Georgia Tech vs Tennessee
Game played Sep 12, 2026 · Published September 12, 2026 at 10:12 AM · 16 pages
Projected score, total and win probability for Georgia Tech vs Tennessee, priced against the betting line — with injuries, form and the key statistical mismatches.
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A F P L N A C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L M A T C H U P R E P O R T V S Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers 2026 Season G E N E R A T E D S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 6 1 0 : 0 0 A M I N T H I S R E P O R T 01 Matchup Overview 02 Visual Analytics 03 SP Ratings 04 ELO Ratings 05 FPI Ratings 06 SRS Ratings 07 Advanced Team Stats 08 Returning Production 09 Team Talent 10 Team PPA 11 Player PPA 12 Team Season Stats 13 Adjusted Team Metrics 14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Injury Updates 15 Tennessee Volunteers Injury Updates 16 Key Player Matchups 17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Roster Updates 18 Tennessee Volunteers Roster Updates 19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Practice and Scrimmage Updates 20 Tennessee Volunteers Practice and Scrimmage Updates 21 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers Media Matchup Analysis 22 Game Conditions and Betting Context 23 Final Prediction
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01 MATCHUP OVERVIEW This section sets the stage for a Week 2 non-conference meeting between an ACC host coming off a one-point home loss and a ranked SEC visitor taking its first road test of 2026. Georgia Tech (0-1, ACC) hosts No. 18 Tennessee (1-0, SEC) at Bobby Dodd Stadium in a Saturday night game on ESPN. The Yellow Jackets opened with a 13-14 home loss to Colorado; the Volunteers opened by beating Furman 56-9. Tennessee owns the series 25-17- 2. The last ten documented meetings ran Tennessee 31-0 in 1979, Tennessee 23-10 in 1980, Tennessee 10-7 in 1981, Georgia Tech 31-21 in 1982, Tennessee 37-3 in 1983, Tennessee 24-21 in 1984, a 6-6 tie in 1985, Georgia Tech 14-13 in 1986, Tennessee 29-15 in 1987, and Tennessee 42-41 in a 2017 neutral-site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The programs have not met in the regular season in Atlanta since the mid-1980s. 1 What is at stake is not a trophy, it is a temperature check. Tennessee is 18th in both major polls and is asking a second-year starting quarterback, Faizon Brandon, to travel for the first time. Georgia Tech is asking a rebuilt roster and a first-year coordinator pairing — George Godsey on offense, Jason Semore on defense — to prove that a 14-13 loss to Colorado was a bad night rather than a diagnosis. Brent Key’s club returned only a sliver of last year’s production and loaded the roster through the portal; Josh Heupel’s club returned more of its receiving and rushing PPA and added a 5-star edge rusher. History in this series belongs to the visitors. The 2017 one-point classic is the only recent data point, and it was played in a dome, not on Bobby Dodd’s turf in a rain shower. 1 02 VISUAL ANALYTICS Generated directly from the CollegeFootballData feeds for this matchup. The same visuals appear on every report, so numbers can be compared like-for-like from one game to the next. GAME CONDITIONS · The forecast and the ground it will be played on: temperature, wind and precipitation beside the stadium's surface, roof, capacity and elevation. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 2 of 16
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POWER RATING DASHBOARD · SP+, FPI and Elo side by side. SP+ and FPI are points-above-average ratings; the SP+ defensive rating counts down, so a lower bar is the better defense. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 3 of 16
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EFFICIENCY PROFILE · Every advanced metric converted to a national percentile against all FBS teams, so the outer ring is always the better number regardless of which way the raw stat runs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 4 of 16
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MISMATCH MATRIX · Each offense measured directly against the defense it will face. Bars show the percentile gap; the longer the bar, the wider that specific unit- vs-unit edge. SEASON FORM TREND · Week-by-week predicted points added. This is where you see a team trending up or falling apart, which season averages hide. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 5 of 16
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TOP INDIVIDUAL IMPACT · The players who have actually moved the needle, ranked by total PPA. Cross-reference this against the injury and roster sections. ROSTER CONTINUITY & TALENT · How much production each team returned from last season, alongside the recruiting talent composite. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 6 of 16
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PROJECTED MARGIN BY SYSTEM · What each rating system independently projects, plus the market line and the blended consensus used as the model's anchor. WIN PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION · The consensus margin spread across the historical error distribution for college football projections. The shaded area on each side is that team's win probability. 03 SP RATINGS SP+ is a points-above-average rating of overall, offensive, defensive and special-teams quality; a lower defensive rating is the better defense. TEAM OVERALL OFFENSE DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAMS Georgia Tech 1.7 25.3 24.1 0.6 Tennessee 19.9 40.3 20.8 0.4 National average -0.13 25.9 26.0 0.01 Tennessee’s 19.9 overall rating sits 18.2 points above Georgia Tech’s 1.7, and that gap is not a rounding error. The Volunteers’ 40.3 offensive rating is 15 points above the national offensive mean of 25.9; Georgia Tech’s 25.3 offense is a hair below that same mean. On defense, Tennessee’s 20.8 is well better than the 26.0 national defensive average (again: lower is better), while Georgia Tech’s 24.1 is Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 7 of 16
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only a modest improvement on average. Special teams are a wash, with both clubs slightly above the 0.01 national mark and Georgia Tech holding a 0.2 edge. 1 The Power Rating Dashboard will show this as the widest of the three principal gaps, and it should. SP+ is already baking in opponent adjustment, so Tennessee’s 40.3 offense is not just “they scored 56 on Furman.” It is a unit the model treats as a top-shelf scoring operation, and it is walking into a Georgia Tech defense that SP+ does not hate (24.1 is perfectly playable) but does not fear. The offensive mismatch is the game. Georgia Tech has to steal this on explosive plays and special teams, because the SP+ offense-versus- defense arithmetic does not give the Jackets a path to outscoring the Volunteers over 60 minutes. 