Former Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt gives thoughts on Tennessee's matchup with Alabama
Former Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt weighed in on UT's upcoming matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide this week during an interview with Dawg Nation's Mike Griffith. Pruitt, who played and coached at Alabama and coached at Tennessee, has a unique viewpoint of this rivalry. He's one of the few that's been on both […]
Former Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt weighed in on UT's upcoming matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide this week during an interview with Dawg Nation's Mike Griffith.
Pruitt, who played and coached at Alabama and coached at Tennessee, has a unique viewpoint of this rivalry. He's one of the few that's been on both sides of it.
So how does he feel about this year's chapter of the Third Saturday in October?
Well, like many folks, Pruitt thinks a big key to the game is whether or not Alabama quarterback Bryce Young plays against the Vols.
“I think who plays quarterback for Alabama will be a big tell in this game," said Pruitt. "If Bryce plays, I think Alabama has the advantage, if he doesn’t, it becomes kind of a toss-up.”
Pruitt then noted that he thinks Bama will put an extra defender in the box to try to prevent Tennessee from running the ball. As a result, he expects a lot of one-on-ones on the outside, which likely means plenty of deep shots down the field from the Vols' offense.
“Alabama is gonna say ‘we’re not going to let them run the football,’ " explained Pruitt. “To do that, they’re going to have to give an extra guy in the box, because the runs with Hendon Hooker is like playing Wildcat, so it’s going to force them to play one-on-ones.
“There will be a lot of one-on-ones in this game, so the ball will be thrown down the field," added Pruitt.
Oddly, Pruitt noted that the officials will play a big role in the game. Specifically, he wondered if deep shots down the field from Tennessee's offense will result in incompletions or pass interference penalties.
Ultimately, Pruitt believes the outcome of the game will come down to the Vols' defense and whether or not they can stop Alabama in the red zone.
“I think this will be on Tennessee’s defense, I believe Tennessee is going to score points," said Pruitt. "They’ve scored points ever since Josh Heupel has been there, except for a few games…So I think it will come down to if Tennessee’s defense can get some stops.”
“Alabama is going to move the football, when the ball gets into the red area, can they hold them to field goals?” asked Pruitt. “Can they get a couple of turnovers, can they hold them to field goals in the red area?"
It's a bit bizarre to hear Pruitt talking about this game. But his analysis is pretty much spot on. Officiating, Young's status, and Tennessee's defense will certainly be the three biggest keys to this game.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel, Knoxville News Sentinel
