Some people don’t like the FCS games, and I totally get it.
“Cupcakes”, they say. “The game isn’t fun” or “We won’t learn anything”.
Again, I get it. You have to be a football sicko to sit there and stay locked into these kind of games and get anything pertinent out of them. Fortunately for you, I have the football sickness and still ran a high fever in the 4th quarter on Saturday, so I’ve got you covered.
The thing is, these games ARE important and they DO matter to the grand scheme of the season. I don’t care what the competition is: there is nothing that you can simulate in practice or scrimmage that can fully replicate the feel, flow, and rhythm of a real game.
Playing in front of an actual crowd? That matters. Referees making things unpredictable? That matters. In-game situations that arise organically and unscripted? That matters.
These things especially matter when you’re breaking in the youngest starting QB in program history. What does his body language look like? How does the ball leave his hands? Is he on target or off? Calm or visibly nervous?
These things matter when you have a new Defensive Coordinator who is breaking in his overhauled system for the first time. Are guys out of position? Are gaps being left unfilled? Are we seeing any confusion or coverage busts?
You may also run into a few surprises -which I feel like we did. Both good and maybe slightly concerning.
For my part, again, especially with a young team full of unknowns, I would rather get some early answers to these questions against someone like Furman rather than, say, LSU. Obviously, we didn’t get ALL the answers, but we did get some clarity and we’ll talk about it today.
*Cue the intro music*
September 5, 2026 – Knoxville, TN. We back. Football time in Tennessee. Feels like it’s been forever and the anticipation of finally seeing two completely unknown freshmen quarterbacks get live reps after an off-season battle that was largely hidden from us made it feel even longer. Was it worth the wait? Sure felt like it.
Despite some grumblings over kicking off the season with an FCS opponent rather than a Power Five matchup that would have been more compelling, Vol fans showed up to Neyland Stadium in droves, as expected, and finally bore witness to the new era. And there was a lot of new!
Quarterback? Never taken a snap in college. Defensive Coordinator? Replaced. Uniforms? Back to adidas. Neyland has gone through some renovations. The sound system has been revamped. Dolly Parton is no longer with us but is still very much with us. Josh Heupel? He’s now the longest tenured coach of Tennessee Football since Phillip Fulmer and shows no signs of slowing down.
I would say the anticipation for this one was as high as it’s been in some time and for the most part I believe it delivered. There were a few important boxes that this game needed to check to call it a successful week and here are the ones that we hit:
- Test the waters and see what you have at baseline with your new QB.
- Challenge the starting defense to play with heart, pride, and a little bit of nasty. The details will take shape as the season progresses.
- Get out with minimal injuries or setbacks.
- Pump the team full of confidence heading into Georgia Tech.
All four of these points were accomplished and that’s really all you can ask against this level of competition. Even so, there were plenty of takeaways to be gathered in the margins, so let’s take a look.
The Offense
The number one question on everyone’s mind headed into Saturday was simple: what will Faizon Brandon look like?
I think we got a good answer. Faizon looked calm, confident, and in command. Most importantly, Faizon did NOT look like an 18 year old freshman. On Saturday, I saw pocket awareness, checkdowns, deep shots, a TE dart up the seem and smart, unscripted runs. He never put the ball in harm’s way while still attacking and pushing the ball downfield. He was efficient.
Before we start saying anything about it’s only Furman, it should be noted that Faizon Brandon’s QBR clocked in at 95.9. This is in the same ballpark as some of the veteran and Heisman favorites of the league who also played cupcake games on Saturday (Arch Manning – 96.1, Julian Sayin – 98.9, Rocco Becht – 98.0). Faizon did against an FCS level team exactly what you’d expect from your Junior or Senior NFL level QB.
Just saying.
The game started a little slow for Faizon and had some Vol fans anxious, but upon rewatch, it seems clear that the slow ramp up was by design. Something I felt was pretty clear, is that Heupel wanted to get Faizon’s wheels on tape to show our upcoming opponents that they’re going to have to plan for EVERYTHING.
This play is a good example. This would be a good bet for this year’s “line up and stop us” play with Faizon’s legs plus David Sanders clearing the path. We’ve watched Heupel enough though to know that it’s only a matter of time before the Vols lineup showing this hand only for Faizon to take 3 steps to the left and uncork a pass to a wide open Ethan Davis who slipped past the line while the defense was preoccupied with taking on David Sanders.
