Josh Heupel didn’t get the quarterback answer he was looking for after Tennessee’s win over Auburn, and the latest depth chart shows the situation is still wide open.
Per Volquest’s Ryan Schumpert, “Tennessee has updated its depth chart, listing Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre as co-starters today at Arkansas.”
That leaves things exactly where they were not supposed to be after last weekend. George MacIntyre did not clearly take the job from true freshman Faizon Brandon, who was pulled during the second quarter of Tennessee’s 24-14 win over Auburn because of his inefficiency.
Heupel has said Brandon is dealing with a shoulder issue, but the freshman remains available. It’s an unusual setup, and it’s one that has raised more questions than answers without much coming back from the head coach.
Heupel has been noticeably short with reporters in Knoxville this week, which only adds to the sense that this quarterback decision is still hanging over him.
And yet Tennessee’s next opponent gives the Vols some room to sort it out.
Arkansas is hardly a powerhouse, but it’s still an SEC team, and no program in this league can be completely dismissed. Even so, the matchup tilts heavily toward Tennessee, which should have the talent and coaching edge to handle the uncertainty under center.
The Razorbacks are allowing 5.8 yards per play and 340 yards per game. Their .249 rating is dead last, and they sit No. 99 in the country in National Defensive Power Rate. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 66.1% of their passes against Arkansas.
That’s why this weekend feels like a chance for Tennessee to keep experimenting before the Third Saturday in October matchup against Alabama. Anything less than a lopsided performance in Fayetteville would likely be viewed as a problem.
So the question now is simple: can Brandon or MacIntyre separate himself against Arkansas?
One of them ought to, unless both somehow look sharp against a defense that has been giving quarterbacks plenty of room to work.
Auburn faces Arkansas in November. That should thankfully be a win. Never say never, though, unfortunately.
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