KNOXVILLE, TN – September 26, 2026 – Defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Many SEC fans have come to anticipate Cole Cubelic’s Sunday night conference breakdowns on X, as the SEC Network sideline reporter and former Auburn lineman breaks down each team in the SEC using an easy-to-understand and comprehensive format.
Cubelic reviewed Tennessee’s 20-17 loss agains Texas from Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. The Vols’ offense struggled to get anything going throughout the day, but kept it close overall due to a special teams touchdown from Qua Moss. Tennessee had a chance at a last-minute miracle following an onside kick recovery in the fourth quarter, but the opportunity slipped away and Tennessee lost its first game of the season.
Here’s a look at how Cubelic assessed each side of the Vols’ team:
Offense
“OL disappointing. Lost a few in slide pro. Lost some 1 on 1’s. Left side struggled. Got beat on a twist. Just some simple breakdowns. Needed a bit more push in run game but numbers were being added late. LBs up to LOS & safeties down into the box. Ball needed to get out. Middle of the field was there on multiple occasions. Missed a few layups. Couldn’t connect on shots. Can’t have TE on 1 in pass pro. A few more intermediate answers may have helped. Threw into pressure early. Inserts were not consistent in run game. Had some (missed assignment)’s up front in run game as well.”
Defense
“Def played hard. (Xavier Gilliam) dominated, dented pocket, penetrated vs run. He really got after it. LBs didn’t fit duo well enough. DC did a great job of forcing OL to be wasted. (Daevin Hobbs) got good push. Safeties solid in run support. (Weathersby) & (Norman) had good reps off the edge. Couple bad angles on back end. Took ball away. (Mariyon Dye) played backside of run well. (Hobbs) tough inside. Thought they were disruptive enough up front. Didn’t overdo it with pressure. We’re going to lose a jump ball or two. Affected QB but lost rush integrity at times. (Arion Carter) played pullers well. Played well enough on that side.”
TENNESSEE: Tough one. OL disappointing. Lost a few in slide pro. Lost some 1 on 1’s. Left side struggled. Got beat on a twist. Just some simple breakdowns. Needed a bit more push in run game but numbers were being added late. LBs up to LOS & safeties down into the box. Ball…
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 28, 2026
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Tennessee’s defense played very well in this game, stopping Texas from reaching the endzone or moving the ball down the field on multiple occasions. At one point in the middle quarters of the game, Tennessee held Texas to just three offensive plays on five out of six straight drives. The Vols’ defense gave its offense ample opportunities to get points on the board, but the offense just couldn’t muster anything.
Tennessee’s lone offensive touchdown came with just 1:22 left in the fourth quarter. Up to that point, Tennessee’s offense was allergic to the checkerboards. Texas’ defensive line was dominating the matchup, and Tennessee couldn’t find any way to get the run or pass game going to switch things up.
“Offensively, just not anywhere close to being good enough to beat a team like this,” Josh Heupel said after the game. “Everybody will have a hand in it when we go back on Monday with the tape, with the guys. Up front, not good enough. Quarterback, not good enough. Everybody’s got a hand in it. Ultimately, we’ve got to be better.
No. 17 Tennessee will host Auburn (3-1) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium. The Vols will be wearing their new Neyland Legacy Smokey Grey uniforms for the SEC matchup.
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