Tennessee’s 2018 season is off to a rough start. No one expected first-year coach Jeremy Pruitt to be a miracle worker, but losses to West Virginia, Florida and Georgia are still tough to stomach.

UT had a bye in Week 6, so the team’s record heading into the Auburn game currently sits at 2-3. While the above losses have received more attention than wins over East Tennessee State and UTEP, there were signs in the UGA game that Pruitt’s squad is getting better.

Redshirt senior DL Alexis Johnson told reporters he can identify the most important area where the Vols have improved this season.

“I think that we have improved in a lot of ways,” Johnson said during his Tuesday media availability. “I think that the biggest thing that we have improved on is coming together and playing as a team.”

The need to play as a team will almost certainly come up when Jeremy Pruitt addresses the team before heading out onto the field at Jordan Hare Stadium. The Tennessee defensive lineman also added these thoughts when asked about the units comfort growing in the first year playing in Pruitt’s scheme.

“We are more comfortable with the scheme because we have been in it longer. It just comes with time and we have to keep repping it.”

Auburn is a scuffling team, notching a rather underwhelming win over Southern Miss in Week 5 and falling at Mississippi State in Week 6. There’s a growing feeling that Tennessee can snap its SEC losing skid Saturday at AU.

To pull off an upset, it’s certainly going to take a focused, team effort.