Furman Paladins at Tennessee Volunteers

Freshman QB Brandon accounts for 5 TDs to lead No. 20 Tennessee over Furman 56-9

In a little over two quarters, the freshman hit Mike Matthews on scoring passes of 55 and 57 yards to spark the Volunteers to a 42-0 lead before redshirt freshman quarterback George MacIntyre took over.

Brandon became the first Southeastern Conference player since Auburn’s Cam Newton to throw for three touchdowns and run for two in his debut.

“(Brandon) managed what we were trying to accomplish extremely well,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “(We were) trusting what we've seen on the field (in practice) to show up on game day.”

The pace of the game seemed fast at first, said Brandon, who rushed 10 times for 68 yards.

“It slowed down by the second drive. All the receivers helped me a lot; making plays for me. They made me look good,” he said.

DeSean Bishop rushed for 97 yards and a score but lost a fumble. Justin Baker's 73-yard TD run was a fourth quarter highlight.

Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, who transferred from Penn State, sacked Furman quarterback Jake Garcia three times.

“Going into a game, I always believe I'm going to have a good game,” said Gilliam. “When something good happens, it helps my energy. This is more of a challenge to see who was going to step up.”

The Paladins, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, scored all their points after Tennessee turnovers. Garcia was 8 for 17 for 36 yards. Isaiah Davis had a 23-yard touchdown run.

Furman coach Clay Hendrix was impressed with what he saw from Brandon.

“He hurt us really ... actually I felt more with his feet than he did throwing it,” Hendrix said. “Then, in the third quarter, he threw a couple (deep) balls.”

Tennessee scored 21 points in the second quarter. While the Vols' offensive had trouble asserting itself early — rushing for just 32 yards in the first quarter — they generated 144 yards in the second quarter. Brandon ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the first 30 minutes.

The Takeaway Tennessee’s lopsided win won’t move the needle much when it comes to improving the Vols’ No. 20 ranking. What it will do is give them a measure of confidence to take on the road against Georgia Tech next week and give Brandon some experience to fall back on in a hostile environment.

Furman, meanwhile, can go into the rest of its schedule knowing it won’t see an opponent that is tougher than the one the Paladins just faced.

Up Next Furman plays at Mercer next Saturday.

Tennessee is at Georgia Tech next Saturday.

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