Jeremy Pruitt on tough loss road loss at South Carolina: This one stung
There’s a chance Tennessee was playing for its bowl life Saturday night in Columbia against the Gamecocks. If that is indeed the case, Jeremy Pruitt’s first Volunteer team came up just short, in a 27-24 loss to South Carolina.
Tennessee held a slight lead at halftime of this one but were outscored 18-10 in the second half. Penalties really killed the Volunteers in this game as Pruitt’s squad had nine for 75 yards. The Gamecocks had only two for nine yards in the game.
The Vols’ rush defense failed them, too, as South Carolina rushed for 224 yards on the ground Saturday. Tennessee did manage to convert 11 of 16 third downs but failed to pick up two crucial fourth downs in the game.
Following the game, Pruitt met with the media to discuss the tough loss:
opening statement:
Jeremy Pruitt: This one stung for our program. And it should have. We played well enough offensively to win but we made too many mistakes.
— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) October 28, 2018
Jeremy Pruitt: "This loss falls on everybody, and me most of all." #Vols
— Marc Whiteman (@MarcWhiteman) October 28, 2018
on Trey Smith:
On Trey Smith, Jeremy Pruitt says: "For one, we're very thankful that our doctors done a really good job to diagnose and figure out what's going on with Trey. It's far more important than this football game, to tell you the truth."
— David Cobb (@DavidWCobb) October 28, 2018
Jeremy Pruitt on whether Trey Smith will ever play football again for the #Vols: I don’t know. I don’t pretend to be a doctor. The doctors and Trey and his family will make that call.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) October 28, 2018
on late-game decision making:
#Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt on going for it on fourth-and-7 rather than try FG: That was a little outside Brett’s comfort range going that way (on the field). Punting didn’t make sense. We’d drop a ball the play before. Our defense wasn’t playing well. Just trying to win the game.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) October 28, 2018
I know I’ll get roasted for this take, but we are lucky to have lost by 3.
Refs blew at least 2 calls that should have gone SC’s way. I know they missed one in our favor, but the gamecocks got the shaft on penalty calls tonight.
Just callin’ the way I saw it.
Oh, and I wish we would have gone for 3 to end the 1st half.
GBO!
Until Tennessee gets an o-line, expect more of the same. Pruitt should have an open call out for anyone on campus that is above 6′ and over 300lbs to try out for o-line. Defense just out of position bad tonight. Too many mistakes. How can only 3 pass rushers sack JG? Did y’all watch the other 2 o-line just stand there and watch him get sacked? Pitiful.