Tennessee
ATLANTA, Ga. (09/10/2026) — The Tennessee Volunteers took control on the ground and never let go, defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 45-24 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Thursday night. Tennessee piled up 447 yards of total offense — 299 of them rushing — and turned a road trip against an ACC opponent into a statement performance in the 2026 season.
How It Happened
Tennessee's formula was straightforward: run the football, convert on money downs, and let the defense create negative plays. The Volunteers finished with 299 rushing yards and moved the chains 24 times, converting eight third downs along the way. That efficiency on third down kept Georgia Tech's defense on the field and kept the Yellow Jackets' offense watching from the sideline for long stretches.
What stands out about Tennessee's night is how the yardage arrived. The Volunteers held the ball for 28:48 — less than half the game — yet still generated 447 total yards. That combination points to an offense that produced chunk gains rather than grinding out every possession, with the ground game doing the heavy lifting and forcing Georgia Tech to defend the run on nearly every snap.
That commitment to the run made Tennessee's passing game a complement rather than a necessity. Faizon Brandon connected on 10 of 21 attempts for 148 yards and two touchdowns, picking his spots against a defense stacked to slow the rush. When Tennessee did go to the air, it went for scores.
Defensively, Mariyon Dye set the tone up front with two sacks, disrupting Georgia Tech's rhythm and putting the Yellow Jackets behind the down-and-distance schedule. Georgia Tech reached 24 points, but the Yellow Jackets never found enough sustained answers to keep pace with a Tennessee offense that scored 45.
Cooper Ranvier added nine points to the Tennessee total, part of a scoring effort that touched every phase.
Turning Point
Without one single swing play, this game turned on an accumulation: eight third-down conversions. Every time Georgia Tech's defense had a chance to get off the field, Tennessee found the yardage to extend the drive. Those conversions are how a team that possessed the ball for under 29 minutes still hangs 45 points on the scoreboard and rolls up 24 first downs. Georgia Tech played from behind the sticks too often — Dye's two sacks were emblematic of a night when Tennessee's front seven won more downs than it lost — and the Yellow Jackets could never string together the stops needed to make it a one-score game late.
Star of the Game
Faizon Brandon earns the nod. The Tennessee quarterback accounted for 148 passing yards and two touchdowns on 10-of-21 passing, and the raw completion numbers undersell his impact. With the ground game rolling to 299 yards, Brandon's job was to make Georgia Tech pay for loading up against the run — and both of his touchdown throws did exactly that. Honorable mention goes to Mariyon Dye, whose two sacks anchored the defensive effort.
What It Means
For the Tennessee Volunteers, this is the kind of road win that travels well into SEC play. Winning at Bobby Dodd Stadium against an ACC opponent — and doing it with a 299-yard rushing performance, 24 first downs, and a defense generating pressure — checks the boxes coaches look for in early September. If Tennessee can keep converting third downs at Thursday's rate while getting explosive plays from the run game, this offense has the balance to stress any defense on the schedule.
For the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the 24 points show the offense can find the end zone, but the defensive side of the ledger is the concern. Allowing 447 total yards and eight third-down conversions at home is a hard way to win, and the Yellow Jackets will need to tighten up against the run before the heart of their ACC slate arrives. The season is young, and Thursday's tape gives Georgia Tech a clear list of corrections.
Tennessee leaves Atlanta at full speed, 45-24 winners, with a rushing attack that looks like the identity of its 2026 season.
