If there was any question whether Tennessee’s trip to Atlanta would feel like a road game, the answer came fast. Orange was everywhere, and not just in the corners. It showed up on the walk to the stadium, in the stands, and in the kind of volume that made a 45-24 win over Georgia Tech feel even louder.
Josh Heupel noticed all of it.
After the victory, the Tennessee coach was asked about the fans who made the trip for the Vols’ first road game of the season, and he didn’t hold back in praising them.
"Legitimately, we leave our hotel and you see nothing but orange and white on the way here," Heupel said. "From older fans that have been here for a many generations to some new ones that don't know how to tie their shoes yet, you walk into the stadium 60 minutes before kickoff for me and majority of the crowd is orange and Tennessee.
It's pretty special. I've said it before: this fanbase is the best in college sports and we don't take that for granted."
That support mattered in a game that also had plenty of football substance behind the atmosphere. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, a 5-star and just 18 years old, made his second career start and his first one away from Neyland Stadium. He dealt with a hostile setting, but Tennessee had enough noise of its own to keep him steady and lift him after positive plays.
Brandon wasn’t flawless, but he did throw two touchdown passes, hitting Ethan Davis and Braylon Staley. By the end of the night, he was all smiles, and Tennessee can take that into its Week 3 home matchup with Kennesaw State.
The Vols also got a big night from DeSean Bishop, who ran for a career-high 147 yards and scored twice. On the other side of the ball, DeJuan Lane’s pick-six swung the game in a major way. Between those impact plays and the sea of Tennessee fans in Atlanta, the night belonged to the Vols in more ways than one.
In Other News...
Josh Heupel Is Closing In On Another Tennessee Coaching Milestone
Josh Heupel keeps stacking up the kind of wins that matter in Knoxville history, and his latest milestone pushed him past Doug Dickey for sixth on Tennessees all-time coaching list. Since taking over in 2021, Heupel has built a 47-20 record and continued to give the Volunteers the kind of steady success that has made his tenure one of the more productive stretches in the programs modern era.
The next landmark is within reach, too, with Bowden Wyatt sitting just ahead of him in fifth place. Heupels perfect mark against opponents with losing records has helped Tennessee stay on pace, and with three more wins this season he could climb again on a list that still carries plenty of weight around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Faizon Brandon Passed Tennessees First Road Test Now Comes The Real Challenge
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon handled his first road start with the kind of calm Tennessee could reasonably ask for, helping the Volunteers leave Georgia Tech with a 45-24 victory. Brandon completed 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, added 22 rushing yards and, most importantly for a young quarterback in a tough setting, kept the game under control without turning the ball over.
Now the test gets more interesting. Brandon has already shown he can navigate a hostile environment and make enough plays to back up the rest of Tennessee's talent, but the next stretch will ask for more than poise and caution. For a quarterback still settling into the job, the challenge is no longer simply surviving a road game. It's doing it again, with teams starting to adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees First Road Win Still Left Vols Fans With One Concern
Tennessee left Bobby Dodd Stadium with its first road win of the season and a 45-24 result that gave the Vols a 2-0 start, but the box score still told a story of a team easing into its identity. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon helped settle things early enough, and Tennessee spent much of the middle stretch of the game in control while both sides of the ball found a groove away from home.
Even so, the finish left a familiar unease for fans who watched Georgia Tech keep pressing late. Tennessee backed off into a more conservative approach as the Yellow Jackets tried to chip away at the margin, and for a moment it felt like the game might get tighter than it had any business being. The Vols still handled the comeback push, but the way the closing minutes unfolded offered a reminder that there is still a little polishing left to do. [Read more 🡒]