Tennessee had its chances against the No. 1 team in the country.
The Vols pressured Arch Manning, created a turnover, and got a game-changing special teams touchdown. However, Texas consistently disrupted Tennessee’s offense and did enough to leave Neyland Stadium with a 20-17 win.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
1. Texas won the matchup Tennessee couldn’t afford to lose
Tennessee knew Colin Simmons and the Texas defensive front could wreck the game.
They did.
Texas finished with 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, consistently collapsing the pocket around freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon. The Vols finished with just 221 total yards and averaged 2.9 yards per play.
The problems became especially pronounced in the second half.
Simmons beat David Sanders Jr. around the edge for an eight-yard sack in the third quarter. Simmons got into the backfield again on the next play for a 13-yard loss.
Tennessee couldn’t counter the pressure with its run game, either. The Vols managed 70 rushing yards on 44 attempts.
That left Brandon trying to operate behind a line that rarely gave him a comfortable pocket. Even when he escaped the initial pressure, Texas often had another defender waiting.
The Vols needed their offensive line to give a freshman quarterback a chance in his first SEC start.
Instead, the matchup became Texas’ biggest advantage.
2. Faizon Brandon battled, but his first SEC test exposed the next step
There were moments when Brandon looked every bit like the quarterback Tennessee believes he can become.
There were also moments when the speed of Texas’ defense appeared to make him hesitant.
Brandon completed 18-32 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. He repeatedly used his strength and mobility to escape pressure, including several plays where Texas appeared to have him wrapped up.
He also returned after briefly leaving the game with an apparent upper-body injury in the second quarter. On his first snap back, Brandon kept the ball for a seven-yard gain. Pasted markdown
But the bigger issue wasn’t simply the pressure.
There were opportunities when Brandon had time and didn’t release the football. Other times, Tennessee had receivers settling into space underneath, but Brandon chose to run.
The difference was obvious when he trusted what he saw.
In the third quarter, Brandon quickly delivered a shallow cross to Mike Matthews. Matthews caught it behind the line of scrimmage and turned it into an 18-yard gain. Pasted markdown
That’s the next step.
Brandon doesn’t always need the explosive throw. Against defenses capable of creating pressure like Texas, Tennessee needs him to take the available completion and trust his playmakers to create after the catch.
3. Tennessee’s defense gave the Vols every opportunity
For all the problems Tennessee had offensively, its defense kept giving the Vols a chance.
Texas finished with only 262 total yards. Tennessee held the Longhorns to 61 rushing yards and repeatedly pressured Manning.
The Vols finished with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Tyree Weathersby recorded 2½ sacks and 2½ tackles for loss. Xavier Gilliam added a sack and two tackles for loss, while Arion Carter finished with a team-high 11 tackles.
Kayin Lee provided the biggest turnover, intercepting Manning in the first half with Tennessee bracketing Ryan Wingo in coverage.
Tennessee’s special teams provided the touchdown the offense couldn’t find when Qua Moss took a punt 57 yards to the end zone to tie the game at 10 in the third quarter.
Even after Texas regained the lead, Tennessee’s defense continued getting the ball back.
Carter blew up a run for a four-yard loss. Moss followed with a tackle before reading Manning’s eyes and breaking up a third-down pass to force another punt. Pasted markdown
Tennessee didn’t shut Texas down completely. Manning still found five explosive completions, including a 43-yarder on the opening drive.
But against the No. 1 team in the country, the defense did enough.
Tennessee needed its offense to turn more of those opportunities into points.
