Tennessee football: Five biggest wins of Jeremy Pruitt era
![Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt runs off the field after a game between Tennessee and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Tennessee defeated Auburn 30-24.Auburntennessee1013 1831 RANK 10 Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt runs off the field after a game between Tennessee and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Tennessee defeated Auburn 30-24.Auburntennessee1013 1831 RANK 10](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9fe78b7bfd3348925a3725cecd48513c9a1b515b554113ebd7027dc8e75a6e21.jpg)
7. 833. 24. 839. Final
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018; Neyland Stadium; Knoxville, Tenn.
Although beating the Kentucky Wildcats is always to be expected, when Tennessee football did it in 2018, it was a shocker. The Vols were in the midst of a rebuilding season Jeremy Pruitt’s first year on the job, and Kentucky was in the midst of its best season in 40 years under Mark Stoops. They came in with a 7-2 record and ranked in the top 12.
However, a run-oriented offense is something Jeremy Pruitt thrives at stopping, and he had the perfect game plan. The Vols shut down Kentucky’s attack from the start. Holding onto a 3-0 lead late in the first half, they then had back to back touchdown drives to go into halftime, capped of by Jarrett Guarantano hitting Marquez Callaway for a 39-yard score with no time on the clock.
Up 17-0 at halftime, the Vols continued their defensive dominance in the second half, and they scored on an 85-yard touchdown drive on the second drive of that half. That put them up 24-0, and there was no way Kentucky was coming back from that.
Stoops’ team did keep fighting, to be fair, and UT allowed a touchdown while committing two fumbles late. However, they also blocked a field goal and came away with two interceptions. At the time, the Vols were 4-5, and this would be their last win of the year, but it seemed like this was just the start of something special for Pruitt.