Tennessee fans ask if Josh Heupel can beat Alabama with stagnant offense, QB questions

FAYETTEVILLE, AR − Tennessee football fans are concerned about limitations on offense, the long-term quarterback plan and the next game against Alabama after narrowly winning at Arkansas 24-17 on Oct. 10.

They weren’t overly impressed with quarterback George MacIntyre, who replaced injured and benched starter Faizon Brandon. But they think Heupel is underperforming as a play-caller and road coach.

Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) plays Alabama (5-1, 3-1) on Oct. 17 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Neyland Stadium. Let’s close the book on the Arkansas game by answering fan questions in the Vols mailbag.

Why am I so discouraged after a Tennessee win?

It’s reasonable. Watching that game was not a pleasant experience. UT struggled to get anything going on offense. It was reminiscent of the 2024 upset loss at Arkansas. And it felt like the Vols survived the game rather than won it.

Secondly, the Alabama game is coming. And it’s hard to see UT beating the Crimson Tide with that type of offensive performance. But the board is reset every game, so enjoy this win and worry about the Alabama game when it kicks off.

Who starts at quarterback against Alabama?

I think MacIntyre starts. He expanded the passing game enough to give hope that he can do it even more with playing experience. And if Brandon is considered limited due to a shoulder injury, that’ll keep him as an emergency backup.

That being said, I wonder if UT explores ways to use both quarterbacks, if Brandon is healthy enough to play. If there was ever a situation to be overly creative, the Alabama game is it.

Is George MacIntyre’s passing worth not having Faizon Brandon’s rushing?

That depends on the game, matchup and their level of play in those areas. Neither quarterback has played well enough to be defined as an elite passer or runner.

The passing game improved with MacIntyre but not to an elite degree. The quarterback running game is better with Brandon, but that’s in question with his shoulder injury.

Is Faizon Brandon’s injury serious?

Brandon is indeed injured. The severity of his injury isn’t clear. It apparently isn’t serious enough to require surgery. But there’s a wide range between full strength and ineffective.

UT coaches and medical staff believed that a week of rest would help Brandon heal. Whether that puts him back on the field remains to be seen.

The Vols are in trouble in this next game, right?

Alabama is a challenging matchup. It’s on the short list of teams that look like a national title contender at midseason. And it confirmed that with a good performance in a 20-17 loss to Georgia, arguably the best team in college football.

The only upside of the Alabama game is that it’s at Neyland Stadium, where the home crowd can be an equalizer. UT’s defense held Texas, Auburn and Arkansas to 20 points or less. It might have to do that again to have a shot at beating Alabama. That's a tall order considering Alabama scored 49 on South Carolina and 56 on Mississippi State.

Can UT keep winning with good defense and lackluster offense?

UT has the potential to keep it close against any team on its schedule by playing stingy defense, and that includes Alabama. To win, it needs more consistency in the passing game.

In 2024, UT got to the College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record because of its elite defense and the SEC’s top rushing offense against a manageable schedule.

This 2026 team feels like a poor man’s version of that, which is why 8-4 or maybe 9-3 seems more plausible.

Why does it seem like offensive play-calling lacks imagination?

I disagree to some extent. UT ran a reverse, a screen pass and other passes to running back Daune Morris early in the game. It ran a wildcat play late in the game with Mike Matthews taking the direct snap. It had two offensive tackles on the right side on DeSean Bishop’s 59-yard run. It ran a traditional sweep out of the shotgun, which it had rarely done.

Perhaps the creativity wasn’t sustained, but that usually happens after a team gets beyond the opening play script. Heupel isn’t getting high-level play from either young quarterback, and that certainly limits how expansive the offense can be.

Should UT stop trying to develop high school recruits into starting QBs?

It’s a good question. UT’s three best offensive seasons under Heupel were with transfer quarterbacks Hendon Hooker (2021-22) and Joey Aguilar (2025).

Most teams don’t want to rely on young quarterbacks because elite recruits demand high NIL pay, and it usually takes them a couple of seasons to reach a high level of play. Some of them never pan out. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, a sophomore and former five-star recruit, is an exception.

How does Tennessee rise above SEC middling status?

It’s hard to say which SEC teams are middling because Georgia is the only unbeaten left just a month into the conference schedule. Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State, Missouri, Florida and LSU have all looked like league contenders in a given game, but they’ve also lost in SEC play.

UT had a tough time beating Auburn and Arkansas, so frustration is reasonable. But don’t overlook that those were wins. That shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially in this season of parity. Give Heupel and the Vols credit to finding ways to win. The alternative is far more frustrating.

When will Josh Heupel get UT to elite level like Georgia?

Probably never. That’s not a criticism of Heupel, who is unquestionably a good coach. He has a 50-21 record with the Vols. He had two top-10 teams in his first five seasons at UT.

But the answer for any program and coach would probably be the same when compared to this era of Georgia football.

Georgia has arguably the best coach in college football. Kirby Smart has won two national titles and had a top-10 team in every season since Heupel got to UT in 2021. Smart also has a 25-11 record against AP top 10 teams in his career.

Do assistants like Jim Knowles ever do press conferences?

Only Heupel and select players talk to media after games. That’s normal for most college football teams. During the week, UT assistant coaches do press conferences. They go through a rotation where two assistants per week talk to media. Knowles had a press conference in September, and his turn will come again soon.

Why does UT’s defense have a lull every game?

You’re referring to the third quarter when Arkansas reeled off two quick touchdown drives. It made halftime adjustments, and it took time for UT to find an answer.

But that happens to the best defenses, and UT has one of the nation’s best. The Vols have allowed 15.5 points per game, the second-best in the SEC behind Georgia.

Why do Josh Heupel’s teams struggle on the road? He’s 13-11.

A year ago, I did a deep dive into SEC road records, which demonstrated that Heupel was in the top-third in the league. I haven’t updated that study, but he’s still around the same spot.

Heupel is 11-10 in SEC road games and 13-11 overall in road games. Those records are actually better than most SEC coaches. That’s because most coaches lose most of their road games.

The poor road performances are more noticeable because Heupel has been good at home in his tenure. It’s a fair criticism. But it only highlights that Heupel isn’t as good as the best coaches on the road. However, he's above average in that category.

When will Radarious Jackson or TK Keys step forward?

Limited quarterback play has a trickle-down effect at every position. Inexperienced quarterbacks trust proven receivers like Matthews and Braylon Staley. Play-callers with an inexperienced quarterback trust proven receivers.

That’s only one factor. Radarious Jackson wasn’t targeted, which is troubling. He should be getting open. TK Keys played only three offensive snaps against Arkansas.

Are Xavier Gilliam and DeSean Bishop UT’s best players?

Yes, I think so. Granted, there are different ways to define “best” players. But defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam has high-level NFL talent and makes a tremendous impact for UT’s strong defense. Bishop is productive and dependable for an offense that needs both. They’d be All-SEC if votes were tallied at midseason.

Did Arkansas let DeSean Bishop score TD on purpose?

I’m not sure. Arkansas looked exhausted after allowing 86 rushing yards on the previous four plays. And it had a chance to hold UT to a field goal with one more stop on third down. It also had three timeouts remaining to stop the clock multiple times if it could keep the Vols out of the end zone there.

But it certainly looked plausible because Arkansas didn’t try hard to stop Bishop on that TD. And Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield likes to play the percentages, as evidence by his decision to punt on Arkansas’ last offensive possession. Letting Bishop score would play into that thinking.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee fans ask if Josh Heupel can beat Alabama with stagnant offense, QB questions