⚡ CFB Dashboard

- Tennessee averaged 298.7 rushing yards and 6.7 yards per carry with 11 rushing touchdowns through its first three 2026 games, per the Sept. 25 Texas preview. DeSean Bishop had 286 yards and four TDs, while Daune Morris had 234 yards on 29 carries. These are early totals, not a projected Texas result. - The Sept. 25 preview says Tennessee used fewer wide splits and more condensed, pro-style passing concepts while still taking deep shots. Freshman QB Faizon Brandon was 41-of-64 for 552 yards and six TDs without an interception through three games; this does not announce a new Texas-specific package.

- QB: Getting outside the pocket defeats the purpose of the wide splits and it cuts the field in half for your QB.

- QB: When you think about it, hmmm should you expect, he was a QB.

- QB: We have the better coach and QB even though he's a freshman he's a winner we pull off the upset

- QB/LB: We'll have to score a substantial amount of points to win (north of 25, maybe 30 ).

- Tennessee's Cover 3 preview frames Josh Heupel's current offense around establishing the run despite his quarterback-development reputation. The analyst sees the offensive line's ability to create that run game as a key test for the freshman quarterback, not evidence of a new play-calling system. - Cover 3's analyst trusts David Sanders to protect Tennessee's freshman quarterback's blind side, allowing help to the other tackle. The matchup argument is conditional on Texas rusher Colin Simmons not being fully effective; it is not a verified injury update, promised protection assignment or change in Tennessee's starting line.

- Pick/market: David Cutcliffe still remembers the first time he watched one of Josh Heupel's teams practice.

- QB/RB: I was hoping Perlotte would get a look at the role Terlander is playing, particularly to see if Perlotte could get after the QB from the Edge.

- QB: That sounds daunting, but I would love to know how often in P4 competition a ranked home team with a true freshman QB has played a visiting #1 team to begin with (and who...

- Pick/market: I love your confidence, but I am not ready to dismiss the Longhorn D, especially when our OL has not exactly set the world on fire with pass pro.

- QB: Jameis has an act on getting on teams that the qb always goes down on

- QB/OL: This will not be the first time Heupel has faced an overmatch at the LOS.

- Pick/market: Arch is hit or miss but when he gets hot he's a decent QB.

- QB: Tough asking a freshman QB to play with a full playbook but I don’t think you can keep dialing back and have a chance to win this one.

- QB: Thus the Ward quote after Graham went for 80 and a TD "Why not run it every time"

- QB: To be fair, with the exception of Aguilar at home, no Tennessee QB has done much against Georgia or Ohio State in recent memory

- QB: All that is true, but you should be blasted if you don't know ball enough not to expect this from a true freshman QB.

- QB: If Nico was our QB, you’d be asking about who wasn’t our QB.

- QB/LB: About the same and here’s why: Teams I think aren’t as good : ark is terrible Scar is not good - but a tough place to play Aub is not as good as I...

- QB: Arch is the textbook definition of a guy who was born on 3rd base but people SWEAR he hit a triple.

- Pick/market: We are 3-0 with 3 spread covers.

- QB/LB: I’d load the box and make FB prove he can beat me throwing the ball.

- QB/OL: When an OL feels the hand go up, he needs to drive his feet.

- Pick/market: Tennessee is off to a 3-0 start in 2026 after a routine win against visiting Kennesaw State on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

- QB/OL: Probably a little vanilla on purpose vs Sisters of the Poor, but also protecting a young QB.

- QB: im not sure this team is much of a passing threat from what I've seen in the first 3 games.

- QB: Kind of agree although hard to gauge with an 18 year old QB.

- QB: No expert but from my watches, Faizon has had like 4 or 5 questionable reads this season.

- QB: Agree with everything but Stockton is not the best qb in America.

- QB: Was hoping Lebby would flame out at State and come be our OC.

- QB/LB: He is...but he is also very fast and maybe the best running QB in the SEC.

- Pick/market: The game will be competitive and our defense gives us a good chance to keep it close, but I've felt all along that this was a transition season with a true ;freshman QB and...

- QB/RB: WATCH: Tennessee-Kennesaw State POSTGAME Press Conferences -HC Josh Heupel -QB Faizon Brandon/RB Daune Morris -LB Edwin Spillman/DL Mariyon Dye https:// rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/20/wat ch-tennessee-hc-josh-heupel-vol-players-react-to-win-over-kennesaw-state/ …

- QB: "I’m just not really trying to force anything and just take what they give me.

- QB: Where Tennessee football QB Faizon Brandon's Heisman Trophy odds sit heading into SEC play

- Faizon Brandon said Kennesaw State frequently dropped eight defenders, so Tennessee looked for openings across the middle before working down to checkdowns; he thought he could improve at that. He described leaving the pocket as a feel decision after his reads and checkdowns were unavailable, not a fixed internal time limit or a first-read scramble instruction. - Brandon said the deep attempt to Mike Matthews opened when the safety moved toward the over route, leaving the post over his head. On Tennessee's separate opening-play plan, Kennesaw State took away the post, so Brandon progressed to Braylon Staley on the over. He framed the distribution as reading the coverage, not forcing targets to either receiver. - Brandon said Tennessee's in-helmet green-dot communication mainly delivers the play call, with coaches saying relatively little beyond that. He finds it useful if he misses a sideline signal. His account describes a communication aid, not coaches supplying every coverage read or replacing his progression decisions.

- QB: It’s sort of implied that Arch looking bad means things are looking up next week.

- QB: Our qb is checkdown Charlie right now, we are lucky he has wheels and good decision making

- QB: Let’s spend 40+ million and get a great QB but not spend anything on O line.

- QB: He has been restricted as much as any quarterback I’ve ever seen play.

- Pick/market: How is that supposed to happen when WRs drop passes, are covered up from the snap, and they run it 60-70 times a damn game.

- QB/OL: They are not a dominant, intimidating offensive line.

- Pick/market: Wow…the clock in the first ESPN tweet was way off then.

- QB: 1 year rental sure, but Faizon doesn’t get experience to be ready for the real chance at a playoff season next year.

- QB: For a really athletic QB, I love the fact that he looks to be a passer first.

- Pick/market: 10-2 is playoffs.

- After DeSean Bishop was hobbled in the second quarter against Kennesaw State, Josh Heupel said it was not smart to put him back in at that point with conference play ahead. He expressed confidence in Daune Morris, Justin Baker and Hunter Barnes; Morris ran for 116 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. The supplied answer did not confirm Bishop's availability against Texas or provide a diagnosis. - Heupel attributed Faizon Brandon's underneath throws and scrambles against Kennesaw State to the available coverage windows, praising him for taking what the defense allowed. Tennessee was close to a later deep completion to Mike, but the coach did not describe a standing restriction on downfield throws or announce a different quarterback plan. - Before a full film review, Heupel's brief iPad assessment was that Tennessee's tight ends played solidly as receivers, run blockers and pass protectors. He highlighted Trent Thomas' run after the catch but was unsure whether a penalty occurred on that play or the next. He did not identify a newly settled tight-end order. - Tennessee had three penalties in the 42-9 win, and Heupel thought it played smarter after the prior week's discipline problems. He still identified early defensive communication issues for correction before Texas, despite keeping Kennesaw State out of the end zone, and praised Arion Carter's activity and sack without settling on an exact tackle count. - Cooper Ranvier made two field goals against Kennesaw State to reach 3-for-3 in 2026. Heupel credited his practice consistency and valued the game work for the entire kicking unit. Separately, he said Tennessee's first-quarter two-point attempt from the swinging-gate look was based on the defense's alignment rather than an unconditional pregame call.