TENN to win+164TLDR: Texas has not played away from Austin yet this season. Its 1st road game is a sold-out noon kickoff at Neyland against a pass rush already 3rd nationally in sacks.
Supports
- The spot
Texas plays its 1st road game of the season after 3 straight in Austin, so its 1st hostile crowd will be a sold-out Neyland.
- Kickoff
Tennessee is 10-1 in noon kickoffs under Josh Heupel and has won the last 10, and this game kicks off at noon Eastern.
- Pass rush
Tennessee has 13 sacks through 3 games, 3rd in the country, and pressure is how a loud building turns into drive-killing plays.
- Texas backfield
Leading rusher Hollywood Smothers (198 yards on 41 carries) was questionable on 2 reports with a lower-body injury before Friday's upgrade to probable.
Against
- Tennessee QB
True freshman Faizon Brandon makes his 1st SEC start, and in his only road game, at Georgia Tech, he went 10 of 21.
- Texas edge
Colin Simmons, Texas's star edge rusher, left the UTSA game with a foot injury but is off the report, so Brandon faces him at full strength.
Neutral
- Weather
The forecast is dry and sunny, in the 60s at kickoff and the mid-70s by the finish, so conditions favor neither offense.
- History
This is the 1st regular-season meeting between the programs. Their 3 earlier games were all Cotton Bowls in Dallas, the last in 1969.