Furman PaladinsvsTennessee Volunteers
FUR 9/TENN 56
Things to say
Tennessee routed Furman 56-9 at Neyland Stadium in the season opener.
01
opener
Yeah, that one was over early. Tennessee hung 42 on them before Furman even got on the board. Never a doubt.
02
key player
Faizon Brandon looked the part in his first real start — 13-of-17 for 226 and three touchdowns, plus a rushing score. Kid's the real deal.
03
hot take
Everybody's gushing over the passing game, but Mike Matthews is the guy. Two catches went for over 55 yards each. You can't cover that.
04
deep cut
Watch the pass rush too — Xavier Gilliam had three sacks by himself. Furman couldn't move the ball all night, 36 passing yards total.
05
exit
Cupcake opener though, so we'll really find out about them once SEC play starts. That's when it counts.
The recap
This was a tune-up, plain and simple — Tennessee ran Furman off their own field 56-9 and led 42-0 before the Paladins found the scoreboard. Faizon Brandon carved them up for 226 yards and three scores, and Mike Matthews turned two of those into instant offense with 55- and 57-yard bombs on his way to 132 receiving.
Furman couldn't do a thing through the air, with Jake Garcia mustering all of 36 passing yards, and their only real production came from Isaiah Davis grinding out 113 on the ground long after it mattered. Classic get-right game for the Vols against overmatched competition.