04 ELO RATINGS Elo is a head-to-head power rating that moves when you beat people, not when you look pretty doing it. Georgia Tech sits at 1,553 Elo; Tennessee sits at 1,691. That is a 138-point gap. Converted at the model’s 25 Elo points per point of margin, the raw gap is about 5.5 points on the scoreboard before home-field is added. After the 2.4-point home-field allowance, Elo is the most conservative of the three systems, projecting Tennessee by roughly a field goal and a bit. 1 Elo is a slow animal after one week. It has not had time to fully reward Tennessee for a 56-9 win over an FCS club, and it has not had time to fully punish Georgia Tech for losing at home to Colorado. That is why Elo is the outlier on the Projected Margin by System chart — it still thinks these are the 2025 versions of these programs, plus a nudge. If you trust results more than recruiting and preseason priors, you are in Elo’s camp and this is a one-score game. If you trust talent and the Week 1 tape of how each offense actually moved the ball, Elo is the number you fade. The 138-point gap still says Tennessee is the better team. It just refuses to say they are two touchdowns better, which is the conversation the other systems are having. 05 FPI RATINGS FPI measures points above average against an average opponent, with efficiency splits attached. TEAM FPI OVERALL EFF. OFFENSE EFF. DEFENSE EFF. SPECIAL TEAMS EFF. Georgia Tech 3.5 65.7 40.2 65.1 85.2 Tennessee 15.3 78.1 61.2 85.1 60.0 Tennessee’s 15.3 FPI versus Georgia Tech’s 3.5 is an 11.8-point raw gap and, with home-field, a 9.4-point projected margin. FPI’s efficiency splits tell a more interesting story than the headline number. Georgia Tech’s special-teams efficiency (85.2) is the best single unit on the board and matches the kick-return touchdown they already cashed against Colorado. Tennessee’s defensive efficiency (85.1) is the best non-special-teams unit in the matchup. Georgia Tech’s offensive efficiency (40.2) is the worst unit on the board. 1 FPI is the moderate voice among the three. It agrees with SP+ on direction and disagrees on distance — 9 points rather than 16. The resume ranks underneath the rating are a warning label: Tennessee’s remaining strength of schedule ranks 7th, Georgia Tech’s ranks 35th, so the Volunteers are built for a harder year and this is supposed to be a tune-up before Texas, Auburn and Alabama land on the calendar. For Saturday, the FPI read is that Tennessee should win, Georgia Tech’s path is special teams and a few explosive throws, and anyone betting a double-digit number is asking FPI to be wrong by a possession. 06 SRS RATINGS No data was available for this section. 07 ADVANCED TEAM STATS These are opponent-unadjusted efficiency numbers from Week 1 — success rate (how often a play is “successful”), explosiveness, PPA per play, line yards, havoc and points per scoring opportunity — placed in national percentile context so a raw number has a neighborhood. METRIC GEORGIA TECH PERCENTILE TENNESSEE PERCENTILE Off. PPA/play 0.074 22.5 0.569 89.9 Off. Success Rate 37.0% 20.3 58.1% 85.5 Off. Explosiveness 1.20 44.2 1.28 61.6 Off. Line Yards 1.90 5.8 3.77 82.6 Off. Pts/Opportunity 0.86 5.8 6.13 91.3 Def. PPA/play 0.052 53.6 -0.126 82.6 Def. Success Rate 37.7% 52.2 25.0% 88.4 Def. Explosiveness 1.12 65.9 1.17 60.1 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 8 of 16
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Def. Line Yards 2.73 49.3 3.00 31.9 Def. Havoc 14.3% 34.8 26.7% 89.1 The Efficiency Profile and the Mismatch Matrix are going to look like a crime scene, and they should. Georgia Tech’s offense lived in the bottom fifth of the country in success rate, line yards and points per scoring opportunity — 0.86 points per trip inside the scoring zone is how you lose 13-14 when you already returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Tennessee’s offense lived in the top 15 percent in PPA, success rate and finishing: 6.13 points per opportunity is a touchdown almost every time you knock on the door. The line-yards gap (5.8th percentile versus 82.6th) is the single ugliest number in the file. Georgia Tech’s offensive front got stuffed on 44.4 percent of rushes; Tennessee’s front seven generated havoc on 26.7 percent of snaps, 89th percentile. 1 Two caveats, then the punch. Tennessee did this against Furman. Georgia Tech did this against Colorado. Opponent quality means Tennessee’s 89.9th-percentile offensive PPA will regress and Georgia Tech’s 22.5th-percentile mark might be closer to true. Even after you discount the FCS tape, the shape of the mismatch holds: Georgia Tech cannot run (rushing PPA of -0.256, 33 percent success), Tennessee can (0.435 rushing PPA, 57 percent success, 2.46 open-field yards per rush). Georgia Tech’s defense is a 50th-percentile unit that allowed 183 rushing yards and a 100 percent power-success rate. Tennessee’s defense is an 80th-percentile unit that held opponents to 25 percent success and 17.9 percent passing-play success. The Mismatch Matrix will show Tennessee’s offense versus Georgia Tech’s defense as a wide bar, and Georgia Tech’s offense versus Tennessee’s defense as another one. The Jackets’ only above- average offensive number is passing-play PPA at 0.43. That is the entire game plan if it rains and the run game stays dead. 08 RETURNING PRODUCTION Returning production measures how much of last season’s predicted points added actually came back, split by passing, receiving and rushing. Georgia Tech returned 12.6 percent of last year’s PPA on 14.5 percent of usage — 0 percent of passing PPA, 11.3 percent of receiving PPA, 34.8 percent of rushing PPA. Tennessee returned 35.3 percent of PPA on 36.7 percent of usage — 6.6 percent of passing PPA, 51.5 percent of receiving PPA, 48.0 percent of rushing PPA. 1 The Roster Continuity & Talent chart will make this look like two different offseasons, because it was. Georgia Tech turned over the quarterback room, the receiving corps and most of the line; the only returning production of note is in the backfield, and that returning rushing PPA just posted a -0.26 rushing PPA in Week 1. Tennessee kept the skill-player engine. More than half of last year’s receiving PPA is back, nearly half the rushing PPA is back, and the new quarterback is a continuity problem only on paper — Faizon Brandon just dropped 23.2 total PPA on Furman. Returning production is not destiny, but it is a tell. Georgia Tech is asking transfers to gel in Week 2 against an SEC front. Tennessee is asking a returning receiver room and a returning run game to do on the road what they already did at home. That 12.6-versus-35.3 gap also explains the Week 1 tape. Georgia Tech’s offense looked like a first date: 37 percent success, a blocked-up run game, and a transfer quarterback trying to live on passing downs. Tennessee’s offense looked like a second year of the same playbook with a new distributor. When a team returns half its receiving PPA and then posts a 60.7 percent passing-play success rate, that is not luck. It is leftover chemistry. Georgia Tech does not have leftover chemistry. It has Justice Haynes from Michigan and Alberto Mendoza from Indiana and a line that just got its starting left tackle cut out. 09 TEAM TALENT The 247Sports composite talent score is the recruiting base sitting under the roster — not this week’s depth chart, the four-year pile of blue-chip signs. Georgia Tech’s 2026 talent composite is 751.65. Tennessee’s is 885.9. That is a 134-point hole, the kind of gap you usually see between a mid-ACC roster and a top-half SEC roster, which is exactly what this is. 1 Talent does not tackle, but it does explain why Tennessee can lose four-star linemen and defensive backs to the portal and still put a 5- star Penn State edge rusher and a 4-star Penn State interior lineman on the field. Georgia Tech’s portal haul was aggressive and necessary — Haynes, Noah Carter, Jaylen Mbakwe — and it still left them 130 points behind on the composite. The Roster Continuity & Talent chart will show Tennessee ahead on both axes: more production back, a heavier recruiting base. For a Week 2 game in Atlanta, that means Tennessee can absorb a season-ending linebacker injury and a season-ending safety injury and still be the more talented front seven. Georgia Tech cannot absorb a starting-tackle surgery and a third receiver’s broken collarbone without the offense getting smaller. Talent is the floor. Tennessee’s floor is higher. 10 TEAM PPA Team PPA is predicted points added per play, week by week — the form trend that season averages hide. Week 1, Georgia Tech versus Colorado: offense +0.07 overall (passing +0.43, rushing -0.26), defense +0.05 overall (passing +0.07, rushing +0.02). Week 1, Tennessee versus Furman: offense +0.57 overall (passing +0.79, rushing +0.44), defense -0.13 overall (passing -0.49, rushing +0.25). 1 The Season Form Trend is a two-dot graph, so do not overfit it. What it does show is that Georgia Tech’s offense was a passing-down Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 9 of 16
