Tennessee football at Auburn: 5 Vols to watch for vs. Tigers

Jarrett Guarantano has been efficient but underwhelming through five games this year as Tennessee football’s quarterback. Against the Auburn Tigers, that’s even more of a role he’s going to have to play.

You’re not going to beat Auburn by throwing the ball over the field. They have eight interceptions on the season and give up fewer than 200 yards a game. But they key to beating them is still the quarterback finding ways to make plays.

Nick Fitzgerald did it with his legs, rushing for nearly 200 yards in leading the Mississippi State Bulldogs to victory. Joe Burrow just used a clutch drive at the end of the game to lead the LSU Tigers to what was a crucial road win.

Guarantano is more likely to do what Burrow did than what Fitzgerald did. But he’s going to have to step up some way at some point and remain efficient if the Vols are going to have any chance at an upset.

The quarterback in general is supposed to be a key player in the game, but it’s uniquely crucial for them against Auburn. After all, the Tigers have forced numerous mistakes there in their four wins, but they’ve been torched by that position in some form in their two losses. There’s no in between.