The final full weekend of October brought several notable results across Tennessee football. The Volunteers suffered a narrow SEC road loss at South Carolina, while ETSU and Chattanooga delivered convincing Southern Conference victories. Tennessee Tech also won on the road, and Tennessee State fell at home despite a strong defensive effort. In the NFL, the Tennessee Titans built an early two-touchdown lead against Cleveland but lost on a field goal as time expired.
FBS
Tennessee Volunteers — L 24–27 at South Carolina
No. 11 Tennessee saw a late lead slip away in Columbia as South Carolina rallied for a three-point victory. The Volunteers fell in a closely contested SEC road matchup after entering the weekend with momentum from their win over Alabama. Official Tennessee Football Recap
Memphis Tigers — W 41–34 vs. East Carolina — October 22
Memphis bounced back from its loss to Tulane with a seven-point victory over East Carolina on Thursday night at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Tigers improved to 6–2 overall and 3–1 in American Conference play, remaining unbeaten at home this season. Official Memphis Game Results
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders — W 26–23 at FIU — October 20
Middle Tennessee earned its second consecutive Conference USA victory in a Tuesday-night contest in Miami. Terrence Brown Jr. rushed for a career-high 158 yards, including a 54-yard run that put the Blue Raiders ahead for good. Roman Gagliano connected with Cam’ron Lacy for a crucial 25-yard fourth-down completion late in the game as MTSU improved to 4–3 overall. Official Middle Tennessee Recap
Vanderbilt Commodores — L 17–34 at No. 12 Kentucky
Vanderbilt jumped ahead 10–0 in Lexington, but Kentucky responded with 34 points to hand the Commodores their fifth consecutive defeat. Quarterback Jared Curtis passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns, while Junior Sherrill caught eight passes for 78 yards. Vanderbilt fell to 3–5 overall and 0–5 in SEC play. Official Vanderbilt Recap
FCS
Tennessee State Tigers — L 7–20 vs. Charleston Southern
Tennessee State’s defense held Charleston Southern to 277 total yards and just 67 rushing yards, but three turnovers proved costly. Byron McNair threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass as the Tigers avoided a shutout but fell to 2–6 overall and 0–3 in conference play. Official Tennessee State Recap
ETSU Buccaneers — W 38–0 at VMI
ETSU remained perfect in Southern Conference play with a shutout victory in Lexington, Virginia. The Buccaneers improved to 4–0 in league competition, continuing their strong run through the conference schedule. Official Southern Conference Results
Chattanooga Mocs — W 41–18 at Western Carolina
Chattanooga recorded an impressive road victory in Cullowhee, scoring 41 points against Western Carolina. The Mocs improved to 4–1 in Southern Conference play and remained firmly in the conference race. Official Southern Conference Results
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles — W 28–13 at The Citadel
Tennessee Tech picked up another Southern Conference road victory, defeating The Citadel by 15 points in Charleston. The Golden Eagles continued their strong season with a balanced performance away from home. Official Southern Conference Results
Austin Peay Governors — W 27–21 at North Alabama
Ninth-ranked Austin Peay survived a back-and-forth third quarter to earn a six-point road victory. Chris Parson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, while Denver Harper caught six passes for 98 yards. Hamilton DiBoyan added a fourth-quarter field goal, and the Governors improved to 7–2 overall and 3–1 in United Athletic Conference play. Official Austin Peay Recap
UT Martin Skyhawks — L 24–55 at Western Illinois
UT Martin suffered its first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season as Western Illinois amassed 532 yards of offense. Quarterback Tate Surber passed for a career-high 266 yards, while Deuce Oliver caught passes for 119 yards. The Skyhawks fell to 3–5 overall and 2–1 in conference play. Official UT Martin Recap
Tennessee Titans — L 24–27 vs. Cleveland Browns — October 25
Tennessee suffered a heartbreaking loss at Nissan Stadium after building a 14–0 first-quarter lead behind two Tony Pollard touchdown runs. The Titans rallied to tie the game at 24 with 58 seconds remaining on Pollard’s third touchdown, but Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt converted a 32-yard field goal as time expired. Tennessee fell to 1–6 on the season. Official Titans Recap