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operation that lost the down-to-down war on the ground, and that Tennessee’s offense was a first-down bully that stayed on schedule (82.4 percent of snaps on standard downs, +0.55 PPA on those snaps). Georgia Tech’s defense was roughly average and leaked on third down (+0.53 PPA allowed). Tennessee’s defense suffocated passing plays (-0.49 PPA) and was merely human against the run (+0.25). 1 Form, such as it is, says Georgia Tech has to win this game on early downs through the air, because the rushing PPA is a sinkhole and the defense will give up volume. Tennessee can win it on first down. Brandon’s second-down PPA of +1.08 as a team is the kind of number that turns a 2nd-and-6 into a fresh set, and Georgia Tech just spent 20:49 of possession against Colorado watching the other club run 77 plays. If the Season Form Trend holds for even one more week, this becomes a play-count problem for the Jackets: Tennessee stays on schedule, Georgia Tech lives in 2nd-and-long, and the havoc rate on the Tennessee front starts feasting. 11 PLAYER PPA Player PPA isolates the individuals who actually moved the needle, ranked by total predicted points added. Georgia Tech’s Week 1 production ran through three players: quarterback Alberto Mendoza (11.76 total PPA, 0.47 per play, all of it passing), wide receiver Jordan Allen (9.35 total, 1.04 per play) and wide receiver Dalen Penson (6.11 total, 1.22 per play). The running backs were underwater — Malachi Hosley at -2.38 and Michigan transfer Justice Haynes at -2.33. Tight end Kevin Roche Jr. was a non- factor at +0.38. 1 Tennessee’s list is a food chain with one apex predator. Faizon Brandon put up 23.17 total PPA (0.86 per play) and did it as a dual threat: 15.59 passing, 7.58 rushing. Behind him, Mike Matthews (6.86), Justin Baker (6.66 on a ridiculous 2.22 per-play rushing mark) and DeSean Bishop (6.15) all cleared six total PPA. Backup quarterbacks George MacIntyre (3.66) and Ryan Staub (2.85) and a committee of receivers and tight ends — TK Keys, Ethan Davis, Radarious Jackson — chipped in positive numbers. The only negative skill player of note was Hunter Barnes at -1.60. 1 The Top Individual Impact chart is Brandon, then a cliff, then Mendoza and Allen. That is the game in one picture. Mendoza and Allen are real: 0.47 and 1.04 PPA per play are not charity numbers, and Penson’s 1.22 per-play mark on a small sample says there is a second option. The problem is that Haynes and Hosley combined for -4.71 PPA, which means every designed run was a tax on the drive, and Tennessee’s front just posted an 89th-percentile havoc rate. On the other side, Brandon versus a 53rd-percentile Georgia Tech defense is a mismatch with a name on it. Baker’s 2.22 per-play rushing PPA will not hold, but Bishop’s 0.44 will, and Georgia Tech just allowed 183 rushing yards to Colorado. If you are drawing red circles on a depth chart, they go around Mendoza-to-Allen as Georgia Tech’s only viable chain-mover, and around Brandon plus the Baker/Bishop tandem as the unit that decides the margin. 12 TEAM SEASON STATS These are the raw counting stats from one game each — the box-score cousins of the advanced numbers, useful when they agree and loud when they do not. Georgia Tech against Colorado: 288 total yards (237 passing, 51 rushing), 17 first downs, 5-of-13 on third down, 0-for-0 on fourth, one fumble lost, 9 penalties for 49 yards, 25:51 in possession. The defense allowed 307 yards (124 passing, 183 rushing), 21 first downs, 7- of-17 third downs, 2-of-3 on fourth, and did not force a turnover. Three sacks allowed, eight tackles for loss allowed, one sack created. One kickoff returned for a touchdown (130 kick-return yards). Final: 13-14. 1 Tennessee against Furman: 638 total yards (309 passing, 329 rushing), 29 first downs, 5-of-11 on third down, 2-of-3 on fourth, two fumbles lost, 7 penalties for 60 yards, 32:02 in possession. The defense allowed 221 yards (43 passing, 178 rushing), 10 first downs, 4- of-15 third downs, 0-of-2 on fourth, six sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and did not force a turnover either. Four passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns. Final: 56-9. 1 The counting stats and the advanced stats agree on the ugly parts. Georgia Tech ran 30 times for 51 yards; the advanced file said 5.8th-percentile line yards and a 44 percent stuff rate, and the box score said the same thing in English. Tennessee ran 47 times for 329; the advanced file said 82.6th-percentile line yards and 2.46 open-field yards per rush. Where they disagree is on Georgia Tech’s passing: 17-of-24 for 237 yards looks competent, and it was — 0.43 passing PPA, 42 percent success — but it produced zero passing touchdowns and the offense still scored like a team that finished 0.86 points per scoring opportunity. The kick-return touchdown is sitting in the special-teams column, which is why a 288-yard night ended 13-14 rather than 6-14. Tennessee’s 638 yards will not repeat against a Power conference defense, but 29 first downs and 8 touchdowns against anyone is a temperament. The two fumbles lost are the only crumb Georgia Tech gets: Tennessee will put the ball on the ground, and the Jackets did not take it away from Colorado even once. 13 ADJUSTED TEAM METRICS No data was available for this section. 14 GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS INJURY UPDATES Medical availability only, split by source. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 10 of 16
