The No. 14 Vols (3-0) waltzed to a 42-9 win over Kennesaw State (1-2) on Sept. 19 at Neyland Stadium. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, in only his third college start, displayed maturity but was blotted by a couple ball security mishaps. He orchestrated seven scoring drives in this last nonconference game before facing No. 1 Texas. Those fumbles? They’re a massive red flag right before the biggest test.
Brandon’s Big Plays, Big Mistakes
Brandon definitely led the offense to another strong showing, orchestrating seven scoring drives against Kennesaw State. He was efficient, too, slinging for 178 yards and a touchdown on an impressive 18 of 26 passing. The kid showed he can beat you with his legs as well, turning 11 carries into 47 rushing yards and bagging his third rushing touchdown of the season. Coach Josh Heupel even gave him a nod, saying, “I thought Faizon did a good job working windows and taking what was there.”
But man, those fumbles were tough to watch. Brandon’s first career turnover came on a strip sack, and Kennesaw State actually scooped that one up. That’s a drive-killer right there. Then, just to keep us on edge, he fumbled *again* in the fourth quarter during a scramble. Luckily, offensive tackle Ory Williams was there to recover it. We got lucky twice, but a team like No. 1 Texas isn’t gonna be so forgiving with gifts like that.
Chunk Plays and Crucial Defense
It wasn’t all deep bombs and flashy plays, but 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, true, but he kept that offense churning, moving the chains and wearing down the Kennesaw State defense. He looked super comfortable in the pocket, always keeping his legs as a threat.
And hey, a shoutout to the defense for making a big play when it mattered. After Brandon’s first fumble gave Kennesaw State new life, defensive end Tyree Weathersby immediately jumped on a fumble from a botched Owl handoff on their very next drive. Backup quarterback George MacIntyre even got to close things out, replacing Brandon for the final drive in the fourth quarter. This Kennesaw State game was the last nonconference breather. The real test? It starts next Saturday.
No. 1 Texas is Staring Them Down
The clock is ticking, folks. The undefeated No. 14 Vols are heading straight into the fire, kicking off SEC play against the also undefeated No. 1 Texas Longhorns (3-0). That game is set for September 26th, a noon ET kickoff on ABC. Faizon Brandon’s early maturity and playmaking are awesome, but those two fumbles against a far weaker opponent absolutely CANNOT happen against the Longhorns. Ball security has to be priority number one. This is it. This is where we find out what this team is really made of.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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