Tennessee Freshman Faizon Brandon Takes 10 Sacks in Narrow Loss to No. 1 Texas

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 19:53 UTC

The short version

No. 1 Texas beat No. 13 Tennessee 20-17 on Sept. 26; Vols fall to 3-1 (0-1 SEC), Longhorns improve to 4-0 (1-0).
Faizon Brandon went 17-of-29 for 145 yards, one TD and no interceptions, and was sacked 10 times.
Brandon left briefly with an apparent shoulder injury in the second quarter; George MacIntyre filled in for two possessions.
Brandon hit Mike Matthews for a 30-yard TD with 1:22 left to make it 20-17.
Tennessee hosts Auburn on Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC or ESPN.

Faizon Brandon threw for 145 yards and a late touchdown while being sacked 10 times, and left briefly with an apparent shoulder injury in the Vols' 20-17 defeat.

Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon endured a bruising introduction to SEC play on Sept. 26, absorbing 10 sacks as No. 1 Texas escaped Neyland Stadium with a 20-17 win over the No. 13 Volunteers. The loss dropped Tennessee to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Longhorns improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the SEC.

Brandon finished the afternoon 17-of-29 passing for 145 yards and one touchdown without an interception. The raw numbers, though, only begin to tell the story of a game in which the freshman spent much of his time evading an unrelenting Texas pass rush that was in the backfield all day.

The scariest moment came early in the second quarter, when Brandon hurt his shoulder on a quarterback keeper. The injury sent him to the medical tent and silenced the home crowd while George MacIntyre took over for two offensive possessions. Brandon returned to the game with 8:28 left in the second quarter and showed no visible aftereffects of the injury.

Beyond the physical toll, Brandon struggled with the speed of the moment in the early going. Before the injury, he missed open receivers and held the ball too long in the pocket. Texas deserves considerable credit for that discomfort, bringing one of the most formidable opposing defenses to visit Neyland Stadium in years and keeping the pressure on from start to finish.

There were positives to take from the loss, most of them arriving late. With 1:22 remaining, Brandon connected with Mike Matthews on a 30-yard touchdown pass that cut the Texas lead to 20-17 and gave Tennessee a chance. He also avoided turning the ball over entirely and ripped off a 15-yard scramble, showing mobility that served as a small bright spot on an otherwise difficult day.

Assessing blame for the offensive struggles is not straightforward. Tennessee's pass protection broke down repeatedly, and it will require closer examination to determine how much of the failure belonged to Brandon versus his blockers. The likely answer is some combination of both, set against a Texas defensive front that overwhelmed the Vols for four quarters.

What stood out most to observers was Brandon's toughness. He took a beating from one of the nation's best defenses, missed only two possessions after a frightening injury, and returned to lead a late touchdown drive that nearly forced overtime. For a freshman in his first SEC start, the experience figures to serve as a painful but valuable lesson.

Brandon and the Vols will not have to wait long for their next conference test. Tennessee hosts Auburn on Oct. 3 at Neyland Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC or ESPN. It will be Brandon's second SEC game and a chance to show what he learned against the nation's top-ranked team.