Tennessee’s offense left too much on the table in the Vols’ 20-17 loss to Texas, and the quarterback discussion naturally landed on freshman Faizon Brandon. He finished 17-of-29 for 145 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, but the numbers only tell part of the story after Tennessee also gave up 10 sacks.
After the game, the blame game started almost immediately. Some pointed to Brandon needing to be quicker with the ball and sharper in the pocket.
Others looked at the offensive line and the pressure it allowed. However anyone splits it up, the larger picture is the same: Tennessee’s offense as a whole has to clean things up.
That’s the backdrop as the Vols turn to Auburn this week, and Josh Heupel made it clear what he wants from his young quarterback moving forward. The message is simple: keep protecting the football, but don’t shy away from the throws that are there.
“Well, I think going back to not (making) reckless decisions, but in Saturday’s game, there’s windows and opportunities, timing, whatever it might be, where some of those things he’s got to let rip,” Heupel said. “Things that he saw and things that maybe he missed. But that’s part of growing as a quarterback.”
Heupel also stressed that Brandon didn’t respond to the Texas game by sulking. Instead, he went right back to work, which fits the way the freshman has carried himself since arriving on campus. That willingness to absorb coaching and apply it quickly is a big reason he won the job in the first place.
“First of all, he wants to play at a high level,” Heupel said. “He knows that he can and he needs to play better than he did Saturday.
But that’s a young guy that, since he’s gotten here, has taken ownership, takes correction, incorporates it into his game and improves. Certainly expect that from him this week.
You know, I said at the beginning of the year, too, you got a young quarterback, the 10 other guys around him got to do their job at a high level to alleviate unforeseen circumstances for that guy, too. And that’s part of the ownership that everybody on the offensive side of the ball has to have.”
Tennessee faces Auburn at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, then heads to Arkansas the following week for Brandon’s first SEC road game.
In Other News...
Texas Had To Address A Tennessee Celebration Vols Fans Wont Forget
Texas left Neyland Stadium with a hard-earned 20-17 win over Tennessee, but some of the attention afterward centered on behavior rather than the final score. Head coach Steve Sarkisian met separately with Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown to address celebrations that crossed the line, including the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Simmons drew after a touchdown. For a road win that already carried plenty of weight, it became clear the postgame conversation had to include discipline as much as execution.
Sarkisian made clear he was not brushing it off, especially with Simmons viewed as a potential first-round NFL draft pick and expected to carry himself accordingly. The message was about professionalism and setting a standard moving forward, the kind of correction that can linger long after the scoreboard is forgotten. Tennessee fans may not have liked the result, but they certainly noticed the celebration, and Texas had to answer for it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Gave Vols Fans A New Respect Debate
Tennessees narrow 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas at Neyland Stadium left the Vols with the kind of mixed review that tends to linger. The defense and special teams did enough to keep the game tight, but the offense never fully found its rhythm, and that imbalance showed up again when the latest 247Sports SEC poll landed after Week 4.
Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot, Texas settled in at No. 2 and Tennessee slid to No. 8, a drop that adds another layer to the ongoing respect conversation around the program. Florida and Mississippi State made noticeable climbs, while Texas A&M and Ole Miss also moved down, but for Tennessee the bigger question is how much a close battle with the nations top team actually changes the conference view of the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Gets A Charged Auburn Test After One Ugly Wake-Up Call
Tennessee gets back on the road Saturday, Oct. 3, and the timing of Auburn could hardly be more instructive. Both teams are 3-1, and for Josh Heupels group, the trip comes with a quick chance to reset after the offense sputtered in the loss to Texas, a game that forced the head coach to talk openly about what needs cleaning up.
Champions Weekend adds another layer to the afternoon in Auburn, with Tennessee honoring past championship teams and individuals while the current roster tries to restore some momentum. The Vols do not have much margin for another clunker this early, and this matchup should say plenty about how quickly Heupels offense can respond to the wake-up call it just got. [Read more 🡒]