That’ll do.
Tennessee opened its season by putting Furman away 56-9 on a hot Saturday inside Neyland Stadium, and once the Vols found their rhythm, the gap got wide in a hurry.
Faizon Brandon wasted little time making his Tennessee debut count. He finished 13 of 17 for 226 yards, three passing touchdowns, and added 68 rushing yards and two more scores on 10 carries.
DeSean Bishop set the tone on the ground with 97 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts, while Justin Baker chipped in 89 yards and a score, highlighted by a 73-yard touchdown run. Through the air, Mike Matthews was the big-play spark, catching four passes for 132 yards and two long touchdowns early in the third quarter.
It did not start cleanly. Tennessee’s offense looked stuck in neutral early, especially up front, where the offensive line had trouble in the first quarter and the run game never really got rolling right away. The Vols also turned the ball over on downs and couldn’t consistently generate push on the ground.
Then Josh Heupel leaned into creativity and Tennessee started to separate. Early in the second quarter, he dialed up an option to the short side on third and goal, and Brandon had a clear path to the corner of the end zone for a 14-0 lead. Bishop’s 1-yard touchdown made it 21-0, and with 17 seconds left in the first half, Brandon kept it himself on a draw and burst 7 yards through the defense and a defender at the goal line to push it to 28-0.
The passing game was quiet in the first half, though the playbook was pretty plain. That changed fast after the break.
Matthews found himself uncovered on a busted coverage and still made the grab look easy, hauling in a 55-yard touchdown in stride. On the next drive, he went up for another deep ball, beat his defender, and turned it into a 57-yard score.
At 42-0, Brandon’s night was done.
George MacIntyre entered and connected with TK Keys on a perfectly placed 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 49-3. Tennessee later had a drive end on a fumbled snap, but Baker closed the scoring with his long, twisting touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The defense was just as imposing. Tennessee’s front and pass rush, which had been a question coming in, looked like one of the day’s strongest units.
Xavier Gilliam was a wrecking ball, finishing with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and 5 tackles for loss. Tyree Weathersby opened the game with a sack on the first play, Mariyon Dye added one of his own, and Edwin Spillman got home on a blitz.
The pass defense was excellent too, holding Furman to just 43 passing yards between two quarterbacks. Furman did run for 178 yards, with Isaiah Davis accounting for 113 on 8 carries, so there is still work to do there. But on this day, Tennessee controlled the game in almost every phase.
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 🡒]