Tennessee during Saturday’s 48-17 loss to No. 2 Alabama at Neyland Stadium recorded 130 or more rushing yards for the fourth time in five games this season. Eric Gray led the way with 57 yards, Ty Chandler added another 37 and quarterbacks Jarrett Guarantano and Brian Maurer combined for 37 of their own.
The Vols (2-3) rushed 38 times as a team for 139 yards. Last week it was 41 attempts for 175 yards against Kentucky, after season-highs were recorded on Oct. 3 against Missouri, with 51 carries for 232 yards.
Still, Jeremy Pruitt is looking for more from his running backs. When asked about the offensive line and generating a consistent push during his postgame radio show on The Vol Network Saturday night, Pruitt pivoted to his running backs and finishing runs.
“I think some of it now, from the offensive line standpoint, we have to get better at running back,” Pruitt said. “We go down, in my opinion, way too easy. Ty and Eric, they run hard up in there, but they’re not big guys.
“Lots of times we don’t get the push on the pile. We have to make more people miss. They do that at times, but we have to be more consistent, start doing that.”
Gray, listed at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, is seventh in the SEC in rushing, averaging 71.0 yards per game. He’s 21st in yards per attempt, at 4.49. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Chandler is 14th in yards per game, averaging 55.0, and 22nd in yards per attempt, at 4.44. Tennessee as a team is 10th in the SEC in rushing, averaging 135.6 yards per game. The Vols are 11th in yards per rush, at 3.57.
Gray had a season-high 148 total yards last week against Kentucky and went for 62 total yards against Alabama. Chandler rushed for 86 and 90 yards in the first two weeks of the season, against South Carolina and Missouri respectively, but has totaled just 99 yards over the last three games.
Tennessee’s quarterbacks on Saturday didn’t commit any turnovers, after Jarrett Guarantano turned the ball over six times against Georgia and Kentucky. Still, the opposition returned a turnover for a touchdown against the Vols for a third straight game. Gray fumbled on the third play of the second half Saturday, with Alabama’s Malachi Moore scooping up the loose ball and returning it 28 yards for a touchdown to put Alabama up 35-10.
“It’s 28-10 at half, we get the ball to start the second half and unfortunately we fumble and give up the score — another score — when the defense is not out there,” Pruitt said. “I think that was the only turnover. We just can’t continue to do that.”
Kentucky returned two interceptions for touchdowns last week, after Georgia turned a Guarantano strip-sack into a touchdown two weeks ago.
Guarantano connected with freshman Jalin Hyatt on a 38-yard touchdown in the first half against Alabama and a 27-yard touchdown to Josh Palmer in the second half. Those are the plays Pruitt said his team — running backs, quarterbacks, wide receivers, everyone — is trying to build on.
“I did think we created a couple explosive plays,” Pruitt said, “but we have to be more explosive on offense.”
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October 25, 2020 at 09:43PM
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Pruitt: Tennessee running backs going down 'way too easy' - 247Sports
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