Remember when Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said that, despite naming George MacIntyre his starting quarterback over a month ago, he was going to rely on both of his young quarterbacks? Truer words have never been spoken, as the Vols were able to survive with a 22-7 win at Texas A&M.
In the second half, MacIntyre went down with a minor knee injury, but he was able to come back in. However, it was clearly bothering him in a big way. Enter Faizon Brandon. The 5-star freshman took the field, with Heupel focusing on the ground game, which led to Tennessee taking a 9-7 lead not long after he put his helmet on.
What makes Brandon so different from G-Mac is his ability to make plays with his legs. That threat kept the Aggies guessing, which was showcased on the drive that put Tennessee up 16-7. Facing 3rd-and-6, Heupel called a read option, with Brandon looking like he was going to take off.
A would-be A&M tackler was all over Brandon, who pitched the ball to Javin Gordon, who then took the ball down to the five for a first down. Shortly after, Brandon, on his first pass attempt of the day, hit tight end DaSaahn Brame for a five-yard score. Boom. No one can argue that the offense looked much crisper once Brandon took over. Enough for Heupel to give him the keys to the offense once again, with LSU next up on the schedule?
Faizon Brandon's first pass is a TD 🤯
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 14, 2026
Vols up two-scores in the 4th quarter 👀 pic.twitter.com/OxD9x7tzMl
Faizon Brandon may have given Josh Heupel something to think about with LSU next up on the schedule
There are several things that are going to come into play here. For starters, if MacIntyre is healthy enough to play, then sure, let the second-year QB keep going - he was clearly banged up in this one, which threw him off his game. MacIntyre finished completing 13-of-17 pass attempts for 109 yards.
With that said, what if MacIntyre is having issues dealing with this knee injury? As of this writing, the severity is unknown, but he was seen on the sidelines in plenty of discomfort trying to warm up to get back on the gridiron. Him grimacing while throwing the ball didn't look good either. Because of that, it might be smart to give him a week off, at minimum.
"George was banged up, that's why Faizon was in there," Heupel said right after the final whistle. "Both of those guys competed their butts off today. Proud of them. Young guys on the road, and they handled the situation well."
If MacIntyre does need extra time to get healthy, Brandon, who recorded 18 rushing yards and five passing yards on Saturday, will be ready to step up if his number is called. Everyone saw that in the win over Kentucky in Week 10, with him rushing for 29 yards on one carry, while adding a 24-yard touchdown toss to Mike Matthews. Speaking of Matthews, hearts dropped when he left the win today with his knee injury, but no new information has come in just yet.
As for Brandon, he may not be the best pocket passer just yet, but with the Vols trailing and struggling against the Aggies in a brutal road environment, he answered the call for Heupel. More of the same could be the case if he gets the nod, with Lane Kiffin heading to Knoxville next Saturday. And if we've learned anything about Brandon over the past two games, it's that he'll be fired up for the opportunity.
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