It's no secret that the Boo Carter-Tennessee divorce was a messy one, with the former standout Vols defensive back officially packing his bags for Colorado this past offseason. It was a move that felt like a year in the making, with Carter making his CU debut on Thursday night in the win over Georgia Tech. And in that victory, Carter saved the day, blocking what would have been a game-winning field goal.
We'll give credit where it's due, as Carter saved the day for Deion Sanders and his team. At the same time, is this actually some good news for Tennessee and Josh Heupel as well? Believe it or not, we think so, and here's why.
The Yellow Jackets are now down in the dumps following that season-opening home loss in Atlanta. Fans are calling out the coaching staff, with the defense in particular having a nightmare trying to stop the run. This comes with the Vols, expected to cruise past Furman in Week 1, making the trip to GT next weekend. Yeah, now is the perfect time for Tennessee to get ready for its first road showdown of the year, and Carter is a big reason for that.
Georgia Tech's potential game-winning FG gets blocked!
— ESPN (@espn) September 4, 2026
What a win for Coach Prime and Colorado 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0kPWhJwxeN
Former Tennessee DB Boo Carter saved the day for Deion Sanders in Week 1
While it does feel a little strange praising Carter after how things ended with the Vols, again, give the young man some props for stepping up like this. At the same time, it's something that Tennessee needs to take full advantage of, while also keeping in mind that with Georgia Tech riding low right now, it will also present a good chance for Faizon Brandon to put on a show.
Come this weekend, Brandon is going to make his college debut, and Neyland Stadium is going to be rocking, with countless people screaming his name from start to finish. Looking ahead to Week 2, though, he'll make his first road start, where the Georgia Tech faithful will look to rattle him in a big way.
However, fresh off a loss to Colorado, how fired up are those same fans going to be, with belief in Brent Key and his players not being too high? Hey, we could be overthinking things here, but this just feels like a perfect recipe is brewing for Brandon and the rest of the Tennessee offense to have their way with the Yellow Jackets.
The Vols are big favorites for that showdown, with the FanDuel sportsbook now having UT at +9.5. That's pretty telling, especially with Georgia Tech being the home side. With a dominant performance vs. the Paladins soon enough, the Vols will only grow in confidence before hitting the road and heading south to Georgia.
Barring a shocker, Tennessee should take care of business and improve to 2-0. Carter having an eventual impact on things? We didn't have it on our bingo card, but the former Vols safety bringing Georgia Tech down like this is something the Tennessee faithful can be appreciative of.
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