Three Tennessee Volunteers that Could Cause Problems for the Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers are looking to start a very difficult October stretch with a win this weekend, but their opponent, the 17th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, is surely not looking to make it easy for them. The Vols are coming off a close loss to Texas, the No. 1 team in the country, and they’re looking to take some frustration out on the Tigers this Saturday.

There are a host of Volunteers that could create problems for the Tigers on Saturday, but I believe these three, in particular, may very well be the deciding factor of how the Volunteers perform this week.

Faizon Brandon - Quarterback

Auburn’s second true freshman quarterback opponent in a row, Brandon provides an interesting mix of pocket passing ability and rushing prowess that could be troublesome for the Tigers. His stats don’t exactly jump off the page, but he is not to be counted out this weekend.

Brandon’s biggest apparent weakness so far in SEC has been taking sacks, as the Longhorns got to him in the backfield on 10 different occasions this past weekend. The Tigers boast a strong pass rush that should create problems for Brandon, but they’ll need to keep up consistent pressure if they are looking to take down the mighty Vols offense.

DeSean Bishop - Running Back

The Vols’ passing attack hasn’t been much to write home about so far this season, but DeSean Bishop has made up for it and more with his rushing ability. The junior is averaging nearly six yards per carry this season on a total of 54 rush attempts, totaling 320 yards and four touchdowns, which could be trouble for an Auburn defense that struggled to contain Florida RB Jadan Baugh.

Despite the Tigers’ troubles against Baugh, though, Auburn boasts one of the stronger rushing defenses in the country, led by defensive tackle Cody Sigler, who was considered one of the best defensive tackles in the SEC at the start of his season. If he and the rest of the Tigers’ defense can keep Bishop contained, the tide may quickly turn in favor of Auburn.

Arion Carter - Linebacker

It’s not just the Tigers that boast a star-studded group of linebackers, as the Vols have two of their own that could create a litany of problems for the Auburn offense. Carter is, statistically, the greater of the duo that consists of him and Amare Campbell, though their stats are not very far apart at this point in the season.

For any of Auburn’s rushing attack to work, they’ll have to get past one or both of this duo, and in a year where downfield blocking has left a lot to be desired, things could get dicey for the Tigers. However, if the Tigers can fool or block this duo, chunk plays will likely abound.

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