As Tennessee gets ready to host No. 1 Texas in Week 4, a lot of the attention is on Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian, and a matchup that could shake up the early SEC race. But for a big slice of the Vols fan base, there’s another name that still hits a nerve: Will Muschamp.
Muschamp’s history with Tennessee goes back to his time as Florida’s head coach from 2011-2014, when he was on the sideline for several tense battles with the Vols. One of the most memorable came in 2014, when Florida escaped Knoxville with a 10-9 win. The sting from that day clearly never went away for Tennessee fans, especially after Muschamp’s comments that followed.
"It's great to see all of these people here disappointed," an elated Muschamp said right after breaking UT hearts after that Florida win. "I love it."
That moment is still living rent-free in the minds of plenty of Tennessee supporters, and Muschamp’s coaching resume against the Vols only adds fuel to the fire. He’s 7-1 as a head coach against Tennessee, and now he’s back in Austin on Sarkisian’s staff, where he’ll be part of Texas’ effort to slow down the Vols in a game the Longhorns are favored to win by 4.5 points.
Tennessee, though, comes in unbeaten at 3-0. The Vols have handled Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State, and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has been a big reason why. He’s thrown for 552 yards and six touchdowns while also adding three scores on the ground, looking every bit like the five-star talent Tennessee believed it was getting.
If Tennessee is going to flip the script and give Muschamp a rough afternoon, Brandon will have to keep rolling. DeSean Bishop and the rest of the offense will need to hold up too, because Muschamp’s job will be to make life difficult for the Vols from the opening snap.
That part is where Josh Heupel comes in. Tennessee’s head coach has to put Brandon in the right spots and keep his freshman quarterback from getting swallowed up by Texas pressure and disruption. If that happens, the day Tennessee fans have been waiting for could get a whole lot sweeter.
Nobody is promising a Vols victory. But for a fan base that has kept the receipts for more than a decade, there would be something especially satisfying about sending Muschamp back out of Neyland Stadium with the kind of look he once put on Tennessee’s face.
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Tennessee Sets The Tone For Texas With A Classic Neyland Choice
With all the attention around Saturdays matchup in Knoxville, Tennessee is leaning into what it knows best. The Vols announced they will wear their traditional orange-and-white uniforms for the home game against No. 1 Texas, a familiar look for a night that already has plenty of spotlight on it.
Neyland Stadium is set to be the center of the college football world, with ESPN helping carry the hype and President Donald Trump expected to attend. Tennessee enters as a 4-point underdog, so the uniform choice serves as a small but telling reminder of the Vols' comfort in their own building as they prepare for a heavyweight test. [Read more 🡒]
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The Vols also used the week to unveil what their new Adidas home uniforms will look like, part of the programs fresh switch in apparel providers after its run with Nike. The updated design includes a phrase inside the collar and new number styling, a small but notable reset as Tennessee steps into a new era while saving its biggest on-field introduction for a high-profile test. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Needs A Response Before Early Trouble Starts Snowballing
September is where clean starts can get messy in a hurry, and NC State is one of the ranked teams facing that test as conference play starts to squeeze the margin for error. The setup around Week 4 is familiar enough for college football fans: a promising record, a respectable ranking and a road ahead full of opponents eager to turn one good Saturday into a season-shaping result.
For Tennessee readers watching the wider SEC and ACC picture, the lesson is the same one that tends to show up every fall. Hostile environments, rising pressure and a few early stumbles can change the conversation fast, especially when the schedule starts asking harder questions. NC State has the kind of profile that can look sturdy on paper until a game exposes how quickly those early trouble spots can snowball. [Read more 🡒]