No. 14 Tennessee football's first SEC road test of the season comes against Arkansas.
The Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) will start sophomore George MacIntyre at quarterback against the Razorbacks (2-3, 0-2) on Oct. 10 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. UT benched freshman Faizon Brandon during the win over Auburn on Oct. 3.
Here's what to know about the matchup.
Ryan Silverfield's Arkansas tenure is off to a rough start
It's been a difficult start to the season for Arkansas under new coach Ryan Silverfield. After a 33-point nonconference loss to Utah, the Razorbacks weren't particularly competitive in either of their first two SEC games against Georgia and Texas A&M. They lost those games by a combined 55 points.
When Silverfield was hired from Memphis,
he was tasked with turning around an Arkansas program that hasn't won eight games in back-to-back seasons since 2010-11. The program has lost 13 straight SEC games dating back to 2024 and 16 of its last 22 games overall.
Silverfield's turnaround doesn't look like it's starting this year. The Razorbacks were picked last in the preseason SEC media poll, and that has aged unfortunately well. ESPN's Football Power Index doesn't expect them to win another game. According to FPI, they only have a winning probability over 30% in two games — against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, both of which are also winless in the SEC.
Receiver Chris Marshall leads Arkansas' offense
Wide receiver Chris Marshall has been Arkansas' best player this season. He was recently added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list after totaling 35 catches for 549 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers other than Marshall only have 33 catches, but Marshall is good enough to impact the game even when the focus of attention.
Quarterback KJ Jackson has struggled when unable to rely on Marshall. In three games against Power Four opponents, he's only completed 54.7% of his passes for 462 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
On defense, stopping the run has been a problem for the Razorbacks, who allowed Georgia to rush for 254 yards and Texas A&M to rush for 231. That does not bode well after Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop had 220 rushing yards against Auburn.
Arkansas has one former Tennessee player: kicker Max Gilbert, who went 14-for-9 on field goals for the Vols last year. He is 7-for-9 on field goals this season with no misses inside 50 yards.
George MacIntyre will start at quarterback for Tennessee
After Brandon started at quarterback for Tennessee in its first five games, the Vols will turn to MacIntyre against the Razorbacks, Knox News reported on Oct. 6.
MacIntyre came in for Brandon late in the second quarter against Auburn and completed 8-of-10 passes for 86 yards. His relief provided a boost to a struggling offense that had zero passing yards before he entered and had been largely shut down the week prior by Texas.
Coach Josh Heupel said that Brandon is still dealing with the shoulder injury that hampered him in the Texas game and hasn't committed to a permanent starter. A strong performance could allow MacIntyre to claim the starting job moving forward.
Tennessee vs Arkansas score prediction
Tennessee 31, Arkansas 14: Tennessee hasn't won at Arkansas in four games since 2001. That includes an upset in 2024 when the No. 4 Vols lost to the unranked Razorbacks.
That streak looks destined to end on Oct. 10. If Tennessee's defense continues its strong play and the run game is effective, MacIntyre won't need to do much for the Vols to earn a comfortable win.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Will Tennessee football beat Arkansas in QB George MacIntyre's first start? Our pick
