Tennessee went into its final tuneup before SEC play and handled business the way a ranked team should, rolling past Kennesaw State 42-9 on Saturday night.
Josh Heupel liked the overall shape of it, even if he saw room to clean things up once the competition level rises.
"Ultimately a good win," Vols coach Josh Heupel said afterwards. "Offensively, just got to be better in the red zone, but there was some real positives, too.
Defensively, ultimately kept them out of the end zone. Gave them some things here on the early part of the game, first drive, but all in all, a good night."
The Vols’ offense piled up 446 yards, and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon was right in the middle of it. Brandon completed 18 of 26 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 47 rushing yards and another score on 11 carries.
Tennessee leaned on the ground game for most of its damage. The Vols scored four of their five touchdowns on the ground, with sophomore running back Daune Morris leading the way. Morris delivered his first career 100-yard game, finishing with 116 yards and punctuating it with a 42-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Senior DeSean Bishop and former walk-on Hunter Barnes each found the end zone on the ground as well. Junior Braylon Staley accounted for Tennessee’s lone passing touchdown, hauling in a 13-yard score.
Cooper Ranvier also gave Tennessee a steady night on special teams. The Louisville transfer went 2-for-2, connecting from 40 yards in the second quarter and again from 43 yards just before halftime to help push the Vols past 40 points.
The defense made sure Kennesaw State never found the end zone. Tennessee didn’t allow a touchdown for the first time this season and gave up only three first-half points, which marked the second time in three games it had avoided surrendering a first-half touchdown.
It was the eighth time in the Heupel era that Tennessee has kept an opponent out of the end zone. The last time the Vols did not allow six points came in a 56-0 win over UTEP on Nov.
23, 2024. Before Heupel arrived, Tennessee had managed that feat only four times across the 11 seasons from 2010 to 2020.
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Tennessee Suddenly Has A Backfield Concern At The Worst Time
DeSean Bishops afternoon against Kennesaw State turned into a reminder of how quickly a running game can change course. The Tennessee back was hurt in the first half with a hip injury, then came back briefly in the third quarter before leaving again because of pain, forcing the Volunteers to keep adjusting on the fly. Backup Daune Morris picked up extra carries and finished off a touchdown, helping steady things while the offense waited to see how much Bishop could give.
For a Tennessee team heading into a matchup with Texas, the timing could hardly be worse. Bishop had been part of the backfield rhythm, and his status now adds another layer of uncertainty to a spot where depth and durability matter most. The Volunteers will spend the next stretch hoping the injury is less serious than it looked, because the margin for error gets a lot thinner when a key runner is suddenly in question. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Changed The SEC Race For Tennessee Fans
Lane Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU instantly shifted the SEC conversation in a way Tennessee fans will recognize right away. The reported seven-year, $91 million deal is a major swing in the coaching market, and Kiffin pointed to advice from mentors and the chance to take over a program with a national-title pedigree as central to his choice.
For the Volunteers, the ripple effect matters because it reshapes the league landscape around them and changes the path Ole Miss now has to navigate. With Kiffin gone, Ole Miss turned to defensive coordinator Pete Golding as its head coach for the College Football Playoff, a sudden transition that leaves one of Tennessees conference rivals adjusting at the biggest possible moment. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Still Has Tennessee Fans Doing The Unthinkable
Seven Tennessee fans made the trip to Oxford, Miss., on Saturday night, not to pull for Ole Miss but to make their feelings about Lane Kiffin unmistakable. The group bought seats for $600 apiece and showed up in Tennessee gear for the Rebels game against LSU, a small but pointed reminder that Kiffin still draws a reaction from Vols fans years after his brief Knoxville stint.
The scene had an extra layer of irony at halftime, with Ole Miss up 24-7 on LSU while Tennessee held a 21-3 lead over Kennesaw State back home. It was the kind of crossover moment that keeps Kiffin attached to both SEC scoreboard watching and Tennessees long memory, with a handful of fans still willing to spend real money to make the point in person. [Read more 🡒]