The reason why Jeremy Pruitt is sabotaging Tennessee's defense in practice

 Linebacker Quart'e Sapp works through a drill before Tennessee's scrimmage on April 7 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Linebacker Quart'e Sapp works through a drill before Tennessee's scrimmage on April 7 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee linebacker Quart'e Sapp suspects Jeremy Pruitt of sabotage.

The first-year head coach built his reputation as a defensive coordinator, and he spends his time on the practice field working with Tennessee's defense. But when it comes to scrimmaging against the offense, Pruitt's loyalties are split.

"It's kind of funny that he's our coach," Sapp said Tuesday. "He's a defensive-minded coach, and he goes into the offensive meetings and tells them all the secrets and our weaknesses to our defense. He's coaching us (and) basically helping the offense."

Perhaps Pruitt's work as a double agent explains why Tennessee's offense made more explosive plays Saturday in the team's final scrimmage before this weekend's spring game at Neyland Stadium. Pruitt was also critical of his defense's tackling and its lack of forced turnovers in the scrimmage.

Sapp, a redshirt junior, explained there are other Southeastern Conference schools with a defense similar to the 3-4 front Tennessee is learning. So while it may be frustrating to the defenders to have Pruitt divulging secrets to the offense, there is a team-oriented reason behind it.

"They (the offense) are getting an advantage on practicing against a team with a front that we have," Sapp said, "and we're getting the advantages of seeing the weaknesses in our defense."

On Thursday, the Volunteers will practice for the 14th time in this spring session, and it will be their final tuneup before Saturday's 2 p.m. Orange and White Game, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans looking for an early peek at Pruitt's first team. While the coaching staff is expected to reveal little schematic nuance during the event, it will be a chance for the defense to show how it is handling the transition from a 4-3 front to a 3-4.

"Probably the most positive thing is the technique," Sapp said as he reflected on Tennessee's adaptation to the new scheme through four weeks of spring practices. "Our technique is getting a lot better. Obviously, we have to change a lot of technique from the different scheme of the defense, things that we're not accustomed to doing. I feel like that's getting a lot better, should be getting a lot better towards the end half of the spring."

Sapp indicated he believes the defense has made incorrect calls at times and had some other growing pains that are to be expected during a schematic transition. He used the numbers assigned to college course listings as a metaphor.

"Beginning of the spring, we probably started at basically a 100 class, and we're trying to move up to that 300 to 400 level class, make all those little adjustments inside the game," Sapp said.

There's little question the defenses Pruitt coordinated at Florida State, Georgia and Alabama during the past five seasons had more talent and depth than the 2018 Vols. That's of little concern to Pruitt as he installs the schemes at Tennessee that helped him arrive at this point in his career.

"We have guys that have plenty of talent; talent's not an issue," Pruitt said. "We have to learn how to play, how to compete, how to be smart football players. There's more to playing football than just when the ball snaps.

"There's a lot of things, especially with defensive football, before the ball ever snaps. You can eliminate a lot of plays you're going to get, and the great ones know how to do that."

That's why Pruitt is tipping off Tennessee's offense - so the defense can begin learning its weaknesses and how to cover them up.

"I'm not going to change the way that I coach," Pruitt said. "I've had too much success doing it that way, so I'm going to coach the same way."

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

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