Josh Heupel’s Tennessee offense has become one of those weekly fixtures in college football previews, and for good reason. In year 6 in Knoxville, Heupel is still running the show, with offensive coordinator Joey Halzle calling plays since Alex Golesh left for USF back in 2023. The system is still built around extreme width, tempo, and stress - receivers split way outside, the defense gets stretched sideline to sideline, and Tennessee attacks with switch releases, quick screens, and rapid-fire snaps that force post-snap decisions.
But the Vols have also evolved. For all the fireworks attached to the passing game in this system, Tennessee has leaned harder and harder into the run, and straight inside zone has become a major part of the identity.
That shift has helped the Vols reach 34.7 points per game, though that number comes with some context: most of those points came against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State, while SEC play has been a different story. Against Texas, Auburn, and Arkansas, Tennessee put up 17, 24, and 24 points.
The ground game has carried a lot of the load. Tennessee is averaging 228 rushing yards per game, and DeSean Bishop has been the engine.
He already has 678 yards and 8 touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry through 6 games, and 258 of those yards came over the last two weeks. Bishop was a 1000-yard rusher for Tennessee a year ago and ran for 123 yards against Alabama in 2025.
He’s tough, powerful, and especially dangerous in this zone scheme because of how well he hits cutbacks.
The passing game, though, has been far shakier. Tennessee is averaging only 187 passing yards per game, and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon - a 5-star true freshman and the #10 overall recruit in the last recruiting cycle - has looked the part of a young quarterback.
He’s had problems with sacks and with drifting into pressure, and at some point he picked up a shoulder injury. That opened the door for sophomore George MacIntyre against Arkansas last week in what was described as a sort-of-injury, sort-of-benching situation for Brandon.
MacIntyre threw for more than 200 yards, but the outing still came with two sacks and two interceptions, so the offense didn’t exactly find a cure. Brandon is back practicing this week, but Tennessee hasn’t settled on who will start against Alabama.
The ball has mostly gone to two wideouts: Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews. Staley is the chain-moving option, leading the team with 24 catches but only 193 yards.
Matthews is the deeper threat, turning 22 receptions into 396 yards. Beyond those two, Tennessee has sprinkled in a few other catches to other receivers and tight ends, but the offense has largely run through that pair.
Up front, the line has had major issues. The Texas game was the low point, with Tennessee allowing 10 sacks in one day. The group has generally held up in run blocking aside from that Texas outing, but pass protection has been a problem.
This will be the third straight year the Heupel-Halzle offense has gone against the Kane Wommack defense, and the first two meetings produced Tennessee outputs of 24 and 20 points even though the Vols came in scoring much more than that. Wommack’s zone-heavy approach appears to fit better against Heupel’s outside stacks and releases than the pattern-match look Alabama used in 2022.
Even so, Alabama’s defense has had its own issues lately. The Tide have been vulnerable to inside run game damage, including against UGA, and they’ve had trouble getting to downfield throws all season.
DeSean Bishop should be able to get north of 100 yards. But Tennessee’s quarterback play doesn’t look strong enough to consistently move the chains, and that could leave the Vols stuck around 17 points with sacks and turnovers cutting drives short.
In Other News...
Alabama Sent A Strong Message After That Ugly Georgia Incident
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Alabama athletics moved fast once the individual was identified, handing down a lifetime ban from future Alabama sporting events. The school also publicly addressed the incident, making clear that conduct like that will not be tolerated, a message meant as much for the fan base as anyone else watching what has become an increasingly scrutinized sideline and stadium atmosphere. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Is Testing How Real Its Auburn Flip Push Really Is
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One of the more interesting names is Auburn commit MJ Evans, whose scheduled visit to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 24 will offer a real gauge of how serious Alabamas push has become. The Tide are also involved with former Memphis commit Joshua Lane, who has visits lined up for Alabama and Tennessee, giving this next stretch a chance to shape whether the class stays compact or gets a late boost from a few key additions. [Read more 🡒]
Sabans Coaching Influence Just Showed Up In An Unlikely Alabama Story
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Burton also drew attention for wearing a backwards baseball cap during the overtime coin toss after helmet equipment issues, a quirky scene that stood out in a tense finish. Afterward, he talked about coach Alex Mortensen and mentioned watching a documentary tied to Mortensens former coach, Nick Saban, a reminder that Sabans coaching tree still shows up in odd, easy-to-miss places around the state. [Read more 🡒]