KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A resilient Tennessee squad put up a valiant fight, but No. 1/1 Texas used a stout defensive effort to stave off the No. 14/13 Volunteers on Saturday afternoon, 20-17, with a Checker Neyland crowd of 101,915, including United States President Donald J. Trump, looking on.
The Big Orange (3-1, 0-1 SEC) pulled to within three, 20-17, with 1:22 to go on a 30-yard strike from freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon to junior receiver Mike Matthews. Tennessee then executed an onside kick that senior linebacker Arion Carter recovered at the Vol 49, giving his team one more shot at points with a minute and change left. On the game’s final play, a deep ball from Brandon into the end zone was knocked away by Texas defenders, allowing the visitors to escape and improve to 4-0, 1-0 SEC.
Tennessee’s defense was relentless in its own right, limiting Texas to 61 rushing yards and recording 10 tackles for losses, six sacks and two quarterback hurries. Carter led the Vols in tackles, registering 11 on the afternoon while adding a hurry and a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Senior defensive end Tyree Weathersby had six stops, including 2.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Amare Campbell, junior defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam and sophomore defensive end Mariyon Dye added sacks of their own, and sophomore defensive tackle Isaiah Campbell was credited with a half sack.
Offensively, Brandon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards and the scoring toss to Matthews with no turnovers on the day. Punt returner Qua Moss accounted for Tennessee’s other touchdown, taking a punt back 57 yards in the third quarter. The senior nickel also recorded five stops and a pass break-up.
Texas struck first on its opening possession. Running back Raleek Brown burst through the line for a nine-yard touchdown run to cap a seven-play, 75-yard drive and stake the Longhorns to a 7-0 lead with 10:58 remaining in the first quarter. The Vols cut that deficit to 7-3, though, when junior Cooper Ranvier kicked a 33-yard field goal with 7:40 left in the period.
The Horns added three more points to the scoreboard early in the second stanza, as Gianni Spetic booted a 22-yard field goal to make it 10-3 with 14:29 remaining. With neither team scoring the rest of the half, Texas took that seven-point lead into the locker room at the intermission.
Tennessee knotted the score early in the third quarter. Moss fielded a Mac Chiumento punt and outraced the Longhorn cover team 57 yards to the north checkerboard for six. Ranvier’s extra point tied the proceedings at 10 with 11:14 to go after Moss’s first career touchdown.
Texas moved back in front with 9:05 left in the third. The Horns moved the ball to the Volunteer 22 before the defense stiffened and surrendered only a 44-yard Spetic field goal that gave the visitors a 13-10 edge they carried into the final frame.
The Longhorns extended their lead to 10 in the fourth quarter. Brown’s four-yard run was the finisher on an eight-play drive, giving Texas a 20-10 advantage with 5:41 to go. The Vols weren’t done, though, drawing to within three, 20-17, on a 30-yard strike from Brandon to Matthews with 1:22 to go. After recovering the ensuing onside kick, Tennessee’s upset bid came up short after a pass into the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.
UP NEXT
Tennessee plays its third straight home game next Saturday, welcoming Auburn to Neyland Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. contest. The game will be televised by ABC or ESPN.
