UT defeats Furman in season opener.

Neyland Stadium was hot, loud, and in no mood to wait. On a sunny Saturday with a heat index in the triple digits, an announced crowd of 101,915 showed up for the season opener and watched Tennessee treat Furman like a payday game that never got close. The Vols led 28-0 at the half, 49-3 late in the third, and closed 56-9.

Faizon Brandon made his first start look easy. The true freshman - who just turned eighteen on June 1 - became the first Volunteer to open a season at quarterback as a true freshman since Brent Schaeffer in 2004. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns, added two rushing scores, and never threw a pick. He appeared at the postgame podium with Mike Matthews and sounded older than the calendar would suggest.

UT Vols honor Dolly Parton with a butterfly on their helmet.

The first strike came at 10:42 of the opening quarter: a 17-yard toss to Ethan Davis that capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive. Brandon then scored himself from six yards early in the second and from seven just before the half. In between, DeSean Bishop punched it in from a yard out after a goal-line scrum. Halftime: 28-0.

The Vols' play in the third quarter kickstarted the ESPN highlight reel. Brandon hit Matthews for 55 yards and a TD, and then two minutes later for another 57-yard touchdown. Matthews finished with eight catches for 132 yards and those two scores. George MacIntyre relieved Brandon and found T.K. Keys for a 22-yard touchdown. Furman’s only answers were a 50-yard Nathan Chapman field goal and a late 23-yard run by Isaiah Davis. Justin Baker answered that with a 73-yard burst, and Josh Turbyville’s extra point made the final score 56-9.

Tennessee piled up 638 yards on 74 plays, a balanced attack with 329 on the ground and 309 through the air. Bishop led all rushers with 97 yards. Baker needed only three carries for 89 yards. The defense held Furman to 221 yards and 10 first downs, which had to please Jim Knowles in his debut as defensive coordinator. Xavier Gilliam was the defensive star with six tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.

UT defeats Furman in season opener.

Furman quarterback Jake Garcia went 8 of 17 for 36 yards. Garcia’s path here is a story in itself. A highly recruited Californian, he lost his senior high school season when COVID shut down football in his home state. To keep playing, he and his father moved to Georgia. Eligibility rules required a full family relocation, so his parents legally dissolved their marriage so Jake could take the field. After he got that opportunity, they planned to remarry. He later bounced through the college ranks and eventually landed at Furman. On Saturday, his sleight of hand found little room against Tennessee’s surprisingly strong defensive front.

Next week the Vols play Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The building is named for a Tennessee man. Bobby Dodd was an All-America quarterback for the Vols from 1928 to 1930 under General Robert Neyland. Fans wore buttons that read “In Dodd We Trust.” He later coached Georgia Tech for twenty-two seasons, won a national title in 1952, and spent fifty-seven years at the school. Walking into his stadium is walking into a piece of Volunteer history, wearing the Jackets' gold and black color scheme.


TOM’S TAKEAWAYS

*The passing of Dolly Parton had a profound effect on the atmosphere, if not the game itself. A new Kareoke feature of fans singing Parton songs was debuted on the Jumbotron. “I Will Always Love You” was played during a break; the band performed "9 to 5” at halftime. Tennessee helmets bore the butterfly Dolly sticker. "My Tennessee Mountain Home" became the third- to fourth-quarter transition tune. The lyrics appeared on the 'Tron as the student section appeared to know Morgan Wallen's song better than the Dolly selection.

*Faizon Brandon’s debut: 13-of-17, 226 passing, three touchdown throws, two rushing scores, zero picks. First true freshman to start a Tennessee season opener since Brent Schaeffer in 2004. He turned eighteen in June and still looked like the most composed person in the building. Matthews' interaction with him at the post-game podium only underlined that poise.

*Matthews went deep twice in three minutes for 55 and 57 yards. Braylon Staley, meanwhile, had only two catches for eight yards. Staley undoubtedly will get more targets. Two freshmen receivers are fighting for that third spot, with T.K. Keys getting a touchdown on Saturday. These days, talent does not stay patient forever.

*The two Penn State transfers, Amare Campbell and Xavier Gilliam, showed up during and after the game. Gilliam wrecked the pocket between the lines and, in this writer’s opinion, was the defensive player of the game and then the most engaging voice in the interview room. Loquacious, sharp, and brandished excellent canned quotes. That is a Knowles guy through and through.

*Center Sam Pendleton did not play. Heupel said the veteran center was ruled out after warmups but is expected to go against Georgia Tech.