George MacIntyre did enough in his first career start at Arkansas to make the decision for Tennessee look pretty clear heading into Alabama.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t easy.
But it was the kind of performance that can steady a team when the game gets messy. Tennessee hadn’t won in Fayetteville in 25 years, and Arkansas made Josh Heupel’s group earn every inch.
Through it all, MacIntyre kept his composure, and that mattered.
The freshman finished 18 of 29 for 247 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also put the ball on the ground once near halftime.
Heupel’s first-half play-calling didn’t exactly make life simple for him, but the game opened up some for MacIntyre after the break. He looked more settled, more confident, and more in control as the afternoon wore on.
That growth is why he should be the guy against Alabama in the Third Saturday in October.
Faizon Brandon may have the higher ceiling, but Tennessee needs the quarterback who can handle the moment it’s in right now. MacIntyre showed he can do that against Arkansas.
Brandon, as the source noted, would have lost the game MacIntyre just won. The reference point is clear: Brandon’s struggles against Texas and the way things snowballed before the Auburn victory are still part of the conversation.
The Volunteers are 5-1 and will move up in the polls, but this was not a comfortable win. It was a tense one, the kind that asks a lot of a young quarterback.
Tennessee’s ground game eventually tipped the balance. As the game went on, it became obvious that whichever team ran it better late would come out on top.
The Vols couldn’t get much going on the ground in the first half, but DeSean Bishop and company finished the job. Bishop’s 59-yard run helped set up the game-winning touchdown with about two minutes left, and MacIntyre had a hand in the victory, too.
He did look inexperienced at times, but not like a quarterback making his very first start. More importantly, he grew into the game.
His second interception would have been a bigger problem against a stronger SEC opponent, and that’s the warning sign Tennessee has to keep in mind. Against Alabama, a mistake like that could be costly.
Still, there wasn’t enough in the Arkansas win to justify a change. Brandon may eventually get another shot, and if MacIntyre struggles badly next week and Brandon is healthy enough to step in, that could become a conversation. For now, though, MacIntyre showed he can win ugly, and that may be exactly what Tennessee needs to reach 6-1.
If the Vols are going to have a chance at a signature win over Alabama, MacIntyre should be the one taking the first snap.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Quarterback Situation Just Got More Uncertain Before Arkansas
Tennessees quarterback picture has become even murkier heading into the trip to Arkansas, with Faizon Brandon now dealing with an injury and listed as questionable for the game. The uncertainty adds another layer to a position that was already under a spotlight after Brandon was benched in the previous game against Auburn, when George MacIntyre stepped in and gave the Volunteers a steadier look through the air.
Josh Heupel acknowledged Brandons injury status but stopped short of mapping out how Tennessee will handle the position this week. That leaves the Volunteers waiting on two fronts: whether Brandon can get healthy in time, and whether the staff chooses to lean back toward MacIntyre after his efficient relief work against Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Playoff Margin Could Shift Before The Alabama Game
Tennessees early surge has the Volunteers sitting at 4-1 and hovering near the College Football Playoff bubble, which means the margins around them matter almost as much as what happens in Knoxville. Before Tennessee even gets to its Week 7 meeting with Alabama, a handful of high-profile games elsewhere could reshape the picture around the Vols and the teams theyre being compared against.
UCLAs trip to Oregon, Houstons matchup with Kansas State and, most notably, Alabama against Georgia all carry ripple effects for Tennessees playoff standing. The Vols do not play Georgia this season, so the Bulldogs remain part of the broader conversation only from a distance, but Alabama is still very much in front of them on the schedule and in the committee conversation. By the time Tennessee gets its shot at the Crimson Tide, the playoff margin could already look different. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has A Clear Arkansas Opportunity If The Vols Can Deliver
Tennessee heads into its SEC matchup with Arkansas with a blueprint in hand, and the film from the Razorbacks loss to Texas A&M points to an opening the Vols will want to press. Tennessees spread offense and run game have been the focus of the prep work, with DeSean Bishop set to be a central figure as the Vols try to stress a defense that showed vulnerabilities in its most recent outing. It is the kind of game plan that can travel well if Tennessee can stay on schedule and force Arkansas to defend the full width of the field.
George MacIntyre is expected to make his first career start, which adds another layer to a game Tennessee already views as an opportunity. Arkansas still brings a defense coordinated by Jim Knowles, so the challenge is not hard to identify, even if the tape suggests some cracks to attack. For the Vols, the question is whether they can turn those areas into a real advantage on the road, and whether MacIntyres debut can stay steady enough to let the rest of the offense do its work. [Read more 🡒]