Overview
- Tennessee opened its season Saturday with a 56-9 victory over Furman before a sellout crowd of 101,915 at Neyland Stadium.
- True freshman Faizon Brandon completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards, rushed 10 times for 68 yards, and accounted for five total touchdowns in his collegiate debut.
- Per the SEC Network, Brandon is the first player in the conference since Cam Newton in 2010 to record three passing TDs and two rushing TDs in a first start.
- Jim Knowles’ defense recorded six sacks in the game, with transfer defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam producing three sacks and five tackles for loss.
- Coaches and coverage noted the result came against FCS Furman, backups saw relief reps, and Tennessee will use the win for confidence and continued evaluation ahead of next Saturday’s road game at Georgia Tech.