KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt said he noticed a sense of urgency in the Vols this week following Wednesday’s practice at Haslam Field.
“Our guys are taking things a little bit better from the meetings to the practice field and from period to period,” said Pruitt. “We’ve still got to finish. Right there at the end of practice, had a couple things that we’ve been working on, we’ve done really well and then at the end of practice we didn’t do it as well, so we have to learn to sustain.”
The Tennessee-Florida rivalry is annually one of the nation’s most anticipated games, and for just the fourth time since the two teams started playing annually, the Vols and the Gators will meet under the lights at Neyland Stadium.
In those four games, Tennessee holds a 3-1 record, winning night contests in 1990 (45-3), 1998 (20-17) and 2004 (30-28). The lone loss came during the 2006 season when the Vols lost a late fourth-quarter lead, falling to the eventual National Champions, 21-20.
The last four games in the series between the two programs have been decided by an average of 4.5 points, but the Vols are seeking their second straight win in Knoxville over the Gators.
Honoring the Past
Members of Tennessee’s 1998 National Championship team will be honored as “Legends of the Game” approximately 22 minutes before kickoff. In addition to the pre-game recognition, the entire championship team and staff will be recognized on the field at the end of the first quarter.
“I think it’s a huge deal,” said Pruitt. “I think it’s huge for those guys who represented the university. They found a way. You think about it, as hard as it is, they were the best team in all of college football in 1998,” Pruitt said.
“They played the right way, finished the year off as the national champions,” he continued. “I hope those guys get around our guys, because the most important people to me in the program are the players. The guys who work, sweated, bled to build this university to what it is. Those guys did it at the highest level. ”
The 1998 Vols finished 13-0, defeating Florida State in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl to cap a perfect season. In total, 31 players from the 1998 team went on to be selected in the NFL Draft.
Harris Moves to Offensive Line
Freshman Kingston Harris moved from defensive line to offensive line this week in a move to bolster depth. A native of Orlando, Fla., Harris was a prep star at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Harris appeared on the defensive line as a reserve against West Virginia and ETSU.
“We thought Kingston was doing well at defensive line, but when you look at our defensive linemen, he’s probably the one guy that can make a transition and be able to help us, just to create some depth,” said Pruitt. “We just felt like it was something that we needed to do this week and next week and through the off week.”
Pruitt Confident in Callaway
Pruitt affirmed his confidence in junior wide receiver Marquez Callaway at punt returner. Callaway muffed a punt against UTEP last Saturday, but has excelled in the return game during his Tennessee career.
“Punt returner is no different than any other position. We’ve worked several guys back there,” said Pruitt. “Marquez dropped the ball the other day, but I have confidence in him, and we sent him right back out there. He’s our best punt returner and I believe he’ll do a good job, and we’re continuing to work guys behind him.”
Callaway had a 62-yard punt return touchdown as a freshman in 2016 and has been Tennessee’s first-team returner since last season. For his career, he has averaged 11.7 yards on 17 returns. Last season, Callaway ranked fourth in the SEC in punt return average (8.4).
Vols Earn PFF Awards
Junior linebacker Daniel Bituli and freshman defensive back Bryce Thompson were named to Pro Football Focus College’s SEC Defensive Team of the Week on Tuesday.
Bituli ranked first on the team in tackles vs. UTEP, recording six stops and his first-career sack against the Miners. Thompson also had a career first on Saturday, forcing his first fumble as a Vol.
On the offensive side of the ball, sophomore running back Ty Chandler and junior wide receiver Brandon Johnson were named to the SEC Offensive Team of the Week by PFF College.
Chandler rushed for over 100 yards for the second time in his career during UT’s 24-0 win over UTEP, tallying a career-high 158 rushing yards. He previously rushed for 120 yards at Kentucky on Oct. 28, 2017. Johnson led the Vols with four catches for 51 yards in the win over the Miners.
The Vols will be back on the road next week when they travel to Athens, Ga., to face the 2018 SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs. The game will be broadcast live on CBS with a 3:30 p.m. start time.
