Postgame Notes: #20/18 Tennessee 56, Furman 9

Photo by: Tennessee Athletics

September 05, 2026 | Football

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Sept. 5, 2026 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 20/18 Tennessee 56, Furman 9

General Notes

Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (sold out)
- Neyland Stadium was sold out for the 28th consecutive contest, a streak that dates back to Sept. 17, 2022.
Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 895-422-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 884-422-53).
With his 46th victory at Tennessee, head coach Josh Heupel tied Doug Dickey for sixth in UT all-time wins. Dickey compiled a 46-15-4 record from 1964-69, while Heupel owns a 46-20 mark since 2021.
Tennessee owns a 98-26-6 on-field record all-time in season openers, including a perfect 6-0 under Heupel since 2021. The Vols have outscored opponents 316-67 in those six victories.
- UT has won every season opener that has been played in Neyland Stadium under Heupel by at least 30 points.
Josh Heupel owns a 22-4 record against non-conference opponents, including a 20-1 mark in the regular season. In each of those 21 regular season contests, his teams have put up at least 30 points.
- Against FCS opponents, Heupel owns a 6-0 record at Tennessee and has outscored those foes by a margin of 348-66.
Tennessee and Furman met for the third time and the first time in 84 years on Saturday. The Vols won the previous two meetings in 1941 (32-6) and 1942 (52-7) in what was John Barnhill's first two seasons as head coach.
Tennessee donned adidas uniforms for the first time since Jan. 2, 2015 when it defeated Iowa, 45-28 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Saturday's temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff tied the second-highest kickoff temperature at Neyland Stadium in recorded history (1950-present). It was the fifth game in Neyland Stadium with a kickoff temperature at or above 90 degrees:
- 91 degrees vs. Florida (Sept. 24, 2016)
- 90 degrees vs. Furman (Sept. 5, 2026)
- 90 degrees vs. ETSU (Sept. 8, 2018)
- 90 degrees vs. Southern Miss (Sept. 8, 2007)
- 90 degrees vs. Wyoming (Sept. 4, 1999)

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

Tennessee's team captain for Saturday's game: LB Arion Carter
Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Furman received the opening kickoff, and Tennessee defended the north end zone.

First-Time Starters

Saturday's contest featured 11 players logging their first career Tennessee starts (four on offense, seven on defense): TE DaSaahn Brame (first collegiate start), QB Faizon Brandon (first collegiate start), LB Amare Campbell (28th collegiate start), DL Xavier Gilliam (third collegiate start), DB Dejuan Lane (fourth collegiate start), DB Kayin Lee (26th collegiate start), DB TJ Metcalf (25th collegiate start), C Nic Moore (first collegiate start), DB Qua Moss (11th collegiate start), DL Nathan Robinson (first collegiate start) and TE Trent Thomas (14th collegiate start).
Faizon Brandon was the 14th true freshman to start at quarterback in Tennessee history, and the first to start for Tennessee in a season opener since Brent Schaeffer did vs. UNLV on Sept. 5, 2004.
- At 18 years, three months and four days old on Sept. 5, Brandon became Tennessee's youngest starting quarterback in program history.

Tennessee Debuts/Freshmen

A total of 37 different Vols made their Tennessee debut, including 19 true freshmen. The debuts included: Fr. DL Dereon Albert, Fr. OL Ed Baker, Fr. QB Faizon Brandon, 5th DB DJ Burks, Sr. LB Amare Campbell, Fr. DL Breeze Carter, Sr. WR Ian Duarte, Fr. DL JJ Finch, Fr. OL Jeremy George-El, Jr. DL Xavier Gilliam, Fr. DL Kedric Golston II, Fr. DL Carter Gooden, So. RB Javin Gordon, Sr. DB Isaiah Hardge, Fr. DL Hezekiah Harris, 5th OL Donovan Haslam, Sr. LS Blake Howard, Fr. WR TK Keys, Fr. WR Tyreek King, Jr. DB Dejuan Lane, Sr. DB Kayin Lee, Fr. DB KJ McClain, Jr. DB Tevis Metcalf, Sr. DB TJ Metcalf, Sr. DB Qua Moss, Sr. DL Jordan Norman, Fr. OL Gabriel Osenda, Jr. PK Cooper Ranvier, Fr. DL Darryl Rivers, Fr. DL Nuk Simmons, Fr. DB Jamyan Theodore, Jr. TE Trent Thomas, Sr. QB Ryan Staub, Fr. LB TJ White, Jr. OL Ory Williams, Fr. TE Luca Wolf, Fr. DB Joel Wyatt.
Eight of those players started: Fr. QB Faizon Brandon, Sr. LB Amare Campbell, Jr. DL Xavier Gilliam, Jr. DB Dejuan Lane, Sr. DB Kayin Lee, Sr. DB TJ Metcalf, Sr. DB Qua Moss, Jr. TE Trent Thomas.