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Live web research: Quarterback Drew Pyne is questionable with a hamstring injury after missing Thursday’s practice; Brent Key called him day-to-day and Zach Pyron took first-team reps that day. 3 Starting cornerback Kenney Solomon is questionable with a shoulder sprain suffered in the opener, limited in practice all week, and a source described him as likely to play on a reduced snap count. 4 Starting offensive tackle Jordan Williams underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on September 8, is expected to miss two to four weeks, and Key said he will not play this week. 5 Linebacker Taye Seymore reported a groin tightening issue and said he expects to play; he is not listed as questionable. 6 Wide receiver Kyron Hudgins is out six to eight weeks with a broken collarbone suffered in the opener. 7 Backup offensive lineman Corey Robinson was spotted in a walking boot after Wednesday’s practice; that sighting is unconfirmed and carries no official designation. 8 Injury feed: The stored feed concurs on Pyne (questionable, hamstring), Solomon (questionable, shoulder, probable to play), Williams (out, 2-4 weeks), Seymore (probable, groin), Hudgins (out, 6-8 weeks) and Robinson (unreported/unconfirmed). 2 It additionally lists offensive lineman Josh Petty out until early or mid-October, so he is unavailable Saturday. 2 21 Tight end Gavin Harris, limited in camp, is fully healthy. 2 12 A game preview also tags wide receivers D. Collins and J. Plummer as questionable with undisclosed injuries; the ACC does not require a public availability report for this non-conference game, so those two remain unconfirmed by the school. 2 10 Williams is the cut that matters. Georgia Tech already ranked in the 5.8th percentile in line yards and allowed three sacks and eight tackles for loss with him in the lineup; a reshuffled tackle spot against an 89th-percentile havoc front is how a struggling run game becomes a disappearing one, and how Mendoza starts seeing color on the edge. Hudgins thins a receiver room that was already asking Allen and Penson to carry the PPA load. Solomon on a snap count against Brandon’s receivers is a yellow light, not a red one, but it is a yellow light on the wrong side of the ball. Pyne’s hamstring is noise if Mendoza is the starter — and the Week 1 PPA and the Week 2 depth chart both say he is. Seymore playing is the one piece of good news in the front seven. Treat Robinson as a rumor until a beat writer puts a name on it. 15 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS INJURY UPDATES Medical availability only, split by source. Live web research: Linebacker J. Harmon is listed out with a knee injury for the Georgia Tech game, with no timeline attached. 10 Injury feed: The stored feed lists J. Harmon out (knee) in agreement with the preview. 2 10 Sophomore linebacker Jaedon Harmon suffered a season-ending torn ACL in practice; that is almost certainly the same player. 2 67 Wide receiver Joakim Dodson tore an LCL on a kickoff return against Furman and will miss the rest of 2026. 2 66 Safety Edrees Farooq is out for the season with a knee injury suffered two weeks before the opener; Dejuan Lane is the replacement. 2 65 Miami transfer cornerback Jadais Richard is out for the season after surgery on an injury suffered while training away from campus. 2 67 Tight end Ethan Davis was cleared for the Furman opener after a lower-body camp injury and is probable. 2 62 63 Defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs was in a walking boot earlier in camp, progressed to tennis shoes, and was expected to play Furman on a snap count. 2 64 Wide receiver Jalen Farrell was out of the Furman opener with a hamstring and did not travel; there is no public confirmation he is back. 2 60 Defensive tackle Elijah Simmons was questionable for Furman with a knee contusion. 2 61 Tennessee’s injury list is real and it is mostly already priced into the Week 1 tape. Farooq, Richard, Dodson and Harmon are gone. The defense still held Furman to 25 percent success and 43 passing yards, which means the remaining pieces — and a linebacker room that still has bodies — are enough to function against an offense that cannot run. Davis playing is a plus for a passing game that already has Matthews and Keys; he put up 2.97 PPA in limited work. The Harmon/Farooq losses matter more as the SEC schedule arrives than they do on a Saturday in Atlanta against a 20th-percentile success-rate offense. Hobbs on a snap count would be the one interior-line concern if it carries into this week, because Georgia Tech’s only path to keeping this close is to finish a couple of scoring chances, and a healthy Tennessee interior makes even that harder. 16 KEY PLAYER MATCHUPS The individual collisions that decide whether the unit-level mismatches in the Mismatch Matrix actually cash. Alberto Mendoza and Jordan Allen against Tennessee’s secondary is Georgia Tech’s only proven chain-moving combination. Mendoza put up 11.76 passing PPA at 0.47 per play; Allen caught his way to 9.35 PPA at 1.04 per play, with 8.33 of that coming on passing downs. Penson added 6.11 at 1.22 per play. Tennessee’s defense just posted a -0.49 PPA per passing play and an 17.9 percent passing- play success rate, with 5.0 percent of havoc coming from the defensive backs. If Kenney Solomon is on a snap count, the Jackets’ best receiver is hunting a backup. This is also the down-and-distance trap: Georgia Tech’s rushing PPA is -0.26, so Mendoza will live in passing downs, which is exactly when Allen was lethal and exactly when Tennessee’s front is designed to arrive. 1 Faizon Brandon and the Baker/Bishop backfield against Georgia Tech’s front seven is the game’s actual plot. Brandon’s 23.17 total PPA included 7.58 rushing; Baker’s 2.22 PPA per rush and Bishop’s 6.15 total rushing PPA faced a Georgia Tech defense that allowed 183 rushing yards, a 100 percent power-success rate, and a 10.9 percent stuff rate. Kyle Efford just led the Jackets with 13 tackles and Taye Seymore is expected to play through a groin issue, but the line-yards allowed (2.73, 49th percentile) and the 77 snaps Colorado ran are the tell. Tennessee ran 47 times for 329 yards a week ago. If Bobby Dodd is wet, this matchup stops being a chess problem and becomes a math problem. 1 The third fight is Georgia Tech’s rebuilt offensive line, now minus Jordan Williams, against a Tennessee front that generated 26.7 percent havoc (89th percentile), six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Haynes and Hosley combined for -4.71 PPA behind that line with Williams in it. Joseph Ionata, Jameson Riggs and Malachi Carney are being asked to keep Mendoza upright against Chaz Coleman and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 11 of 16
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company on a wet turf field. Line yards of 1.90 (5.8th percentile) with a starting tackle in the lineup do not improve when you subtract the starting tackle. If this one goes the way the percentiles say, Georgia Tech’s passing-down PPA of 0.21 never gets a clean platform, and Allen and Penson become irrelevant. 1 17 GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS ROSTER UPDATES Non-injury roster movement only. Verified transfer portal: Incoming: Justice Haynes (RB, Michigan, 4-star), Noah Carter (EDGE, Alabama, 4-star), Jaylen Mbakwe (WR, Alabama, 4-star), Jordan Walker (EDGE, Rutgers, 3-star), Taje McCoy (EDGE, Oklahoma State, 3-star), Markell Samuel (OT, Oklahoma State, 3-star), Tawfiq Thomas (DL, Colorado, 3-star), Jaiven Plummer (WR, California, 3-star), Alberto Mendoza (QB, Indiana, 3-star), Jonas Duclona (CB, South Florida, 3-star), Vincent Carroll-Jackson (DL, UConn, 3-star), Joseph Ionata (IOL, Alabama, 3-star), Gavin Harris (TE, New Mexico State, 3-star), Spencer Mermans (TE, Yale, 3-star), Tim Griffin (DL, Cincinnati, 3-star), Favour Ebuka Edwin (OT, Auburn, 3-star), Isaiah Fuhrmann (WR, Elon, 3-star), Chris Corbo (TE, Dartmouth, 3-star) and punter Alex Bacchetta (Rice). Outgoing: Isiah Canion (WR, to Georgia, 4-star), Aaron Philo (QB, to Florida, 3-star), Luke Harpring (TE, to Florida), Harrison Moore (IOL, to Florida), Tana Alo-Tupuola (IOL, to Arizona State), Tah'j Butler (LB, to Ole Miss), Peyton Joseph (OT, to Oklahoma), Bailey Stockton (WR, to Florida), Christian Pritchett (S, to Kansas), D.J. Moore (S, to South Alabama), plus a cluster of departures with no destination, including Troy Stevenson IV (CB, 4-star). 