Jeremy Pruitt Post-Practice Quotes (Sept. 19)
Opening Statement:
“Last Wednesday when I came in here, our guys hadn’t practiced very well. I think this week I can see a little more sense of urgency. Our guys are taking things a little bit better from the meetings to the practice field and from period to period. We still – we’ve got to finish. Right there at the end of practice, had a couple things that we’ve been working on, we’ve done really well and then at the end of practice we didn’t do it as well, so got to learn to sustain. I think there’s a lot of excitement. I know our guys are excited about an opportunity to play in this game. We’re playing against a really good football team that’s very well coached. On offense, quarterback, he can throw it a long way, probably as far as any quarterback I’ve seen in a while. Got really good wide receivers, are big up front, good backs. Defensively, they create negative plays. They’re good at all three levels. They make you earn it on special teams. I guess [Freddie] Swain is probably leading the country in punt returns. The guy’s dynamic. He’s averaging 25 yards a return. I don’t know where that is, but it’s a whole lot, so speed on special teams and then Coach Mullen’s teams are always very well coached. They’re physical, they’re tough, so we’ll have a big challenge for us but we’re looking forward to it.”
On Kingston Harris’ position move and Florida’s ability to block punts:
“First thing with Kingston, as far as depth at offensive line, guys that are ready to compete and play in the SEC, when we lost Brandon [Kennedy] that was a big part. We thought Kingston was doing well at defensive line, but when you look at our defensive linemen, he’s probably the one guy that can make a transition and be able to help us, just to create some depth. We just felt like it was something that we needed to do this week and next week and through the off week. Last year, we had a position where we lost five guys in one week’s time. You don’t want that to happen anywhere to anybody, but if something was to happen, you have to be able to move and function and we want to make sure that we can get our best players out on the field.
“As far as Florida blocking punts, they’re really good in the special teams. Dan’s teams always have been. They’re very creative in all phases. They’ll block punts. They’ll fake punts. They’ve got a good return game. They got good athletes, got a good scheme on the return team, kickoff cover and kickoff return. We’ve got to do a good job and we’ve got to find a way to create an edge in the kicking game.”
On the competition at punt returner and how to handle familiarity with a staff of opposing teams:
“Punt returner is no different than any other position. We’ve worked several guys back there. Marquez [Callaway] dropped the ball the other day, but I have confidence in him, and we sent him right back out there. He’s our best punt returner and I believe he’ll do a good job, and we’re continuing to work guys behind him.
“As far as familiarity, it’s really all over the league. There are lots of guys who have worked on a lot of different staffs, so we all know a lot of things that the other one likes to do, but at the end of the day, none of us are playing. It’s the players that are going to play, and it’s our job to try and get them in position to give them the best chance to be successful and that’s what all of us will do.”
On the development and consistency of Alontae Taylor:
“Well, Alontae was the best guy in practice when we played West Virginia, and the last two weeks he wasn’t. It’s no different than any other position. We’ve probably started different guys at every spot, so it’s not that big of a deal. He’s a freshman and he started his first game as a freshman, that’s a pretty big deal. He’s got to continue to work and he will, and he has.”
On how to get a team to be proficient in forcing turnovers:
“I’ve said this a lot, I really think that one of the first things is how you recruit. You want to recruit the defensive players that play on offense. Those guys are used to having the ball in their hands. I mean how many times on Saturday did the ball hit our hands? In the secondary, I thought we should have had four interceptions, but we didn’t. It’s also that there’s a knack of guys stripping the ball, and if they do it in high school, they’re probably going to do it on Saturdays, and if they do it on Saturdays, they’re probably going to do it on Sundays, but if they don’t do it at any of those deals, they’re probably not going to do it at the next level, and I don’t think it’s really hard. You can coach and try to be the best you can and teach them how to do it, and that’s what everybody does. But, in my experience, it seems like the guys who do it on Friday nights do it on Saturdays.”