Team Offensive Notes

Tennessee, which finished with 638 yards of total offense, reached 600-plus for the 11th time in 66 games under Josh Heupel. The Volunteers hit that mark just eight times in the 23 seasons (1998-2020) prior to his arrival.
- Furthermore, Tennessee had at least 635 yards for the 10th time in the Heupel era. It hit that figure only four times in the 23 seasons (1998-2020) before his hire.
Tennessee's 329 rushing yards were its most since totaling 456 against Kent State on Sept. 14, 2024. The Vols have totaled 300-plus yards on the ground in seven games under Heupel.
- Tennessee has produced 200-plus rushing yards 36 times under Heupel and owns a 34-2 record when doing so.
The Volunteers scored the first 42 points of the game, all within the opening 34 minutes of action.
In the second and third quarters alone, Tennessee outscored Furman by a 42-3 margin.

Individual Offensive Notes

In the first game of his college career, freshman QB Faizon Brandon started and excelled. He went 13-of-17 for 226 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding 10 carries for 68 yards and two scores on the ground. He departed with five-plus minutes left in the third quarter.
- Brandon's five total touchdowns tied the Tennessee freshman record. Tyler Bray (Nov. 6, 2010, against Memphis) and Casey Clausen (Nov. 11, 2000, against Arkansas) previously hit that mark, with each logging all five in the air.
  - Per CBS Sports, Brandon's five total touchdowns tied for the most by an FBS freshman in a season debut during the 21st century.
  - His 68 rushing yards were also the most by a true freshman starting quarterback at Tennessee, surpassing the previous mark of 63 by Will McBride at Missouri on Nov. 11, 2017.
- Since 1995, Brandon is one of just three Tennessee quarterbacks with 225 passing yards and 65 rushing yards in a game. The others are Hendon Hooker (four times) and Joshua Dobbs (four times).
- The only other Tennessee quarterback with 65 yards and two touchdowns on the ground since 1995 is Joshua Dobbs, who achieved that feat on eight occasions.
- Brandon recorded just the seventh instance—-fourth occurrence—of a Tennessee quarterback notching three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game since 1995. The others are Joe Milton (Nov. 25, 2023, against Vanderbilt), Joshua Dobbs (three times) and Justin Worley (Oct. 11, 2014, against Chattanooga).
  - The only other outing during that span in which one of those players hit 225 passing yards and 65 rushing yards was Dobbs on Oct. 10, 2015, against Georgia.
- Since 1995, the only other SEC freshman quarterbacks with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game are LSU's Max Johnson (Dec. 19, 2020, against Ole Miss), LSU's Brandon Harris (Sept. 27, 2014, against New Mexico State) and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (five times).
  - Manziel achieved the feat as a redshirt freshman, making Brandon one of just three to do so as a true freshman in that span. He is the only one to hit those marks in his collegiate debut.
  - Brandon is the second SEC true freshman to achieve the feat in that span without throwing an interception, joining Harris.
- According to the SEC Network+ game broadcast, Brandon became the first SEC player with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in his first FBS start since Auburn's Cam Newton, a fourth-year collegian, on Sept. 4, 2010, versus Arkansas State.
- Brandon is the second FBS true freshman quarterback since 1995 with 225 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a single contest. He joins Arkansas State's Jaylen Raynor, who did so on Sept. 23, 2023, versus Southern Miss.
  - Eight individuals—13 instances—achieved the feat in that time period during their redshirt freshman seasons. Those players are Pittsburgh's Eli Holstein (Sept. 21, 2024, against Youngstown State), Toledo's Tucker Gleason (Nov. 15, 2022, against Bowling Green), North Carolina's Drake Maye (Oct. 21, 2022, against Virginia Tech), Georgia State's Cornelious (Oct. 15, 2020, at Arkansas State), Ohio State's J.T. Barrett (twice), Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (four times), North Texas' Riley Dodge (Oct. 31, 2009, against Western Kentucky) and Nevada's Colin Kaepernick (twice).
    - Manziel is the only one from the SEC on that list.
- Since 1995, Brandon is the eighth SEC true freshman quarterback with 65 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, regardless of any passing stats.
  - The others are Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor (Nov. 28, 2025, against Ole Miss), Auburn's Deuce Knight (Nov. 22, 2025, against Mercer), Ole Miss' John Rhys Plumlee (three times), Mississippi State's Keytaon Thompson (twice), Alabama's Jalen Hurts (Oct. 15, 2016, at Tennessee), Florida's Trey Burton (Oct. 30, 2010, against Georgia [N]) and Kentucky's Randall Cobb (Nov. 8, 2008, against Georgia).
    - Burton (running back/wide receiver) and Cobb (wide receiver) later moved to other positions.
On his third carry of the game, sophomore RB Justin Baker tallied a 73-yard touchdown. It marked the first score of his college career and eclipsed his full yardage total (43) from his freshman campaign.
- It marked the longest carry by a Volunteer since Jaylen Wright had an 82-yard score on Nov. 4, 2023, versus Connecticut.
With 10:45 remaining in the first quarter, junior TE Ethan Davis scored Tennessee's first touchdown of the season with a 17-yard reception from freshman QB Faizon Brandon.
- In the Josh Heupel era (since 2021), tight ends have accounted for 35 touchdowns – 29 receiving and six reusing.
Junior WR Mike Matthews hauled in a pair of 50-plus yard touchdown catches early in the third quarter, scoring from 55 and 57 yards. His 132 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions set new career-bests.

