Tennessee Football: Takeaways from Jeremy Pruitt's Monday Press Conference
Jeremy Pruitt remembers what it was like to experience a beatdown at the hands of Missouri last year. He also remembers when Tennessee was on the winning side of this series.
As Pruitt and the Vols prepare to take on the Tigers in Columbia on Saturday, they'll be looking to use the off week to their advantage. UT has not won at Missouri since the 2015 season and have been helpless at slowing down its high-powered offense since 2016.
Here are three takeaways from Pruitt's Monday press conference:
The Vols have yet to play a "complete" game
Despite having won three consecutive games including four of its last five, Pruitt feels that Tennessee has yet to play its best football heading into Saturday's matchup.
He doesn't feel that the Vols have put together a complete effort in all three phases, either.
"I've said this a bunch of times, but we have yet to play our best game," Pruitt said. "In my opinion, we have yet to play a complete game."
While the results may say otherwise, Pruitt's assessment of UT's woes to this point is difficult to argue against.
The Vols have won just one road game and have been uncompetitive in their losses with the exception of BYU. Against an inferior Kentucky team in Lexington, Tennessee was down 13-0 at one point.
They may not have as far to go improvement-wise as their head coach may think, but the Vols still have areas in which they can improve.
Going against a team that has beaten them by a combined margin of 100-34 in the past two seasons could not present them with a better opportunity to showcase just that.
"We have lots of things as a staff, as individuals and as a team to prove," Pruitt said. "This is a great opportunity to do it."
Vols are as healthy as they've been in a "long time"
It's no secret that Tennessee has not been the beneficiary of good luck when it pertains to injuries. That was never more evident than when quarterback Jarrett Guarantano walked into the postgame press conference wearing a cast on his left hand.
That hasn't stopped the Vols from enjoying the time they've spent together.
Even given the up's and down's that UT endured to being the season after a disappointing start and losing several players to injury, the players and staff continue to relish in practice.
"I think the guys are excited about getting going today, the clock's ticking on the 2019 team," Pruitt said. "I've said all along, this group of guys enjoys being around each other and we enjoy being around them."
That enjoyment didn't translate to on-the-field success to start, but the Vols have flipped that narrative over the past month.
Tennessee's most difficult stretch, however, is the one that lies ahead. Closing out the season has proven to be a difficult task in Knoxville in recent memory. Luckily for the Vols, their health is as good as it's been.
"We're probably as healthy as we've been in a long time," Pruitt said.
Self-awareness becoming one of Tennessee's strengths
Following the Vols' loss to BYU in week two, one could make the argument that they were one the nation's most mentally unaware teams. Alontae Taylor's baffling mistake in the secondary that led to game-tying field goal exemplified that argument.
Since then, the script has been flipped.
Instead of trying to be a team that it is not, Tennessee has come to accept both its strengths and flaws. If the last three games have proven otherwise, it seems to be a trend that has been working in the Vols' favor.
"That's one of the things that I feel like we've improved on as a football team is just self-awareness," Pruitt said. "Know your limitations, know your strengths, know where you're at and where you're not."
Where Tennessee is currently at now has it within one win of becoming eligible for a bowl game, which would be a first under Pruitt.
Luckily for them, the Vols' ability to correct their early-season mistakes have them now on the precipice of one of the better midseason turnarounds in program history.
"If you know those things, you can fix (some other) things."
Tennessee heads to Columbia to take on Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET with the game being broadcasted on the SEC Network.
