Postgame Notes: #15/14 Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Oct. 10, 2026 | Fayetteville, Ark. | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 15/14 Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17General Notes

• Saturday’s attendance at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium: 69,038
• Tennessee’s all-time on-field record improved to 899-423-53 with Saturday’s win (NCAA record: 888-423-53).
• Josh Heupel earned his 50th win as head coach of the Vols, passing College Football Hall of Famer Bowden Wyatt (49-29-4) for sole possession of fifth in UT all-time wins. Heupel owns a 50-21 record since taking the helm at Tennessee in 2021.
  • Heupel (71 games) became the fourth-quickest UT head coach to reach the 50-win milestone, trailing only Gen. Robert Neyland (55 games), Phillip Fulmer (60 games) and Bill Battle (67 games).
• After Saturday’s win, Tennessee owns a 18-0 record against teams under .500 at the time of the game under head coach Josh Heupel.
• Tennessee and Arkansas met on the gridiron for the 22nd time in series history and the third-straight year. With Saturday’s win, the Vols improved their record to 15-7 all-time against the Razorbacks and earned their first win in Fayetteville since Sept. 8, 2001.
  • Combined with last year’s 34-31 win over Arkansas in Neyland Stadium, Tennessee secured back-to-back wins in the series for the first time since 2001-02.
• Tennessee won its fourth consecutive road game dating back to last year’s Kentucky contest. It was also the Vols’ third straight SEC road victory.
• Tennessee trailed 14-10 at the end of the third quarter before coming back to defeat Arkansas, 24-17. In the Josh Heupel era, the Vols have two other fourth-quarter comeback victories: Sept. 27, 2025 at Mississippi State (41-34 OT, trailed 24-20) and Oct. 15, 2022 vs. Alabama (52-49, trailed 35-34).

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

• Tennessee’s team captains for Saturday’s game: LS Bennett Brady, DL Xavier Gilliam, WR Mike Matthews, DB TJ Metcalf
• Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Arkansas received the opening kickoff, and Tennessee defended the north end zone.

First-Time Starters

• Sophomore QB George MacIntyre earned his first-career start in Saturday’s contest.
  • The Franklin, Tennessee, product became the first Tennessee native to start at quarterback for the Vols since Murfreesboro native WR Jauan Jennings opened the Oct. 26, 2019 game against South Carolina as a wildcat QB.
  • The last Tennessee native to start at quarterback in a traditional role was Sevierville native Joey Mathews against Southern Miss on Sept. 2, 2000.
  • The last Nashville-area native to start at quarterback in a traditional role was Nashville native Jim Maxwell, who started against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl.
• Tennessee has now had 15 players who have made their first starts for the Vols this season – six on offense and nine on defense.

Team Offensive Notes

• Tennessee finished Saturday’s contest with 414 yards of total offense – 247 passing and 167 rushing. The Vols have eclipsed 400 yards of total offense 52 times during the Josh Heupel era.

Individual Offensive Notes

• Senior RB DeSean Bishop eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the second week in a row and third time this season, finishing Saturday’s game with 19 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown.
  • The Knoxville native broke off a career-long, 59-yard rush late in the fourth quarter and later capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to cement the victory.
  • Bishop has carded seven career 100-yard games, including two against Arkansas. He previously rushed for 146 against the Razorbacks on Oct. 11, 2025.
  • Bishop’s fourth-quarter touchdown was the 27th rushing score of his career, moving into a tie for sixth on UT’s career rushing touchdown list with with Andy Kozar (1950-52) and Beattie Feathers (1931-33).
• In his first career start, sophomore QB George MacIntyre posted career-highs with 18 completions, 29 pass attempts and 247 passing yards.
• Sophomore TE DaSaahn Brame had a career day, finishing with career-highs in receptions (3), receiving yards (87) and touchdowns (one rushing TD).
  • Brame’s career-long 68-yard catch-and-run down the left sideline in the fourth quarter set up his first-career touchdown a few plays later as he dove over the pile at the goalline for a 1-yard rushing score to put the Vols ahead 17-14 after Cooper Ranvier’s PAT.
• Senior TE Trent Thomas opened the scoring in the second quarter with a five-yard touchdown reception from sophomore QB George MacIntyre. It was the first touchdown of his 32-game career.
  • In the Josh Heupel era (since 2021), tight ends have accounted for 38 touchdowns – 31 receiving and seven rushing.
  • Tight ends have scored at least one touchdown in three of Tennessee’s first six games this season.

Team Defensive Notes

• Tennessee’s defense was dominant in the first half, holding Arkansas scoreless while allowing just 99 total yards and four rushing yards on 13 attempts (0.3 ypc).
  • The Vols had four tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, three QB hurries and two pass breakups in the opening 30 minutes as well.
• Five different Vols logged one pass breakup in Saturday’s victory: senior LB Amare Campbell, junior DL Xavier Gilliam, senior DB TJ Metcalf, sophomore DB Ty Redmond and senior DL Nathan Robinson.

Individual Defensive Notes

• Junior DL Xavier Gilliam forced Tennessee’s first takeaway of the afternoon with a strip sack and recovery on Arkansas’ first offensive drive in the first quarter. It was Gilliam’s fifth sack, second forced fumble and first fumble recovery of the season.
  • Gilliam finished the contest with four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack, one pass breakup, two QB hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
• Senior DB TJ Metcalf led the Vols with a season-high nine tackles.

Special Teams Notes

• Junior PK Cooper Ranvier made a season-long 49-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the third quarter.
  • Ranvier also made all three of his extra point attempts, improving to 25-of-25 for the season.

Career Highs

The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:

Offense

• TE DaSaahn Brame
  • 3 receptions (tied career high)
  • 87 receiving yards
  • 68-yard reception
  • 1 rushing attempt
  • 1 rushing yard
  • 1 rushing touchdown (first of career)
• QB George MacIntyre
  • 18 completions
  • 29 passing attempts
  • 247 passing yards
  • 1 passing touchdown (tied career high)
• WR Mike Matthews
  • 2 rushing attempts
• RB Daune Morris
  • 2 receptions (tied career high)
  • 21 receiving yards
• TE Trent Thomas
  • 2 receptions (tied career high)
  • 1 receiving touchdown (first of career)

Defense/Special Teams

• DL Xavier Gilliam
  • 1 forced fumble (tied career high)
  • 1 fumble recovery (first of career)
  • 1 pass breakup (first of career)
  • 2 QB hurries (tied career high)
• DB Qua Moss
  • 5 tackles (tied career high)
• DL Nathan Robinson
  • 1 pass breakup (tied career high)