Coach Pruitt's praise limited to Neyland's drainage system

Linebacker Shanon Reid catches a football during drills before Tennessee's scrimmage at Neyland Stadium on April 7.
Linebacker Shanon Reid catches a football during drills before Tennessee's scrimmage at Neyland Stadium on April 7.

KNOXVILLE - Jeremy Pruitt's top positive takeaway from Tennessee's first football scrimmage of the spring?

Neyland Stadium's drainage system.

"We didn't have the best weather out there today," Pruitt said. "It was nice and cool. But our field actually drains really well. That was a positive for us that we did get to go outside."

The drainage system drew more praise from Pruitt than any facet of play as the Volunteers took the field at Neyland Stadium for the first time since he took over as head coach in December.

It was the ninth of 15 spring practices for the Vols and the first of three scrimmages, the last of which will be the spring game on April 21. The scrimmage was closed to media, no stats were distributed afterward and no players were available for interviews, leaving the final word on how things went up to Pruitt.

Poor tackling, an excess of penalties and bad body language drew his ire as he discussed the day's yields.

"One thing that just jumps out to me is we've got to be a better tackling team," Pruitt said. "Guys need a little bit better form to finish. On the offensive line, we need to learn how to finish. At wide receiver, any time the ball was out on the perimeter, one thing I didn't see today is I didn't see offensive linemen going and peppering defenders to knock them off the ball carrier."

Pruitt did express appreciation for the way the offense protected the football and for the fact that the special-teams units were able to get live action in the scrimmage situation.

Sticking with his spring theme, Pruitt declined to elaborate on the play of Tennessee's quarterbacks or any other individual players.

Asked if any players or position groups stood out to him, Pruitt finished a gulp of water, set the bottle down on the podium and said "No" with a blank expression.

One source told the Times Free Press that sophomore quarterback Will McBride and junior receiver Marquez Callaway played well during the scrimmage, which included 110 to 120 plays for Tennessee's first- and second-team players.

The quarterback battle figures to drag on well into August.

Redshirt sophomore Jarrett Guarantano and Stanford graduate transfer Keller Chryst, who will arrive this summer, are widely regarded the front-runners. But McBride could give Pruitt and offensive coordinator Tyson Helton another option to consider if he continues to perform well during the last two weeks of spring practice.

Pruitt began the job familiar with Guarantano from Tennessee's loss at Alabama last season in which Pruitt's Crimson Tide defense shut out the Vols' offense. At the time McBride was on track to redshirt for Tennessee. Now Pruitt has had a chance to evaluate McBride for himself.

But Pruitt was tight-lipped Saturday, saving his highest praise for a drainage system and the mere fact that Tennessee was able to stage a useful day of talent evaluation on the field at Neyland Stadium.

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.

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