{
  "id": 5873674,
  "title": "What Josh Heupel said about QB Faizon Brandon's first start for Tennessee football",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/what-josh-heupel-said-about-qb-faizon-brandons-first-start-for-5873674",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T00:44:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/josh-heupel-said-qb-faizon-004407740.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Freshman QB Faizon Brandon delivered an impressive performance in his first college start for Tennessee football, leading the Vols to a 56-9 victory over Furman. Wide receiver Braylon Staley expressed his excitement about Brandon's debut, stating, \"This is the man right here.\" Tennessee coach Josh Heupel echoed Staley's enthusiasm, but remained nonchalant about the freshman's performance. Heupel emphasized that he did not find anything surprising in Brandon's debut, noting that the young player managed himself well and stayed within himself. Brandon's standout performance included 226 yards passing, three touchdowns, 68 yards rushing, and two rushing touchdowns. The Vols' coach praised Brandon's communication skills and decision-making, highlighting that the young quarterback extended plays with his feet and took care of the ball effectively. Heupel expressed his desire to continue utilizing Brandon's unique ability to both pass and rush, but acknowledged there were areas for improvement. Despite the praise, Heupel maintained that there is still plenty of work to be done, but the freshman's first assignment went well, laying a solid foundation for future games.",
  "summary": "Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel said he wasn't surprised by how well Faizon Brandon played in his first career start.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Tennessee football has a new top dog. See the Neyland debut of Smokey XII!",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/tennessee-football-has-a-new-top-dog-see-the-neyland-debut-of-smokey",
        "published": "2026-09-05T20:56:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}