Tennessee went into Atlanta and walked out with a 45-24 win over Georgia Tech, keeping its early-season record spotless and handling its first Power Four test after last week’s 56-9 rout of Furman.
The night started with a little chaos. Georgia Tech took the opening kickoff, but Tennessee’s defense immediately forced a three-and-out. Then, on the punt, Qua Moss muffed the ball before recovering it, avoiding what could have been an early disaster.
Tennessee wasted no time turning that stop into offense. On the first snap from scrimmage, Desean Bishop waited behind his blockers and burst ahead for a 33-yard gain. That set up another quick connection between freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon and tight end Ethan Davis, whose 25-yard catch gave the Vols a 7-0 lead with 12:22 left in the first quarter.
Georgia Tech answered with a long, methodical drive, chewing up six minutes before settling for a 30-yard field goal to cut it to 7-3. Tennessee then hit a rough patch of its own, punting from deep in its own end. That’s when the game flipped.
The Yellowjackets blocked the punt and Trae Stevenson Jr. returned it for a touchdown, putting Georgia Tech ahead 10-7 with 5:49 left in the opening quarter. Tennessee responded with a drive that featured Brandon finding Radarious Jackson deep into GT territory, then converting a fourth-and-2 himself by side-stepping a defender and diving forward. The Vols stalled inside the 10, but Cooper Ranvier drilled a 32-yard field goal for his first made kick as a Vol to tie it at 10-10.
Then Tennessee’s defense struck again. Dejuan Lane jumped a screen pass and took it 45 yards for a pick-six, swinging the lead back to the Vols at 17-10 with 11:24 left in the second quarter. From there, Tennessee kept Georgia Tech from settling in, and the offense eventually found another gear.
A pass interference call on freshman TK Keys helped move the ball near midfield, and Duane Morris added a 16-yard run to push Tennessee to the Georgia Tech 33. On the next snap sequence, Braylon Staley, quiet in week one against Furman, hauled in a 20-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown in the end zone to make it 24-10 with 4:21 left before halftime.
Georgia Tech had one last chance before the break, driving into the red zone, but Alberto Mendoza was picked off by Jeremiah Telander with just over 30 seconds remaining. Tennessee also had to deal with an injury to starting left tackle David Sanders Jr., who was helped off the field before the half ended with the Vols up 24-10.
The third quarter opened with another frightening moment when Georgia Tech’s Jaylen Mbakwe was removed from the field on a stretcher. Once play resumed, Tennessee kept rolling. Bishop finished the opening drive of the half with a 17-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 31-10 with just under 12 minutes left in the third.
Georgia Tech answered right back. Mendoza hit Justice Haynes on a short scoring pass to trim the margin to 31-17 with 7:10 left in the quarter.
Tennessee’s next possession ended in a punt, and the Yellowjackets tried to turn it into a real comeback. Mendoza connected with Chris Corbo for 18 yards and Dalen Penson for 17 more, moving Georgia Tech into Tennessee territory as the third quarter ended with the Jackets at second-and-goal.
On fourth-and-goal, Georgia Tech went for it, but the throw to the end zone was tipped and knocked away, turning the ball over on downs with 13:30 left.
Tennessee then put the game away. Bishop ripped off a 39-yard run that was wiped out by a holding penalty, but Duane Morris kept the drive alive with a third-and-long conversion. Bishop finished it off moments later with his second touchdown of the night, pushing the lead to 38-17.
Georgia Tech scored again with 1:39 left to cut it to 38-24 and tried an onside kick, but Tennessee recovered. Instead of simply bleeding the clock, Morris broke free for another touchdown to close the scoring at 45-24.
Tennessee moved to 2-0 and will host Kennesaw State next Saturday, September 19.
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 🡒]