Josh Heupel explains decision to bench Faizon Brandon in 1st half against Auburn
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Josh Heupel had to know he was going to be asked the question about the quarterback position as he left the field and headed to the locker room following a lackluster first half against Auburn on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.
The unranked Tigers had held Heupel’s Volunteers (3-1, 0-1 SEC) to 3 first-half points on their home field, and Heupel thought the 17th-ranked team in the country needed a lift to try to get the offense going. So, he benched starting quarterback Faizon Brandon and went with George MacIntyre for the rest of the half, which ended with Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC) clinging to a 7-3 lead.
In effect, Heupel exchanged a true freshman for a redshirt freshman, as he was hoping for that spark to get Tennessee over the top in Week 5. After Brandon went 3 for 8 in the first half without a touchdown and 1 interception, MacIntyre completed all 5 of his pass attempts for 38 yards, 0 TDs and 0 picks.
Heupel explained his quarterback decision to ESPN sideline reporter Stormy Buonantony.
“Faizon wasn’t operating, didn’t feel 100%. George came in and did some positive things. We’ve got to find a way to move the ball in the second half,” Josh Heupel said.
With the Tennessee quarterback picture suddenly clouded on Saturday, it looked like a fight to the finish for the struggling Volunteers in a low-scoring battle with Auburn. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about which team has the better chance to survive and escape Neyland Stadium with a win:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
