KNOXVILLE – When Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt decided to watch video of Alabama’s short-yardage offensive packages this week, he was greeted with a surprise.
The highlights assembled by the Volunteers’ support staff featured footage of Maryland from several seasons ago.
Alabama running back Najee Harris gets past Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton during the second half of the Crimson Tide’s 39-10 victory last Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Harris is just one of many assets for Alabama’s nation-leading offense.“I’m asking these guys, ‘Why the heck we got Maryland tape up there?'” Pruitt said.
The answer illustrates the challenge the Vols (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) will face when the top-ranked Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) visit Neyland Stadium for Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. game.
“They don’t have any third downs,” Pruitt said of the Tide. “You look at them in the red area, they have very few red-area plays. I mean, they’re scoring from all over the field. There’s no short yardage.”