No. 1 Texas walked out of Knoxville with a 20-17 win over No.
14 Tennessee, but this one came with plenty of rough edges. The Longhorns stayed unbeaten, yet they spent most of Saturday trying to survive their own mistakes as much as the Vols’ push in the final minutes.
The defense did the heavy lifting, and it started with Colin Simmons. Texas’ star edge rusher turned in a monster game, finishing with a Texas program-record-tying five sacks, with four of them coming after halftime.
He also drew attention early for a taunting penalty the official described as “simulating using the restroom” after he brought down Faizon Brandon on third down. Simmons could have owned the record outright if not for a late Texas penalty on Tennessee’s final drive, but the performance still stood out as one of the best by a Longhorn defender in recent memory.
Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles was right there in the thick of it too, piling up 13 total tackles, including seven solo stops, along with one sack and two tackles for loss. Together, that front carried a Texas defense that looked far ahead of the offense through four games in Will Muschamp’s first season. Tennessee managed just 4 of 16 on third down and did not reach the end zone offensively until the closing minutes, when the game finally started to feel dangerous for the Longhorns.
Special teams kept Tennessee alive. Qua Moss delivered the biggest swing with a 57-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter to tie the game at 10-10.
Then, late in the fourth, the Vols recovered an onside kick when Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo couldn’t secure the ball, setting up one last shot toward the end zone. That final heave fell incomplete, but Tennessee had given itself a real chance.
Texas got enough from Raleek Brown to escape. He finished with 17 carries for 67 yards and two touchdowns, while Hollywood Smothers was active but did not play a snap.
Brown and Wingo were the only real bright spots for an offense that never found much rhythm. Wingo caught six passes for 74 yards.
Arch Manning had a few sharp throws early, but the production never really followed. He finished 14 of 19 for 201 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
The protection in front of him was a major issue, too. Texas entered Saturday as the No. 1-ranked pass-blocking team in college football so far this season, but Tennessee got to Manning six times and hit him repeatedly.
When he wasn’t getting swallowed up, he was forced to take off.
Penalties were another problem that kept Tennessee hanging around. Texas was flagged 11 times for 115 yards, a sharp contrast from the first two weeks of the season when the Longhorns were much cleaner. The flags showed up everywhere - offense, defense and special teams - and they repeatedly stalled Texas when it looked ready to pull away.
In the end, the Longhorns survived. But the tape will show plenty that needs cleaning up before the bye week.
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