Even before the season started, Tennessee fans knew just how important DeSean Bishop was going to be for this team this season. And with Georgia Tech coming in Week 2, Josh Heupel needs to make sure he gives No. 18 the pigskin early and often in this road contest, as Deion Sanders and Colorado gave the UT offense an early look at GT's run defense, and it's not good.
Yup, come Saturday night, the Vols are going to have to focus on the ground attack, as the Buffaloes sure did in their Week 1 upset in Atlanta. In that win for Sanders' group, Colorado rushed for a head-turning 183 yards and a touchdown, with Micah Welch finding the end zone. With Tennessee's offensive line looking stout, more of the same should be on the way for Georgia Tech to face, which is not a good thing for defensive coordinator Jason Semore.
Tennessee must rely on DeSean Bishop early and often again Georgia Tech in Week 2
With Bishop in particular, he's coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2025, and he wasted no time looking sharp in the Week 1 domination of Furman. For his day at Neyland Stadium, the power back carried the ball 14 times for 97 yards and a touchdown. His day was highlighted by the TD and a 20-yard run.
Against the Yellow Jackets, it's not going to be a surprise to see him get 20-25 carries, especially as the Vols look to break the home team down in the second half. He's not going to be the only one to help carry the load running the ball, as Daune Morris and Javin Gordon should also expect to hear their numbers called a decent amount.
There's also the strong possibility we'll see quarterback Faizon Brandon use his legs quite a bit. In the season opener, the true freshman had five total touchdowns, with two rushing TDs. He tossed for 226 yards, adding 68 more with his feet. He's got solid speed for his size, which he'll also look to put on display against Georgia Tech.
While Brandon was able to make some fantastic throws against the Paladins, that was an FCS school that Tennessee just went up against. Georgia Tech is going to give Tennessee different looks, and the quality of its playmakers is going to be much different than what Brandon just saw.
With this, Heupel can take some pressure off his young QB in his first road start by letting the rushing attack carry the load early, with Bishop, of course, taking the lead there.
Colorado having its way running the ball against Georgia Tech was not something many people expected, with Sanders even clapping back at the haters a bit after the final whistle. With that, Tennessee can follow suit and run the ball down the Yellow Jackets' throat in what will hopefully be a dominant showing and victory for the Vols. It will be on Heupel to make that happen for the traveling fans, but a winning game plan sure is right in front of him.
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