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

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

1. Proven ability to close out games down the stretch

So there’s the improvement on the field, and there is the actual motivation to finish strong despite the slow start. Then there’s the ability that Tennessee football showed to win close games under Jeremy Pruitt, and that’s a big deal.

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In 2018, the Vols won a one-possession game and lost one. Then they lost their first two by one score to open the season, including that collapse against the BYU Cougars. What followed? Well, they won three games down the stretch of the season by one possession, and they won two more in which they were trailing while winning another one up by only three late in the fourth quarter.

UT became a finishing school under Pruitt. There was the key third-down conversion followed by the touchdown pass to secure a 10-point win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Rocky Top then trailed the South Carolina Gamecocks 21-17 at halftime only to score 24 unanswered in the second half with two different quarterbacks to win 41-21.

The Vols came back in both of their road wins this year, beating the Kentucky Wildcats and Missouri Tigers due to late defensive stands and third down conversions. They trailed UK 13-0 at one point. Then they came back from 22-9 down to win the Gator Bowl over the Indiana Hoosiers in what was indeed an ugly outing.

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Simply put, Tennessee football proved it could close out games under Pruitt by the end of the year. That’s a testament to Pruitt’s ability to coach in late-game situations, and it should pay dividends long-term. As a result, it’s a major positive from 2019.

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