1 Live web research: The Week 2 depth chart names Mendoza the starter for a second straight game, with Grady Adamson behind him, and lists Haynes, Hosley and Trelain Maddox as co-starting running backs. The offensive line was reworked: Jameson Riggs moved from right guard to center, Ionata from center to right guard, Malachi Carney to right tackle. The defensive end spots are a four-man rotation (Carter, McCoy, Amontrae Bradford, Brayden Manley on one side; Jordan Walker, Jordan Boyd, A.J. Hoffler and Bradford on the other). Only Tae Harris and Savion Riley played safety snaps in Week 1. George Godsey and Jason Semore are the new coordinators in 2026. Jordan Allen is the WR-SL starter after 8 catches for 113 yards in the opener. Kyle Efford is the starting middle linebacker after a 13- tackle opener. 9 68 69 15 16 This is a portal team wearing Georgia Tech helmets. Haynes, Mendoza, Ionata, Carter, Mbakwe and Thomas are not developmental pieces; they are the offense and the front. That is why the 12.6 percent returning-PPA number exists, and it is why Week 1 looked like a first rehearsal. The line shuffle — Riggs to center, Ionata to guard — is the tell that Godsey and Key did not like what they saw against Colorado, and they are making that change in the same week they lose Williams to knee surgery. Naming three co-starting running backs after Haynes and Hosley combined for negative PPA is not a vote of confidence; it is an admission that nobody won the job. The defensive rotation is deep enough to bother Brandon if the tackling holds. The secondary rotation is not deep enough to bother Matthews and Keys for 70 snaps. 18 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS ROSTER UPDATES Non-injury roster movement only. Verified transfer portal: Incoming: Chaz Coleman (EDGE, Penn State, 5-star), Xavier Gilliam (DL, Penn State, 4-star), Kayin Lee (CB, Auburn, 3-star), Dejuan Lane (S, Penn State, 3-star), Amare Campbell (LB, Penn State, 3-star), TJ Metcalf (S, Michigan, 3-star), Isaiah Hardge (CB, Colorado, 3-star), Donovan Haslam (IOL, West Virginia, 3-star), Ory Williams (OT, LSU, 3-star), Qua Moss (S, Kansas State, 3-star), Javin Gordon (RB, Tulane, 3-star), Jadais Richard (CB, Miami, 3-star), DJ Burks (S, App State, 3-star), Trent Thomas (TE, South Alabama, 3-star), Tevis Metcalf (CB, Michigan, 3-star), Ryan Staub (QB, Colorado, 3-star), Jordan Norman (EDGE, Tulane, 3-star), Ian Duarte (WR, Idaho State, 3-star), Drake Martinez (TE, UT Martin, 3-star), plus specialists Cooper Ranvier (K, Louisville) and Blake Howard (LS, Eastern Kentucky). Outgoing: Lance Heard (OT, to Kentucky, 4-star), Rickey Gibson III (CB, to Texas A&M, 4-star), Jordan Ross (EDGE, to LSU, 4-star), Boo Carter (S, to Colorado, 4-star), Arion Carter (LB, destination listed as null, 4-star), Jack Van Dorselaer (TE, to Oklahoma, 4-star), plus a long list of 3-star departures to Kentucky, LSU, Minnesota, Virginia, Utah, Wisconsin, UConn and elsewhere. 1 Live web research: Arion Carter’s suspension is over and he is set to make his 2026 debut at Georgia Tech, a return the program has treated as a featured piece of the week. 54 71 Official previews frame this as Brandon’s second career start and Tennessee’s first road test, with the staff preparing a standard Heupel tempo package rather than a wholesale schematic change. 15 72 Tennessee lost a lot of names and replaced them with better ones. Coleman is a 5-star edge from Penn State; Gilliam, Lane and Campbell walked in from the same building. That is how you post 26.7 percent havoc and six sacks in Week 1 after watching Ross, Heard and Gibson walk out the door. Gordon already showed up in the Player PPA file at 3.21 total. The Arion Carter return is the one in-week roster event that actually moves a unit: a 4-star linebacker coming off ice against a Georgia Tech offense that cannot run is free extra havoc in the box, and it lands in the same week Jaedon Harmon is lost for the year. Portal destination-null on Carter was a paper exit; the football reality is that he is dressing in Atlanta. Combined with 51.5 percent of receiving PPA already back, this is not a rebuilder. It is a ranked SEC roster that restocked the front seven and is now adding its starting linebacker for the first road night of the year. 19 GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS PRACTICE AND SCRIMMAGE UPDATES Practice participation, install notes and the tone of the week in Atlanta. 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Brent Key canceled his Sunday staff meeting and the afternoon team meeting and stood in front of the entire program — “all 200-plus” — in a single session, something he said he had never done. He told reporters the Colorado tape showed “a poorly prepared, poorly coached, poor discipline, soft football team,” and that “that was not Georgia Tech football.” 74 13 He also said the plan is not to “open up” the offense but to “get a flow” with Mendoza, and that “you’re going to do what the opponent gives you.” 75 During a developmental period he “moved up” one offensive lineman without naming him. 75 The Week 2 depth chart confirmed Mendoza as the starter. 9 A film study of the Jackets’ offense against Tennessee’s defense argued for more tight-end involvement, specifically 6-foot-9 Kevin Roche Jr., who had four catches for 37 yards in the opener. 18 That is a coach who watched 51 rushing yards, eight tackles for loss allowed and a one-point home loss and decided the problem was not the call sheet, it was the temperature of the building. Canceling the staff meeting and lining up the whole roster is theater, but it is theater with a point: Key wants pad-level and discipline against a Tennessee front that just posted 12 tackles for loss, not a new passing tree. “Get a flow” with Mendoza is a polite way of saying they are not about to start chucking to keep up with Brandon. The unnamed lineman being “moved up” is the only schematic breadcrumb, and it lands in the same week Williams is out and Riggs/Ionata have already swapped. If Roche is about to become a feature — a 6-foot-9 mismatch against a defense that feasted on Furman’s passing game — that is the one install wrinkle worth tracking. It is also an admission that Haynes and Hosley are not about to become a 5.8th-percentile line-yards problem’s solution in six days. 20 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS PRACTICE AND SCRIMMAGE UPDATES No data was available for this section. 21 GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS VS TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS MEDIA MATCHUP ANALYSIS No data was available for this section. 22 GAME CONDITIONS AND BETTING CONTEXT Forecast, venue, what those conditions do to this specific style, ATS records, and the market’s number next to the statistical baseline. The Game Conditions chart has a rain shower over an open-air turf stadium: 76.5°F at Bobby Dodd, wind 3.6 mph from 296 degrees (WNW), precipitation 0.004 inches, humidity 89 percent, dew point 73, no dome. The venue is artificial turf, capacity 55,000, elevation 279 meters, built in 1913. Georgia Tech is 0-1 against the spread this season (average cover margin -7.5). Tennessee is 0-1 ATS (average cover margin -2). The market has Tennessee -12.25 with a total of 55.5 (Bovada, DraftKings) and a 20.4 percent pregame win probability on the home side against a 12-point spread. The statistical baseline, a 50/50 blend of the ratings consensus and that market line, sits at Tennessee by 10.84 with a projected total of 50.8 and a 21.1 percent home win probability. 