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Tennessee football at Auburn: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 13: General view of Jordan-Hare Stadium prior to the matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers on October 13, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 13: General view of Jordan-Hare Stadium prior to the matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers on October 13, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Oct 24, 2020; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2020; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Can either team hold a lead?

Both teams have a bad history of maintaining any momentum they get this year. Let’s start with Tennessee football. In the Vols’ season-opening 31-27 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, they took a 21-7 third quarter lead only to be tied at 24 with under 10 minutes to go in the fourth.

Two weeks later, UT had all the momentum after a fourth down goal-line stop against the Georgia Bulldogs to go into halftime up 21-17. All they did was spot them the lead right back with two turnovers in the second half. Finally, a 13-0 halftime lead over the Arkansas Razorbacks turned into a 24-13 loss when the Hogs scored on their first four possessions of the second half.

Auburn, to be fair, is not much better. This team could not put the Ole Miss Rebels away and led the South Carolina Gamecocks 9-0 entering the second quarter before losing 30-22. It also had a 17-0 lead over the Arkansas Razorbacks and a 27-18 fourth quarter lead only to need a last second field goal to win the game 30-28.

Simply put, neither team can hold leads. Will that change on Saturday with the first team to score first? The team that manages to maintain its momentum will be the one to win, as that seems like a hard thing for both of them to do.

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