The Tennessee Volunteers are inching closer to their first game of the 2026 college football season , as the Vols are set to kick off their season on September 5. This is going to take place inside Neyland Stadium, as the Vols begin their season against the Furman Paladins.
While this will be the Vols' first game of the season, it won't be Furman's first game, as they played in their first game of the season on Thursday. This was part of the Week 0 slate, as they were one of the first teams to kick off this fall.
Furman played against the Anderson Trojans , a D2 team from the state of South Carolina. The Paladins were expected to win this game, and that is exactly what happened, which means the Vols will take on an undefeated Furman team before they even have a chance to pick up their first win themselves.
Furman University running back CJ Nettles (6) catcehs a pass for a first down against Anderson University Trojans during the first half at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C. Thursday, August 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The final score of this contest was 20-3, and the Paladins were able to walk off the field without giving up a single touchdown on the day. This goes to show that the Paladins played decent defense. In fact, they finished the game with a takeaway, which was a fumble that the Trojans lost. However, they didn't finish the game with a single interception takeaway, which indicates that they weren't able to pick off a D2 team, despite the team throwing 31 passes on the night.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was nearly a one-man show, especially when it comes to scoring. That player is Ben Croasdale, a running back with nothing short of great potential for this Furman team. He finished with a touchdown on two different occasions and was excellent when it came to running the ball. He finished with 67 yards on 11 attempts, but was still the No. 2 back when it comes to rushing yards production. Ahead of him was CJ Nettles, who nearly finished with 100 rushing yards, as he finished the day with 99.
The rushing offense was awesome for Furman, but they will have to bring more than a ground game to beat a team like Tennessee. This means that Jake Garcia will need to make some plays for Furman. Unfortunately for the Paladins, that was not the case against Anderson. He finished the day with 183 yards on 28 attempts. He also threw an interception, and he didn't throw a passing touchdown. This is a red flag for the Paladins, as they will have no choice but to throw the ball against the Vols, leaving many to believe that the defensive backs could have a massive game in Knoxville.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as Furman Will Enter Knoxville Undefeated Ahead of Matchup Against Tennessee Football .
