Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn, left, congratulates Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt after the Vols upset the host Tigers on Saturday.SATURDAY’S STAR
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano stood in the pocket and delivered strike after strike while taking blow after blow to pace an offense that was almost unstoppable on third downs. He threw strikes on three third-down conversions during a third-quarter scoring drive that put the Volunteers ahead 20-17.
SATURDAY’S STAT
Tennessee converted five of six third downs in the third quarter as it took control of the game and overcame its inability to run the football effectively. In a loss at Georgia two weeks earlier, third downs hampered the Vols on both sides of the football. This time, they played their best football on third downs, especially on third-and-long.
TURNING POINT
Alexis Johnson Jr. and Kyle Phillips chased down Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham and forced a fumble as they sacked him for a loss of 15 yards at the Tigers’ 15-yard line late in the third quarter. As the ball bounced toward the goal line, Tennessee’s Darrell Taylor scooped it up for a moment before it went to Alontae Taylor, who stepped into the end zone to put the Vols up 27-17.
HIGHLIGHT PLAY
Josh Palmer went up over a pair of Auburn defenders and snagged a 41-yard reception from Guarantano with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the game and the Vols leading 27-17. The acrobatic catch stood out above a series of beautiful connections between Guarantano and his receivers because it came in double coverage and sent many Auburn fans heading toward the exits.
WHAT IT MEANS
Tennessee’s bowl chances looked bleak after blowout losses to West Virginia and Florida. All of a sudden, the Vols look like a team capable of competing with every opponent remaining on their schedule, perhaps with the exception of Alabama this week. A bowl game is back in the picture. Showing progress on the field is also a nice boost for first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s recruiting efforts.
Tennessee running back Ty Chandler scores on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Guarantano during the Vols’ 30-24 win Saturday at No. 21 Auburn.HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST QUARTER
AU – Chandler Cox 1-yard run (Anders Carlson kick), 9:44
Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:16
Key play: A 15-yard completion from Jarrett Stidham to Seth Williams put the Tigers in the red zone and put a jolt into a methodical, game-opening touchdown drive.
AUBURN 7, TENNESSEE 0
UT – Brent Cimaglia 42-yard field goal, 5:24
Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:20
Key play: A 19-yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano to Tim Jordan helped save a drive that was hampered by a holding call on Trey Smith that put Tennessee behind the chains.
AUBURN 7, TENNESSEE 3
AU – Carlson 20-yard field goal, 2:20
Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:04
Key play: Tennessee’s defense held on three consecutive plays with Auburn inside the 3-yard line, forcing the Tigers to kick a field goal.
AUBURN 10, TENNESSEE 3
SECOND QUARTER
UT – Ty Chandler 42-yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Cimaglia kick), 10:44
Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:21
Key play: Facing third-and-13 after a crippling penalty, Guarantano found Jennings for a 20-yard gain over the middle to extend the drive.
TENNESSEE 10, AUBURN 10
AU – Anthony Schwartz 76-yard pass from Stidham (Carlson kick), 3:26
Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:43
Key play: Bryce Thompson missed a tackle and Schwartz outran the rest of the defense for a touchdown that changed the game’s momentum.
AUBURN 17, TENNESSEE 10
UT – Cimaglia 45-yard field goal, 0:07
Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 0:37
Key play: Brandon Johnson took a big hit as he caught a third-down pass from Guarantano to extend the drive and help put Tennessee in field-goal range.
AUBURN 17, TENNESSEE 13
THIRD QUARTER
UT – Jauan Jennings 25-yard pass from Guarantano (Cimaglia kick), 3:25
Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 6:24
Key play: Guarantano hit Josh Palmer for a 36-yard completion down the right sideline on third-and-9. It was one of four third-down conversions on the drive.
TENNESSEE 20, AUBURN 17
UT – Alontae Taylor 8-yard fumble return (Cimaglia kick), 2:34
Key play: Alexis Johnson and Kyle Phillips combined to sack Stidham, who relinquished the football as he fell to the turf. Eventually, it ended up in Taylor’s hands.
TENNESSEE 27, AUBURN 17
FOURTH QUARTER
UT – Cimaglia 20-yard field goal, 9:04
Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:05
Key play: Auburn’s defense forced a rare Tennessee third-down incompletion, which meant the Vols were forced to kick a field goal. The stop gave the Tigers a glimmer of hope.
TENNESSEEE 30, AUBURN 17
AU – Seth Williams 14-yard pass from Stidham (Carlson kick), 0:37
Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 1:56
Key play: Auburn refused to go quietly, kicking off its final scoring drive with an 18-yard completion from Stidham to Williams on the second play.
TENNESSEEE 30, AUBURN 24
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.