KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –  Tennessee found itself in situational football with less than 2 minutes on the clock. Down by only 3 points to the nation’s best team, the best chance to get a win over Texas came from a kick that the SEC now says never should have counted. 

The league said Monday that the onside kick should have resulted in a penalty and a retry. The kick came with 1:22 to play and should have cost Tennessee five yards and a replay of the down. The result stands: Texas won 20-17.

For reference here: Punter Jackson Ross then faked right and drop-kicked the ball to the left. The spinning ball hit Texas receiver Ryan Wingo’s hands and squirted away, and the Vols recovered in Longhorns territory. Officials initially threw a flag, then waved it off after consulting each other.

The SEC said a drop kick is legal, but a free kick must come from the 35-yard line, and the ball was at least one yard behind it. The kicker also may not change his lateral position between the hash marks once the ball is ready for play, and Ross’ movement violated that rule.

Tennessee then failed to capitalize. The Vols gained a net of five yards on four plays, with Texas recording two sacks, before a Hail Mary was knocked down as time expired.

Coach Josh Heupel said Monday the Vols believed they were on solid ground. 

“That kick was actually run previously inside of this league.”

He added that Tennessee had communicated with the league beforehand and would adjust to the ruling it received that day. 

The precedent he referred to appears to be South Carolina’s 2024 game against Alabama. The Gamecocks attempted a similar drop kick late in the fourth quarter from the 34-yard line and recovered it, though their kicker did not change directions like Ross did. Jackson Ross said his first in-game onside kick was something the team had practiced many times.

SEC says Tennessee onside kick vs Texas was illegal.

But South Carolina successfully did the same onside dropkick from 34-yard line vs Alabama in 2024.

That's where Tennessee got the idea.https://t.co/pRyFqIOQhE pic.twitter.com/TPjrIWJU8n

— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) September 28, 2026

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who questioned the kick’s legality after the game, said Monday that he had addressed it with the SEC and its head of officials for clarity. 

Sources disagree on the exact spot of the kick. The SEC says it was at least a yard behind the 35, while some outlets say it was at the 34. 

What happened on Saturday is not moving forward into week 5. It has been addressed. 

It was another missed opportunity for the Vols and that is where it will be buried. 

Jackson Ross said post game that was the first time he’s ever done that in a game. However, the team had practiced it for assignment and alignments. 

TENNESSEE RECOVERS THE ONSIDE KICK 😱

Get to ABC NOW for the finish of Texas-Tennessee 🍿 pic.twitter.com/FM6brSVToM

— ESPN (@espn) September 26, 2026

Turning the page, what did Heupel say about this new week? The head coach spent the first 24 hours after Tennessee’s 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas doing what he says he does after every game: watching the tape, sorting the good from the fixable, and starting the count toward the next kickoff.

Heupel said Faizon Brandon walked into the building Sunday still feeling it.

“Certainly disappointed after the game. He still felt some of that yesterday as he came into the building. But also eager to get back out there. He’s a competitor. His ability to keep playing, not perfect, but keep plugging away, you could see that the other day. He’ll bounce back.”

The coach was asked how to keep a young quarterback confident while telling him what needs to improve. His answer leaned on the player’s track record with correction.

“He wants to play at a high level. He knows that he can, and he’s played better than he did Saturday. Since he’s gotten here, he’s taken ownership, takes correction and incorporates it into his game. And it improves. I certainly expect that from him this week.”

The true freshman signal caller has not thrown an interception this season, and Heupel was asked whether there’s a downside to that caution. He said the issue on Saturday was not recklessness but a handful of missed opportunities.

“There’s windows and opportunities, timing, whatever it might be, where some of those things he’s got to let rip. Things that he saw, and things that maybe he missed. But that’s part of growing as a quarterback.”

On the speed of the SEC schedule, Heupel said Texas simply presented a different level of opponent.

“You’re playing a really good opponent. Really good up front and athletic on the back end. The game is moving a little bit faster. We don’t like the result, but he’ll be better for it moving forward.”

Protection Was A Group Failure

Asked to grade the offensive line, Heupel declined to isolate the five starters. He said the position group needs to play at a higher level for a full 60 minutes and put the protection problems on the entire offense.

“It’s not just five guys. it’s tight ends, it’s backs, it’s quarterback, it’s wide receivers doing their job too. But certainly we’ve got to get better.”

Heupel said the run game also lacked movement at times, and that Texas’ defenders finished plays once the Vols found space.

“There’s times where we created movement, get to a little bit of space, unblocked hat makes a tackle. They tackled well.”

He was pressed on whether the trouble was communication or physicality, Heupel said some of it was communication and a lot of it was the combinations of players up front. Texas’ twists and stunts, a reporter noted, appeared to confuse the line at times.

