Josh Heupel isn’t tipping his hand at quarterback, even after George MacIntyre kept delivering for Tennessee.
With the Vols set to visit South Carolina on Saturday, Heupel again declined Monday to name a starter, sticking with the approach he used the previous two weeks. MacIntyre has won both of his first two starts and just guided Tennessee to a 26-10 upset of then-No. 6 Alabama on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
“George has played smart and efficient. Like a lot of what he's done,” Heupel said during his weekly Monday press conference. “You guys will figure out as we get to game day.”
The sophomore has given Tennessee stability since stepping in, first helping the 11th-ranked Vols (6-1, 3-1 SEC) escape with a 24-17 win at Arkansas on Oct. 10 in his first career start. He followed that with a steady outing against Alabama, going 21 of 31 for 197 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
That came a week after he was 18 of 29 for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Razorbacks. For the season, MacIntyre - a former four-star prospect from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy - has completed 66.3 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Freshman Faizon Brandon started Tennessee’s first five games before a shoulder injury changed the picture. Brandon left briefly during the Vols’ 20-17 loss to then-No.
1 Texas on Sept. 26, though he was not on the SEC availability reports before Tennessee’s 24-14 win over Auburn on Oct. 3.
Even so, the injury seemed to affect him in the first half, and MacIntyre took over just before halftime and helped spark the comeback.
Brandon was listed as questionable in the lead-up to the Arkansas game and was a game-time decision, then Heupel said afterward that he was available for “emergency use only.”
Last week, Brandon again showed up as questionable on Tennessee’s availability reports Wednesday and Thursday before being removed Friday night, a sign he would be available against Alabama. He still did not play.
Heupel said after the win over the Crimson Tide that MacIntyre “played winning football” in Tennessee’s third straight home victory in the Third Saturday in October rivalry.
“He's continued to grow,” Heupel said Monday. “I've said it before: Every rep that a young quarterback gets - and it's true of older ones too - they continue to grow, get better.
[They] understand space, timing, bodies in motion, moving around, better feel for the pocket - all of those things. So he has continued to grow.”
South Carolina comes in at 3-3, 1-3 in the SEC, and is coming off an open date after beating Florida 38-19 on Oct. 10.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Celebration Just Added Another Twist To This Alabama Rivalry
The postgame celebration in Knoxville came with a costly catch. After Tennessees win over Alabama, the Southeastern Conference fined the university $500,000 for violating its access to competition area policy, punishing the fan rush onto the field that followed one of the programs biggest victories in recent memory. The leagues policy is designed to keep spectators out of competition areas for safety, and it only allows exceptions when procedures are approved in advance and clearly communicated.
The money will go to Alabama, adding another layer to a rivalry that already had plenty of juice. Tennessee still has a path to have the fine reduced if it can show it tried to prevent the field storming or that there was only minimal interaction during the scene, but for now the SEC has made clear that the celebration crossed a line it wasnt willing to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Truth After Tennessee Exposed This Weakness
Alabamas trip to Tennessee ended with a 26-10 loss that put a familiar SEC test back in sharp focus: the line of scrimmage. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the Tides struggles up front and the offensive turnovers as major reasons the game tilted, even as Alabamas defense did enough to keep things from getting away from them early.
Tennessee, meanwhile, leaned on its running game to control the contest and keep pressure on a Tide offense that never found much rhythm. The result dropped Alabama to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, with Texas A&M next on the schedule as the Tide try to answer a question that was exposed in a hurry in Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Alabama Celebration Just Reignited A Debate Vols Fans Know Well
The celebration in Knoxville is already carrying a pricey reminder. Tennessee was fined $500,000 by the Southeastern Conference after fans stormed the field following the football game against Alabama, a scene that quickly turned a big win into a league issue. Under SEC policy, spectators are not supposed to enter the field except in specific circumstances, and the penalty is being passed along to Alabama.
There is still a possible path to a smaller bill if Tennessee can show it made efforts to keep fans off the field, but the visuals from Saturday make that a tough case to sell. Video showed a large number of fans spilling onto the turf, which is exactly the kind of moment the conference has tried to discourage as it keeps revisiting how to handle field-storming celebrations. [Read more 🡒]