Jordan Rodgers riled up Vols fans by predicting a Week 1 disaster, citing freshman growing pains and defensive holes as the keys to a historic upset.
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers spent a Sept. 2 segment on SportsCenter adding to his villain status among Tennessee football fans.
During an appearance on ESPN’s flagship sports program, Rodgers was asked for his most likely upset in Week 1 on the 19th anniversary of Appalachian State defeating Michigan. While prefacing that he doesn’t think any of them are likely, he pointed to the Vols’ matchup first.
“If there was one where I go, ‘well, I could maybe sell you that this one could get interesting,’ it’d be Furman at Tennessee,” Rodgers said.
Tennessee is listed as a 46.5-point favorite according to ESPN, and the response didn’t sit well with its fans. Rodgers’ reasoning was heavily dependent on Tennessee’s signal-caller.
“You look at Tennessee, they’re breaking in a new five-star quarterback,” Rodgers said. “He is really talented, Faizon Brandon. But in these games where App State upsets a Michigan, it’s not usually that they are more talented. It’s that the better team beats themselves. And a five-star quarterback could go out there, as an 18-year-old, and make some mistakes. I think he’s going to be really good. But Week 1? He’s probably not going to be the version that he will be in Week 11 or 12.”
And much of that statement can be true. Brandon will be the youngest quarterback to ever start a game for the University of Tennessee. In a Josh Heupel offense meant to push the ball downfield, he’s prone to make mistakes. An honest assessment from a guy who played the position in the SEC is not totally off the rails — but claiming it’ll happen against a Furman squad that failed to disrupt the quarterback against Division II Anderson makes the take lose credibility.
The Paladins forced one turnover against Anderson, coming on the very first play from a scrimmage: a fumble by the receiver on a catch-and-run. Furman also picked up just two sacks in a game where Anderson quarterback Wilson Edwards completed 19-of-31 passes.
Perhaps, Rodgers’ most logical reasoning was the final sentence of his explanation.
“On the other side of the ball, Jim Knowles – new defense, completely new system,” Rodgers said. “They lost everybody up front.”
The final four words sum up Furman’s only chance at a competitive game. Tennessee’s defensive lineman will have serious questions to answer, espeically coming off a year where the Vols’ run defense ranked 12th in the SEC in rush defense where they allowed nearly 147 yards per game.
Tennessee returns few players from that defensive line from a year ago, which could mean addition by subtraction. Except the Vols didn’t make sufficient additions to aid in run defense.
After Chaz Coleman’s offseason arrival and departure, the Vols are left with just Tulane transfer Jordan Norman on the edge to contain runs inside the tackles. If Furman wants to pull off the upset, it’ll need to bounce runs to the outside where the Vols are weak.
The Paladins rushed for 270 yards on 44 attempts in Week 0, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. That is the number Tennessee should care about more than anything Rodgers said about Brandon.
If Furman makes this game interesting, it won't be because Brandon suddenly looks like an 18-year-old who can't handle the moment. It will be because Tennessee's new-look front seven can't consistently get off the field against a Paladin rushing attack that just averaged more than six yards per carry.
Rodgers could have found the right upset pick for the wrong reason.
