The Good, Bad, and Ugly From Tennessee Football's Loss vs. Texas

The Tennessee Volunteers were defeated by the Texas Longhorns by a score of 20-17, which, in the end, was a heartbreaker, to say the least.

While there were some good things to talk about from the game, there were also some really bad and ugly things to talk about as well. Here is one that fits each category best from the Vols' loss against the Longhorns on Saturday.

Good - Tennessee's Pressure on Defense

Tennessee football sacks Arch Manning | Dale Dowden/@Dale_Dowden (Vols On SI/@VolsOnSI)

The Tennessee Volunteers had a great day when it came to getting to the quarterback. The defensive front was able to sack Arch Manning six times, but they also forced him to move out of the pocket and scramble a ton as well. I felt they did a great job hitting him while he was delivering a pass as well. One of the best things the fronts did was dominate their assignments, as almost every Tennessee defensive lineman did their job at a high level. This was a great performance for the Vols when it comes to getting home, as you can't ask for much more following their six-sack performance.

Bad - Tennessee's Rushing Offense

Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) on the Vol walk before the college football game against Texas on Sept. 26, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mandatory Credit: Saul Young-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This was not the game to be excited about the rushing offense. The Vols finished with more rushing yards than the Texas Longhorns, but they didn't do well by any means. The rushing attack was capped off with a zero-touchdown performance, while also only finishing the game with 70 yards. There wasn't a single running back or quarterback who finished the game with more than an average of 3.7 yards per carry, which isn't good for a game in the SEC, when you have been named as one of the best rushing attacks in the country. This was an underwhelming performance, but definitely not the worst on the day.

Ugly - Tennessee's Offensive Line

Texas defensive lineman Colin Simmons (1) celebrates after a sack of Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) during their game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If you watched the game, you likely would agree. The offensive line had an ugly performance against the Texas Longhorns, as they finished the game with one of the worst modern-day performances for an offensive line group in recent memory. The Vols allowed Faizon Brandon to be sacked 10 times this game, while also allowing little room for the rushing attack to grow throughout the game. In terms of the times Brandon was hit in the backfield, it was nearly every time he threw the ball, it seemed. This was hard to watch, as they were absolutely dominated, especially when it comes to Colin Simmons, who tied a Texas record for five sacks in a single game. There is no other way to say this than Tennessee has to play better on the offensive line moving forward. This group hasn't been great at all.

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