Faizon Brandon wasted no time making a statement in his first start for Tennessee football.
The 18-year-old freshman quarterback led the Vols to a 56-9 win over Furman on Saturday, and he did it with a performance that flashed both poise and playmaking. Brandon finished 13 of 17 for 226 yards, three passing touchdowns and no interceptions, then piled on 68 rushing yards and two more scores on 10 carries.
That kind of debut put him in a very small club. Per the SEC Network, Brandon became the first SEC player to throw for three touchdowns and run for two in his first career start since Cam Newton. Newton, of course, went on to win a Heisman Trophy and a national title at Auburn, with his No. 2 eventually retired.
Brandon said the game felt like something he had already pictured in his head.
“I thought something like that, just looking over the call sheet, envisioning all the plays that we had on there,” Brandon said. “Just seeing all the big plays in my head the night before. And just really just going out there and just trying to execute everything that we did, and I ended up doing that.”
A pair of explosive throws right after halftime helped turn the day from impressive to eye-catching. On a play-action look, Brandon dropped a 55-yard touchdown to Mike Matthews after the receiver slipped free behind the defense. Then, on the next drive, he connected with Matthews again on a 57-yard strike, and Matthews finished that one with a strong catch in the end zone.
The challenge gets tougher from here. Tennessee and Brandon head to Atlanta next Saturday to take on Georgia Tech, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Still Found A Way To Keep Game Day Tradition Alive
Rain may have knocked out the full Tennessee Vol Walk before the Furman game at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, but it did not shut down one of the programs most familiar pregame traditions. With inclement weather forcing a cancellation, the scene outside the stadium still had the feel of a normal Saturday in Knoxville, only with ponchos, fans and a little more improvisation than usual.
Players and fans found a way to make the most of it with a modified walk that still brought both sides together before kickoff. The details were different, but the point of the tradition held up anyway, and for a fan base that treats game day as more than just the four quarters on the field, even a weather delay could not fully interrupt the ritual. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Found An Unexpected Defensive Tone-Setter In Its Debut Win
Xavier Gilliam made a memorable first impression in Tennessees opener, turning his debut into the kind of defensive spark that can change the tone of a season. The redshirt sophomore defensive lineman, a transfer from Penn State, finished with three sacks against Furman, giving the Volunteers a disruptive edge up front and immediately injecting some life into a unit looking for a tone-setter.
It was the most sacks by a Tennessee player in a single game since 2018, a noteworthy marker even against an overmatched opponent. More importantly for the Volunteers, Gilliams arrival added a new layer to the defensive line conversation and hinted at what kind of identity Jim Knowles may be trying to build on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has An Early O-Line Concern Before Georgia Tech
Tennessee got through its season opener against Furman with a little less certainty in the middle of the line than it expected. Sam Pendleton, the Vols returning starting center, was held out after an injury was discovered following warm-ups, leaving the offense to make a quick adjustment before kickoff. Sophomore Nic Moore stepped into the spot and handled the assignment well, giving Tennessee a usable answer in a pinch.
Josh Heupel said Pendleton is expected to be ready for the next game against Georgia Tech, which should ease the immediate concern for a line that needs stability early in the year. Even with Moores solid outing, the Vols will be watching closely to see how quickly Pendleton gets back into rhythm, because center is one of the spots where timing and communication matter as much as raw talent. [Read more 🡒]