Tennessee benches Brandon for MacIntyre against Auburn

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 12: Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) throws a pass during the college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 12th, 2026 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
Icon Sportswire / Getty

Tennessee benched Faizon Brandon in the second quarter of Saturday's game against Auburn after the freshman quarterback completed just 3 of 8 passes for no yards and one interception.

Brandon was replaced by George MacIntyre after his interception, with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Brandon also had four rushing attempts for a 9-yard loss.

"Faizon just wasn't operating. He wasn't feeling 100%," Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel said at halftime, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel's Adam Sparks.

MacIntyre completed 5 of 5 passes for 38 yards before the end of the second quarter, though Tennessee trailed 7-3.

Brandon has struggled recently, leading Tennessee to a 3-0 record before losing 20-17 to Texas last week. His five yards per attempt against the Longhorns was his lowest mark this season.

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