Updated: Pruitt's Legacy Stares Past Coaches' in the Face

In the annual installment of Tennessee vs Florida Tennessee found a way to choke again. This year in Gainesville, Florida in what Florida fans refer to their football field as the swamp. Tennessee entered the swamp coming off of a less than stellar performance vs Georgia tech to open the season even though they did win it didn’t inspire much confidence in Tennessee fans, they also beat Indiana state in a tune up game for Florida. Florida came into the game with a loss to Michigan in Dallas and a postponed game versus Northern Colorado. Needless to say neither team came into the game looking great but as always both would show up in their biggest rivalry game of the year. Florida looked like the more well rounded team all day Tennessee just kept finding ways to hang in the game. Running back John Kelly put the Tennessee on his back. Kelly rushed for 141 yards and hauled in six catches for 96 yards. Tennessee was able to tie the game at twenty late in the fourth quarter with a field goal by senior Aaron medley. In a moment fueled by nightmares for Tennessee fans Florida was able to give themselves a chance to win the game and scoring with no time on the clock they did just that with a 63 yard bomb from Feleipe Frank’s to Tyrie Cleveland who was able to get behind the Tennessee defense and catch the Hail Mary pass to win the game. Tennessee fans have to wonder if without the unforced errors and poor decisions by their head coach Butch Jones if they could’ve won the game. For the second time in three years the Vols found a way to lose in the swamp in spectacular fashion. Butch Jones ultimately couldn’t survive a demoralizing loss to Florida a second time around.

For new Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt the Florida game serves as an early challenge to prove himself as a coach. Pruitt’s tenure at Tennessee will be built on this game. Tennessee will either win and Pruitt will have and early bookmark win in his time at Tennessee or lose to a new head coach at Florida in Dan Mullen and start his tenure in the same fashion as recent Tennessee head coaches. The 2018 Tennessee-Florida game has the potential to set Jeremy Pruitt’s legacy on the right track, and it’s not an opportunity the program should take lightly. It’s not essential, but it would sure be nice.