To borrow a baseball analogy, Tennessee football quarterback Faizon Brandon hit a steady string of singles and doubles against Kennesaw State.
But when asked about Brandon’s performance at the plate, coach Josh Heupel pointed out the home run that the Vols missed.
“Well, we were close to hitting a big one to Mike (Matthews) later in the game,” Heupel said after the 14th-ranked Vols (3-0) won 42-9 over Kennesaw State (1-2) on Sept. 19 at Neyland Stadium.
The play Heupel referenced was early in the fourth quarter. Brandon had dinked and dunked his way to a solid 178-yard passing performance against a defense designed to prevent big plays.
He had completed only one pass beyond 20 yards, and that was a 35-yard catch-and-run by Braylon Staley on the
first play of the game.
Then on the pass to Matthews, Brandon said he saw the safety “was getting a little nosy” on a crossing route that opened up the deep middle of the field. He fired the pass, but it skimmed off Matthews’ fingertips at the goal line.
It would’ve been a 54-yard touchdown on a deep pass the Vols had tried to set up throughout the game. Instead, it was an incomplete pass and a missed opportunity.
“I feel like (completing those passes) is really important because it sets the tone of the game,” Brandon said. “It’s important to hit those big shots.”
It was an inconsequential play in a blowout victory over an inferior opponent. But it could be relevant when Tennessee plays No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26 (noon ET, ABC) in an SEC showdown at Neyland Stadium.
This Kennesaw State defense will intrigue Texas
Kennesaw State was resigned to giving up short and intermediate passes to Brandon, and he gladly accepted them. He completed 18 of 26 passes, including checkdowns to running backs and tosses over the shallow middle.
“Coverages have weaknesses. Structures have weaknesses. There was a way that (Kennesaw State) wanted to play tonight defensively,” Heupel said. “I thought Faizon did a good job working windows and taking what was there.”
Kennesaw State often dropped eight defenders into pass coverage and rushed only three. It’s a defense designed to prevent deep passes and timing routes because windows are tighter. And it can also prevent a scrambling quarterback from breaking long runs because more defenders in zone coverage are facing the passer.
Rest assured that Texas will notice how the approach minimized explosive plays by Brandon and the Vols.
However, Tennessee will highlight how opportunities for big plays eventually show up if the quarterback is patient, and Brandon certainly was. But the Vols can’t afford to miss against Texas like they did in the Kennesaw State game.
Why Faizon Brandon was coached to be conservative
Here’s the good news about Brandon’s performance against Kennesaw State’s risk-averse defense. He wasn’t greedy. He did what he was coached to do, and it was successful.
“I’m not really trying to force anything,” Brandon said. “(I) just take what they give me and not try to do anything extra.”
Brandon isn’t eager to create highlights. He simply wants productive drives, points and wins. That approach helped the Vols score on seven of nine drives with Brandon in the game while creating few highlight plays.
Patience and selflessness are rare qualities for a freshman quarterback, but Brandon has them. And he’ll need that in spades when facing Texas.
Why Texas may tempt Tennessee to prove it can run the ball
There could be a second bit of good news. Dropping eight defenders into coverage makes a defense vulnerable to a steady rushing attack.
But it’s debatable whether the Vols can cash in on that schematic advantage if Texas opts for that approach. UT rushed for 268 yards against Kennesaw State, and it averages 299 yards rushing per game.
But any observer can see that the Vols’ rushing performances aren’t as impressive as their stats. And perhaps the biggest question comes in considering their opponents – Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State – which have no FBS wins between them this season.
If Texas allows Brandon to complete short passes, he'll accept that. If Tennessee can run the ball against a light defensive front, it could put Texas on its heels. But if the Vols can't capitalize on opportunities for big plays or gash the Longhorns with a steady ground game, it could be a frustrating afternoon for the home team.
“We’re going to have to get better (because we) understand who we’re playing next week,” Heupel said. "I like the results (of the season so far). I like that we've gotten better every week. This football team should enjoy it briefly. Then Monday we'll come in and (we'll see) the reality on the tape of how we need to get better."
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: How Texas may follow Kennesaw State blueprint vs Faizon Brandon, Tennessee football
