On Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Central on ABC, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns will travel to Knoxville to open SEC play against the No.14 Tennessee Volunteers in the fourth all-time matchup between the college football blue bloods and the first-ever on-campus meeting after playing three previous games in the Cotton Bowl in 1950, 1952, and 1968.
With both teams starting the season 3-0, Saturday’s matchup is a prime early-season battle for the Longhorns in a true road game environment with College GameDay in attendance.
If there was ever a place to find out what this Texas team is made of after a come-from-behind victory and sloppy win, Neyland Stadium is about as good as it gets.
“We’re going into what I would probably consider as the loudest stadium in the country, Neyland Stadium,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday.
The Volunteers have throttled their first three opponents — Furman, Georgia State, and Kennesaw State — and look like a dangerous team under sixth-year head coach Josh Heupel.
“I think Coach Heupel’s done a tremendous job there with what he’s done offensively, the amount of explosive plays. But they’ve evolved some offensively — this is a team that believes in running the football. They got two great runners in [DeSean] Bishop and [Duane] Morris, guys who can run the football,” Sarkisian said.
“Got a true freshman quarterback in Faizon Brandon, who’s got elite arm talent. And the challenge they pose is their ability to run the ball, and then their ability to take their shots down the field, which is what they’ve been notorious for over the years is the big home-run plays down the field. So you got to be able to play both, and then play it against the tempo and and how fast they go.”
Heupal returns a 1,000-yard rusher, three of his top four pass catchers, including the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, and a seasoned offensive line as true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has led the Tennessee offense to top-15 rankings in many offensive metrics against the three inferior defenses.
“Obviously, defensively, bringing in Jim Knowles, who’s as respected of a defensive coordinator as there is in the country, he’s done it at multiple stops. He has a very ,very good group. They’re aggressive at the line of scrimmage, they mix their coverages in the back end,” Sarkisian said.
The validity of the three Tennessee victories this season will be tested on Saturday, and more importantly, set the tone for SEC play.
Getting off to a hot start in SEC play is crucial for the Longhorns who endure a brutal nine-game conference schedule. With a bye looming next week, Sarkisian will get another early-season chance to evaluate Texas against a premier opponent.
Here’s what to expect on Saturday.
Offense
The Tennessee scoring machine is built around offensive mastermind Josh Heupel, who utilizes wide splits and tempo to force a defense into tricky situations in a version of the veer and shoot offense that Texas saw in the season opener against Texas State.
Stack the box and the wideouts will be single covered, or drop back and risk wide-open running lanes.
This style of offense has worked wonders under Heupel and looks to continue that trend this season. The Volunteer offense is 14th in the FBS with 510.3 yards per game, fourth in rush yards per game, and seventh in scoring offense. This offense can run it up.
With experience and talent at every position, handing the reins to Brandon has been less daunting than anticipated operating a Tennessee offense can run the ball effectively, gain yards in the air, and put defenses into unfavorable situations.
Quarterback
Having turned 18 in June, Brandon is the youngest starting quarterback in Tennessee history and tied the program’s freshman record with five touchdowns in his debut. Don’t let his age fool you — the kid can play.
For the former consensus five-star recruit, the transition to college has largely looked seamless. In three games, he’s accumulated 552 passing yards and six touchdowns while completing 64.1 percent of his passes. He’s also tallied 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground, a testament to how lethal he can in the run game.
Facing the Texas defense is the first true test for Brandon. He’s looked poised in the pocket, accurate through the air, and dangerous on the ground. How that will that hold up against the Longhorns remains to be seen.
“When you start to cheat and play some cover one, Faizon’s gonna have some easy throws,” former LSU and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said on Sirius XM. “He’s gonna have to make them. I thought his accuracy was a little bit off last week against inferior competition. They made some plays, but if he’s throwing behind on an RPO to a receiver, or if he’s a little late, that ball’s gonna get picked off.”
Running back
One of the biggest reasons that Brandon’s transition to the collegiate level has been smooth is the Tennessee rushing attack. The Vols returned one of the best running backs in the SEC in 1,000-yard rusher DeSean Bishop, a former walk on from Knoxville who now stars in his hometown.
Hailing 35 minutes from Neyland Stadium, Bishop was previously committed to Coastal Carolina before accepting a preferred walk-on offer form Tennessee. The hometown hero turned that walk-on offer into second-team All-SEC recognition last season after rushing for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Bishop has rushed for a touchdown in 12 of his last 13 games dating back to last season and will be the best offensive player on the field for the Volunteers assuming that he’s fully healthy after suffering a minor hip injury against Kennesaw State last weekend.
