Tennessee Football Suffers First Loss of the 2026 Season vs. Texas

The Tennessee Volunteers suffer their first loss of the 2026 season, as they were defeated by the Texas Longhorns.

Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (6) returns a punt for a touchdown during a college football game between Tennessee and Texas at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first score of the game came in the first quarter, as the Longhorns were able to get their running back Raleek Brown into the end zone. He was one of the many impressive players on that drive and was excellent on the scoring play. It was a nine-yard rush that left many to believe hw would have a big first half.

That wouldn't be the case, as he finished the first half with less than 20 yards rushing. The Longhorns and the Vols would both drain a field goal, which is what led to a 10-3 halftime score. While things weren't looking great for the Vols, they did get the ball to open the second half.

They wouldn't do anything productive on that drive other than pin the Longhorns deep at their own six. Regardless, they continued to make mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily, there was a player ready to take matters into his own hands. That player was Qua Moss, who broke free for a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown. Moss has been itching for that moment, and he got it when the Vols needed him the most.

The Longhorns would answer back following a 30-yard reception made by Cam Coleman, which was an awesome catch. This would later lead to a field goal, which gave the Longhorns a three-point lead, while still in the third quarter of action.

Tennessee Loses Against Texas

It wasn't until the fourth quarter that another team scored, and that team would be the Texas Longhorns. A great drive by Arch Manning and Ryan Wingo would lead to a later touchdown by Brown. This would be his second of the contest, and would feel as if it was the dagger to Tennessee's hopes of starting SEC play 1-0. That was the exact case, as the Vols would never rally back to win this game, as the final score of the contest was 20-17, after the Vols scored late. They also recovered the onside kick, which did give them some hope, but they didn't finish the way that they would have hoped.

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