No. 1 Texas edges No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 in SEC opener

Top-ranked Texas defeated No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 on Saturday in Knoxville, securing a win in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. President Donald Trump attended the game at Neyland Stadium before a crowd of 101,915.

Running back Raleek Brown rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 4-yard score with 5:41 remaining. Kicker Giannis Spetic added two field goals for the Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 SEC).

“We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in. At that point, I'm not going to give the guy a death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Edge rusher Colin Simmons tied the program single-game record with five sacks as Texas totaled 10 sacks. However, Simmons drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for simulating urination after a second-quarter sack, wiping out a 16-yard loss and giving Tennessee a first down.

Coach Steve Sarkisian removed Simmons briefly but returned him to the game, saying he would not give a "death penalty" for the mistake. The Volunteers failed to score on the ensuing drive.

Tennessee quarterback Brandon Faizon threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mike Matthews with 1:22 left and recovered an onside kick. Jelani McDonald batted away a Hail Mary pass in the end zone as time expired to seal the victory.

Texas also surrendered a 57-yard punt return touchdown by Qua Moss. The Longhorns have a bye week before the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.