Tennessee Vols: Jeremy Pruitt made a decision in win against Mississippi State that should give fans a lot of hope
The Tennessee Vols got their first SEC victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't necessarily pretty. Tennessee lost starting quarterback Brian Maurer in the second quarter, but Jarrett Guarantano, who started the first four games of the season, was able to help secure a 20-10 win for the Vols against Mississippi State. […]
The Tennessee Vols got their first SEC victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't necessarily pretty.
Tennessee lost starting quarterback Brian Maurer in the second quarter, but Jarrett Guarantano, who started the first four games of the season, was able to help secure a 20-10 win for the Vols against Mississippi State.
For the majority of the game, after Maurer's injury, Tennessee elected to run the ball. It was a smart game plan, considering the perceived lack of trust in Guarantano, plus the fact that UT was playing with a lead (and they rushed for 192 yards).
But when it counted most, the Vols went to the air.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the ball on the 39 and less than three minutes on the clock, Tennessee opted to throw the ball instead of running the ball to run some time off the clock.
The result?
Vols wide receiver Tyler Byrd took a short pass 39 yards for a touchdown that essentially put the game away for the Vols.
This was a perfect play call at the perfect time by offensive coordinator Jim Chaney.
But I think we need to give Jeremy Pruitt a lot of credit for the decision. Every call goes through Pruitt. He's said before that if he doesn't like a call, he'll veto it.
Pruitt decided to not play to protect the lead. He decided to go for the win.
This is an approach that separates good coaches from mediocre coaches. Playing not to lose is what cost Butch Jones a couple of big wins during his tenure as Vols coach. And it was also the beginning of a litany of red flags for Jones.
There have been some red flags for Pruitt (losing to Georgia State). But his approach on Saturday against Mississippi State should gives fans plenty of hope that Pruitt can still accomplish something special at Tennessee.
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
