Tennessee versus Texas football game preview
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For the first time in 58 years, Tennessee and Texas will face each other in football.
No. 1 Texas (3-0) will play at No. 13 Tennessee in Week 4. Kickoff between the Vols and Longhorns is slated for noon EDT at Neyland Stadium. Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.
ABC will televise the SEC matchup with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) on the call.
ESPN's "College GameDay" will return to Tennessee on Saturday for a 13th time.
The show will broadcast live from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9-11 a.m. EDT. The final hour of "College GameDay" will be held inside Neyland Stadium from 11 a.m.-noon EDT.
Below is a preview for the Tennessee-Texas football game.
Texas Longhorns at Tennessee Volunteers football game preview
Tennessee versus Texas injury report
Wednesday
Texas
Out: DL #15 Justus Terry, DB #17 Xavier Filsaime, OL #78 Jordan Coleman
Doubtful: TE #81 Nick Townsend
Questionable: RB #2 Hollywood Smothers
Probable: EDGE #1 Colin Simmons
Tennessee
Out: TE #0 Ethan Davis, WR #9 Joakim Dodson, LB #12 Jaedon Harmon, DB #15 Edrees Farooq, DB #24 Dylan Lewis
Questionable: RB #6 Javin Gordon, DL #19 Nathan Robinson
Tennessee versus Texas football team statistical comparison
| Category | Tennessee (FBS rank) | Texas (FBS rank) |
| Strength of schedule | 104 | 21 |
| Strength of record | 18 | 1 |
| Game control | 10 | 31 |
| Total offense | 510.3 (T-14) | 417.3 (64) |
| Rushing offense | 298.7 (4) | 175.0 (55) |
| Passing offense | 211.7 (88) | 242.3 (60) |
| Team passing efficiency | 169.51 (30) | 138.84 (82) |
| Scoring offense | 47.7 (T-7) | 37.7 (T-42) |
| First downs offense | 79 (T-14) | 78 (T-16) |
| First downs defense | 53 (T-60) | 46 (T-35) |
| Total defense | 289.0 (43) | 287.7 (T-141) |
| Rushing defense | 138.0 (83) | 109.0 (48) |
| Passing yards allowed | 151.0 (20) | 178.7 (45) |
| Team passing efficiency defense | 100.37 (14) | 111.10 (31) |
| Scoring defense | 14.0 (26) | 12.0 (17) |
| Turnover margin | 0.00 (T-68) | 0.67 (T-35) |
| 3rd down conversion % | 0.486 (35) | 0.563 (10) |
| 4th down conversion % | 0.750 (T-29) | 0.571 (T-58) |
| 3rd down conversion % defense | 0.390 (T-80) | 0.385 (T-76) |
| 4th down conversion % defense | 0.000 (T-1) | 0.250 (T-22) |
| Red zone offense | 1.000 (T-1) | 0.875 (T-69) |
| Red zone defense | 0.857 (T-73) | 0.700 (T-19) |
| Net punting | 33.88 (123) | 38.67 (81) |
| Punt returns | 9.25 (T-67) | 9.75 (63) |
| Kickoff returns | 22.67 (38) | 14.40 (117) |
| Fewest penalties per game | 8.00 (T-106) | 4.67 (T-23) |
| Fewest penalty yards per game | 74.0 (119) | 45.00 (T-35) |
| Time of possession | 29:58 (77) | 32:38 (27) |
Tennessee versus No. 1 ranked teams all time
Josh Heupel is seeking to become the first coach in Tennessee history to defeat multiple No. 1-ranked teams. General Robert Neyland (1959 versus LSU) and Johnny Majors (1985 versus Auburn) are the only other two Tennessee coaches to beat No. 1-ranked teams.
Heupel defeated Coaches Poll No. 1 Alabama in 2022. The last time Tennessee defeated an AP Poll No. 1 ranked team was Sept. 28, 1985 against Auburn and Bo Jackson at Neyland Stadium.
Josh Heupel's record versus Texas all time
Heupel has an 8-5 record against Texas all time as a player and assistant coach. Saturday will mark his first game against the Longhorns as a head coach. A breakdown of Heupel's games against Texas is listed below.
Steve Sarkisian set for Neyland Stadium return
Sixth-year Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will return to Tennessee for the first time since Oct. 24, 2020. He served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Alabama's, 48-17, victory over the Vols.
Breaking down Steve Sarkisian's offense
Sarkisian’s offense showcases physicality and toughness with the ability to run the football. He is accustomed to having a 1,000-yard running back in a season.
