Colin Simmons recorded five of Texas’s 10 sacks as the top-ranked Longhorns held on to defeat No. 14 Tennessee.
The No. 1 Texas Longhorns secured a 20-17 road win over the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers on Sept. 26, 2026, as Colin Simmons helped lead a defensive front that recorded 10 sacks in Knoxville.
Simmons tallied five of those sacks against Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, who was making his debut against an SEC opponent at Neyland Stadium. The victory marked the fourth win of the season for Texas.
President Donald Trump attended the game, and Air Force One flew over the stadium immediately following the national anthem. Texas capitalized quickly on its opening drive when quarterback Arch Manning hit Emmett Mosley V on a 43-yard pass to the Tennessee 22-yard line. Raleek Brown followed a few plays later with a nine-yard touchdown run. Tennessee kicked a field goal on its opening possession, leaving Texas ahead 10-3 at halftime.
Tennessee evened the score early in the second half after forcing a three-and-out on defense. Qua Moss fielded a punt near midfield and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 10.
Texas broke the tie with 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter when Brown scored his second touchdown of the day, making it 20-10. Brandon countered by directing a touchdown drive with less than two minutes remaining to bring the Volunteers within three points.
With no timeouts left, Tennessee attempted an onside kick. Texas receiver Ryan Wingo botched the recovery of the spinning football, giving Tennessee possession with an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Texas pressured Brandon on the final drive, taking him down for the defense’s 10th sack before batting away his final Hail Mary pass into the end zone as time ran out.