We’re going to see plenty of designed runs like this throughout the year, but where Faizon could really shine will be in unscripted scrambles. Watch the pocket presence here as Faizon gets through his reads with his throwing motion ready and his internal clock tells him exactly when it’s time to bail. In just a few strides, he hits the 50 yard line and his acceleration bursts and it turns into a nice chunk play.
These are the plays that the Heupel offense has been missing since Hendon Hooker. Milton, Nico, and Aguilar could each run in their own right, but Nico struggled with decisive decision making in the pocket (when to run, when to throw), while Milton and Aguilar consistently relied on gunslinging in lieu of picking up 10-20 yards on the ground. Striking the right balance is key.
It’s early and, again, it’s Furman, but first impressions point to Faizon’s instincts more in the mold of Dobbs/Hooker than Milton/Nico/Aguilar. GA Tech will be the real litmus test.
As far as throwing touch? It certainly seems to be there. Again, this is more about what I didn’t see more so than what I did. I didn’t see deep balls overthrown by 5 yards. I didn’t see screen passing bouncing off the dirt or leading receivers backwards.
Here’s an example of a basic, non-flashy swing pass that shows off Faizon’s timing instinct and ball placement:
Faizon give the defense plenty of time to suck inside, throws at the exact right moment, and leads Gordon just enough to keep his momentum moving forward rather than having to stop and gather. Is it absolutely pin-point perfect? No. But I’m not breaking down Tom Brady here, I’m breaking down a kid who turned 18 two months ago. Things like these are big green flags.
One more example with the second deep ball of the day. Here you can see how calm and confident Faizon’s body language is. A routine play action, no panic, no rushing, simply trusting his mechanics and letting it rip. Matthews doesn’t have a ton of separation on this play so ball placement is important. The ball hits Matthews right at the spot he was heading, and then as a QB, you trust your WR1 to go up and make the contested catch.
This is a great time to Segway into Mike Matthews. Outside of Faizon Brandon, I feel like Matthews is the player on offense that I may have learned the most about.
Matthews year over year growth is evident and he seems poised and ready to take the reigns of undisputed WR1. Three plays stood out to me in particular from Matthews that highlighted three skills where I feel he’s taken a leap.
First, his physicality. Matthews played physical last year, but you need to understand, Mike Matthews loves contact, loves to block, and loves to hit people. This sort of play will go SO far in the run game, screen pass game, and QB scramble game. These little plays by Matthews may not always even make the telecast, but when you catch them, they’re worth noting, because they will add up to big things.
Second, his ball tracking and finishing off the play. You’ve already seen the contested catch above where he high points the ball and just flat out beats his man. Below is the play where Matthews is running wide open. Faizon misplaces this throw just slightly and is on Matthews’ wrong shoulder. Matthews sees this, makes the awkward adjustment while keeping in stride, tracks the ball that is directly over his head, and makes the catch.
Last year, I think Matthews likely loses track of this one and misses it.
It should be noted that Matthews did have a drop in the first quarter, but made play after play afterwards. Not looking for him to be perfect, just looking for his line graph to continue pointing up.
Speaking of this play, I’ve seen the question several times, “Was this play because Matthews burned someone, or was this just because Furman is bad?”
Well I’ve got some answers. This play looked as easy as it did because of beautiful play design by Heupel coupled with perfect execution by Matthews.
Matthews’ physicality means that corners are going to consistently view him as a threat to block. Remember, he already planted this corner in the above video in the second quarter…
In this play, Matthews is going to fake a mid-field block as Faizon runs the play action. The corner bites on the play and starts closing in to where he thinks the running back will be carrying. The second the corner bites, Matthews turns on the jets and explodes down field before anyone knows what hit them.
Tracks down the ball – give him six.
This is the third skill from Matthews I want to highlight – route running precision. I believe this has improved leaps and bounds since last year. Here’s one more route example where Matthews (top of your screen) runs a fast and precise route with quick-twitch planting, on his spot with perfect timing on the nice throw from Faizon. This play should make you salivate over the potential of the Faizon/MM connection.
Braylon Staley had a quiet game on Saturday, to the surprise of some, but this had more to do with the opponent and the script of the game plan rather than production by Staley. We know what we have in Staley and there was no reason to force anything his way. A couple of screen passes that would normally go to Staley went to Radarious Jackson – another guy who needs reps in games like these. These plays will almost certainly go to Staley next week.
Mike Matthews’ putting teams on notice and Faizon Brandon’s scramble threat will only offer Staley more downfield opportunities. He’s gonna be just fine in 2026.
