WATCH: Video captures Jeremy Pruitt calling out where Auburn will throw before Tigers can even snap the ball
You may not need another reason to mock Gus Malzahn for the coaching job he’s done at Auburn this season, but we are going to provide you with one, anyway.
While Auburn was attempting to get back into the game late against Tennessee in the fourth quarter, Jeremy Pruitt was yelling at his defensive back Baylen Buchanan to inform him the ball was coming to his man. Keep in mind, this was before Auburn even snapped the ball.
On cue, guess where Jarrett Stidham went? Right to Buchanan’s man.
This is just the latest example of how Tennessee went to Auburn and beat the Tigers 30-24 last weekend when very few were predicting that outcome.
Check out the exchange below, which was shared by Caleb Noe of WVLT Knoxville:
Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt is a defensive mind, right?
Watch this play from Auburn’s final offensive drive.At the beginning, you can hear Pruitt yell “BAYLEN IT’S COMING TO YOUR GUY!”
Sure enough… pic.twitter.com/n0G10pTLMq
— Caleb Noe (@wvltCaleb) October 16, 2018
In response to the video, Jeremy’s brother, Luke Pruitt — who is also a football coach, shared this interesting tidbit on how often Tennessee’s coach likes to do this trick:
Last year I happened to be in Tuscaloosa and was watching Clemson and Auburn with him after their game. He was eating pizza and drinking a Diet Coke and literally calling every offensive play for both teams from his recliner.
— Luke Pruitt (@coach_lpruitt) October 17, 2018
This was also something Pruitt did all game long against Auburn’s offense, as the Tennessee coach has faced off against Malzahn and his offensive scheme every single year since his arrival at Auburn. While the players deserve all the credit for getting things done between the white lines on Saturday, Pruitt clearly coached circles around the coach that signed a seven-year, $56 million deal this offseason.
This late blitz call by Pruitt on the field moments before the snap led to a Stidham interception:
Is @CoachJPruitt (top right) calling blitzes seconds before the ball is snapped? This pressure led to an Interception for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/zad7Q1W1LB
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 15, 2018
Unfortunately for Tennessee, Auburn is not on the schedule in 2019.