What Jeremy Pruitt said after Tennessee beat Auburn

Tennessee moved to 3-3 on the season today with a surprise win over the Auburn Tigers. It was Jeremy Pruitt’s first win over a ranked opponent and a huge moment for his program. Here are the highlights of what he had to say after the game.

On facing in-game adversity...

“There were times in the game when things didn’t go our way. I don’t think we played very well at certain times in the game, but our guys kept their poise. They fought a little bit harder.”

“Things didn’t go our way all the time today. But we’re learning to play the next play. Not letting the last play have any effect on the next one.”

On the run game...

“I thought our offensive staff did a fantastic job mixing it up. I know we didn’t run the ball very well, we’re going to have to improve on that.”

On the passing game...

“We did make some plays throwing the football. I thought we put the ball where our receivers could make some plays and nobody else.”

“We had some good plays called that hit the right coverages. Jarrett done a good job getting it to them and they high-pointed the ball, so it’s good to see things that they took from the meeting room to the practice field and execute it in a game. So that’s something they can build confidence on. Let me tell you, they done it against some really good players. Those guys in the secondary for Auburn, they can cover pretty well.”

On Jarrett Guarantano...

“It takes ten guys for him to be effective. They way they play affects how he plays. I think he did a good job today of having an affect on his teammates. We had some guys today that I think played their best football. Our offensive staff mixed it up on first and second down, moved us around a little bit in the pocket. We created some explosive plays and our wide receivers did a good job playing the ball.”

“This is not an easy place to win. Nowhere is in the SEC. Going on the road and winning against a really good team in the SEC speaks to how far we’ve come as a program in the last ten months. We’re growing up. It’s good for our guys and I’m glad for them. It’s good to see the smiles on their face. You know, I hope they get used to winning.”

On Tyson Helton moving from the box to the field...

“I think it’s easier to call the game from the press box. But there comes a point in time when you need to be able to look players in the eyes. You get a lot better feel. I thought it was important to put him on the field to get him closer to Jarrett. I think it’s something that helped us today.”

On Tennessee fans...

“There’s no question about the spirit of Tennessee football. Our job is to make it better than it was when we found it. That’s what we plan on doing.”

On how this helps recruiting...

“The other day on Vol Calls, I had somebody ask me how we compete with top tier programs. My answer is, we are a top tier program in the country. We just have to create a top tier team. Our guys are working hard to do that. The program is here.”

On beating Auburn...

“I’m gonna tell you what, it’s always fun to beat Auburn. Especially to beat them at Auburn. I’m excited for our players and everyone associated with our program. We’re going to enjoy this for 24 hours, then we’re going to get ready for the next game.”