Vols look to rebound against Gamecocks
Tennessee, looking to shake off a resounding loss to Alabama, hits the road this week for a trip to South Carolina on Saturday.
Standing in the way of the Vols’ attempt to return to .500 are the Gamecocks (3-3, 2-3 SEC) and Will Muschamp, a man who is an unblemished 6-0 against Tennessee as head coach of South Carolina and Florida.
For Tennessee (3-4, 1-3 SEC), simply getting a strong start could mean a world of difference for a squad averaging fewer than 13 points per game in the first half. That begins with amending a rushing attack that’s struggled all year, ranking last in the SEC and No. 100 in the FBS with a 140.7-yard per-game average.
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt didn’t hesitate to call out his entire offense for not being on the same page.
“We have to be able to block the guys up front,” Pruitt said. “We still have way too many mental errors on the offensive line and the quarterback, tight end, wide receiver positions. You should know what to do.
“As the season has gone along, we’ve definitely improved offensively, but so have our opponents,” Pruitt added. “We’ve got to figure out a way to score some points in the first quarter. We’ve played from behind almost every single game. Our kids have continued to try to play the right way as the game goes and have made adjustments, but we have to figure out a way to put some points on the board early.”
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano is expected to play against South Carolina after leaving the Alabama game following a hit from linebacker Mack Wilson.
The redshirt sophomore earned his first career start a year ago against the Gamecocks. In that contest, Guarantano led the Vols to the South Carolina 2-yard line before having his game-winning touchdown attempt thwarted as time expired. In 13 starts since, Guarantano has thrown for 2,135 yards, including 1,192 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Keller Chryst, a grad transfer from Stanford, got the nod for an injured Guarantano last week, connecting on 9 of 15 passes for 164 yards and pair of touchdowns against the Tide. But it likely wasn’t enough to earn Chryst his first start since 2016 with Stanford.
“I think Jarrett’s going to be fine,” Pruitt said. “He took a pretty good shot. He took a couple pretty good shots. He’s a tough guy and I expect him to be out there.”
On the opposite side of the ball, Tennessee will square off against South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley, owner of 1,151 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.
“Jake’s a coach’s son,” Pruitt said of Bentley, whom he recruited out of Opelika (Ala.) High School.
“He understands what they’re trying to get done. He’s tough. He can get the ball out of his hand, makes all the throws. We’ll have to find ways to affect him Saturday because if you let him sit there and stand in there in the pocket, he can deliver to some really good players.”
Tennessee needs three wins in its final five games to become bowl eligible in the program’s first season under Pruitt.