No. 1 Texas walked into Neyland Stadium for the first time and walked out with a 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, surviving a frantic finish in a game shaped by defense, sacks and a pile of penalties.
Colin Simmons was the headliner for the Longhorns, matching the program record with five sacks as Texas piled up 10 total sacks. His day was as disruptive as it was memorable, though it also included a vulgar celebration after one takedown that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. The referee said Simmons was “simulating” using the restroom.
Raleek Brown gave Texas the final cushion with a 4-yard touchdown run and 5:41 left, finishing with 67 rushing yards and two scores. Giannis Spetic added a pair of field goals as the Longhorns improved to 4-0 and opened SEC play with a road win.
Tennessee made the closing minutes tense. Brandon Faizon led an 80-yard drive and hit Mike Matthews on a 30-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 remaining to pull the Vols within three. Arion Carter recovered the onside kick, but Tennessee’s last chance ended when Jelani McDonald broke up Faizon’s throw to Travis Smith Jr. in the end zone.
Arch Manning also made his first trip to Knoxville, where his uncle Peyton starred for Tennessee in the 1990s. Manning threw for 201 yards, was sacked six times and intercepted once. Texas needed its defense to carry the load on a day when the offense was bogged down by penalties, including two illegal forward passes by Manning.
The Longhorns were flagged 11 times for 115 yards, with seven of those penalties coming in the first half. Jermaine Bishop Jr. also erased a 22-yard punt return in the third quarter after officials caught him on a fair catch signal.
Tennessee, which came in averaging 516.3 yards of total offense per game and ranked 14th nationally, never got close to that number. Faizon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards in his SEC debut, taking a beating behind an offense that struggled to keep pace.
The Vols did briefly pull even at 10 when Qua Moss returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown with 11:14 left in the third quarter. Cooper Ranvier also connected on a 33-yard field goal.
Tennessee, now 3-1, has not beaten The Associated Press’ No. 1 team since 1985, and that streak continues.
Texas has a week off before visiting Oklahoma on Oct. 10.
Tennessee hosts Auburn on Oct. 3.
In Other News...
Tennessee Texas Finish Just Got An Official Officiating Twist
The Southeastern Conference added an officiating wrinkle to Tennessees loss to Texas, saying the Volunteers drop-kick onside attempt was handled incorrectly. The league said the kick should have drawn a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down because it was taken from behind the required 35-yard line, a violation of free-kick rules.
Even so, the correction does not change the result of Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee. For the Volunteers, it leaves one more frustrating detail attached to a game already decided by a narrow margin, even if the official ruling stops short of altering the final scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Secondary Just Took Another Brutal Hit Before Auburn
Tennessees secondary is dealing with another setback heading into Auburn, with sophomore defensive back Dylan Lewis expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season because of a foot injury he suffered against Kennesaw State. Lewis had already been listed as out in SEC availability reports before the Texas game, and he was later seen in a walking boot, a clear sign the injury was serious enough to keep him sidelined for an extended stretch.
For a defense already managing other season-ending injuries in the back end, losing Lewis only tightens the margin for error. The Vols have had to keep adjusting their depth and rotations in the secondary, and now they head into the Auburn matchup with another important piece unavailable, leaving the coaching staff to sort out how to patch together a group that has been hit hard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Are Stuck On One Faizon Brandon Debate
Tennessees loss to Texas left plenty of fingerprints on the offense, but the loudest postgame debate has centered on Faizon Brandon and how much of the struggle was really on the quarterback. Brandon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, yet the bigger number was the sacks, with Tennessees protection breaking down often enough to make the whole night feel hurried and uneven.
Film analyst Brooks Austin pushed back on the idea that Brandon alone was responsible, pointing to a shaky run game and the lines problems up front as part of the picture. Josh Heupel sounded similarly measured, saying Brandon may have been sped up and stressing that the answer has to come from more than one player. For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is that the debate is still open, and the film may only deepen it. [Read more 🡒]