Penalty-prone Auburn falls to No. 17 Tennessee 24-14
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown (17) throws to a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In a 24-14 loss to No. 17 Tennessee, Auburn (3-2, 1-2 SEC) was led by quarterback Byrum Brown who had 159 passing yards and a touchdown as well as 107 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Brown was also intercepted twice and had a fumble. Adding to their struggles, the Tigers were flagged 11 times for 94 yards.
Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) overcame a sluggish start with the help of George MacIntyre, who replaced Faizon Brandon at quarterback late in the second quarter. The Volunteers trailed 7-3 at halftime. MacIntyre completed his first six pass attempts for 80 yards and finished 8 of 10 for 86 yards.
“(Coming off the bench midgame) is the hardest thing to do,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “We rep our (second-teamers in practice) a bunch. That helps in their preparation.”
“Man, (MacIntyre) was as efficient as you can imagine,” said Auburn coach Alex Golesh, who had been an offensive coordinator for Heupel. “I thought he operated well.”
Bishop’s 34 carries was a rare stat in the Heupel regime. He usually spreads the carries around.
“It was just the way (Bishop) was running,” Heupel said. “He felt much better this week than last week.”
“This game was personal for me,” said Bishop. “(Golesh) was one reason I came as a walk-on at Tennessee. Every time I touched the ball I had a purpose.”
Trailing 17-14 midway through the fourth quarter, Auburn was fourth-and-1 on its own 24. Omar Mason II was stuffed for no gain, giving Tennessee the ball and setting up the clinching TD.
“We always say, ‘Give us an inch and we’ll defend it,’ ” Vols safety Dejuan Lane said. “That’s what we did.”
Both teams muddled through an unproductive first half. Auburn generated just 86 yards of total offense but led, 7-3, at the break. The only touchdown was by Brown on a 7-yard run.
It came after Brandon threw his first interception of the season deep in his own territory. The Vols had 125 total yards. Bishop’s 40-yard TD run was negated by an illegal block penalty.
For Auburn, this was just the start of the gauntlet for the Tigers. After an open date, they are scheduled to face No. 2 Georgia, No. 11 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss. LSU is the only home game of the stretch.
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