Jeremy Pruitt wasn't perfect, but he was good enough in Tennessee Vols' win against Kentucky
The Tennessee Vols dug themselves an early hole on Saturday night in Lexington against the Kentucky Wildcats, but they were able to dig their way out for their fifth win of the season. Tennessee fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter, but they didn't allow another point the rest of the way in a 17-13 […]
The Tennessee Vols dug themselves an early hole on Saturday night in Lexington against the Kentucky Wildcats, but they were able to dig their way out for their fifth win of the season.
Tennessee fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter, but they didn't allow another point the rest of the way in a 17-13 win that brings their record to .500 for the first time this season (5-5).
Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt wasn't perfect on Saturday night — a late penalty out of a timeout for too many men on the field nearly derailed UT's chance to win the game — but he was good enough to lead Tennessee to a win.
True freshman quarterback Brian Maurer got the start for the Vols, but after he proved ineffective in the first half (he had some trouble with RPOs), Pruitt made the bold decision to go with the beleaguered Jarrett Guarantano in the second half.
And oh man did it pay off in a big way.
Guarantano looked as sharp against Kentucky as he has in his entire career at Tennessee. The Vols were able to push the ball down the field with Guarantano under center, thus giving Tennessee a chance to put some points on the board and win the game.
Without Pruitt's decision to put Guarantano into the game in the second half — a decision that could've been deemed questionable considering the redshirt junior's struggles this season — Tennessee doesn't leave Lexington with a win on Saturday night.
Another way that Pruitt was "good enough" on Saturday was in the way his team adjusted defensively against the Wildcats. Kentucky did pretty much what they wanted to on the ground against the Vols in the first half. In the second half, Tennessee played much closer to the line of scrimmage against the Wildcats. They were willing to let Kentucky beat them through the air (which they didn't), in order to contain the ground game (which UT mostly did).
Tennessee still has a long way to go in their return to relevancy. They need to improve their depth. They need to be more consistent.
But I think it's clear — now more than ever — that UT is well on their way under Pruitt.
Featured image via Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
