content? Make AuburnOnSI a preferred source to see more stories from us on Google by clicking here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google