The Offensive Line
Let’s talk about the elephants in the room for a second.
The 2026 offensive line did not have a great debut, full stop. That being said, once I got past the initial shock of “why is our offensive line struggling with *checks notes* FURMAN??”, I was able to take a step back and see that there were some things going on with the bigger picture.
First of all, it must be noted that our starting center, Sam Pendleton, did not play. If you’ve been around in the Heupel era at all, you should know by now that the center position is probably the second most important position in the Heupel system just outside of QB. If the starting center is out or has problems, the entire offense is either a tad off or way out of whack.
Second, it should be noted that in the first 9 offensive series of the game (which was basically the entire time Faizon Brandon was on the field), we used 6 different offensive line combinations. That’s a lot of shuffle and as you would expect, it produced a mixed bag of results.
But, in the words of Jim Carry’s Grinch, that’s what these tests are for!!
There’s no better setting to test out your lineups, look for chemistry, and find the best production than in a glorified scrimmage against FCS competition where you’re certain to eventually overwhelm and outplay your opponent regardless.
As the game went on, the line became more and more physical and eventually bullied the Furman starters to their will.
The slow start was concerning seeing as the O Line is supposed to be the veteran leader position group of this team, yet they seemed to be the position group that was late to the party. We’re going to chalk this one up to missing and shuffling players, but if we see a similar slow start against GA Tech, things might start to get uncomfortable for O Line coach Glen Elarbee.
Honorable Mentions
Not as much to learn from the running game and tight ends but wanted to give them a quick shout.
DeSean Bishop had a solid start to what should be a big season for him. He also showed that he will be effective not only in the run game for himself, but also for Faizon Brandon. Look this lead block from Bishop as he changes the religion of the closing linebacker.
Javin Gordon showed flashes of being a more than capable backup and maybe an upgrade over Star Thomas from last season. The Bishop/Gordon duo should be a nightmare matchup in any game this year. Couple that with Justin Baker announcing his presence with a 73 yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter and the fact that there’s still a highly talented third option at Daune Morris – this running back room is in excellent shape.
Speaking of Daune Morris, I know he had a quiet-ish game after I picked him as my breakout candidate of the year. That being said, plays like these are why I’m high on him and why I believe he’ll have big moments this season and moving forward. Notice the running back vision to identify the hole and the quick-juke ability to get there in traffic and produce positive yards. Only a matter of time before he breaks a few of these.
The Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, there’s less to talk about in a week like this because the Tennessee defense really only needed to do one thing: come out of the gate playing with fire and shut down an overmatched team.
The starting unit did exactly that. There were some standouts, notably Xavier Gilliam at Defensive Tackle.
Gilliam showed speed and brute strength in getting to the QB and shutting down running lanes.
Here’s an example of Gilliam flying past the Right Guard and getting into the QB’s grill before he could even finish his shotgun drop back.
Next, we have Gilliam picking up the pulling Center and walks him backwards 3 or 4 yards directly into the path of the running back, blowing up the play.
I could spend an entire post on Gilliam’s play even with the limited action he saw on Saturday. Needless to say, excited about his potential this season and glad to see some explosion on a defensive line that was lacking identifiable playmakers.
Secondary didn’t see much action, to nobody’s surprise, but the secondary being mostly invisible in a game like this is a no-news-is-good-news situation.
Here’s a play from another newcomer in Tevis Metcalf who shows ability to sniff out the play, quick release trigger, and form tackling. Qua Moss also had couple nice plays to show we have some options to work with.
At linebacker, we were obviously missing our captain Arion Carter and that showed itself in the first couple of possessions where the Furman QB got loose up the middle for some gains. I think Carter wipes those out.
Jeremiah Telander showed a few instances of why coaches love him on the field with his high football IQ. Jim Knowles may have shown us some glimpses of how he plans to get the most out of Telander by lining him up at the edge on 3 backer sets and getting him after the QB.
Here’s a good example where we see DT Mariyon Dye getting pressure up the middle which allows Telander to sling the Right Guard to the ground and keep QB contain.
Other linebackers such as Edwin Spillman and Jadon Perlotte look fast, angry, and swarming. Both are hard hitters and made some good form tackles on Saturday.
Here’s a look at Perlotte diagnosing the play, showing quick trigger speed, and meeting the running back at the ball to make a perfect tackle and shut down a good offensive play call.
There are a hundred other looks that I could highlight from the defense that could get you fired up, but at the end of the day, the defense did their job exactly as they should. The goal here was to gain confidence and preparation for GA Tech where the truth about this defense will be told.
