Vols confident Maurer will play against ’Bama
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt believes quarterback Brian Maurer will be available Saturday at No. 1 Alabama after a concussion prevented the freshman from finishing a 20-10 victory over Mississippi State last week.
“Brian took some reps last night at practice,” Pruitt said Monday. “So he’s going to be fine, I’m sure.”
Maurer was making his second career start last week when he scrambled for a 13-yard gain late in the second quarter and landed head-first. Maurer initially stayed in the game, handing the ball off twice before throwing an interception.
That interception ended Maurer’s afternoon, as Jarrett Guarantano handled Tennessee’s quarterback duties for the rest of the game. Pruitt said afterward that his quarterback had sustained a concussion.
Pruitt was asked Monday why Maurer wasn’t evaluated immediately after the 13-yard run.
“He hit his head on the ground, he jumps up and runs back in the huddle, gets a call, calls the next deal,” Pruitt said. “Every play there’s a lot of people running into each other and they’re hitting their heads. I guess we could stop the game and evaluate everybody out there, but I don’t think we have time for that.”
Maurer’s condition isn’t the only issue facing Tennessee as it prepares for its toughest challenge of the season. Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) has beaten Tennessee 12 straight times by an average margin of 25.6 points.
Alabama is currently favored by 35, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is taking nothing for granted in this matchup with his former assistant. Pruitt was Alabama’s director of player development from 2007-09, defensive backs coach from 2010-12 and defensive coordinator from 2016-17.
“Jeremy has done a really, really good job there,” Saban said. “His team to me is emerging. They lost two games that they very easily could have won, but they’re playing with great discipline, toughness. The players are really playing hard. They’re executing well in terms of what they did and probably played their best game this last game against Mississippi State.”