# Tennessee Volunteers defeat Kennesaw State 42-9 > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/tennessee-volunteers-vs-kennesaw-state-football-matchup > Updated: 2026-09-18T17:29:30.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2. The No. 15-ranked Tennessee Volunteers concluded their non-conference schedule with a 42-9 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls at Neyland Stadium. The win brings Tennessee to a 3-0 record and extends head coach Josh Heupel’s non-conference regular season winning streak to 21 games. Tennessee’s offense was driven by a dominant rushing attack that totaled 268 yards. Sophomore running back Daune Morris led the effort with a career-high 116 rushing yards and a 42-yard touchdown. Quarterback Faizon Brandon contributed 178 passing yards and one touchdown, while also adding a rushing score. Other scoring contributors included DeSean Bishop and Hunter Barnes; however, Bishop was reportedly slowed by an injury during the game. The Volunteers' defense limited Kennesaw State to 291 total yards and only 102 yards on the ground. Linebacker Arion Carter led the defensive unit with eight tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Tennessee will now begin Southeastern Conference (SEC) play at home against No. 1 Texas. The upcoming matchup has already resulted in a sellout at Neyland Stadium, and ESPN's College GameDay is scheduled to broadcast from Knoxville for the game. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-18: Tennessee Volunteers defeat Kennesaw State 42-9 No. 15 Tennessee defeated Kennesaw State 42-9 to improve to 3-0, setting up a highly anticipated SEC opener against No. 1 Texas next week. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tennessee-prepares-to-host-kennesaw-state-in-week-3-matchup ### 2026-09-15: Tennessee football hosts Kennesaw State to conclude non-conference schedule Tennessee football hosts Kennesaw State at Neyland Stadium to wrap up its non-conference schedule, featuring a ‘Salute to Service’ event and a first-ever meeting between the two programs. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tennessee-football-prepares-to-host-kennesaw-state --- Cite as: Tennessee Volunteers defeat Kennesaw State 42-9. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/tennessee-volunteers-vs-kennesaw-state-football-matchup