Since his first season as Texas' head coach in 2021, the Longhorns have produced a 1,000-yard running back each season except in 2025. Bijan Robinson totaled 1,127 yards in 2021 and 1,580 yards in 2022, while Jonathon Brooks recorded 1,139 yards in 2023 and Quintrevion Wisner had 1,064 yards in 2024.
Sarkisian's offenses have also produced an 800-plus yard wide receiver in four seasons at Texas. Xavier Worthy recorded 981 yards in 2021 and 1,014 in 2023, while Matthew Golden totaled 987 yards in 2024 and Ryan Wingo had 834 yards in 2025.
His offense is detailed below.
Texas offensive leaders
Entering Week 4, senior quarterback Arch Manning has completed 60-of-97 passing attempts for 664 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions for the Longhorns. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound signal-caller has also recorded 80 rushing yards on 20 attempts.
Senior running back Hollywood Smothers leads Texas in rushing yards (198) and rushing touchdowns (two). Fifth-year running back Raleek Brown has also recorded 129 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Four wide receivers have totaled 100-plus yards through three games: junior Cam Coleman (178), junior Ryan Wingo (165) and junior Emmett Mosley V (130). Coleman leads the Longhorns with four touchdown receptions, while Wingo has recorded two receiving touchdowns. Smothers also scored on one receiving touchdown, along with eight receptions for 57 yards.
Emaree Winston is Texas' leading tight end for receptions (five) and receiving yards (64).
Texas running back Hollywood Smothers will face Tennessee for second time
Texas senior running back Hollywood Smothers will face Tennessee for a second time during his collegiate career.
He faced the Vols in the 2024 Duke’s Mayo Classic. Tennessee defeated the Wolfpack, 51-10, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 7, 2024.
Smothers recorded 25 rushing yards on six attempts. His longest rushing attempt was 15 yards. Smothers also totaled three receptions for one yard, while returning one kick for two yards.
Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo's recruitment history with Tennessee
Texas junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo was recruited by Tennessee from St. Louis University High School in St. Louis, Missouri. The five-star prospect named the Vols, Texas, Georgia, Miami, Missouri and Texas A&M in his final top six schools.
Wingo's recruitment history with Tennessee is listed below.
Mark Stoops will return to Neyland Stadium
Former Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops will return to Tennessee for the first time since Nov. 2, 2024 when the Vols won, 28-18.
He served as head coach of the Wildcats from 2013-25 and is in his first season as a special assistant to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Tennessee versus Texas uniform combinations
Tennessee will wear its classic uniform combination with white helmets, orange jerseys, white pants and white cleats.
the threads for Checker Neyland
⬜️🟧⬜️@DICKS | #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/2uHGiGRf5U
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 24, 2026
Icy whites loading🧊 pic.twitter.com/NWFDoLbEhr
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 24, 2026
Checker Neyland
Tennessee's annual Checker Neyland game, presented by Pilot, will take place Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Fans are encouraged to wear orange or white and can visit CheckerNeyland.com and enter their section, row and seat number as it appears on their digital ticket to see their assigned color. Fans should note that the orange and white designations have swapped sections from previous Checker Neyland games.
ESPN "College GameDay" at Tennessee
ESPN's "College GameDay" will return to Tennessee on Saturday for a 13th time.
The show will broadcast live from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9-11 a.m. EDT. The final hour of "College GameDay" will be held inside Neyland Stadium from 11 a.m.-noon EDT.
Knoxville native and performer, actor, producer and screenwriter Johnny Knoxville will serve as a guest picker on "College GameDay."
Previous "College GameDay" guest pickers at Tennessee are detailed below.
Candace Parker served as guest picker on Sept. 13, 2025 for the Tennessee-Georgia game. Bianca Belair was a guest picker for the Tennessee-Florida game on Sept. 24, 2022, while Peyton Manning served as a guest picker on Oct. 15, 2022 for the Tennessee-Alabama game.
Phillip Fulmer and Steve Spurrier were co-guest pickers for the Tennessee-Florida matchup on Sept. 24, 2016.
The Florida at Tennessee game on Sept. 15, 2012 featured Kenny Chesney as a guest picker.
Charles Barkley was the first celebrity guest picker on ESPN "College GameDay" ahead of the Auburn at Tennessee game on Oct. 2, 2004.
Vol Walk time
Vol Walk will begin at 9:45 a.m. EDT at the Torchbearer statue in Circle Park. Vol Walk will continue down Peyton Manning Pass before turning left on Phillip Fulmer Way and into the stadium through Gate 21A.
Tennessee versus Texas all-time football series
Texas leads the all-time football series against Tennessee, 2-1, dating to Jan. 1, 1951. All three games were contested on New Year's Day at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee versus Texas football game preview
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