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Tennessee football: Ranking every Vols team in 2010s decade

By Caleb Calhoun

ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 1: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers rides the shoulders of Gavin Bryant #36 after making the game winning catch against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 1: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers rides the shoulders of Gavin Bryant #36 after making the game winning catch against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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7. 2018

5-7 (2-6)

*No postseason

Of all the teams to have losing seasons for Tennessee football in the 2010s, this was one of the biggest anomalies. Six of the Vols’ seven losses this season were by 25 or more points, but they also scored two wins over top 25 SEC teams, one of whom they beat on the road. And as underdogs in nine games this year, they actually overachieved.

After the bottom fell out under Butch Jones and the disastrous Greg Schiano situation took place, John Currie was forced out as athletic director, replaced by former coach Phillip Fulmer, and he hired Jeremy Pruitt away from the Alabama Crimson Tide. This was Pruitt’s first year ever as a head coach, and he had walked into a mess.

That explains the issues already. But on top of that, he was switching the defense to a 3-4 and the offense back to a pro-style. Injuries due to previously bad conditioning kept half the roster out in the spring as well, and then there were the blood clots that kept Trey Smith out.

Even as they all came together in fall camp and Smith got back on the field, Brandon Kennedy, Pruitt’s one saving grace on the interior of the offensive line, suffered a season-ending injury. This explains their disastrous start, including a blowout loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers, six turnovers against the Florida Gators and another blowout loss at the Georgia Bulldogs.

But at 2-3, the Vols came out of a bye to face the Auburn Tigers on the road. One of their strengths was defensive line. A great game-plan by Tyson Helton and the elite play of Alexis Johnson, Shy Tuttle and Kyle Phillips resulted in a major upset win that day headlined by over 300 yards and two touchdowns from Jarrett Guarantano.

Even as they got blown out by the Alabama Crimson Tide, they appeared to be turning a corner with that win. But then Smith, Pruitt’s only other reliable lineman, was held out the rest of the year because his blood clots returned. UT blew a two-score lead on the road at the South Carolina Gamecocks. They looked hideous in a win over the Charlotte 49ers.

Still, with all of the issues plaguing this team, Pruitt and his defense were able to put together a great plan to blow out the eventual 10-3 Kentucky Wildcats 24-7. At 5-5, a bowl was then a real possibility. But the offensive line issues and lack of experience in the 3-4 were still too much, so they suffered blowout losses to the Missouri Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores to end the year.

As a result, Tennessee football’s first team under Pruitt was 5-7. But despite missing a bowl game, they were much better than expected under Pruitt, and the future appeared bright. There was just a lot of work to do.

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