Needing a boost
Pruitt wants Vols offense to be more aggressive
Last week’s national election had nothing to do with Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt announcing Monday afternoon that he was straying from the conservative ranks.
A 24-13 loss at Arkansas this past Saturday night turned that trick.
“We didn’t create enough explosive plays in the throw game, and we, as a coaching staff, have to do a much better job creating opportunities for our playmakers on the outside,” Pruitt said on a Zoom call. “There were some plays out there on the perimeter that we’ve got to be able to call and dial them up and give the guys the opportunity to have success. That’s on us as a coaching staff to get that done.
“Philosophically, offensively, we’ve got to be much more aggressive and push the ball down the field.”
Tennessee’s conservative ways certainly worked in the first half, when Eric Gray rushed 19 times for 89 yards in helping the Volunteers build a 13-0 lead. When Gray didn’t have as much running room during the third quarter and quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was injured, the Vols became timid and offered little resistance in a 24-point Razorbacks surge.
The Vols opened this season with explosive aerial plays at South Carolina and displayed more of that against Alabama on Oct. 24, albeit with the Crimson Tide in control of the game. Tennessee only had five double-digit gains in Fayetteville — a 10-yard Gray run, a 20-yard Guarantano scramble, a 24-yard Brandon Johnson reception, and catches of 18 and 10 yards by Josh Palmer.
“We’ve got to call an aggressive game, and when we do, we’ve got to execute it to soften the other team up,” Pruitt said.
Tennessee’s average of 4.74 yards per play is tied with Vanderbilt for 12th in the Southeastern Conference, ahead of only Mississippi State’s 4.59-yard clip.
Guarantano was removed from Saturday’s setback after landing
hard on the turf, and Pruitt said his status this week would be “day- to- day.” Should the fifth- year senior be unable to play, Pruitt and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney would have to pick among redshirt sophomore JT Shrout, sophomore Brian Maurer and traue freshman Harrison Bailey.
Shrout did not make the trip to Arkansas.
“We’ll work the other guys and see how we develop this week and work a good game plan that fits all those guys,” Pruitt said.
ADDRESSING THE FANS
Pruitt was asked Monday how he would address “Vol Nation” after a 2-0 start and a No. 14 ranking in the Associated Press poll has given way to four consecutive double-digit defeats.
“I’m just as restless as they are,” he said. “I think everybody is kind of in this together, and we all want the same things. My name is at the head of the organization, and I understand that. We have to find a way to get it going and play the right way and finish the right way.
“That’s on me as the coach to get it going, and we’re going to do that.”
SIDELINE PLACARDS
Tennessee employed sideline placards Saturday night in an effort to prevent Arkansas from stealing signals.
“In this league, when you’ve been in it a while, you have guys who’ve changed staffs, and it’s not unusual to mix up your signals,” Pruitt said. “It’s part of the game. It’s like baseball — people try to steal signals, so we just tried to change it up. It’s something we’ve done in the past, and everybody does it.
“Obviously, with the familiarity of ( Arkansas) Coach ( Sam) Pittman and Coach Chaney, it’s something that we felt like we needed to do.”
HINDSIGHT STILL 20-20
Pruitt was asked again Monday why he didn’t opt for a Brent Cimaglia field goal during the final minute that could have trimmed the 24-13 deficit to 24-16.
“There was a thought when there was 40 seconds left to kick a field goal and do an onside kick there, and obviously it didn’t work,” he said. “When it doesn’t work, you want to do the other thing. If I had it back, absolutely I would kick it now, because we didn’t get the first down.”
THIRD-DOWN WOES
Tennessee’s third- down conversion percentage went from 26.1% to 27.4% following Saturday night’s 5- of-15 showing. The Vols rank 117th nationally in that category out of 123 FBS teams that have played this season.
“You really don’t want 15 third downs in a game to start with,” Pruitt said. “Probably 11 is the number — maybe 10 to 11 there. You want to stay out of third- and- longs and be in third-and-1s and third-and-2s.
“We’ve got to be more efficient on first and second down and stay out of so many third downs.”
ODDS AND ENDS
Arkansas announced Monday that Pittman, who embraced Pruitt and Vols junior lineman Cade Mays following the game, has tested positive for COVID-19. … Tennessee’s game next week at Auburn will be televised by ESPN at 7 p. m. … Senior defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus had a teammate fall into his leg during warmups Saturday and will be out 4- 6 weeks, thus missing the rest of the regular season. … Pruitt called freshman quarterback Harrison Bailey’s performance “promising for him.”