No. 13 Tennessee Falls 20-17 to Top-Ranked Texas in SEC Opener
The short version
- No. 13 Tennessee lost 20-17 to No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26, falling to 3-1 (0-1 SEC).
- Faizon Brandon threw a late TD and Arion Carter recovered an onside kick, but a final Hail Mary failed.
- Texas sacked Brandon 10 times; Colin Simmons had five sacks.
- Qua Moss returned a punt 57 yards for a TD, Tennessee's first since 2023.
- The Vols host Auburn on Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC or ESPN.
The Vols rallied late behind freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon but came up short against the No. 1 Longhorns in Knoxville on Sept. 26.
No. 13 Tennessee dropped its SEC opener 20-17 to top-ranked Texas at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 26, falling to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Longhorns improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the league. Tennessee nearly engineered an upset before falling just short in the final seconds.
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon connected with Mike Matthews on a 30-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 left to pull the Vols within three points. Arion Carter then recovered the ensuing onside kick with 1:21 remaining, giving Tennessee a chance to tie or win. Brandon's desperation heave as the clock expired fell incomplete, ending the threat.
Brandon endured a rough afternoon behind center in his first SEC start. Texas brought him down 10 times, with edge rusher Colin Simmons accounting for five of those sacks. The freshman briefly exited in the second quarter with an apparent shoulder injury after a running play. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, and the Vols managed just 221 yards of total offense.
On the other side, the Volunteers' defense made things difficult for Arch Manning, the nephew of Tennessee legend Peyton Manning. Xavier Gilliam and Tyree Weathersby each recorded sacks, and Kayin Lee picked off a deep Manning throw. Tight coverage also drew two illegal-forward-pass penalties on the Texas quarterback. Manning finished 14 of 19 for 201 yards with no touchdowns and was sacked six times, but did enough to preserve the lead.
Special teams provided Tennessee's biggest spark. Qua Moss, a Kansas State transfer, returned a line-drive punt 57 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to even the score at 10. It marked the program's first punt return for a score since Dee Williams went 39 yards against Texas A&M on Oct. 14, 2023.
Texas controlled the opening half, marching easily on the game's first possession and outgaining Tennessee 147 yards to 88 before the break. The Vols were fortunate to trail only 10-3 at halftime, thanks to a defense that forced three three-and-outs and pressured Manning throughout. Tennessee's lone first-half points came on Cooper Ranvier's 33-yard field goal, which capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive and extended the team's streak of scoring on its opening possession to four straight games to open the season.
The loss dropped Tennessee to 3-19 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in any poll. The program's three such wins came against LSU in 1959, Auburn in 1985 and Alabama in 2022. Saturday's game was also historic, as it marked Texas's first-ever visit to Knoxville. The atmosphere featured ESPN's College GameDay on the field before kickoff, President Trump arriving during the national anthem, celebrities including Peyton Manning, Glen Powell and Shane Gillis in attendance, and fans filling the stadium in a Checker Neyland orange-and-white pattern.
Tennessee returns to action Oct. 3, hosting Auburn at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET with coverage on ABC or ESPN.
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