For the run game, he offered a simple formula.

“We’ve got to create movement. Backs got to see it, hit the hole and finish plus-two on the back end of it. It’s all parts working together.”

Auburn: Familiar Faces, New Problems

Auburns first-year head coach was once a tight ends coach at UT. He called plays for Heupel at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022 before leaving for South Florida, and Heupel said the shared history cuts both ways.

“A lot of their staff’s been with us, and vice versa. So it kind of balances things out.”

On the field, he expects some carryover from what Auburn did last week and plenty that’s different, especially in personnel, pressures, and rotations.

“They’re really, really well coached. They play hard. They’re multiple in their presentations. Identification and guys working together, having the right bodies are all going to be a big part of this football game.”

Auburn’s run game concerns him more than its backs alone.

“Running backs are good. Run hard, get vertical quickly. Their quarterback is a big part of their run game too, going plus-one in the run game. So making sure we’re fitting things the right way and getting the extra hat when needed.”

He said the offense the Vols faced two weeks ago has some similarities, but the mobile quarterbacks on both sides will make the quarterback run game a bigger factor this time.

Heupel also singled out defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam and his impact beyond the stat sheet.

“Just his ability to get to the football, first and foremost. He’s violent. He plays with great speed. He’s physical at the point of attack. And he’s disruptive, disengages from blocks.”

When asked how much he borrows from his own mentors as a head coach versus making the job his own, Heupel said every situation is different.

“You look at all the pieces of the puzzle, from personnel to staff to where the program currently is, the natural things you’re encountering that you’ve got to overcome, And you adjust and try to put yourself and your program in the best way.”

So Speaking Of The Players, Two Met With Media After Practice Today. 

Duane Morris is a Middle Tennessee native and a sophomore running back. He spoke about turning the page without dwelling on it

Morris said Tennessee’s approach to avoiding a spiral after a close, emotional loss has been straightforward: turn the tape into a teaching tool rather than a distraction.

“Honestly, learning from it, learning from the stuff we did and the stuff we put on tape, being able to correct our wrongs. Fundamentals, technique, those small details, that’s going to help us into this week.”

He tied that standard to the level of competition ahead for the rest of the season.

Everybody’s good. The talent is going to even out, but your details are the main thing that’s going to help us in this league.”

Growth For Thomas As A Receiving Threat

Senior tight end Trent Thomas, who has taken on a larger role this season after Ethan Davis suffered a season-ending injury, said he has made a conscious effort to expand his game beyond blocking.

“In the passing game, I’ve taken some strides,” I’ve been trying to work on running routes and my speed and things like that. I’m definitely more comfortable in the running game, but in the passing game, I think I’ve taken some strides for sure.”

Asked why Tennessee used less 12 personnel (two tight ends) against Texas than in previous weeks, Thomas said it came down to matchups rather than a shift in philosophy.

“It was a look for sure. We felt like we had a better opportunity out of 11 personnel with the matchups and everything.”

Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) will have little room for error against Auburn (3-1, 1-1). Auburn leads the all-time series 29-22-3 and is coached by Alex Golesh, who was Heupel’s offensive coordinator in 2021-22. Heupel called the Tigers’ defense well-coached and said it shows some carryover from last year, with different personnel and pressures. 

Durkin’s  Defense

Needless to say, every team moving forward will look to do what Texas did to rattle Brandon behind the line of scrimmage. Against Josh Heupel’s ultra-wide spread offense, a traditional 4-3 linebacker would get completely stranded out in space trying to guard fast slot receivers. So, Will Muschamp did some adapting.  Muschamp threw a lot of different looks at quarterback Faizon Brandon, and the pressure came from everywhere. The Vols didn’t score an offensive touchdown until 1:22 remained in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers will be on the loose in Knoxville. Under defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, Auburn features hybrid fronts and versatile alignments. Mainly it is designed to stop the run and create pressure off the edge. The approach produces disruption: Auburn comes in with 29 tackles for loss, fourth in the SEC, and Durkin is known as an aggressive coordinator.

The Vols will wear a new Smokey Grey uniform against Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Neyland Stadium, and the game is part of Champions Weekend presented by Pilot. It has a throwback theme. The “Neyland Legacy” design honors Gen. Robert Neyland on the 100th anniversary of his first season as head coach, and borrows from Tennessee uniforms of the 1926–1952 era. It is a new adidas design. The leather-style helmet will be different for fans to see. It has no Power T. The uniform carries a trefoil logo which is also a new look.

Week 5 for the #Vols – a visit from Auburn. 3:30E.T. on ESPN for the second SEC game of the season.

Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen
Analyst: Louis Riddick
Sideline: Stormy Buonantony pic.twitter.com/xdRV6Yfj5d

— Ellie (@Ellie_Mai_) September 28, 2026