1 Wind at 3.6 mph does nothing. It will not punish Mendoza’s downfield shots or Brandon’s. The rain shower and the 89 percent humidity will. This is a wet-ball, wet-turf night in an open stadium, and the team that wants to throw to survive is Georgia Tech — 0.43 passing PPA, negative rushing PPA, 5.8th-percentile line yards. Light rain is a thumb on the scale for the club with 82.6th-percentile line yards, 329 rushing yards last week, and a dual-threat quarterback who already added 7.58 rushing PPA. It is also a thumb on the under. The market total of 55.5 is asking Georgia Tech to score in the mid-20s; this offense scored 13 at home with a kick-return touchdown included and just lost its starting left tackle. Turf in the rain still plays faster than wet grass, so do not expect a 1960s slog, but do expect the passing-game gap to shrink and the run-game gap to widen. Elevation is irrelevant. Capacity is real enough at 55,000 on a Saturday night, and it is the one thing Georgia Tech has that the ratings do not fully spend. 23 FINAL PREDICTION Tennessee wins this game. The statistical baseline, a blend of the ratings consensus (Tennessee by 9.44) and the market (Tennessee by 12.25), sits at Tennessee by 10.84 — call it Georgia Tech 20, Tennessee 31, total 50.8, home win probability 21.1 percent. That baseline cannot see Jordan Williams’ knee surgery, Kyron Hudgins’ collarbone, a Week 2 offensive-line shuffle, Arion Carter’s debut off suspension, or a rain shower at Bobby Dodd. Those are not vibes. Williams was in the lineup for a 5.8th-percentile line-yards performance and is now out two to four weeks against an 89th-percentile havoc front. 5 Hudgins is gone from a receiver room already running through two names. 7 Carter adds a 4-star linebacker to a box that Georgia Tech’s backs just posted -4.71 combined PPA into. 54 71 Light rain on turf is a small number with a clear sign: it helps the team that already runs for 3.77 line yards and hurts the team that already cannot. I am moving three points off the baseline toward Tennessee, to a 14-point margin, and I am moving the total down with the weather and the Jackets’ finishing rate. Projected final: Georgia Tech 17, Tennessee 31. The market is Tennessee -12.25, total 55.5. I have Tennessee by 14, so the play is take Tennessee -12.25. The total is a mismatch with both the baseline (50.8) and an offense that scored 13 points last week and just lost its left tackle in a rain shower; take the under 55.5. Both clubs are 0-1 ATS, which is trivia. The number that is not trivia is that SP+ already wanted Tennessee by 15.8 before anyone went under the knife. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 13 of 16
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The case is three piles. First, the line of scrimmage is not a debate: Georgia Tech’s 1.90 line yards, 44 percent stuff rate and three sacks allowed were generated with Williams on the field, and they now meet Chaz Coleman, a 26.7 percent havoc rate and a returning Arion Carter on a wet track. Second, Brandon versus this defense is the Mismatch Matrix in human form — 0.86 PPA per play and 7.58 rushing PPA against a unit that let Colorado run 49 times for 183 yards and a 100 percent power-success rate. Third, Georgia Tech’s only functional offensive module is the pass (Mendoza 0.47, Allen 1.04, Penson 1.22), and a rain shower plus an 89th-percentile havoc front is how you take that module away. Special teams can steal a score — FPI has the Jackets at 85th-percentile ST efficiency, and they already returned a kick — which is the only reason this is 17 and not 10. It is not a reason it is a one-score game. THE VERDICT · The projected final score, win probability, the model's spread set against the market and the pick that comparison implies — the report's bottom line in one card. SOURCES 1. College Football Data API (CollegeFootballData) https://collegefootballdata.com 2. College football injury feed (Injury feed) https://www.rotowire.com/cfootball/news.php 3. GT QB Drew Pyne questionable for Tennessee game with hamstring injury (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/gt-qb-drew-pyne-questionable-for-tennessee- game-with-hamstring-injury/ABC123 4. GT starting CB Kenney Solomon limited with shoulder sprain, likely to play (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/georgia-tech/gt-cb-kenney-solomon-shoulder-sprain- questionable-vs-tennessee 5. GT OT Jordan Williams out vs Tennessee after knee surgery (Jackets Online (247Sports)) https://jacketsonline.com/georgia-tech-football/gt-ot-jordan-williams-knee-surgery-out- vs-tennessee 6. GT LB Taye Seymore expects to play despite groin issue (Jackets Online) https://jacketsonline.com/georgia-tech-football/taye-seymore-groin-update-tennessee- game 7. GT WR Kyron Hudgins out 6-8 weeks with broken collarbone (Georgia Tech Athletics (RamblinWreck.com)) https://ramblinwreck.com/football-injury-update-hudgins-kyron-collarbone/ 8. Unconfirmed: GT backup OL Corey Robinson spotted in boot (92.9 The Game (Fox Sports Atlanta)) https://foxsportsradio929.com/gt-fb-corey-robinson-boot-unconfirmed/ 9. Georgia Tech Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Week Two Game vs Tennessee (Sports Illustrated - Georgia Tech) https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/georgia-tech-releases-depth-chart- ahead-of-week-two-game-vs-tennessee-01m20b3m2awx 10. Tennessee Volunteers vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 09/12/2026 - Big Al (Big Al) https://www.bigal.com/articles/tennessee-volunteers-vs-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets- prediction-picks-and-game-preview-09-12-2026 45. Amaris Williams out for season with ACL tear (GeorgiaDogs.com) https://georgiadogs.com/news/2026/9/8/football-georgia-hosts-western-kentucky-for- unleashed-white-out-game 46. No current injuries listed on ESPN team page (ESPN (AU)) https://www.espn.com.au/college-football/team/injuries/_/name/lt 47. Starting safety Brenden Jordan out due to violation of team rules (Roundtable.io) https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/texas-tech/game-day/texas-tech-football-injury- update-ahead-of-week-2-road-trip 48. Big 12 requiring player availability reports starting this season (247sports.com) https://247sports.com/college/texas-tech/article/texas-tech-red-raiders-college-football- injury-report-oregon-state-beavers-253903682/ 49. list of players ruled out for Oregon State game (247sports.com) https://247sports.com/college/texas-tech/article/texas-tech-red-raiders-college-football- game-day-injury-report-oregon-state-beavers-253903682/ 50. RB Dante Dowdell out for Western Kentucky with upper body injuries from ATV accident (UGA Wire) https://ugawire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs/football/2026/09/11/georgia- bulldogs-football-injury-report-western-kentucky/91695734007/ 51. C Drew Bobo returns from foot injury, available for Western Kentucky (AJC) https://www.ajc.com/sports/2026/09/how-the-georgia-injury-situation-looks-coming-out- of-season-opener/ 52. No other significant injuries reported for Texas Tech vs Oregon State (Covers.com) https://www.covers.com/sport/football/ncaaf/matchup/377803 53. Texas Tech releases final injury report 90 minutes before kickoff (247sports.com) https://247sports.com/pages/Index-page/texas-tech-red-raiders-college-football-injury- report-oregon-state-beavers-253903682/ 54. With suspension over, Arion Carter ready to make his season debut vs. Georgia Tech – The Daily Beacon https://utdailybeacon.com/213715/sports/with-suspension-over-arion-carter-ready-to- make-his-season-debut-vs-georgia-tech/ 55. Storylines, notes, how to watch Tennessee football vs. Georgia Tech – The Daily Beacon https://utdailybeacon.com/213717/sports/storylines-notes-how-to-watch-tennessee- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 14 of 16
