Jeremy Pruitt challenges Vol Nation to show up for Tennessee’s spring game
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Other than the upcoming Orange & White game, Tennessee’s players won’t have an opportunity to ease into what the new coaching staff is asking them to do before facing what looks to be a top 25 preseason opponent in West Virginia away from Neyland Stadium in Charlotte.
Jeremy Pruitt understands that well and hopes to use the spring game as a way to get his players accustom to the gameday routine they will be asked to handle the weekend of the season opener. Unlike the Butch Jones era, which featured incoherent rules and scoring metrics every spring on Rocky Top, Pruitt plans to simulate an actual game Saturday, April 21 during Tennessee’s Orange & White game.
“I think for the spring game, we talked about putting the guys in adverse situations,” Pruitt said during his latest media availability. “We have a lot of inexperienced guys, so you’re not going to know a lot about them. We’ll practice for eight days, then we’ll scrimmage, practice for two more, then we’ll scrimmage. There’s something about going out in the stadium and playing the game.
“One thing that we want to do, from the coaches to the trainers and managers, and everyone in the entire organization, we want to approach the spring game and actually play a game. We’re going to divide up the squad and play a game. We’ll actually go through the Vol Walk. We want to go through the same routine. We may even stay in a hotel on Friday night. We don’t want the first time we do it to be when we go to Charlotte.”
In order to make the most out of the spring game, Pruitt is calling for Vol Nation to show up in full force to help his team best simulate the environment the team will walk into Sept. 1 in Charlotte. Tennessee’s coach did not bring up recruiting, but the Vols are sure to host several top prospects during the event and the atmosphere created by Tennessee fans can only serve to impress those that make the trip in for the game.
“My challenge is for our fan base. The first two scrimmages aren’t open, but the spring game obviously is. The best way to put them in an adverse situation is to show up,” Pruitt said. “That presence will create pressure which will prepare them for next season.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
