JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Tennessee Volunteers had a month to dwell in the positive momentum of a 6-1 finish to their regular season and an invitation to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Wednesday morning at a news conference for coach Jeremy Pruitt and his team captains, if there was any residue from the Vols (7-5) resting on the laurels of that strong second half, it wasn't showing.
Pruitt and seniors Daniel Bituli, Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings, Darrell Taylor and Nigel Warrior all appeared focused on Thursday's 7 p.m. game against Indiana (8-4) that will be televised on ESPN.
There's good reason for that focus.
Each senior has been with the program through highs and lows: Jennings and Taylor were part of the nine-win seasons in 2015 and 2016, with Bituli, Callaway and Warrior freshmen in 2016. They all experienced the success that came from being ranked in the top 10 that year, then had to do their part in bringing the program back from the gutter, which was where it appeared to be after a 4-8 showing in 2017. That was the first eight-loss season in the history of a program that dates to 1891.
Tennessee went just 5-7 in 2018, and even this season, Pruitt's second as coach, started off poorly. The strong finish was preceded by a 1-4 start that included a loss to Georgia State, considered one of the worst upsets in program history.
Tennessee senior linebacker Darrell Taylor (19), shown during a home game against Mississippi State on Oct. 12, and his classmates hope to end ther time as Vols with a victory against Indiana at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. / AP photo by Wade PayneThe Vols have appeared to be locked in on turning the season around for some time now, though, and the captains were locked in Wednesday on finishing the drill - one the seniors led as the underclassmen tried to do their part to give the exiting group a chance to end its season after 13 games and not 12.
"I think the young guys fulfill what they said," Callaway said. "You know, they wanted us to go out the way we was supposed to go out, the right way - and with leadership from the coaches, from top to bottom, seniors to freshmen, everybody bought in and knew what they was supposed to do, and another shout-out to the younger guys sending us out the right way."
To a man, questions were answered precisely. There were smiles but also a look in each player's eyes.
"I appreciate the relationships that I have been able to create with these guys up on the stage here right now," Bituli said. "I just want to send us off with the win, and the way we've prepared these past couple weeks, these past couple months, has really been good. I'm really excited to be able to attack this game with these group of guys."
As for the seniors on stage, their legacies are pretty much set. For their younger teammates and future Vols, this could be the foundation for what Pruitt is trying to build.
Tennessee's Jauan Jennings (15) celebrates with fellow senior wide receiver Marquez Callaway after scoring a touchdown during the first half of a home game against UTC on Sept. 14. / AP photo by Wade PayneThere's time to talk about next season. Pruitt and the seniors weren't worried about that Wednesday.
"These five gentlemen that are up here, I can't say enough about them, about their leadership," Pruitt said. "You find out a lot about yourself and the people around you when you face adversity, and I think the way our football team has responded from the point in the season when we were 1-4 to be 7-5 now, winning our last five games, six out of our last seven, you know, can be attributed to the men that are up here, their character, their leadership and how they helped hold the team together.
"We are excited about this opportunity, and we are looking forward to starting 2020 off to the right note here and sending these guys off with a win."
Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt's second season in charge of the Vols will end with a Gator Bowl matchup against Indiana in Jacksonville, Fla. / AP photo by Wade PayneContact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.