A Look Ahead To Next Week
Tennessee will visit GA Tech 7pm EST on Saturday, September 12 at what should be a raucous Bobby Dodd stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Vols got their feet wet against Furman and that’s all they needed. We’ve seen Faizon and Matthews, we’ve identified some impactful defenders, and (hopefully) the offensive line will get their center back into the fold and have the kinks ironed out.
Based on the totality of Week 1, Tennessee certainly looks like the more talented and capable team of the matchup.
I watched GA Tech lose a heartbreaker to Colorado over the weekend, but both teams looked shaky at best. Colorado gashed Tech in the run game for over 200 yards on the ground, and they did it with their own freshman QB who for most of the game could barely complete a pass. GA Tech struggled to string offensive possessions together, struggled to get points, and their defense could not get off the field.
This is a recipe for disaster when you play against the Tennessee Volunteers of the Josh Heupel era.
After Furman, I’m going to look for the Vols to do a couple of things early.
- Look for us to establish the run game against a team that certainly looks susceptible.
- Look for us to early deep shots instead of waiting for the second half like we did against Furman.
The Furman game design was purposeful: Dip Faizon’s toes in the water. Slow roll the playcalls and allow him to settle. Show off his legs, get some threats on tape to make Tech uncomfortable. THEN release the reigns and let him make a few big throws.
The gloves should be off now. Heupel knows that Tech MUST account for the traditional run, QB run, short throws, and deep ball. Heupel is also a genius at scripting opening possessions in big games. Look for the playcalls early on to be purposeful and unpredictable to quiet the crowd and send GA Tech a message that they are in for a long night.
I don’t necessarily think the Vols will win in a route, but I expect Tennessee to take care of business in Atlanta and win by 2 or 3 possessions. A letdown in this game will be cause for some serious reevaluations, but I don’t think we’ll be there just yet.
It should be noted that GA Tech took one on the chin against Colorado in a game they likely should have won. They will be playing for their season next week and should not be taken lightly by anyone, no matter how they looked in Week 1.
10 Things I Think I Know
1. I think that whoever was involved in Tennessee’s season opening hype video deserves an award.
A perfect tribute and a perfect opening to what should be a season of renewal. The Tennessee media team never misses when it comes to sports, but this one was exceptional. Download it to the Louvre and be proud of your Tennessee Mountain Home.
2. I think that streaming has gotten out of control.
We all know it at this point but streaming has completely lost the plot. Is the game on YouTube TV? ESPN plus? ESPN premium? What if I download a FUBO account? What if I have ESPN but it’s only the basic version? What if I connect my ESPN account that’s bundles with my Disney account to my existing YouTube TV account?
People.. please.
And it’s a double edges sword, right? I remember the days when some games just weren’t available on TV so we would fire up the radio and listen that way. It IS nice that all games are available in SOME way. But we’ve subscribed the hell out of everything until something that was supposed to be a convenient and cheap alternative to big cable or satellite, is now just as expensive or worse in subtle ways.
That dollar, I tell you, with enough time and greed, it ruins everything.
3. I think that George MacIntyre is an above average backup QB.
Okay enough ranting, how about a positive?
If you’ve been following me since last year, you know that I’m high on G Mac. I think he has the tools, confidence, and a bit of an “it factor” that I want to see in my QB’s, at least in the limited amount of reps I’ve been able to see him throw.
There was a lot of chatter in the off-season that G Mac “just didn’t quite have it” and was “always a step behind Faizon in the QB battle”, and it was always painted in the negative.
I never bought that and I think it’s been mis-explained by Tennessee media.
I feel pretty strongly that G Mac would have been the runaway winner at QB in ever other instance outside of Faizon Brandon being generationally good.
Well guess what? Faizon Brandon in his first start just did something that only Jalen Hurts and Cam Newton have done before him. Both of those QBs won National Championships and started in Super Bowls.
I believe that George MacIntyre is a darn good quarterback who was beaten by someone whose ceiling could be legendary. That’s not George’s fault, it’s just unfortunate timing which happens in sports.
I feel great about G Mac being our backup this year. With a freshman QB who will get a lot of carries over the season, the likelihood that we’ll need MacIntyre in a big moment or swing game this year is quite likely. I feel good about having him under center and making good throws when needed. Can he move like Faizon? No. But if he’s needed to keep the season together in an important swing game like Arkansas or Kentucky, I feel confident that he can get the job done and hold down the fort.
