Brandon Shines in Vols' Dominant Debut | Tennessee Volunteers Football News

Tennessee obliterated Furman 56-9 in their 2026 opener, headlined by true freshman QB Faizon Brandon’s historic debut—throwing for 226 yards and 3 TDs while rushing for 68 yards and 2 more scores (5 total touchdowns). Coach Josh Heupel handed out game balls to standout performers: Xavier Gilliam (transfer from Penn State) for 6 tackles and 3 sacks, Brandon for his all-around brilliance, and Mike Matthews for 4 catches, 132 yards, and 2 TDs. The Vols showed explosive potential early, but the real test comes next week on the road against Georgia Tech. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e99ad2e09a6dcd89