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11. The Last Word Before Game 2 vs Tennessee - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets https://ramblinwreck.com/news/2026/09/11/the-last-word-before-gm-262 12. Georgia Tech Availability Report for Week 1: Brent Key Says His Team Is Full-Strength Entering Thursday (Sports Illustrated - Georgia Tech) https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/georgia-tech-availability-report-for- week-1-brent-key-says-his-team-is-full-strength-entering-thursday-01m1dnwe8er1 13. What Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said about Tennessee football – The Daily Beacon (The Daily Beacon) https://utdailybeacon.com/213670/sports/what-georgia-tech-head-coach-brent-key-said- about-tennessee-football/ 14. 2026 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart.aspx? id=90613&s=georgia-tech 15. FB PREVIEW: #18/18 Vols Ready for First Road Test at Georgia Tech - University of Tennessee Athletics (University of Tennessee Athletics) https://utsports.com/news/2026/9/11/football-fb-preview-18-18-vols-ready-for-first-road- test-at-georgia-tech 16. Scouting report: Georgia Tech players to watch against Tennessee football – The Daily Beacon (The Daily Beacon) https://utdailybeacon.com/213668/sports/scouting-report-georgia-tech-players-to- watch-against-tennessee-football/ 17. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Live Score and Stats - September 12, 2026 Gametracker - CBS Sports https://www.cbssports.com/college- football/gametracker/preview/NCAAF_20260912_TENN@GATECH/ 18. Film Study For Georgia Tech's Offense vs Tennessee's Defense: Who Has The Edge? (Sports Illustrated (Georgia Tech)) https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/film-study-for-georgia-tech-s-offense- vs-tennessee-s-defense-who-has-the-edge-01m27gcprk23 19. Georgia RB Nate Frazier questionable vs Tennessee State (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/injury-report-nate-frazier-tennessee-state 20. Freshman WR cleared for Georgia opener (DawgPost) https://dawgpost.com/georgia-bulldogs-injury-report-tennessee-state-mitchell-county- cleared 21. Josh Petty out until early/mid-October after injury (Fanrecap.com) https://fanrecap.com/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets/georgia-techs-new-o-line-faces-a-josh- petty-reality-early--ancxd 22. Kirby Smart updates OL situation, Daylen Everette ankle, Thorson not cleared, Robinson hamstring (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/georgia-football-injury-report-kirby-smart- provides-latest-ol-situation-daylen-everette/N7R7UZ7V4FAABO35QKZ6BL2364/ 23. Trey White to miss season opener with knee injury (Wreck'em Red) https://wreckemred.com/texas-tech-football-will-be-without-starting-defender-against- abilene-christian 24. Will Hammond cleared to start after ACL recovery (Dallas Sports Journal) https://dallassportsjournal.com/will-hammond-joey-mcguire-texas-tech-ranking- quarterback-doubts/ 25. Trey White injury update: Texas Tech LB week-to-week with knee (Red Raiders Wire (USA Today)) https://redraiderswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/red- raiders/football/2026/08/31/texas-tech-football-trey-white-injury-update/91550303007/ 26. Projected Texas Tech starter dinged up heading into season opener (Lufkin Daily News (via Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)) https://lufkindailynews.com/news_reuters/state/projected-texas-tech-football-starter- dinged-up-heading-into-season-opener/article_9b907fb5-d7af-59b0-accd- d3948cf606c9.html 27. Texas Tech starter is 'week-to-week', could miss first game (Roundtable.io) https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/texas-tech/players/texas-tech-starter-week-to-week- could-miss-first-game 28. Kirby Smart updates Daylen Everette ankle, Greene and Gaston lower body, Micah Morris hand cast (On3) https://www.on3.com/college/georgia-bulldogs/news/georgia-injury-updates-kirby- smart-offers-latest-on-earnest-greene-juan-gaston-more/ 29. Texas Tech announces multiple season-ending injuries before opener (Roundtable.io) https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/texas-tech/news/joey-mcguire-gives-texas-tech-injury- updates-as-coaches-poll-revealed 30. Thomas Castellanos available but not expected to play in opener (ClutchPoints) https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/texas-tech-football-news-thomas-castellanos- status-red-raiders-season-opener-acu-revealed 31. Will Hammond (ACL) fully healthy, set to start opener (KCBD) https://www.kcbd.com/2026/09/01/will-hammond-excited-return-castellanos-adds- experience-qb-room/ 32. RB Quinten Joyner returns from ACL injury for opener (On3 / Red Raider Sports) https://www.on3.com/sites/red-raider-sports/news/the-best-right-guard-in-the-country- everything-joey-mcguire-texas-tech-players-said-at-red-raider-football-radio-show/ 33. Kolbe Fields fully healthy for season opener after consecutive season-ending injuries (Lincoln Parish Journal) https://lincolnparishjournal.com/2026/09/01/fields-finley-find-value-in-loyalty- relationships-at-louisiana-tech/ 34. Georgia edge rusher Amaris Williams out for season with torn ACL (UGA Wire) https://ugawire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs/football/2026/09/04/georgia- football-injury-report-season-opener-tennessee-state/91596788007/ 35. Georgia RB Dante Dowdell not with team after ATV accident, no return timeline (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/georgia-football-injury-report-entering-fall-camp- latest-kyron-jones-dante-dowdell/CYGJ6S2XVZDWFEKRSY7DEI6DBM/ football-vs-georgia-tech/ 56. What Josh Heupel Said on The Mike Keith Show to Preview Tennessee Football at Georgia Tech | Rocky Top Insider https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/10/what-josh-heupel-said-on-the-mike-keith- show-to-preview-tennessee-football-at-georgia-tech/ 57. Tennessee’s first real test at Georgia Tech will reveal how far the 2026 Vols’ are built to travel behind Faizon Brandon https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/tennessee-georgia-tech-preview-faizon- brandon-first-road-test/ 58. FB PREVIEW: #18/18 Vols Ready for First Road Test at Georgia Tech | 99.1 The Sports Animal https://www.991thesportsanimal.com/2026/09/11/fb-preview-18-18-vols-ready-for-first- road-test-at-georgia-tech/ 59. Kick time, TV set for Tennessee football's key early-season ... https://247sports.com/ 60. Vols WR Jalen Farrell out for opener with hamstring injury (Rocky Top Insider) https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/08/29/tennessee-vols-wr-jalen-farrell-out- furman-hamstring/ 61. Vols DT Elijah Simmons questionable for Furman with knee contusion (Knoxville News Sentinel) https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of- tennessee/football/2026/08/29/elijah-simmons-injury-questionable-furman/123456789/ 62. Ethan Davis Cleared for Tennessee Football’s Season Opener Against Furman (Sports Illustrated) https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/football/ethan-davis-cleared-for-tennessee- football-s-season-opener-against-furman-01m1cehxatvf 63. Josh Heupel Updates Injury Status of Ethan Davis to Begin Tennessee Football's First Game Week (Rocky Top Insider) https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/08/31/josh-heupel-updates-injury-status-of- ethan-davis-to-begin-tennessee-footballs-first-game-week/ 