The Good, Bad, and Ugly From Tennessee Football's Victory Over Auburn

The good, bad, and the ugly from Tennessee football's hard-fought victory over the Auburn Tigers.

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) celebrates a touchdown with Tennessee offensive lineman Jesse Perry (72) during a college football game between Tennessee and Auburn at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers have defeated the Auburn Tigers, as this is their first SEC victory of the entire season. This pushes their SEC record to 1-1, while their overall record for the season is 4-1.

While the Vols won the game, not everything was pretty. This is what led me to write an article on one thing that was good, bad, and ugly.

Good - DeSean Bishop's Rushing Attack

Oct 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop (18) scores a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers received some great play out of DeSean Bishop. In fact, the former Karns High School running back finished with 34 carries on the night, which was a career-high for the talented running back. He also finished with 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns, which goes to show that he was the true offensive weapon for the Vols. The Tigers couldn't handle the rushing attack well, especially in the second half, and to see Josh Heupel keep feeding the talented back was good to see from a production standpoint.

Bad - First Half Performance

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel walks on the field before a game between Tennessee and Auburn in Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

By no means am I saying that this wasn't a setback for the Vols, but I wouldn't go as far as listing the first-half performance as "ugly." At the end of the day, only one side of the ball was ugly for the Vols, while the other was good in the first half. I believe the defense held their own and was impressive for the whole game, especially in the first half. As for the offense, they couldn't find their groove in the first half, which is why I met in the middle, and I have determined that this would be the perfect fit for bad, especially considering the Vols were trailing ahead of the second-half kickoff.

Ugly - Tennessee's Third Down Conversion Rate

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) and Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) walk out of the end zone after a Tennessee touchdown is called back, during a game between Tennessee and Auburn in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As for ugly, this one may come as a surprise. Tennessee wasn't great on third down on Saturday night. In fact, the Vols finished the night 3/14 on third-down conversions. With that being said, the Vols have to play better on this money down. They have to execute on offense, and they have to find ways to keep the ball in their hands. This is something that the Vols can fix, and I would anticipate them doing so.

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