Brandon shines in debut as Tennessee routs Furman

By: John Dunn

Founder/Managing Editor/Host

The All Vol Call in Show

20260905

Knoxville, TN -- Tennessee opened the 2026-27 college football season with a dominant 56-9 victory over the Furman Paladins on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers set the tone early behind strong defensive play, forcing a quick punt on the game’s opening possession after Tyree Weathersby recorded a sack on third down. Tennessee’s offense wasted little time getting to work, driving 60 yards capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon to Ethan Davis.

After stopping Furman on downs later in the opening quarter, the Volunteers built on their lead as Faizon scampered into the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown run early in the second period.

The Volunteers expanded their cushion throughout the first half, mounting an 82-yard scoring drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from DeSean Bishop. Following another quick defensive stop, Tennessee added one final second-quarter score when Faizon found the end zone on another seven-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left before halftime, taking a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

The opening drive of the second half saw the Volunteers deliver a quick strike, as Faizon connected with wide receiver Mike Matthews for a 55-yard touchdown pass. On Tennessee's very next possession, the combination struck again, as Faizon launched a 57-yard touchdown pass to Matthews to extend the lead to 42-0.

Matthews finished his standout performance by recording a new career-high in reception yardage, highlighted by his two second-half touchdown catches. Furman managed to get on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter with a 50-yard field goal, but Tennessee immediately answered as reserve quarterback George MacIntyre engineered a touchdown drive, capped by a 22-yard pass to TK Keys. Furman added a touchdown on a 23-yard rush early in the fourth quarter following a lost fumble, but the Volunteers answered back instantly when running back Justin Baker exploded through the line for a 73-yard touchdown run to push the final margin to 56-9. With the victory, Tennessee moves to 1-0 on the young season.