4. I think that the loss of Wes Rucker is a giant hole for the entire program.
I haven’t written since longtime Tennessee journalist Wes Rucker’s shocking passing in a car accident last February.
I started reading and listening to Wes back around 2014 and he had been my go to for Vols information ever since. Especially to ramp up a season. Very few were as well connected and as honest about his observations than Wes.
His twitter account took him over the moon. Wes would tell us all what he thought and he would rub people the wrong way. He always took backlash in stride and never let anyone bully him into a change of opinion.
Most importantly, Wes cared about people and used his platform and circle to make his part of the world a better place. The hole that he has left behind is large, but we carry on.
Finally, I regarded Wes’ writing style as one of my 5 or 6 inspirations when making these posts for you. If you look close, you’ll see a few tidbits here and there that echo his dry sense of humor and his propensity for telling overreacting fans to get ahold of themselves.
His legacy will live on in countless ways.
5. I think it really does just mean more.
USC fans tried desperately to push back that their mostly empty stadium was so empty because it was 90 degrees in Southern California so it was too hot to attend. Well, I present to you Neyland Stadium on a HOT and HUMID 90 degree day. When we say it just means more, it’s really not a joke.
Honestly, there’s no shame in it, SoCal, it’s just how it is.
6. I think there’s nothing like the Vol Twitter experience in any sport.
How fast can a group of fans go from “we’re winning a Heisman and National Championship and everything is perfect” to “Faizon is running too much because he can’t read the field”, “playcalling is the worst I’ve ever seen”, “we’ll be lucky to go 7-5”.
It’s literally a matter of minutes.
But you know what? That’s part of what makes it so fun. There’s no sporting experience like Vol Twitter. If you’re not on it and you want to join, my advice to you is… tread lightly. No other fan base in any other sport does it like we do. And I mean that in both the good and bad sense.
7. I think Dabo Swinney ideology vs Rick Barnes ideology is fascinating. Allow me to explain:
I concede that I don’t think anyone is thrilled with the way college sports are moving. It feels more slimy and money-centered than ever. I can absolutely see why a coach who had tremendous success doing things “the right way” (i. e. developing in-house players, preaching loyalty and work=reward, etc…) would be hesitant if not downright resistant to the age of NIL and the Transfer Portal.
With that being said, I think we already have proof right in front of us that you can still compete in the college sports landscape of the 2020s while also holding true to the values that drive you.
I know this because we are seeing it from Rick Barnes.
The Tennessee basketball coach holds many similarities with Dabo Swinney. They share faiths. They share a program culture of loyalty, hard work, and seeing they’re players become standup young men of society.
Where it splinters is that Rick Barnes knows that in order to compete, to keep doing what he loves, and to keep investing in the lives of these young men, he has to get with the times and play within the rules that exists. Barnes has embraced NIL in partnering with the University and he has embraced the transfer portal, putting together the top portal class so far in his tenure and maybe the best in the entire country.
The results speak for themselves. Tennessee Basketball has been to the Elite 8 three years in a row, with a class coming in that will surely have them in contention for a fourth.
Dabo, on the other hand, has resisted NIL and the Portal at every turn. He has been completely unable to reconcile these things with his personal values over the last few years, and it culminated on Saturday with the worst loss of his entire career.
Look, I don’t fault anyone for having a desire to stick to their values in the face of opposition. But now and then in certain situations, there comes a time when the thing you’re fighting personally, begins to interrupt and affect the lives of those around who in a much bigger way than just yourself.
Dabo is responsible for one of the biggest college football programs in the country. He’s responsible for a brand. He’s responsible for the young men who come into his program looking for a future that few get to achieve. And he’s responsible for a giant fanbase that spends a crazy amount of hard-earned money to keep him around and to support a program that they love.
For Dabo to look them all in the face and continue to say “I’m going to do this my way” as his program continues to fall further and further down the relevance ladder is irresponsible and ultimately selfish. The tragic irony of Dabo’s own ego being the thing that gets him in the end after this personal fight for his “values”.
Dabo is at a crossroads. He can still do this the right way. He doesn’t have to do it the sleezy Lane Kiffin way. He could surround himself with people who will help him play within the rules while he puts his own ethical spin on it (like Rick Barnes has successfully done), or he should graciously remove himself from the equation and stop tanking the futures of his players and the wallets of his fans.
There is an option 3: Clemson may just decide for him.
