Texas walked out of Knoxville with a 20-17 win, and the story of the night was the Longhorns’ defensive front tearing Tennessee apart.
Colin Simmons was the wrecking ball. The Texas pass rusher lived in Tennessee’s backfield and finished with five sacks on freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, the most by an individual player in an SEC-on-SEC matchup since at least 2001.
As a group, the Longhorns dragged Brandon down 10 times and piled up 12 tackles for loss while holding Tennessee to 216 total yards. A lot of that yardage came late, after Texas had already built a two-possession cushion.
Brandon never looked comfortable. Even when the pocket held up for a few beats, he played hesitant and spent most of the night under pressure. The former 5-star prospect completed 17 of 29 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Tennessee made things interesting in the final minutes. The Vols found the end zone with less than two minutes left, then recovered the onside kick that followed. But Texas tightened back up when it mattered, denying Tennessee the yards it needed to get into field-goal range.
On the other side, Arch Manning and the Texas offense didn’t exactly put on a clinic, but they handled the game well enough once the Longhorns defense had taken control. Raleek Brown was the most productive skill player on either sideline, carrying 17 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
Texas now turns to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout on October 10.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Gets A Huge Recruiting Sign With One Big Question Left
Donald Tabron IIs next step is suddenly a lot clearer for Texas A&M. The five-star quarterback commit from Cass Technical High School has canceled his planned visit to LSU for an upcoming game, a move that, according to reports, reads as a strong sign for the Aggies as they work to hold onto one of the top passers in the class. With multiple major programs having chased him, any shift in plans from a prospect of this caliber gets attention fast.
For Texas A&M, the development is encouraging because it suggests the Aggies still have momentum with a high-profile commitment who could have easily kept his options open. Even so, recruiting never really goes quiet this early, and Tabrons status could still change down the road. For now, though, the canceled visit gives A&M a useful update in a race where every decision matters. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Heads To LSU With Two Huge Questions Still Looming
Nick Saban is already looking ahead to Texas A&Ms trip to LSU, and he likes the Tigers chances at home after their recent loss to Ole Miss. The game is set for ABC and brings together two 2-1 teams, with the stage set for another test in a rivalry that tends to carry extra weight no matter where either team sits in the standings.
For the Aggies, the bigger issue is less about the name on the other sideline than the concerns surrounding their own play. Saban pointed to Texas A&Ms recent defensive performance and the uncertainty at quarterback as the reasons he sees trouble ahead, and those two areas will shape everything about how competitive this one looks when the lights come on in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Can Flip LSU Despite One Big Concern On Offense
Texas A&M heads into the LSU matchup with plenty to like beyond the rivalry backdrop. Mike Elko has sounded confident about where his team is mentally, and he has also stood by Marcel Reed even after the recent interceptions that can cloud any quarterback conversation this time of year. On the other side, LSU will be missing star tight end Trey'Dez Green, while the Aggies get a boost of their own with running back KJ Edwards set to return from injury.
Still, the odds are tilted toward LSU, at least according to ESPNs Matchup Predictor, which makes this a tricky spot for Texas A&M to prove it can handle a big road-style test in the SEC. The encouraging part for the Aggies is that this is not unfamiliar territory, because they have already beaten LSU with Elko on the sideline and Reed under center, giving them a blueprint to lean on even as the offense tries to clean up the mistakes. [Read more 🡒]