Texas Sacks Tennessee Ten Times and Holds On, 20-17
Ten sacks. Texas got to the Tennessee quarterback ten times, and it needed every one of them to leave Knoxville with a 20-17 win and a 4-0 record.
Raleek Brown started it with a nine-yard touchdown run at 10:58 of the first quarter, and Cooper Ranvier answered for Tennessee with a 33-yard field goal. Gianni Spetic added a 22-yarder at 14:29 of the second, and that was all the scoring in the first half: Texas 10, Tennessee 3.
The game turned in the third quarter, and not because of the offense. Qua Moss returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown at 11:14 to tie it at 10-10. Spetic kicked a 44-yard field goal at 9:00 to put the Longhorns back on top, 13-10, and neither team scored again in the quarter. Take away Moss' return and Tennessee has 10 points on the day. Texas won by three, so that is the margin right there.
Brown gave Texas some breathing room with a four-yard touchdown run at 5:41 of the fourth, making it 20-10. Tennessee made it interesting: Faizon Brandon threw a 30-yard touchdown to Mike Matthews with 1:22 left, and the margin was 20-17. That was the last score.
Neither offense moved the ball much. Texas had 274 total yards, Tennessee 221, and Tennessee ran 44 times for 70 yards (1.6 a carry). Arch Manning went 14 of 19 for 201 yards with one interception. Tennessee's defense had six sacks of its own, so quarterbacks on both sides had a rough afternoon.
Texas is 4-0 and Tennessee is 3-1. For fantasy, Brown's two touchdowns led everyone with 21.5 points, and Matthews' late catch put him second.