8. I think the adidas uniforms look amazing.
I’m going on record that I absolutely love the switch to adidas. And I say this as a Nike fan in every other facet. Adidas and Tennessee just represent winning to me. I grew up with adidas being a part of the team in the late 90s that brought us a National Championship and year over year contention and relevance. When the product started to fall off, the adidas uniforms also started to fall off, and it led to the Nike switch.
I think adidas nailed these uniforms in the comeback. We look classic and vintage. With the giant cash infusion that they’re bringing to the program, we are ready to compete.
Do I wish they kept the power T on the collar instead of the SEC logo? Sure. But you can’t win them all and the SEC seems to be pushing this logo placement for everyone. Historic Tennessee jerseys don’t always have the collar T. In fact, I don’t even recall them existing in Peyton Manning’s first couple of seasons. It is what it is. As long as the power T remains on the helmet, we’ll always have a top tier uniform in college football.
9. I think that Michigan may have pulled off the most blatant attempt at a fixed game that I’ve ever seen.
You know that old saying, “The referee is always right”? Yeah me neither because it’s not real and the referee is frequently wrong.
This fiasco between Michigan and WMU, however, is well beyond a case of a referee being wrong. This was criminally wrong.
These refs were SO wrong,
Crowd: *how wrong were they?*
These refs were SO wrong, they’ve almost made a believer out of me that there may be truth to some conspiracies of games being rigged.
Everyone who’s looked at this can see beyond a shadow of a doubt that the clock says zero seconds remaining while the ball is still in the air.
But then the Big 10, the dear old Big 10, instead of owning the mistake and working to fix the problem, makes us wait hours for them to tell us that AcTuAlLy ThEreS a SecReT cLoCk that nobody else knew about that the refs had to use to check the replay and THIS clock said that there was 1 second remaining.
I mean… I just… c’mon.
I don’t know what’s going to come of this or even if anything will, but it has the feel of a bit of a watershed moment in college sports history. There’s a universe where all the loose gambling rules that have come about over the last few years with things like Kalshi and Polymarket come home to roost with this giant screwup.
I don’t know if it’s true! Let’s be clear. But it certainly seems fishy on an egregious scale.
I’ve seen bad refs make bad calls. I’ve watched sports for thirty years and have never seen a worse overturn and I’ve CERTAINLY never heard of the “super secret ref clock” that is apparently kept in the drawer for only the most special of occasions.
I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily wearing the conspiracy hat right now, but I definitely have it out, dusted off, and hanging on the hat rack ready to go in a moment’s notice.
10. I think the season still feels wide open with GA Tech, Auburn, and Alabama all looking shaky.
Nothing has changed around my season predictions after week 1.
LSU? They look a little tougher than I thought but that’s a long way off. Alabama? Maybe a little weaker than I thought but that’s a rivalry game where logic goes out the window.
Bottom line is that after Week 1, the season still feels like it could go either direction. GA Tech next week is a great chance for Tennessee to prove to themselves who they think they are and then go show it to Texas.
That games against the Longhorns will still be the crossroads game where we find out if 2026 will become a playoff push or if we’re looking for a solid 9-3/8-4 to build for Faizon’s sophomore season.
With Texas playing Ohio State next week on top of our game against Tech, I’m confident in the picture beginning to take shape.
Awards of the Week
Offensive Players of the Week
- Faizon Brandon QB – 294 total yds, 5 TDs – Showed poise, confidence, and efficiency in his first career start. Officially took home national freshman of the week honors for week 1.
- Mike Matthews WR – 4 receptions, 132 yds, 2 TDs – Showed improvement in all facets of his game. Established as WR1. Poised for a huge year.
Defensive Players of the Week
- Xavier Gilliam DT – 6 Tackles, 5 TFL, 3 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble – Have a day, Xavier.
Hero of the Week
- This underrated tweet – It’s hard to pick a true hero in a game this lopsided so I present to you this tweet that went under the radar on Saturday and deserved more likes.
Bust of the Week
- The state of Clemson’s program – Covered this a little in the previous point but, goodness. These are the type of highlights you get when your program is circling the drain.
Fact of the Week That May Interest Only Me
On Saturday, Faizon Brandon became the youngest QB in SEC history to account for 5 touchdowns in a single game at 18 years, 3 months, and 4 days old.
The previous record was held by Jalen Hurts at 18 years, 3 months, and 5 days old.
A Haiku For You
Welcome Faizon to
Our Tennessee mountain home.
Gonna have some fun.
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