What must Tennessee do to defeat Texas on Saturday?
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After the Tennessee Volunteers have gotten off to their second 3-0 start in the past three seasons, they will face what is undoubtedly their biggest test of the season when they welcome the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns to Knoxville on Saturday.
Though beating the Longhorns, who are led by Arch Manning, the nephew of former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, may seem like an uphill battle, the Volunteers have an easier path to victory than most may realize.
If Tennessee wants to leave Neyland Stadium 4-0, however, there are three key aspects in which it must dominate the game.
No. 1: Control the trenches
It goes without saying that Tennessee starting a true freshman quarterback (Faizon Brandon) against a stifling Texas defense serves to benefit the Longhorns.
The good news for Tennessee, however, is that its offensive performance is almost entirely independent of Brandon’s.
While this may sound strange, the Volunteers’ offense is centered completely around the rushing attack.
With running backs DeSean Bishop, Javin Gordon, and Daune Morris averaging a combined 6.5 yards per carry, the Volunteers need not apply unnecessary pressure to Brandon.
By contrast, Texas running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown have combined for just 4.5 yards per carry
The Volunteers also possess strength around the offensive line, paving the way for a dominant performance on the ground.
While the Volunteers must not allow their offense to become overly conservative as the game evolves, establishing the run early will force the Longhorns to insert extra defenders into the box, opening up head coach Josh Heupel’s play-action heavy playbook.
No. 2: Deploy a spy linebacker on Arch Manning
While Arch Manning is undoubtedly one of the top pocket passers in college football, he also possesses elite agility and athleticism.
Last season, Manning rushed for nearly 400 yards, adding 10 rushing touchdowns, the latter of which tied for the best mark in the SEC.
He also averaged 4.3 yards per attempt, despite sacks being included in official rushing calculations.
If the Volunteers can remove a dynamic aspect of Texas’ offense by committing a linebacker to spy on Manning, crippling the rest of the Longhorns’ offense becomes infinitely easier.
Doing so will also help Tennessee set the tone early in the game by stopping the run, forcing Manning into uncomfortable third-and-long situations.
No. 3: Keep the foot on the gas
Perhaps most important, Tennessee must learn from its mistakes from a season ago.
In 2025, the Volunteers led the Georgia Bulldogs 21-7 inside Neyland Stadium at the conclusion of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs would then score 20 unanswered points, as the Volunteers offense became painfully conservative, while the defense dropped into deep zone coverages.
After dialing up multiple deep shots in the first quarter, Heupel almost seemed lost when handed a 14-point lead.
The Volunteers would go on to lose, 44-41, in overtime.
The loss sparked questions about Heupel’s job security, and left fans wondering why the Volunteers deviated from their dynamic first quarter offense.
If the Volunteers are similarly conservative on Saturday, they will be beaten decisively.
