KNOXVILLE - The moderator thanked Jeremy Pruitt for his time Monday, officially bringing the Tennessee football coach's weekly news conference to an end after 19 minutes.
Pruitt remained at the podium, staring down.
Finally, after nine silent seconds, he found the name he was looking for on the rosters for the Volunteers' game at No. 21 Auburn this week.
"Dontavius Russell," Pruitt exclaimed. "I wasn't disrespecting him. I want to make sure everybody knows that, OK? He is a really, really good player."
Pruitt had rattled off Russell's number 95 a few minutes earlier as he discussed the challenges of facing Auburn's defensive front, but he had struggled to come up with the senior defensive tackle's name.
It was a diplomatic miscue that he wanted to correct before leaving the room. He knows Russell and the rest of the Tigers' defensive front needs no added motivation for Saturday's contest.
Auburn (4-2, 1-2) allowed Mississippi State to run for 349 yards in a 23-9 loss last Saturday, a figure that should provide the Tigers plenty of motivation when Tennessee (2-3, 0-2) enters Jordan-Hare Stadium for the noon EDT game.
"I know a lot of these guys just because of recruiting and things like that," Pruitt said. "Really good competitors. The guys play it the right way, and I can guarantee you they'll be ready to play this week."
Auburn fell 13 spots in the Associated Press poll with its loss to Mississippi State. Both its offense and defense have looked unimpressive at times this season after the Tigers began the year as a dark-horse candidate to repeat as SEC West champions over Alabama.
The weight of Auburn's Saturday loss fell largely on the shoulders of a defensive front that many considered one of the nation's best entering the season. But for Tennessee fans hoping the Vols might replicate Mississippi State's running success, there is an important caveat to note.
"They were willing to run their quarterback, I think 25 times in the game," Pruitt said.
Actually, Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald totaled 28 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
"Every time I flipped on the channel he was running with the ball," Pruitt said. "It was basically wildcat. That's a tough offense to defend because you've got a quarterback who can run the football but also throw it at the same time. It's tough to defend."
Tennessee occasionally has featured sophomore running back Tim Jordan in a wildcat package this season, but he is not a threat to throw. Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has not proven durable or mobile enough to consistently threaten opponents by running.
Offensive-line play has been a weakness for the Vols, but perhaps Auburn showed enough vulnerability on its defensive front for Tennessee to give itself a chance as a 16.5-point underdog on the road.
Just don't expect Pruitt or the Vols to say so publicly. Pruitt endured nine awkward, silent seconds to make sure the world knew his respect for Auburn's defensive front.
"Those guys play hard," Tennessee sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith added later. "They're a tough unit. They bring it. So this will be a good matchup this week."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.