KNOXVILLE - If Deandre Johnson could have made it off the field just a second sooner, perhaps the Tennessee sophomore outside linebacker could have avoided coach Jeremy Pruitt's full wrath in the first quarter Saturday.
Instead, as Johnson sprinted toward the sideline to avoid a 12-men-on-the-field penalty that would have given Texas-El Paso a first down, Pruitt called a timeout to eliminate the risk of UTEP snapping the ball before Johnson made it off the field.
The timeout turned in to a full TV timeout, which gave the coach time to sternly rebuke Johnson's error in Tennessee's 24-0 victory over the visiting Miners at Neyland Stadium.
Deandre Johnson was definitely hearing everything Jeremy Pruitt had to say after that blunder. #Vols pic.twitter.com/2VGDzwWVog
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) September 15, 2018
Pruitt planted a hand in Johnson's chest and then grabbed Johnson by both sides of his helmet to continue the lecture as SEC Network cameras captured the moment.
"It's like I told him on the sideline, when I'm talking to him, 'Just look at me when I'm talking,' you know?" Pruitt said. "Deandre is going to be a really good player for us."
The SEC Network crew highlighted the confrontation during the game, and as footage of it reached the Internet, some fans lauded Pruitt for his intense coaching while some others expressed concern over his aggressive style.
Pruitt flashed a grin as he reflected on the moment Monday.
"I think Deandre has got a really bright future," Pruitt said. "He's a guy that I think can rush the quarterback. He can play on the edge. I have a lot of confidence in him. Heck, if we've got 12 men on the field, he's not on (the) number one dime rabbits (six-DBs group)."
With the right personnel on the field, Tennessee forced an incompletion after the timeout, which led to a UTEP punt.
"You can see the intensity that Jeremy Pruitt brings to this new program," SEC Network analyst D.J. Shockley said. "There's a new culture. There's a new way they practice. He is bringing that intensity early. The only way these guys know how is the way he coaches, and he gets after them - as you can see."
In the third quarter, Johnson dropped into coverage and avoided a convoy of UTEP blockers to tackle fullback Winston Dimel for a loss of 2 yards on a screen pass.
Ignont progressing
Sophomore linebacker Will Ignont has made nine tackles in the last two games while filling in for Quart'e Sapp, who has been limited because of a bone bruise. The former four-star prospect has impressed Pruitt with his "understanding" of Tennessee's defense.
"He just needs to an opportunity to play," Pruitt said. "He is working hard to create that for himself."
Decision defended
Pruitt is not apologizing for inserting backup quarterback Keller Chryst into Saturday's game when Tennessee's offense took the field with 1:40 to go in the first half and a 10-0 lead.
A holding penalty on left tackle Drew Richmond stalled the series and led to a punt.
"The way the game went, I wanted to make sure we got Keller in there," Pruitt said. "I have confidence in Keller. We do two-minute drills all the time in practice, so I'm glad we got an opportunity to do it."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.