Tennessee QB George MacIntyre got a raw deal in Week 1, but it wasn’t Vols head coach Josh Heupel’s fault
Tennessee Volunteers redshirt freshman quarterback George MacIntyre is UT’s No. 2 quarterback to start the season.
Tennessee Vols backup quarterback George MacIntyre was undoubtedly disappointed to not win the starting job during fall camp.
MacIntyre played well during fall camp, but true freshman Faizon Brandon proved to be the more dynamic playmaker and earned the starting role.
MacIntyre, though, isn’t letting the decision affect his play on the field.
He’s been locked in and engaged during practice, and according to VolQuest publisher and Vol Network sideline reporter Brent Hubbs, MacIntyre carried that same energy on the sidelines throughout Tennessee’s season opener against Furman.
“I give George MacIntyre a ton of credit,” said Hubbs on The Mike Keith Show. “I mean, it’s been tough, right? You don’t get the job – how are you going to manage that? You go be a pro, and he’s from a family of pros. He understands what he has to do. He was engaged the entire game. He was very in tune the entire game. He never disappeared or stood off to the side. He was ready to play when he went in.”
George MacIntyre didn’t get as many reps as he should’ve against Furman
Getting MacIntyre some reps against Furman was important for the Vols – he’s the No. 2 quarterback and you never know when his number will be called. The problem is that even though he’s in his second season in college, he doesn’t have much experience. MacIntyre came into this season with only nine career pass attempts.
Unfortunately, MacIntyre didn’t get as many reps against Furman as Tennessee probably would have liked because of circumstances outside of head coach Josh Heupel’s control.
MacIntyre saw action on three drives in the game (16 total snaps). The first drive resulted in a touchdown pass to true freshman wide receiver TK Keys. The second drive was cut short because of a fumble. The third drive was also cut short, not because of a turnover, but because of running back Justin Baker’s 73-yard touchdown run.
“I thought he threw the ball on time,” said Hubbs. “I thought everything from a management standpoint was right there (where it needed to be). [Then a] chemistry throw (to TK Keys). It’s a back shoulder throw. Both guys were on the same page. That tells you the prep work that they put in, and both guys being locked in on what they were doing. I think it was big for Keys to make the play. I think it was big for George to get to execute the offense.
“It was unfortunate that they had the botched snap on the fumble that cost him a drive. And as fun as Justin Baker’s touchdown run was, that cost George some snaps there, too, to manage that drive.”
The final drive of the game went to the No. 3 quarterback, Ryan Staub. At that point, it didn’t make sense to put MacIntyre back in (the Vols obviously wanted to get out of that game with him healthy).
The hope is that Tennessee won’t need MacIntyre against Georgia Tech, but if the Vols do need him, you’ve gotta hope he’s ready. He certainly looked good on the drive that ended with the touchdown pass to Keys. But the reality is that he has limited experience for a No. 2 quarterback, and he’s just one snap away from becoming the starter for the Volunteers.
