Tennessee fans raved about a wrinkle the Vols added in win over Auburn, and it should be a staple moving forward
The Vols turned back the clock on a pivotal fourth down against Auburn, and the timing could not have been more fitting.
The Tennessee Volunteers honored legendary head coach General Robert Neyland on Saturday at Neyland Stadium, and the Vols played a brand of football the general would have appreciated in a 24-14 win over the Auburn Tigers.
Tennessee leaned on a powerful ground game, a suffocating defense, and consistent special teams to topple Auburn. On a day built around one of the program’s most iconic figures, the Vols won with the old-school formula that made him a legend.
And there as moment that stood out in a big way that came late in the game. It looked like something pulled straight out of Neyland’s era.
DeSean Bishop carried the Vols’ offense against Auburn
Before getting to that play, it’s worth starting with the man who made it work.
DeSean Bishop was the engine of Tennessee’s offense against the Tigers. He totaled 220 rushing yards on 34 carries with three touchdowns, and in doing so, he snapped a seven-year streak without a 200-yard rusher for the Vols.
That production came at exactly the right time. Faizon Brandon struggled at quarterback and was pulled after a 3/8 start for no yards and an interception. George MacIntyre got a limited opportunity to operate in his place and was moderately effective, going 8/10 for 86 yards. With the passing game sputtering, Tennessee needed someone to shoulder the load.
Bishop did exactly that. Of course, 34 carries is a heavy workload, but he looked stronger as the game wore on, and the Tigers had few answers for him.
Tennessee’s ‘Power T’ look sealed the game
The physical identity of Tennessee’s offense was never more on display than in the closing stretch during the fourth quarter.
With the Vols up by three points and facing fourth-and-1 in the Auburn red zone, Tennessee lined up in what can only be described as a Power T formation. Multiple fullbacks and tight ends packed in around Bishop, and everyone in the building knew what was coming.
It didn’t matter. Bishop took the handoff and bowled ahead for the first down. He ultimately punched it in for the score that put the game out of reach.
Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims was asked about the play during his media availability on Tuesday. Sims said the play was something the Vols had practiced, and that it was particularly effective given the personnel package Tennessee had on the field for that situation.
“Man, I think that stack look, everybody from social media to everybody was raving about us getting in that stack look,” Sims said. “It’s just something that we’ve been working on and decided to unveil it. Coach Heup, that’s kind of his baby too. So he did a really good job bringing that to the table. So I had to give him a shout-out on that one. But it’s something that we’ve been working on for a minute, and that was the right time to unveil that too.”
That’s a notable detail. This wasn’t a gimmick drawn up on the sideline to tip a cap to Neyland. It was a planned look the staff had worked on, and it delivered when Tennessee needed it most.
Why the Vols will likely go back to the well
For the rest of the season, Tennessee is going to have to lean hard on its ground game. That’s especially true given the questions at quarterback after Brandon’s struggles against Auburn.
That being said, the Vols have reason to feel good about that plan. Bishop has proven he can carry the load, and the offensive front showed it can move people when the game is on the line. A heavy package with extra fullbacks and tight ends gives Tennessee a reliable answer in short-yardage and red zone situations, regardless of who is taking snaps.
The Vols found something that works, and they found it on a stage that made it feel a little bigger than one fourth-down conversion.
Whether opponents can do a better job of slowing it down than Auburn did remains to be seen. Still, it’s hard to imagine Saturday was the last time Tennessee rolls out what could be dubbed the Power T formation in the weeks ahead.
