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WAKA-TV (Montgomery) Tennessee has graded above 60.0 in run blocking only once this season, according to Pro Football Focus, while Auburn has graded higher than 75.5 in run defense three times . . . The play of the offensive and defensive lines is always important in big-time matchups, particularly in the SEC, but these two programs match up in a way that could prove to be interesting in that regard . . . The speed and tempo of the offense need to keep the Tennessee defense on its heels. The Volunteer defense had its first test last week against Texas, but it hasn't dealt with anything that goes as quickly as the Tigers will move . . . The first road contest of the Alex Golesh era will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Golesh once served as the offensive coordinator . . . Singleton has led the way this season for the Tigers with 268 yards on 22 catches and one touchdown . . . The Tigers have a brutal schedule coming up in the month of October, in which special teams could very well prove to be the difference . . . "My focus is on Tennessee. That's the challenge to our team, too: Can we just be focused on what the heck is important? . . . It would not have happened if not for the efforts of Mabson. Bronowski is proud of Mabson for showing just how valuable he is to the team . . . "We had three 4th-and-1s. We had a 4th-and-3 and didn't get a stop on any of them. Those were turnovers that need to go our way. That's a huge point of emphasis for us . . . For all the talk about offense and defense, there's still nothing more important than being clutch and this team has shown some of that early in the 2026 season . . . "There's obviously some things we got to clean up, But that's a starting point . . . The Tigers must find an answer on the ground. A consistent ground game is essential for Golesh's offense to reach its full potential, and he knows it . . . He'll try to lead the unranked Tigers to an upset of Heupel's 17th-ranked Volunteers. Not only do the 2 coaches have history, but there's some other coaches on Auburn's current staff who used to coach under Heupel, like Kodi Burns, Tim Banks and Parker Ball . . . Two massive plays on Vanderbilt punts in the first half made all the difference for the Tigers . . . The Tigers took a step in the right direction on Saturday, as they beat Vanderbilt 21-15 for Golesh's first conference win as the coach at Auburn . . . Auburn's offense was held to just 279 yards of total offense on Saturday, and held the ball for just 22:28 of game time. However, it made the most of its opportunities, especially in the run game. Auburn outrushed Vanderbilt, 139-112, and was efficient on third downs, converting 7-of-15 chances . . . The Tigers totaled 96 yards in the first quarter, a full 99 yards better than their first-quarter performance against Florida, adding a touchdown and four first downs . . . Auburn held the Commodores to 112 yards and 2.7 yards per carry. Furthermore, Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis accounted for many of those yards on scrambles . . . WATCH: Alex Golesh's postgame press conference following the Tigers' 21-15 win over Vanderbilt . . . With 6:26 remaining, Auburn's offense sealed the win by converting critical third downs—highlighted by a 20-yard completion from Brown to Camden Singleton and a 21-yard burst by Jeremiah Cobb—to run out the final minutes and preserve the conference win . . . Auburn beat Vanderbilt 21-15, to end its SEC home losing streak, which had lasted for 671 days . . . Cade Carlson recovered a blocked punt for a score . . . Auburn-Vanderbilt stats . . . The Tigers start October with their first road game of the year next week at Tennessee . . . Auburn's Byrum Brown ranks No. 4 in the SEC in passing with 756 yards and is one of 12 SEC quarterbacks to throw at least five touchdown passes . . . An Auburn loss to Vanderbilt would spell disaster. It may sound harsh, but losing to the Commodores for the third consecutive year inside Jordan-Hare Stadium against a true freshman quarterback in his first career SEC game would cause the wheels to completely come off . . . "The missed tackles are being addressed . . . This week, Vanderbilt comes to town, and Auburn wants nothing more than to walk off the field Saturday with a win . . . Auburn's defense is last in the SEC in yards allowed at 384 yards per game . . . The rivalry is closer than most know. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 23-22-1 . . . The Commodores' defense ranks in the top 10 in the SEC, and the Tigers must find a way to expose Vanderbilt early to get out with a win . . . There was another issue that haunted the Tigers' defense throughout the matchup: missed tackles . . . Diego Pavia certainly made his mark on Auburn three seasons in a row dating back to his New Mexico State days, but with him in all those matchups was offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who is still at the helm for Curtis and the Vanderbilt offense . . .
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