ATLANTA — Josh Heupel and Faizon Brandon can rely on Tennessee's defense to carry it through some rough patches — at least to a certain point.
That was apparent in the way the 18th-ranked Vols beat Georgia Tech 45-24 amid a crowd with plenty of orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 12.
Heupel’s offense didn’t have to light up the scoreboard or stat sheet to win. And Brandon, the freshman quarterback, didn’t have to reel off eye-popping highlights for the Vols (2-0) to protect a lead on the road over the Yellow Jackets (0-2).
They just needed to do enough and trust in Jim Knowles, the defensive wiz that Heupel hired as coordinator in the offseason. His squad carried the Vols through some critical lulls.
How Jim Knowles' defense carried the burden in win
Knowles’ defense scored a touchdown on Dejuan
Lane’s pick-6. It had another red-zone stop that yielded only a field goal. Jeremiah Telander’s interception prevented points before halftime. And the Vols stopped Georgia Tech's rally on fourth down at the goal line early in the fourth quarter.
That steady string of stops and takeaways must’ve given Brandon a sense of ease. After all, he showed tremendous restraint when things didn’t go his way.
Georgia Tech brought pressure, and Brandon didn’t panic. It confused him at times, but he didn’t force passes into dangerous places. That's why Brandon's understated stat line wasn't a big problem. He was 10-of-21 passing for 148 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.
Perhaps Brandon is simply that mature and disciplined. But a reliable defense allowed the young quarterback to accept minor setbacks because he knew he had help from Knowles’ squad. It was a welcomed aid for a freshman in his first college road game.
This was the right plan vs. Georgia Tech, but it must expand
But here's the catch. The Vols can't win at a high level in the SEC with a scaled-back offense and a careful quarterback. This was the right approach for Brandon in the first true test of his career, but the plan must develop from here.
There was quite a burden on Knowles' defense to hold off Georgia Tech. The offense must take on a larger portion of the load.
Tennessee plays Kennesaw State on Sept. 19 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.
Then the Vols host No. 3 Texas on Sept. 26 to open SEC play. They'll need a play-making quarterback and a stingy defense to have a shot at winning that game. So far, they might be on pace to accomplish both, but the question is how long it takes them to reach their destination.
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: Jim Knowles' Tennessee defense let Faizon Brandon play restrained vs Georgia Tech