On staying healthy this week and the sense of urgency at practice:
“It starts with meetings. Everywhere I have ever coached, everybody has long meetings. You have to go through installs and watch the tape. Most of the guys who were the best players that I have been around were usually the ones sitting on the edge of their seats asking questions. Not the ones leaning back in their chair with their arms underneath their shirts and barely staying awake. That has nothing to do with ability. To me, that has to do with want to and making guys doing it the right way, which we are learning to do. Same way on the practice field. Can you take what you’ve learned in the meeting? Do you have a fire in your stomach to be the best you can possibly be at whatever you’re going to do? If we are going to do a drill, why would we not do it the best we possibly can? If we are going through a walkthrough, it’s the same thing. That is how I was raised, I think that’s what you’re supposed to do. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing it right. Our guys are learning to do that. If you do it every day, you will eventually create the right habits and the right makeup. You’ll develop confidence and have a chance to become a good football player. Then we have a chance to become a good football team and program.”
On emphasizing the meetings on the recruiting trail or once players arrive on campus:
“I think a lot of folks who recruit guys sit down and meet with them. Usually, the ones playing with their phone are going to play on their phone when they get here unless you straighten them out. You have to figure some of those things out during the recruitment, some of the personality things.”
On the players managing their emotions for the Florida game:
“I don’t think this game is any different than the one we played last week. That game was just as big as any of them because it was the last one we played. This will be a big game. The next one will be bigger. That’s just the way it works to me. The field is going to be the same length and width. We will call the same calls. They will probably line up in similar things we have worked on in practice. This is when you have fun. You’re supposed to have fun when you play. You do all this stuff year-round like train, eat right and go to school to create an advantage for yourself. Then you get a chance on Saturdays to do it. To me, it’s why we do what we do.”
On rotating four running backs all season:
“I think it will take all four guys to finish through the season. You figure out who is performing at the highest level, and if they are close and deserve to play, then you give them an opportunity to play. If we have four guys who are deserving to play, then we will play four guys. If we don’t, then we won’t. It’s up to the players to practice the right way and prepare the right way so the coaching staff will have confidence in them to put them in the game.”
On the development of Trevon Flowers:
“Trevon has really good ball skills. He has the best ball skills on the team, he’s very instinctive, he’s got good toughness, just not played a lot of ball. He hasn’t played football since the eighth grade – played last year for the first time – so now he’s in the SEC and he’s at a place where we’re asking a lot out of him in the back end, so he’s learning. He’s going to do nothing but get better. He works pretty hard every day. He’s improving. He’s got, to me, a very bright future.”
On what it means to have the 1998 National Title team back to be honored this weekend:
“I think it’s a huge deal. I think it’s huge for those guys, who represented the university … you think about it, as hard as it is, they were the best team in all of college football in 1998. I think if you look back on it, I don’t think they were picked at the beginning of the season, I don’t know what they were ranked, but those guys came together, they created a team (and) an identity. They played the right way (and) finished the year off with a national championship. I think it’s great for Tennessee. I think it’s great for those guys. I hope those guys get around our guys because the most important people, to me, in the program are the players. The guys who work, sweated, bleed, to build this university to what it is, and those guys have done it at the highest level, so I’m excited they’re back. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of the guys, I’ve (already) met a lot of them, but I want them around our guys, I want them around our program and hopefully, some of what they have will rub off on the people around here.”
On the growth of Jarrett Guarantano as a vocal leader:
“All I know is what I’ve seen for the last nine months, so I think Jarrett is no different than the rest of the players. I think the more he gets comfortable with the people he’s around, the system that he’s in, I’m sure he’s gaining confidence in what he’s doing. As he learns the system, he learns who we are, so that really doesn’t surprise me. I think that that’s probably the case with anybody.”
On if he thinks the quarterback needs to be a vocal leader for team’s to be successful:
“I think it’s important that probably the quarterback position … I mean hey, we’ve all seen it, we’ve seen teams that have been the best in the country and it’s been because of their quarterback. Because he was a playmaker, when they needed it he made plays, he made everybody else around him better. Then you’ve seen teams that have won championships (and) basically, the quarterback didn’t get them beat. To me, probably the most important thing about the quarterback is that he’s got to understand his role and he’s got to be able to execute and he’s got to be able to make the people around him better. I think all of our guys are trying to understand that and do that.”
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