No. 1/1 Football secures first conference win at No. 14/13 Tennessee

Saturday, September 26

Knoxville, Tenn.

11 a.m. CT

University of Texas

4-0 , 1-0

Tennessee

3-1 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Texas	7	3	3	7	20
Tennessee	3	0	7	7	17

Box Score (PDF)

Hero Kanu & Colin Simmons Celebration at Tennessee

Hero Kanu (left), Colin Simmons (right) celebrate sack at No. 14/13 Tennessee on Sept. 26, 2026.

No. 1/1 Football secures first conference win at No. 14/13 Tennessee

09.26.2026 | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Press Conference Postgame Notes (PDF)

Longhorns’ defense leads Texas to FBS-leading 16th victory over top-25 opponent since 2023.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Behind a standout defensive performance, No. 1/1 Texas defeated No. 14/13 Tennessee, 20-17, in the Longhorns' first-ever trip to Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) finished with 10 sacks, the second-most in a single game in school history. The Longhorns mounted a 15-sack effort against Texas Tech on Oct. 31, 1981.

Edge Colin Simmons tied a program-record five sacks, matching Shane Dronett's output versus the Red Raiders 36 years ago. Simmons also became the first FBS player to accomplish the feat against a ranked opponent since 2006. The junior has 15.5 career sacks against top-25 teams, with at least one in each of his last seven ranked contests.

Veterans Rasheem Biles, Alex January, Hero Kanu, Zina Umeozulu and Maraad Watson each delivered sacks of their own, as Texas limited Tennessee (2-2, 0-1 SEC) to its fewest yards of total offense in nearly six years.

The Longhorns held the Volunteers to 221 yards, including just 88 yards in the first half, tying their fewest yards allowed against a ranked foe since 2012.

Texas pressured Tennessee quarterbacks Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre on 21 of their 50 drops, containing the signal callers to only 2-of-8 passing for seven yards when under pressure.

The Longhorns established an early lead, scoring on two of their first three drive.

Arch Manning started 6-for-6 for 120 yards, orchestrating a 7-play, 75-yard on the opening possession. Manning connected with Emmett Mosley V for a 43-yard gain, setting up a Raleek Brown 9-yard touchdown run.

Manning would complete 14 of his 19 passes for 201 yards, while Brown tallied 67 yards and two scores on the ground. The fifth-year running back also added a touchdown on a 4-yard scamper to pad the advantage to 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns went 3-for-3 on red-zone trips, with two touchdowns and a field goal.

Kicker Gianni Spetic knocked in a 22-yard chip shot and 44-yard field goal. Spetic has converted all seven of his attempts in burnt orange.

With the victory, Texas has won 19 of its last 22 conference games. The Longhorns have now registered 16 top-25 wins since 2023, the most among all FBS programs during that span.

Up next, Texas will meet Oklahoma in the Allstate Red River Rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ABC.