COMMENTARY: Reacting to takeaways from Tennessee's 56-9 win

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After the Volunteers' 56-9 dismantling of the Furman Paladins on Saturday, overreactions will be plentiful on Rocky Top, particularly surrounding the performance of freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon. As Week 1 of college football wraps up, here are four takeaways for Tennessee heading into its Sept. 12 matchup with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Takeaway No. 1: Josh Heupel's lack of trust in Faizon Brandon will cost Tennessee in SEC play. Verdict: Not an overreaction When looking at the box score, Tennessee fans may mistakenly assume that Faizon Brandon, who finished the afternoon 13 of 17 for 226 yards and five total touchdowns, was granted freedom to lead Heupel's offense. Unfortunately, that could not be further from the truth. Heupel allowed Brandon to pass the ball a total of 13 times across the entirety of the first half, only five of which came in a second quarter in which the Volunteers scored 21 points. His 13 pass attempts were good for 88 yards, a stark contrast to the 138 he totaled across his final four attempts. Tennessee's first half offense consisted almost entirely of screen passes and run-pass options (RPOs), which are of zero benefit to Brandon. "It always comes down to little things," Heupel said. "[He has] Great communication, control, and command of what we're doing." While completing bubble screens and flat routes against Furman may be a confidence builder, it does not prepare Brandon for the reality that Tennessee's offense will eventually be forced into a higher degree of complexity. Takeaway No. 2: Tennessee fans should be concerned about Jim Knowles' defense yielding over 200 rushing yards. Verdict: Overreaction It goes without saying that allowing the Furman Paladins to rush for over 200 yards (excluding sacks) inside Neyland Stadium means the Volunteers fell well short of the team's expectations defensively. I would argue, however, that Tennessee's stifling play in the secondary forced Furman to commit to the ground, where the Paladins still managed less than five yards per carry. The Volunteers held Paladins quarterbacks to just 11 of 22 passing for 43 yards, while also sacking Furman quarterbacks six times for 31 yards. On passing plays, therefore, the Paladins managed just 12 net yards. Yes, you read that right. In 60 minutes of football, the Volunteers held their opponents to a grand total of 12 yards on 28 passing plays. "[I saw] a lot of positives defensively," head coach Josh Heupel said. "There are some things that holistically we've got to continue to grow in, but [it was] a positive showing." While their efforts in addressing the run were far from ideal, Tennessee's dominant performance in the secondary is a far cry from the utter debacle experienced in 2025. Takeaway No. 3: Tennessee losing the turnover battle to an FCS opponent is a major problem. Verdict: Not an overreaction Though Tennessee dominated the Furman Paladins in almost every phase of this game, the Vols fell well short of controlling the game in two crucial categories. While none of Tennessee's three quarterbacks threw an interception, Furman recovered a pair of fumbles. The Volunteers, however, did not manage a single takeaway. Contrary to popular belief, the Volunteer defense does not need to create turnovers for Tennessee to win games. That thesis operates, of course, under the assumption that Tennessee's offense takes care of the ball. Luckily, Tennessee's pair of giveaways did not harm them in this game. Losing the turnover battle against the likes of SEC opponents, however, could translate to more serious ramifications. Turnovers were not the only alarming statistic in this game for the Volunteers, as they committed seven penalties (60 yards) to the Paladins' five (45 yards). Though the final result will allow many fans to excuse the Volunteers' sloppy performance, these mistakes reappearing down the line could mean big trouble for Tennessee. Takeaway No. 4: Justin Baker did enough on Saturday to earn the RB2 job over Javin Gordon. Verdict: Enormous overreaction One of Saturday's top offensive standouts was sophomore running back Justin Baker, who totaled 89 rushing yards across just three rushing attempts. He also rushed for a 73-yard touchdown, Tennessee's longest offensive play of the game. Meanwhile, Javin Gordon managed just 47 yards on 10 attempts, casting doubt over his role in a crowded backfield. Gordon, however, stands out above other Tennessee backs for one reason: his physicality. If Tennessee wants to compete with the likes of Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, and LSU, they need a reliable goal-line back. DeSean Bishop and Baker, though, do not fit that mold. While advocating for Gordon to be the lead back would be far from reasonable, he is undeniably the Volunteers' best option in goal-to-go situations.