The transition from Faizon Brandon to George MacIntyre at quarterback wasn’t the only change the Tennessee offense underwent earlier this season.
Nic Moore was inserted in the starting lineup at left guard for the Oct. 3 victory over Auburn in Neyland Stadium, and he hasn’t looked back. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound sophomore from Talbott, Tennessee, was a reserve center last year and entered this season as the backup center to senior Sam Pendleton.
Plans changed in the Sept. 26 loss to visiting Texas, when both starting guards — Wendell Moe Jr. and Sham Umarov — went down with injuries, including a season-ending setback for Moe.
“Once you play center here, you get to listen to all the things that the guards are taught, so you just kind of naturally know what to do,” Moore said this week in a news conference. “It’s definitely easier to get off the ball at guard compared to center, but guard has its own unique set of challenges. With center it’s snapping the ball, and with guard it’s more one-on-one stuff.
“Wherever they need me is where I’ll play.”