If the Longhorns hope to dampen the Tennessee attack, limiting Bishop’s impact will be required, a tall task for the Texas defense.
Behind Bishop, who was held out for most of the second half for precautionary reasons last week, the Volunteers boast Morris and Javin Gordon. Morris has been the most explosive back behind Bishop with a 47-yard touchdown run against Georgia Tech and a 42-yard touchdown scamper last week.
He’s a big-play threat every time he has the ball.
Getting the ground game going early will be a high priority for Heupel — if the Longhorns can disrupt the Volunteer rushing attack, more responsibility will be thrust upon the shoulders of Brandon and his wideouts.
Wide Receiver
Tennessee returns three of its four leading receivers from a year ago, giving Brandon a handful of reliable options to target.
Former five-star Mike Matthews leads the way for the wideouts in his third year as a Volunteer. Last season, Matthews burst on to the scene with 53 catches for 813 yards and four touchdowns, setting himself up to be WR1 this season with the departure of Chris Brazzell. Matthews is a deep-ball threat who can blow the top off of a defense with his athleticism, and he’s already off to a hot start with 10 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
The other premier option for Brandon is Braylon Staley,who established himself as an elite young talent last season en route to the SEC Freshman of the Year Award and Freshman All-America honors. His 68 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns were a perfect compliment to Marshall and Brazzell a year ago.
These two wideouts will keep any defensive coordinator up at night, and provides yet another challenge for the Texas secondary that has already seen three returning 1,000 yard receivers through three games.
Tight end
Redshirt junior tight end Ethan Davis seemed to have found a solid rapport with Brandon. The duo connected for two touchdowns this season, tying Davis’ season total from a year ago. But the tight end recently announced that he suffered a season ending ACL injury, putting the tight end room into disarray.
With Davis going down, multiple reserves will be thrust into key roles on Saturday, a possibility that the Longhorns will undoubtedly seek to exploit.
Offensive line
The Tennessee offensive line has given up three sacks while averaging nearly 300 yards on the ground, the fourth most in FBS.
“It’s not going to be perfect up front, but all in all, it’s been solid,” Heupel said during his weekly press conference. “Texas will be our biggest test as far as the front seven that we play.”
The shakiest spot is at right guard after Jesse Perry, a natural guard, has been forced to play right tackle due to a lack of talent outside. This surprise has resulted in Sham Umarov and Donovan Hallam splitting reps at right guard, with neither winning the spot outright.
“Jessie’s done a really good job at right tackle,” Heupel said. “He’s played both guard and tackle in his career, but he’s played really well here the last couple of weeks at that spot.”
Perry graded at 92.6 last week, according to Pro Football Focus, while playing 65 of 68 offensive snaps.
Left tackle David Sanders Jr. and center Sam Pendleton also graded well against Kennesaw State, with each scoring at 72 or higher.
As a whole, this unit has looked strong against three inferior opponents. The ability of this group to dictate the terms up from will directly impact the flavor that this game takes on.
The Tennessee offense has an abundance of riches, particularly at running back and wide receiver. With a true freshman quarterback that hasn’t been tested, expect unique looks designed to confuse Brandon mixed in with a steady dose of run-stopping blitzes. If Texas can derail the Tennessee run game, Brandon will be forced into uncharted territory, something that will likely swing things in the favor of the Longhorns.
Defense
Heading up the defense is Knowles, a renowned defensive mind who is in his first year at Tennessee as the defensive coordinator after holding the same position last year at Penn State and previous stops at Ohio State and Oklahoma State.
Historically, he has thrived on unique and complex defensive schemes that confuse opposing offenses. He was brought in to turn around a poor defense that finished 14th in the SEC in points per game a year ago and provide an experienced compliment to Heupel’s offensive prowess.
As mentioned, this unit underperformed a year ago. Passing defense was a particular struggle as the unit finished 116th in the country in passing yards per game while finishing 92nd in scoring defense. Improvement was required, and Heupel opted for a change at the coordinator position to do so.
Defensive line
The front seven for the Volunteers was stripped clean last year, losing six of their top pass rushers and chaos creators.
Leading the way up front is Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam, who followed Bowles from Happy Valley to Knoxville. The 6’2, 305-pound junior has wreaked havoc in the interior this season, recording 12 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in three games this season.
