Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon turned in a near flawless debut as Tennessee football routed Furman 56-9 at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5 to open the 2026 season.
Brandon completed 76% of his passes while racking up 294 total yards and five touchdowns in his first start. But that was against an FCS opponent. The competition levels up when the No. 18 Vols play Georgia Tech (0-1) at Atlanta on Sept. 12 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"It always comes down to little things, that's at home or on the road, but on the road, it's amplified," UT coach Josh Heupel said Sept. 7. "So great in communication, control and command of what we're doing. He's going to have to make plays but he's got to take care of the football as well."
Heupel's first impressions were positive,
but he put Brandon under the microscope in film study the following day. He saw Brandon warm up to the game, using his legs to beat the defense early before passing lanes opened up.
Brandon threw his first career touchdown pass to Ethan Davis on his first drive. Then he rushed for two more scores in the second quarter. Finally, in the third quarter, he was able to connect with junior wide receiver Mike Matthews for touchdowns of 55 and 57 yards.
"We anticipated them being pretty soft early in the football game. That's why there weren't a ton of shots down the football field," Heupel said. "We talk about the little things adding up, we were behind the chains on drive two and drive three because of self-inflicted wounds. So all of that is part of why the first quarter was the way that it was."
The game against Georgia Tech will mark the first time Brandon faces a power conference defense outside of practice and he'll do it in a hostile environment at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
This week of practice is key for Brandon, Heupel said. He was able to operate UT's offense efficiently inside the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium, but will need a different kind of poise on the road.
"Prepare the right way and empty the tank in your preparation," Heupel said. "That's film study, understanding what we want to do."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Josh Heupel saw on film from Faizon Brandon in debut for Tennessee football
