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Brandon’s Early Maturity to Be Put to the Test for Vols | Chattanooga Times Free Press
No. 1 Texas travels to Knoxville on Saturday for a Southeastern Conference showdown against Tennessee, with Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning making his first career visit to the campus in his 19th start.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel praised Manning's ability to be "resilient" after his comeback win against Ohio State, while Texas coach Steve Sarkisian expressed surprise that this marks Manning's first trip to Knoxville.
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon makes his fourth career start and first against an SEC opponent, having completed 41 of 64 passes for 552 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
"I'm definitely excited to play at a hostile environment, SEC road game," Manning told reporters. Tennessee senior safety TJ Metcalf acknowledged the Longhorns' speed, noting they "play a lot of good football."
Following three previous Cotton Bowl meetings, the programs face each other for just the fourth time. The Longhorns won two of those games, including a 36-13 victory on January 1, 1969.