Team Defensive Notes

Tennessee's defense conceded just 43 passing yards in its first game under coordinator Jim Knowles, the lowest passing mark allowed by the Vols since holding Kentucky to 25 on Nov. 9, 2019.
- UT has surrendered less than 50 passing yards in seven games since the turn of the century.
The Volunteers allowed just 36 yards of total offense in the first quarter, including only 11 through the air. They followed that by conceding just 30 yards in the second quarter, with just 13 via the pass.
UT excelled in the pass rush and generating negative plays with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss from eight different players.

Individual Defensive Notes

Junior DL Xavier Gilliam finished with three sacks in the victory. He became the first Volunteer with three-plus sacks in a game since Darrell Taylor had four on Nov. 10, 2018, against Kentucky.
- The only other Volunteers with three-plus sacks in a game since 2005 are Darrell Taylor (twice), Derek Barnett (twice), Corey Miller (Nov. 30, 2013, at Kentucky) and Jerod Mayo (Sept. 2, 2006, against Cal).
- Gilliam also registered 5.0 TFLs versus the Paladins. He became the second Volunteer with at least 5.0 TFLs in a game since 2005, joining Aaron Beasley, who did so on Sept. 9, 2023, against Austin Peay.
  - Gilliam is just the third SEC player since 2005 with at least 3.0 sacks and 5.0 TFLs in a single contest. He joins Ole Miss' Suntarine Perkins (Oct. 26, 2024, against Oklahoma) and Missouri's Blaze Alldredge (Sept. 4, 2021, against Central Michigan).
  - Additionally, Gilliam logged the first forced fumble of his career.
  - He became the third FBS player in the last four seasons (2023-26) with 5.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble in a game, joining James Madison's Sahir West (Dec. 5, 20215, against Troy) and Clemson's TJ Parker (Nov. 16, 2024, at Pittsburgh). No other SEC player has achieved that feat since at least 2005.
Senior DL Tyree Weathersby, who entered the game with one sack in his first three years of college, recorded an eight-yard sack on the first snap of the 2026 season.
- Weathersby's prior sack came last season during a Nov. 1, 2025, matchup with Oklahoma at Neyland Stadium.
- Weathersby later recorded the first pass breakup and the first quarterback hurry of his career.
Sophomore DL Mariyon Dye registered the first solo sack of his career with 10:22 left in the third quarter. It also marked his first solo TFL.

Special Teams Notes

In his Tennessee debut, junior PK Cooper Ranvier went 7-of-7 on extra points.
- Fifth-year P/PK Josh Turbyville converted the eighth extra point of the game for the Volunteers. This is the fourth season in a row he has made at least one extra point, improving to 7-of-7.
Fifth-year P Jackson Ross had two punts for 89 yards, good for a 44.5-yard average. He had a long of 52 yards and placed one punt inside the 20.

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

TE Ethan Davis
- 1 receiving touchdown (ties career high)
WR Mike Matthews
- 132 receiving yards
- 2 receiving touchdowns
QB George MacIntyre
- 56 passing yards
- 22-yard long
- 7 passing attempts (ties career)

Defense/Special Teams

DL Tyree Weathersby
- 1.0 sack (ties career high)
- 1.0 TFL (ties career high)
- 1 PBU
- 1 QBH
DL Xavier Gilliam
- 3.0 sacks
- 5.0 TFLs
- 6 tackles
- 1 forced fumble
LB Edwin Spillman
- 1.0 sack (ties career high)
- 1.0 TFL (ties career high)
DL Mariyon Dye
- 1.0 sack
- 1.0 TFL
LB Jadon Perlotte
- 1.0 TFL (ties career high)
DB Qua Moss
- 1.0 TFL (ties career high)
DB Tre Poteat III
- 1 PBU (ties career high)
PK Cooper Ranvier
- 7 XPM