TENNESSEE VOLS FOOTBALL: Bishop gets 220 yards, 3 TDs in win over Auburn
· Yahoo Sports
There was a bad taste left in the mouth of Tennessee football after last weekend's loss.
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Despite a rough start from the offense, the Vols came alive after a big second half, winning 24-14 over Auburn, claiming the team’s first conference victory of the season.
While there was no shortage of drama surrounding the passing game, the rushing attack became the reason the Vols offense found success, as running back DeSean Bishop finished his day with a career-high 220 yards rushing over 34 attempts.
Defensively, Dejuan Lane was all over the field against the Tigers, finishing with an interception, two and a half tackles for loss along with nine total tackles.
To start the game, each team traded punts with each other for an entire quarter, as neither team scored in the first. There were eight straight punts on eight straight drives before the Vols finally broke through.
Seven straight runs on the drive put the Vols in field goal territory, as kicker Cooper Ranvier was able to nail a 36-yard field goal and break the scoreless tie in the second quarter.
Yet after the score, defense became supreme once again as both teams traded fumbles with one another, first the Vols forcing a fumble on Byrum Brown amidst a quarterback run.
Following the fumble, Daune Morris lost the ball, allowing the Tigers to set up shop at the Tigers' own 43-yard line. Despite the offensive mishap, the defense bunkered down again for another stop.
Faizon Brandon, who had struggled heavily up to this point in the game, rolled out and delivered a pass that went right into the hands of an Auburn defender, there wasn’t much contest to it.
The turnover from Brandon was all head coach Josh Heupel needed to see, as he benched Brandon in favor of George MacIntyre the next drive.
Brandon finished the day throwing 3-for-9 with a grand total of zero passing yards, along with an interception.
The Tigers took advantage of the field position after the turnover, as Byrum Brown rushed it in himself to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead going into halftime.
After a quick punt from Auburn to start the second half, the Vols offense went to work, and Bishop put the exclamation point on the drive with a 25-yard rush for the score, giving the Vols a 10-7 lead.
With little response from the Vols’ defense, Brown overthrew a pass that landed right into the hands of Lane, giving the ball right back to the Vols, who didn’t waste much time after that. Bishop needed just one run this time, 44 yards to the house, giving the Vols their biggest lead of the night at ten.
Brown kept moving his legs, which was perhaps the most effective way the Tigers moved down the field on Saturday. After a 57-yard run up the middle, Brown delivered a 16-yard pass to cut the lead once again to just three.
Yet, as he did all day, Bishop continued to lead the offense, scoring his third and final touchdown against the Tigers. It ultimately was all the Vols needed, as the defense picked off Brown one more time to end the game.
MacIntyre didn’t need to do much, but it was clear from the moment he entered the game that there was a difference in feel for the offense. Now the Vols travel to Fayetteville for a matchup against Arkansas next week, and once again, the Vols will have questions at quarterback.