Tennessee had the kind of opening in front of it that can change a season, maybe even the conversation around a team. Instead, the Vols let No. 1 Texas walk out with a 20-17 win, and the story of the afternoon was less about a near-upset than a long list of things Tennessee simply didn’t do well enough.
The biggest issue started where so many games are decided: up front. Josh Heupel had to be frustrated with his offensive line, and the injury to left guard Wendell Moe Jr. only made matters worse when he went down with a left ankle injury early.
After that, Tennessee never really recovered. The guards couldn’t create running lanes, and the tackles had their own problems.
Colin Simmons took over against left tackle David Sanders Jr. in the second half, and Simmons finishing with five sacks was a major reason Texas piled up 10 sacks overall. That was a brutal day for Tennessee in the trenches.
That lack of protection fed directly into the next problem, because Faizon Brandon was put in a bad spot and never fully settled in. The true freshman quarterback had a chance to make a statement with SEC play underway, but for much of the game he missed throws, didn’t process simple plays quickly enough and just never looked comfortable.
Brandon did battle back after a shoulder injury in the first half, and that toughness mattered. Still, he needed to be near perfect to knock off Texas, and he wasn’t.
He finished 17-of-? No, the source says he completed 17 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, with the score coming late in desperation time in the fourth quarter.
The ground game wasn’t any better. Tennessee needed DeSean Bishop to help lighten the load on Brandon, but the run game never got moving.
Texas’ defensive front shut it down, squeezing out any chance for Bishop to find room. The veteran back carried 11 times for 34 yards, and that simply wasn’t enough for Tennessee to stay on schedule or keep pressure off its young quarterback.
All of that adds up to the most painful part for Tennessee: this was a golden chance to beat the No. 1 team in the country, and the Vols let it slip. Even with Texas having a rough day of its own - Arch Manning did not look like a potential Top-5 pick in the NFL Draft or a Heisman Trophy contender - the Longhorns still made the key plays to survive. Tennessee made it interesting late with the Mike Matthews touchdown to trim the deficit to three and the ensuing onside kick, but the miracle finish never came.
That’s what will linger here. Tennessee was close enough to taste it, but too sloppy, too inconsistent and too overwhelmed where it mattered most.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisian Just Gave Tennessee Fans Another Reason To Be Furious
Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee already had enough edge to linger, but Steve Sarkisian added a fresh layer afterward by pointing to the number of Vols who were injured during the game. In framing that as evidence of his own teams toughness, the Texas coach turned a hard-fought game into a talking point that went beyond the scoreboard and straight into the mood of a Tennessee fan base still stewing over the loss.
For Tennessee supporters, it was the kind of comment that lands badly after a physical SEC showdown. Sarkisian was pushing back on the idea that Texas is not a physical team, but using Tennessee players being taken off the field as part of that argument came off as insensitive and only sharpened the frustration around an already bitter defeat. [Read more 🡒]
Arion Carter Made Tennessees Texas Loss About Something Bigger
After Tennessees loss to Texas, Arion Carter was one of the voices trying to steady the mood around the program. The Vols linebacker leaned into the idea that the result was bigger than one afternoon, pointing to the pride in the locker room, the work that went into the game plan and the belief that the team still has plenty to play for.
Carter also put an emphasis on the details Tennessee has to clean up, especially staying composed on third downs and sticking to execution when games tighten. He made it clear the Volunteers are carrying more than just the disappointment of a loss right now, as the group continues to rally around Coach Inge while he deals with health issues. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Receivers Send A Clear Message After That Texas Loss
After Tennessees loss to Texas, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley made it clear the frustration inside the receiving room was less about effort than execution. The two wideouts pointed to the offense needing to be sharper and cleaner in key moments, while also stressing that the preparation leading into a game like that was still there.
Staley and Matthews also showed support for Tennessees young quarterback, who was working through a difficult environment against a Texas defense that made every mistake feel bigger. For the Volunteers, the message was less about assigning blame and more about getting back to the details that keep an offense on schedule when the margin for error disappears. [Read more 🡒]