George MacIntyre is stepping up, man. The No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers are heading to Fayetteville this weekend, and it’s MacIntyre who’s gonna be under center for his first career start, according to sources confirmed by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. This isn’t some casual shake-up, either; the Vols quarterback situation could get real interesting real fast.
Brandon’s Out, MacIntyre’s In: What We’ve Seen So Far
So, why the change? Faizon Brandon, the usual starter, has been dealing with a lingering shoulder injury. He picked it up late in the Volunteers’ loss to No. 1 Texas a couple weeks ago, and even though he tried to push through against Auburn last Saturday, he was unable to finish the game. That’s where MacIntyre came in. He took over for Brandon in the second quarter and led Tennessee to a 24-14 win over the Tigers. He completed 8-of-10 passes for 86 yards in that game, and while the passing wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, DeSean Bishop went absolutely off on the ground with 220 yards and three touchdowns. MacIntyre showed he could manage the game and get the W.
The Razorbacks Are a Test, But Alabama Is The Real Question
Now, MacIntyre gets his first full start on the road against Arkansas. And let’s be real, the Razorbacks are widely seen as the worst team in the SEC. Their defense is giving up the second-most points in the conference at 28.4 per game, and they’re pretty much at the bottom of the SEC in most defensive stats. This is a chance for MacIntyre to truly shine and get the Vols to a 5-1 record. But the *real* looming question for head coach Josh Heupel? Who starts when they visit Tuscaloosa on October 17 to take on No. 6 Alabama. That’s the game, right? It’s all gonna come down to Brandon’s health and how crisp this offense looks with MacIntyre running the show. If MacIntyre balls out against Arkansas, if he has a fantastic game, Heupel will have a massive decision to make, even if Brandon is back to full health for that huge Crimson Tide matchup. You gotta wonder if this is MacIntyre’s moment to seize the job.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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