Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre will make his second straight start when the Vols play Alabama on Oct. 17, a source confirmed to Knox News.
The source requested anonymity because UT has not announced its starter, and coach Josh Heupel declined to do so at his weekly press conference on Oct. 12.
The 14th-ranked Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) play No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 3-1) on Oct. 17 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Neyland Stadium.
MacIntyre, a sophomore and former Brentwood Academy standout, made his first career start in a 24-17 win over Arkansas on Oct. 10. He was 18-of-29 passing for 247 yards and one TD.
“I thought (MacIntyre) was decisive with the football. He was going to the right spot and made some plays,” Heupel said. “(He) did some things inside of the pocket
that were really positive. (On) the third down (play), he makes a guy miss (and) keeps his eyes down the football field."
MacIntyre also committed three turnovers against Arkansas, including two interceptions and a fumble.
“We’ve got to do a better job taking care of the football,” Heupel said. “We’ve got to play smarter and not make it more difficult on ourselves (with) pre-snap penalties or whatever it might be. So (there’s) a lot to clean up. But (MacIntyre) did a good job.”
Why George MacIntyre starts vs. Alabama instead of Faizon Brandon
MacIntyre has been the only UT quarterback to play since Faizon Brandon was benched midway through a 24-14 win over Auburn on Oct. 3.
Brandon, a five-star freshman, started the first five games of the season. He struggled against Texas and Auburn, but he was also hampered by a right shoulder injury.
Before that, Brandon played well against inferior competition in nonconference games. He has completed 61 of 101 passes for 697 yards, seven TDs and one interception this season. And he has rushed for 130 yards and three TDs.
MacIntyre and Brandon were listed as co-starters on the UT depth chart before the Arkansas game. Brandon did not play in that game. And he was a partial participant in pregame warm-ups, throwing only a few passes and taking no snaps.
After the Arkansas game, Heupel said Brandon had been limited in practice due to his right shoulder injury, and he was at the game for “emergency use only.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Quarterback George MacIntyre will start for Tennessee football vs Alabama
