Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee cannot let historic loss sink 2019 season
The bad omens started early.
At 7 a.m. Saturday, a 42-foot cabin cruiser in the Vol Navy caught fire and sunk toward the bottom of the Tennessee River.
Close to 12 hours later, Tennessee’s 2019 season felt much the same way, under water.
The Vols’ 38-30 loss to Georgia State — a Sun Belt team that was picked to finish last in its division and collected a $950,000 check just to show up in Neyland Stadium — was truly shocking.
Senior safety Nigel Warrior was “flabbergasted” afterwards.
Despite Jeremy Pruitt’s constant refrain all offseason that “you only get 12 opportunities,” Tennessee was uninspired and ill-prepared for Week 1 of the 2019 season. They were bullied — on both sides of the ball. Their veteran quarterback made too many mistakes. They couldn’t tackle. The defensive braintrust of Pruitt and Derrick Ansley, worth a combined $5 million, had no answers for a Sun Belt quarterback.
It’s all inexcusable.
Butch Jones will forever been a punchline on Rocky Top, but losing to a bad Group of 5 school wasn’t on his obituary. Tennessee fans have been asked to endure a lot over the last decade, and now they’re left wondering if losing to a program that’s only been in existence for 10 years is truly the pits.
How did Saturday afternoon happen?
Seriously.
What has the team being doing all summer?
Why was a supposedly “bigger, stronger and faster team” constantly subbing guys and still looking tired against a team that went 2-10 a year ago?
Why did Tennessee treat the home-opener like an Orange & White scrimmage?
Unfortunately, there are few, if any, answers right now.
Saturday's postgame press conference was almost as mind-boggling as the game's result itself.
Tennessee’s players spoke honestly and deserve credit for even answering questions after such a loss, but it was clear within minutes why the Vols suffered such a monumental defeat.
There were constant contradictions. No one was on the same page.
Nigel Warrior said the Vols knew every play GSU was going to run and simply didn’t execute, while Darrell Taylor and Jarrett Guarantano said they were unprepared and saw looks they didn’t expect.
There was zero explanation as to why Ty Chandler didn't play much in the second half, or why in Year 2 of a defensive scheme there so much confusion.
Jeremy Pruitt was measured and composed, delivering mostly trite answers. He accepted blame. More than once. But the second-year head coach certainly didn't express the gravity of such a historic defeat.
Not publicly, at least.
The reality is the ante just got ratcheted up on Pruitt. That’s not hyperbole. You can’t lose to Georgia State. Ever. The goodwill from upsetting Auburn in 2018 is now forgotten.
After getting thumped by Missouri and Vanderbilt to end last year, there was ample preseason buzz that Tennessee was actually set to turn the corner this fall.
The roster is deeper. The schedule is better. Pruitt said more than once this offseason, “We’re headed in the right direction, and we’re headed there in a hurry," only furthering fanning the optimism.
Well, the ship caught fire Saturday night.
Now Pruitt & Co., have one week to make sure it doesn’t sink or else the season could be lost.
Saturday was a horrible showing in Neyland Stadium, but Year 2 in Pruitt's tenure cannot be a totally lost season. If this is a wasted year, this program is in real danger of becoming a true perennial bottom-feeder. The Vols have 11 more opportunities to make sure it's not, and it starts Saturday night against BYU.
“We have to go back and look in the mirror. What can I do better? That is what you have to do because everybody wants to blame somebody else, “ Pruitt said.
“There will be a team coming in that is probably going to be better than them (Georgia State). It will keep happening that way.”