Vols try to get back in win column vs. Charlotte
Tennessee will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak when the Volunteers play host to Charlotte on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.
Jeremy Pruitt’s squad has dropped consecutive contests, including last week’s 27-24 loss to South Carolina, but is coming off arguably its best offensive performance of the season.
Now Tennessee (3-5, 1-4 SEC) looks to build off that momentum when the 49ers (4-4, 3-2 Conference USA) arrive on Rocky Top. That means building consistency on its zero-turnover performance against the Gamecocks in which the Vols converted 68.8 percent (11-of-16) on third down.
“Far and away this was our best output offensively,” Pruitt said of the Vols performance on the road in Columbia. “We weren’t just relying on explosive plays, but we need to create more, and we had opportunities to do that, but we had breakdowns in protection. The plays were there to be made from the explosive standpoint, but I thought from an execution (standpoint) and kind of getting more plays right, that was far and away our best game offensively. We didn’t turn the ball over, converted third downs. We just killed ourselves with penalties.”
The maturation of Jarrett Guarantano continues. The redshirt sophomore now has multiple touchdown efforts in three of his last four games, the lone anomaly coming against No. 1 Alabama. He has 1,399 yards and eight touchdowns on the year to go against just two interceptions.
“I thought he showed a lot of courage, played really hard and was a really good leader for our team,” Pruitt said of Guarantano. “We just need to fix those other plays, and he can do that. We ask him to do a lot of things, which, I think it helps our offense.”
Guarantano will have to be wary of Charlotte linebacker Juwan Foggie, who leads the nation with six interceptions.
Charlotte is coming off a 20-17 win over Southern Mississippi. The 49ers have yet to win consecutive games this year, but they can climb above .500 for the first time since Week 3 with a win.
“Offensively, they give you multiple looks, they’re committed to running the football,” Pruitt said. “They went for it nine or 10 times already this year on fourth down. Defensively, they stop the run, they create negative plays, they get turnovers, and when you watch them on special teams they play with speed.”
Tennessee could use a victory over Charlotte if the Volunteers want to gain bowl eligibility in Pruitt’s first season on Rocky Top. The Vols close out the campaign with home tilts against No. 11 Kentucky and Missouri before going on the road for the season-finale against Vanderbilt — who have won the last two contests between the in-state rivals.