Tennessee football: Five best signs from Jeremy Pruitt’s second year with Vols

4. Unphased by crowds away from home

This has been a staple of Tennessee football through its first two years under Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols scored their first signature win on the road against the Auburn Tigers, and they nearly beat the South Carolina Gamecocks two games later. That was during Pruitt’s first year on Rocky Top when he had almost no talent to work with throughout the season.

Last year, UT only looked horrible in one road game. That was when they faced the Florida Gators. However, they fought hard with the Alabama Crimson Tide and were in it until a horrible roughing the passer call and the infamous Jarrett Guarantano fumble made the game 35-13. They fought hard there in a night game in Tuscaloosa, which is impressive.

Then the Vols went on the road and came away with back to back victories, both against SEC teams who had bowl eligible records. The first was a 13-0 comeback to beat the Kentucky Wildcats 17-13. After that, they beat the Missouri Tigers 24-20. Both of these wins came with critical third-down conversions and epic defensive stands late in the game.

Taking that into account, the Vols have clearly shown an ability to win and play well in hostile environments under Pruitt, and they got even better at that in 2019. That’s a major plus for Pruitt’s coaching ability. He always seems to have his kids prepare for those high levels of hostility, and if he continues to build more talent, that should be a major benefit going forward.