Faizon Brandon continued to display maturity in his third college start, blotted by a couple ball security mishaps.
The Tennessee football quarterback led the offense to another strong showing in its last nonconference game before facing No. 1 Texas. He orchestrated seven scoring drives as the No. 14 Vols (3-0) waltzed to a 42-9 win over Kennesaw State (1-2) on Sept. 19 at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee begins SEC play against the Longhorns (3-0) on Sept. 26 (noon ET, ABC).
"I thought Faizon did a good job working windows and taking what was there," said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.
Brandon threw for 178 yards and a touchdown on 18 of 26 passing while turning 11 carries into 47 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The freshman also had his first turnover ―
a fumble on a strip sack that Kennesaw State recovered. Fortunately for Tennessee, defensive end Tyree Weathersby jumped right on a fumble from a botched Owl handoff on their ensuing drive.
Brandon fumbled for a second time in the fourth quarter on a scramble, though it was recovered by offensive tackle Ory Williams.
Brandon operated well in the passing game. He consistently checked the ball down to his underneath options, allowing them to pick up yards in open field. He didn't connect on any significant deep passes, but instead kept the offense moving through chunk plays. Brandon looked comfortable in the pocket while keeping his legs as a threat, which resulted in his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Backup quarterback, sophomore George MacIntyre, replaced Brandon for the final drive in the fourth quarter.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Josh Heupel saw from Faizon Brandon in Tennessee football win vs Kennesaw State
