The Tennessee Volunteers football program is off to a rough start in the 2018 season following big losses to West Virginia and Florida, but former Vols legend Peyton Manning believes that head coach Jeremy Pruitt is leading the team in the right direction.
Peyton Manning is a College Football Hall of Famer who holds many Tennessee Volunteers and SEC records to this day. He’s also quick to speak positively about current Tennessee coaches, and he gave current Vols leader Jeremy Pruitt a vote of confidence during the team’s Week 5 matchup against the No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
The legendary signal-caller told CBS during the game, “I believe in him and I think we’re heading in the right direction,” noting that the fans need to be patient and give Pruitt time to instill his culture and brand of football on the Tennessee program.
As Manning was making those comments during the CBS broadcast, Tennessee was behind 10-0 early in the second quarter to an undefeated Georgia team.
Of course, Manning is no stranger to praising Tennessee head coaches, seeing as how he was once “all in” on Butch Jones. For better or for worse, Peyton has always been one to deliver the “company line” as a former Tennessee star, and his praise for Pruitt could just be a simple case of Manning being a little too nice.
Meanwhile, Tennessee has stumbled to a 2-2 start, boasting low-quality wins over East Tennessee State and UTEP. They suffered a 40-14 loss to No. 12-ranked West Virginia and were drubbed 47-21 by Jordan Scarlett and the 3-1 Florida Gators.
Tennessee isn’t expected to put up much of a fight against Georgia, and it doesn’t seem like the fanbase or college football analysts share Manning’s optimism. Pruitt’s Vols have not looked impressive in his first season, and some are worried that his first year with the program could be a lost campaign.
In his comments to CBS, Manning cited Pruitt’s experience in the SEC as a former Alabama defensive back and a defensive coordinator for Georgia and Alabama. In his SEC head coaching debut, Pruitt’s team played poorly against a key rival, and the new Tennessee coach’s experience in the division didn’t seem to come handy in that game.
Manning’s point about patience is valid, but if Tennessee continues to struggle mightily on defense against top opponents in the conference, the frustration from fans will continue to grow. This is a team that ranks 80th in Football Outsiders’ F/+ and has allowed 40 points in each of their battles against stiff competition.
As they struggle with Georgia, they must prepare for a gauntlet of upcoming games. The No. 10-ranked Auburn Tigers, No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide, and South Carolina are Tennessee’s next three opponents. Those matchups will give fans even more of an indication of just how much work needs to be done by Pruitt and the rest of the coaching staff.