My literary contributors didn’t overlook the obvious in their most recent emails. Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel’s decision to change quarterbacks vs Auburn on Oct. 3 drew the most responses.
But there also were shoutouts for the defense. And Brian wondered if Adidas had a wardrobe malfunction.
Daniel writes: Shortly after the Auburn game ended, you speculated that "maybe" Heupel will stick with George MacIntyre at quarterback. And maybe he will.
But I think Faizon Brandon's benching will be short-lived. His body took an awful beating from the Texas defense, and his confidence may have been even more banged up. It's hardly surprising if he's still licking his wounds.
I think he'll be UT's starting QB again soon. But if not, UT could do a lot
worse than MacIntyre.
My response: Brandon showed his talent in the first three games against overmatched opponents. But he’s still a freshman.
Heupel made the right call by replacing him with MacIntyre in the 24-14 victory over Auburn. And based on how MacIntyre performed, he should start Oct. 10 against Arkansas.
That doesn’t mean Brandon is forever doomed to the bench.
Jimmy writes: Well then - can’t fault the QB change as Faizon melted down in the Auburn game. The Texas game was a big setback for his confidence, and he was again in over his head.
My son was right. Heupel should have started G-Mac to begin with. If G-Mac holds the job, Brandon might be playing for Lane Kiffin next year.
My response: You usually come across as an expert. But you are now telling me your son knows more about quarterbacks than you do.
Perhaps, your confidence also has been shaken. If so, maybe Sonny needs to replace you as a literary contributor.
Doug writes: As others have similarly mentioned, it seems as though Heupel may not be the best at selecting the “initial” starting quarterback at the beginning of a season but is adept at adjusting on the fly.
With both Joe Milton and Faizon Brandon, it seems like he became enamored with their sheer athletic ability in fall practice and did not factor in other, possibly more important, factors such as accuracy, poise and leadership ability.
As you accurately mentioned in your article regarding the recent quarterback change, we don't yet know how things will unfold for MacIntyre moving forward, but, if midseason quarterback switches in the past are any indication, I like his chances of success.
My response: Most coaches are slow to make quarterback changes. But Heupel’s decision to replace Milton with Hendon Hooker worked out beautifully in 2021.
And his decision to substitute MacIntyre for Brandon saved the Vols from a loss against Auburn.
Chris writes: I don’t understand how Heupel coaches. But hey, I’ve said the same thing about Rick Barnes and he proves me wrong. So, roll on.
Just becoming less of a Heupel fan each week. Too much talent, too much money, too many resources … and now, I’ll be quiet for the weekend and enjoy the win.
My response: You seem to be mellowing. You didn’t fire a single coach this week.
Enjoy your quiet time.
Glenn writes: Putting his best athletes on defense, General Neyland often held opponents scoreless. Keeping with the Neyland nostalgic theme of uniform styles of his day and a midfield logo, the Vols defense played like a Neyland team for three quarters against Auburn.
My response: Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t cover Neyland’s teams. But I only had to peruse a Tennessee media guide to appreciate what a defensive mastermind he was.
In his first seven seasons as UT’s coach (1926-32), his teams shut out 44 of 68 opponents. His 1931 team gave up only 15 points in 10 games.
Jack writes: This is the best defense of the Josh Heupel era. Shades of the 1990s and The Chief (defensive coordinator John Chavis).
My response: New Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles should be proud. In back-to-back emails, his defense has been compared to those of Neyland, one of college football’s all-time great coaches, and Chavis, who coordinated UT defenses when the Vols went 45-5 from 1995-98.
Steve writes: The offensive line performed somewhat better against Auburn but not much. Once again, DeSean Bishop made good yardage on his own, despite a lack of consistent help from the offensive line.
My response: Bishop is emerging as an elite SEC running back. But you don’t rush for 220 yards unless your offensive line is doing its job.
And the Vols got the job done in the offensive line without two injured guards. Wendell Moe, who is out for the season, and Shamurad Umarov were both sidelined against Auburn.
Brian writes: Did Adidas forget to make the gray pants?
My response: If you decide to forgo the traditional orange and white for gray, all-gray would be preferable. Combining the gray jerseys with the white pants made you wonder if there had been a mix-up.
You also might wonder if the Vols will show up in white jerseys and gray pants against Arkansas.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Readers give their blessing to Tennessee football's quarterback switch | Adams
