Sometimes the smartest move is the one you don't make. Just ask Tennessee tight end DaSaahn Brame, who found himself in the crosshairs of Volunteer Nation after a seemingly harmless catch turned into a game-ending disaster against No. 1 Texas.
With 21 seconds left and Tennessee trailing 20-17, the Vols were sitting near midfield, needing about 15-20 yards to get into field-goal range and force overtime. After three straight penalties backed them up, quarterback Faizon Brandon dropped back. As the pass rush closed in, instead of throwing it deep or out of bounds, Brandon dumped a short pass to Brame, who hauled it in for a measly four-yard gain and stayed inbounds.
That's when the clock became the enemy. Tennessee had no timeouts, so the offense had to scramble to the line. By the time they snapped the ball again, only enough time remained for a desperate Hail Mary that fell incomplete, sealing the loss.
Fans on X wasted no time roasting Brame for catching the ball in that situation. “DaShaan Brame an idiot for catching that that’s what you get for flipping punk,” one user wrote. Another added, “Why did that Tennessee WR catch that ball dude!?” A third fumed, “You don’t catch that when you have no timeouts, the entire Tennessee team looks like an immature team cause any other team would’ve made Texas look like a fool.”
But pinning the entire loss on Brame is short-sighted. The final drive was a masterclass in self-destruction: boneheaded penalties, poor blocking, and questionable play-calling plagued the Vols from start to finish. The coaching staff called a shallow crossing route over the middle, and Brandon opted for the check-down instead of throwing it away. Both decisions contributed to the chaos.
And then there's the catch itself—or lack thereof. Some fans are now questioning whether Brame even secured the ball. “Tennessee ran out of time but did Brame even catch the ball? They glossed over that detail pretty fast,” one user remarked. Another wrote, “Go back and check. I think Brame didn’t catch it. (He shouldn’t have either. Just bat it down).” A third insisted, “Brame DID NOT CATCH THE FOOTBALL. Should have been a review. Costly.”
Maybe that's just coping. But the bigger picture is that this was a team loss. From the coaching staff to the quarterback to the receivers, everyone shares the blame. Brame may be the face of the final gaffe, but he's far from the only reason Tennessee left with a loss.
In the end, the Vols' defeat was a collective failure—one that will haunt them as they regroup and try to salvage their season. And for Brame, it's a harsh lesson in situational football: sometimes, the best play is the one you don't make.