Neutralizing Gilliam is key to establishing the run game and giving Texas quarterback Arch Manning enough time to deliver the ball downfield.
Another key contributor at tackle is senior Daevin Hobbs. Although smaller than Gilliam at 290 pounds, Hobbs finished last season strong, recording 30 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble over the final eight games of the season.
The two starting defensive ends are redshirt junior Tyree Weathersby and Tulane transfer Jordan Norman. Weathersby comes into the role with the expectation of making a jump from minimal contributor to key defender. Last season, Weathersby wracked up a single sack, a metric he has already tied through three games, and 24 tackles. The other player to know is sophomore Mariyon Dye who has already notched three sacks this season.
Collectively, the fellas up front are somewhat unproven. The talent and upside of the group are apparent, but Tennessee is relying on players stepping into new roles.
Linebacker
The linebacker spot is the teeth of the Tennessee this year. With four players that can give meaningful and productive snaps, this group will lead the defense.
Arion Carter, Edwin Spillman, and Jeremiah Telander return after each finishing top three in tackles last season.
Carter led the SEC with 7.6 tackles per game despited playing with a foot injury. He’s big enough to disrupt plays up the middle and possesses enough speed to track down ball carriers from sideline to sideline.
“In my opinion, I refer to him as a three-level player — when he blitzes, he’s effective at disrupting your pass protection, he’s a very good run defender, and he’s obviously very effective in pass coverage. So when you can find linebackers that can do all three, that’s what really makes him special, and he’s definitely one of those types of guys that can do that,” Sarkisian said on Wednesday.
Spillman returns after leading the team in tackles last season while earning Freshman All-American honors. He showed a knack for rushing the passer, tallying 2.5 sacks a year ago.
Telander provides the veteran presence in the middle of the field. He’s started 21 games after working his way into the lineup with eight games remaining in 2024. Last season, he cemented himself as a leader of the defense and steady tackler. He’ll be directing traffic on the field come Saturday.
The combination of these three players make this group dangerous particularly coupled with how innovative Bowles can be. The Texas offense will need to prioritize taking care of the Tennessee linebackers if they hope to move the ball effectively.
Secondary
The Volunteers have a star cornerback in Ty Redmond. He started 12 games a freshman last season and put up notable numbers including 15 passes defended, 12 pass break ups, and three interceptions. He’s a true lockdown corner who can stifle any SEC wide receiver.
The other important name in the secondary is Dejuan Lane, a 6’2, 215-pound junior at safety. Lane possesses great size and an innate knowledge of the Knowles’ system having transferred from Penn State to stick with him and position coach Anthony Poindexter.
The other members of the secondary such as Qua Moss and TJ Metcalf provide experience, though previous seasons have been disappointing for this group.
Through three games, the unit has yet to be tested, making it difficult to determine how the group will react against the high-powered Texas wide receivers. On paper, this battle should favor the Longhorns outside, especially when targeting players other than Redmond.
Special teams
Handling punts is Jackson Ross, who averages 45.0 yards. He’ll undoubtedly be trying to keep the ball away from dynamic return man Ryan Niblett. Cooper Ranvier is the place kicker for the Volunteers and a weapon on special teams. He’s 3-for-3 on the season with a long of 43 yards, but has a great track record after connecting on 21-of-25 attempts last season at Louisville.
Defensive back Qua Moss returns punt for Tennessee. He escaped for a 24-yard return in one of his four attempts this season, meaning good coverage is necessary from the Longhorn punt unit.
The Volunteer kick return unit hasn’t showcased much this year, but Morris and Joakim Dodson will be back deep for Tennessee.
The Longhorns head to Knoxville for a true road test after a sloppy victory last week. Stopping the ground attack will be a tall task that ultimately could determine the outcome of the game. If the Texas defense can force Brandon into obvious passing situations and maintain pass-rush integrity to prevent scrambles, the odds swing towards the Longhorns.
Defensively, questions remain unanswered about the quality of the Tennessee unit. Knowles is one of the best in the business, so expect exotic looks designed to confuse Manning. Neutralizing the talented linebacker corps will be of the utmost importance as well.
“We’ve got a heck of a challenge going into a hostile environment. Obviously, with GameDay coming, they’ll they’ll be all charged up, ready to go,” Sarkisian said. “I think naturally for us, when we go on the road, we’ve got to focus on what we need to do, we need to stay really connected, and we need to have the ability to execute in all three phases to be successful.”