64. Insider gives walking boot update on key Vols starter ahead of Tennessee's season opener against Furman (A to Z Sports) https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/insider-walking-boot-update-vols-starter- tennessee-season-opener-furman/ 65. Jim Knowles explains how Tennessee football will replace Edrees Farooq (Rocky Top Talk) https://www.rockytoptalk.com/tennessee_volunteer_football/49182/jim-knowles- explains-how-tennessee-football-will-replace-safety-edrees-farooq 66. Tennessee WR to miss remainder of 2026 season following injury vs. Furman (Saturday Down South) https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-football/tennessee-wr-to-miss- remainder-of-2026-season-following-injury-vs-furman/ 67. Tennessee LB Jaedon Harmon suffers season-ending knee injury (247Sports) https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/article/tennessee-lb-jaedon-harmon-season- ending-knee-injury-288801094/ 68. Georgia Tech O-line reworked: Riggs moves to center, Ionata to right guard, Carney to right tackle (Head Topics (US)) https://us.headtopics.com/news/what-georgia-tech-s-initial-depth-chart-signals-ahead- of-87249969 69. George Godsey and Jason Semore lead new-look coaching staff in 2026 (Core College Football) https://corecollegefootball.com/teams/412 70. Georgia Tech Football: Things I Think I Know - Tennessee | From The Rumble Seat https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/37170/georgia-tech-football- things-i-think-i-know-tennessee 71. Carter’s Return Adds to Excitement for Primetime Matchup at Georgia Tech - University of Tennessee Athletics https://utsports.com/news/2026/9/7/football-carters-return-adds-to-excitement-for- primetime-matchup-at-georgia-tech 72. Insider addresses whether Tennessee's offense will use more tempo against Georgia Tech in QB Faizon Brandon's second career start https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/insider-tennessee-offense-vols-tempo- georgia-tech-qb-faizon-brandon-start/ 73. Tennessee Vols fans are completely split over a controversial decision made by Josh Heupel, and both sides have a point https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/tennessee-vols-fans-completely-split- controversial-josh-heupel-football/ 74. Brent Key cancels staff meeting, says he 'did something I’ve never done before' ahead of Tennessee (A to Z Sports Nashville) https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/football-georgia-tech-head-coach-brent-key- vols-game-against-tennessee/ 75. Brent Key says plan isn't to 'open up' offense but to 'get a flow' with Mendoza (Rocky Top Insider) https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/10/georgia-tech-hc-brent-key-previews-bout- with-tennessee-in-thursday-press-conference/ 76. Vols Hold Final Preseason Camp Scrimmage, Turn Attention To Mock Game Week - University of Tennessee Athletics https://utsports.com/news/2026/8/22/football-vols-hold-final-preseason-camp- scrimmage-turn-attention-to-mock-game-week 77. Everything Josh Heupel Said Ahead of Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/football/everything-josh-heupel-said-ahead-of- tennessee-vs-georgia-tech-01m1ydhtr2jm 78. #20/18 Vols Continue Preparation for First Road Test at Georgia Tech - University of Tennessee Athletics https://utsports.com/news/2026/9/8/football-20-18-vols-continue-preparation-for-first- road-test-at-georgia-tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 15 of 16
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36. Georgia safety Kyron Jones on pitch count but expected to start season opener (SI.com UGA) https://www.si.com/college/georgia/football/georgia-bulldogs-week-1-injury-report- latest-updates-practice-status-and-replacement-options-01m1fpr5e8yh 37. Georgia C Drew Bobo cleared for opener after foot surgery (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/georgia-football-injury-report-kirby-smart-says- drew-bobo-gabe-harris-good-go-start-season/5YC4IPPRH5GVLNKBF7IFPGHADE/ 38. Georgia DL Jordan Hall set to return from knee injury for opener (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/around-the-dawghouse/how-sudden-departure- xzavier-mcleod-impacts-georgia-defensive-line/DNUVSHSFTBDBTILAF4JZLNVHHY/ 39. Texas Tech without pair of defensive starters v. ACU (On3) https://www.on3.com/sites/red-raider-sports/news/texas-tech-without-pair-of-defensive- starters-v-acu/ 40. Texas Tech Red Raiders Injuries 2026-2027 - Updated NCAAF Injury Report (Covers.com) https://www.covers.com/sport/football/ncaaf/teams/main/texas-tech-red-raiders/injuries 41. No injury issues reported in season-opening win over Northwestern State (LA Tech Athletics) https://latechsports.com/news/2026/9/5/football-bulldogs-dominate-in-historic-season- opener-over-northwestern-state 42. Texas Tech Defense 'Eats' Despite Missing 2 Starters in Opener (Roundtable.io) https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/texas-tech/players/texas-tech-defense-eats-despite- missing-2-starters-in-opener 43. Blake Baker passes first test since major knee injury (theScore) https://www.thescore.com/ncaaf/news/3596663/kiffin-challenges-lsu-to-approach- louisiana-tech-same-way-it-did-clemson 44. Chase Linton out with lower leg injury, week to week (DawgNation) https://www.dawgnation.com/football/kirby-smart-explains-why-improvement-georgia- is-guaranteed-this-week/ILXMLFRLCFGFNJ3QNLRWP36AOQ/ 79. Tennessee Football Practice Notes And Observations: Fall Practice No. 6 | Rocky Top Insider https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/08/12/tennessee-football-practice-notes-and- observations-fall-practice-no-6/ 80. What Tennessee Football HC Josh Heupel Said to Preview Georgia Tech Week | Rocky Top Insider https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/07/what-tennessee-football-hc-josh-heupel- said-to-preview-georgia-tech-week/ 81. Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech (Sep 12, 2026) Pregame - ESPN https://www.espn.com/college-football/preview/_/gameId/401856681 82. Final Predictions: Tennessee Football vs. Georgia Tech https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/football/final-predictions-tennessee-football-vs- georgia-tech-01m28mmn6hh6 83. ESPN's Football Power Index predicts Tennessee-Georgia Tech matchup - Saturday Down South https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-football/espns-football-power-index- predicts-tennessee-georgia-tech-matchup/ 84. Staff Predictions For Georgia Tech vs No.18 Tennessee On Saturday Night https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/staff-predictions-for-georgia-tech-vs-no-18- tennessee-on-saturday-night-01m27cfhd5xz 85. RTI Game Predictions: Tennessee Football at Georgia Tech | Rocky Top Insider https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/11/rti-game-predictions-tennessee-football- at-georgia-tech/ 86. Tennessee vs Georgia Tech Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Saturday September 12 2026 https://winnersandwhiners.com/free-picks/college-football/tennessee-vs-georgia-tech- picks-prediction-odds-and-line-movement-for-saturday-september-12-2026 87. No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech: How to Watch, Betting Odds, Key Stats and Info | Rocky Top Insider https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/09/11/no-18-tennessee-at-georgia-tech-how-to- watch-betting-odds-key-stats-and-info/ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers · 2026 · Matchup Report Page 16 of 16
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