This weekend’s slate featured college football matchups across the state, along with the Tennessee Titans opening their NFL season. Tennessee picked up a road victory at Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt remained unbeaten, Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech posted convincing wins, and Carson-Newman and Cumberland added victories at the Division II and NAIA levels. Here’s the complete breakdown of the weekend’s action across Tennessee football.
Games Played: September 10–13, 2026
FBS
No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers — W 45–24 at Georgia Tech
Tennessee improved to 2–0 with an impressive road win at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Vols rushed for 299 yards, led by DeSean Bishop’s 147 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon threw two touchdown passes, and Tennessee’s defense recorded four sacks.
Recap: UTSports.com
Vanderbilt Commodores — W 35–26 vs. Delaware
Vanderbilt moved to 2–0, using a strong second half to pull away from Delaware at FirstBank Stadium.
Recap: VUCommodores.com
Memphis Tigers — L 20–38 at Boise State
Memphis suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Boise State after entering the weekend 2–0. The Broncos rallied to hand the Tigers a 38–20 road defeat.
Recap: GoTigersGo.com
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders — L 26–28 at Marshall
MTSU nearly pulled off a road comeback but came up two points short. The Blue Raiders fell to 1–1 after Marshall survived a late fourth-quarter push.
Recap: GoBlueRaiders.com
FCS
Austin Peay Governors — W 63–7 vs. Morehead State
The Governors produced one of the weekend’s most dominant performances. Chris Parson threw three touchdown passes, while Denver Harper caught two scores and returned a punt for another touchdown.
Recap: LetsGoPeay.com
No. 12 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles — W 45–19 vs. Samford
Tennessee Tech improved to 3–0 with another convincing victory. Tre’ Holloway accounted for four touchdowns — including a 76-yard punt return — while Jax Leatherwood threw two touchdown passes. The Golden Eagles led 31–9 at halftime and finished with 409 yards of offense.
Recap: TTUSports.com
Tennessee State Tigers — L 3–30 at Alabama A&M
Tennessee State fell on the road in the Legacy Series matchup. The Tigers responded to an early Alabama A&M lead with a scoring drive, but the Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Recap: TSUTigers.com
ETSU Buccaneers — L 3–35 at North Carolina
ETSU traveled to Chapel Hill for its first road game of the season but couldn’t generate enough offense against the Tar Heels.
Recap: ETSUBucs.com
Chattanooga Mocs — L 17–22 at Eastern Kentucky
Chattanooga carried a 17–16 lead into the fourth quarter, but EKU scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than four minutes remaining. The Mocs dropped to 1–2.
Recap: GoMocs.com
UT Martin Skyhawks — L 7–52 at West Virginia
UT Martin faced its first FBS opponent of the season in Morgantown. West Virginia took control early and handed the Skyhawks their second loss of the season.
Recap: UTMSports.com
Division II / NAIA
Carson-Newman Eagles — W 24–23 vs. Wingate
Carson-Newman survived a one-point battle with Wingate to remain undefeated at 3–0.
Recap: CNEagles.com
Cumberland Phoenix — W 31–10 at Ave Maria
Cumberland bounced back from its opening loss with a convincing road victory in Florida. The Phoenix leaned on their rushing attack and used a 21-point second quarter to take command.
Recap: GoCumberlandAthletics.com
NFL
Tennessee Titans — L 10–23 vs. New York Jets
Tennessee opened the Robert Saleh era with a loss at Nissan Stadium. The Titans were held to 195 total yards, while Cam Ward threw for 140 yards and connected with Elic Ayomanor for Tennessee’s lone touchdown. The Jets controlled possession for nearly 39 minutes and outgained Tennessee 367–195.
Recap: TennesseeTitans.com