# Vols Roll Georgia Tech, But 14 Flags Tell a Story

> Tennessee walked out of Atlanta with a 45-24 win, a 299-yard ground game, and a penalty sheet that should worry Josh Heupel.
- Title: Vols Roll Georgia Tech, But 14 Flags Tell a Story | Shortify
- Summary: Tennessee walked out of Atlanta with a 45-24 win, a 299-yard ground game, and a penalty sheet that should worry Josh Heupel. Tennessee's run game is real and…
- Keywords: college football, tennessee vols, georgia tech, penalties, run game, sports, Vols, Roll, Georgia, Tech, Flags, Tell
- Source: Tennessee Volunteers On SI — https://si.com/college/tennessee/football/the-good-bad-and-ugly-from-tennessee-football-s-win-vs-georgia-tech-01m2e66p1bts
- Published: 2026-09-14T15:38:23+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: college football, tennessee vols, georgia tech, penalties, run game, sports
## Vols win in Atlanta
Tennessee beat Georgia Tech 45-24 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, in a city where Vols fans always turn out in force. It was a road win that felt like a home game.
## Confidence heading into Week 3
A three-score road win over a solid opponent puts Tennessee among the most confident teams in the country entering Week 3.

> they are by far one of the teams with the most confidence entering Week 3
## Good, bad, and ugly
The scoreboard was lopsided, but the tape was not. There was plenty to like, a few things to fix, and one category that was genuinely ugly.
## Nearly 300 rushing yards
Tennessee piled up 299 rushing yards against a Georgia Tech defense that had been holding up fine. That number is why the Vols are rated among the best running teams playing Power 4 schedules.
## DeSean Bishop led the way
Bishop carried 20 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Efficient, decisive, and the engine of the whole attack.

> It all starts with DeSean Bishop
## Morris and the depth chart
Daune Morris added 98 yards and a touchdown. Javin Gordon managed 32 yards on 10 carries, and quarterback Faizon Brandon chipped in 22 on the ground.
## The blocked punt
Georgia Tech's Elgin Sessions took a blocked punt back for a touchdown in the first quarter. Punter Jackson Ross held the ball too long, and the Yellow Jackets made him pay.
## Special teams kept slipping
Qua Moss muffed a punt, though Tennessee recovered the fumble. Add special teams penalties on top and it was the worst unit on the field for the Vols.

> This wasn't the best performance by the Vols on special teams
## Fourteen accepted penalties
Tennessee gave away 142 yards on 14 accepted penalties. That count does not even include the flags Georgia Tech declined.
## Undisciplined football
A 21-point win papers over it, but flags at that rate are a habit, not bad luck. Heupel has to clean it up fast.

> This is undisciplined football
## Kennesaw State, then Texas
The Owls come next, and Tennessee can probably survive sloppy football there. The Longhorns game the week after is the one everyone is circling.
## Key takeaway

Tennessee's run game is real and probably good enough to carry them, but 142 penalty yards and a blocked punt are the kind of self-inflicted wounds Texas will punish in two weeks.