Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is making a big mistake with Faizon Brandon ahead of the Aggies’ matchup against Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers will travel to College Station this weekend for a big matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies.
Tennessee put a new wrinkle on film last weekend in their 34-6 win over Kentucky by using true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon on three plays.
Brandon handed off to DeSean Bishop, rushed for 29 yards on a key third down, and he connected with wide receiver Mike Matthews on a pop pass for a touchdown.
This was the first time that Brandon had seen the field since getting replaced by sophomore George MacIntyre in the second quarter of Tennessee’s win over Auburn early last month.
And the expectation is that Tennessee will continue to find ways to use Brandon.
“I would tell you that yes, I think you will continue to see this package from Faizon,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Tuesday. “I think there will be new wrinkles out of it. I think there will be the ability to throw the football down the field. It won’t always be just at the line of scrimmage or him running.”
The Vols will travel to College Station this weekend to take on a 4-5 Texas A&M team that has been described as “dangerous.”
Road games in the SEC are never easy — regardless of the opponent’s record — so this seems like a spot where Brandon could be utilized.
Aggies head coach Mike Elko, however, doesn’t seem concerned about the possibility of Tennessee using Brandon.
Elko, in fact, sounded dismissive of the idea of Tennessee using Brandon this weekend.
A reporter asked Elko on Monday if he has confidence that Texas A&M’s defense can contain Brandon.
“Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be the quarterback, though,” replied Elko. “I think they’re going to probably stick with the guy they’ve been playing, MacIntyre.”
There’s no doubt that MacIntyre will be the starter for the Vols against the Aggies.
Brandon, however, is clearly going to be part of Tennessee’s offense moving forward. He only played three snaps against Kentucky, but all three plays were important (and productive). Elko is making a mistake if he doesn’t think Brandon could potentially impact this weekend’s game.
But hey, that’s a good thing for Tennessee. If Texas A&M doesn’t want to spend extra time preparing for Brandon — who could be used in a variety of ways (I wouldn’t rule out a passing play) — then that’s an advantage for the Volunteers.
Brandon is one of the best athletes on the field anytime he’s in the game. He’s a playmaker who is a threat to score if he gets loose in the open field — that’s not exactly the kind of player any coach should be dismissive of.
